If I were asked to name the hobbies that interested me the most, consumed the most time and defined my life outside of work, my answer would be immediate.
Writing and photography.
Of the two, my interest in photography is comparatively recent - almost fledgling in comparison to my desire to write. Interestingly, I can’t remember wanting to write prior to 2002. The motivation behind that first entry 3 years ago is lost; it’s a victim to more important memories and events.
Most of my work is autobiographical or op-ed in nature and it’s only very recently that I started to write longer, more involved works. In November 2004 I wrote A World Apart - the first piece with no driver besides personal enjoyment. I have written one subsequent work that I believe to be my best to date. After two and a half years of writing to a deadline, learning to express my thoughts within a short timespan, I find myself somewhat ill-equipped to write longer works. These works demand days of incremental changes, numerous edit-cycles and the ability to write no matter what the conditions. In these circumstances, training kicks in and I chafe at the bit, feel the desire to just get something out.
But I will continue to try.
I write best when my emotions see-saw from one axis to another and as a result, my first two works deal - again - with autobiographical content. The events are real. The emotions are real. The happiness - or unhappiness - is real. My stories are another window into who I am and what I’ve experienced.
Over the course of the following months I intend to concentrate on longer pieces. I need to augment my toolbox with a better knowledge of grammar, sentence construction and the gritty foundation you have to learn to improve. It’ll take a long time and this page will serve as a series of milestones along the way.
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