American Dirt: Not Hearing the Inspiration to Write

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Not Hearing the Inspiration to Write

I didn't grow up aspiring to be a writer. My love was focused on art, specifically comic books, and the mythic figures drawn onto the page. Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, and the X-Men drove me forward and allowed me to believe I could become much stronger than I was.

I copied the best stances of my favorite heroes from the page. I drew Venom so many times that my dad believed I was into witchcraft and demons. I wasn't, I was into cool looking badasses. I drew every day, not thinking about discipline, or where this was going to take me. I didn't think about how much money I could (or couldn't) make, or how hard it might be to break into comics. Even the fact that I loved the stories presented as much as I loved the art escaped me. I accepted that I was going to be a comic book artist, and that was okay. I became a webcomic artist, of my own creation, for about 19 strips. That endeavor made me a grand total of $.75.

Being a writer never occurred to me in my teens despite my seventh grade teacher giving me all A's on my creative writing assignments, and my language teacher being impressed with all my reports. Those were just…things…homework I had to do, even if they were easy. I never stopped to wonder why some of my classmates had so much trouble finishing these types of assignments. I certainly never had a teacher specifically tell me "You need to go into writing."

Blaming others for my current insecurities would be easy, but pointless. Real life doesn't happen like it does in the movies and TV. Until it does. While in college, my language professor DID tell me I should get into writing. She even tried to get me into this special workshop where you met people in the writing industry. I should have gone. Instead, I made a baby, and decided to play it safe by quitting college and working full time to support my new family. At Wal-Mart. Real life can happen like it does in the movies and on TV; but you must be awake enough to realize it while it's happening.

I didn't grow up aspiring to be a writer. Now that I am a writer, an author even, I wonder where I'd be had I been listening to what my teachers had been telling me all this time: You're meant to put words on the page that let people feel something, James. Go. Do it!

To my teachers, to my professor I failed so horribly, I'm sorry I didn't hear the real message you were giving me with your small praises. I'm putting in my time now, and I'm not giving up. Every word I write is meant to inspire.

I'm not the best yet…but I'm working hard and giving my writing everything I've got.

James Neal is the author of these stories:

Of Blood and Blade; a dark fantasy novel on Amazon

Paints the Invisible Eye; a dark fantasy novella on Amazon &

Divine Right (linked to Smashwords); a free fantasy short story available on Smashwords, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, and other digital bookstores.