My first excursion into the world of fiction began when I was 9 years old. I wrote a story about Goop Stars, little green and blue blobs that competed with each other in nearly every aspect of life. I believe I was regurgitating some degree of the Olympic Games which I had just witnessed for the first time only a few months prior. Whatever the reason, I ended up writing numerous stories throughout my Elementary School tenure, increasingly longer and better received by my teachers and peers.

Things changed though and as soon as Middle and High School started up, writing stories seemed all too childish. That tends to be how those childhood obsessions fade away – a revelation of maturity that is a decade or so too early to be taken seriously. However, for a 13 year old, ignoring the “childish” things you once did is almost as important as partaking of the “adult” things your friends are doing.

Eventually I came back to the writing though, finding a niche in a University program I didn’t think I wanted to be in only to find that that was exactly where I wanted to be. It was a strange, twisted path that led me back to writing stories.

Very few people ever publish works of fiction. Most don’t even finish their stories and many more don’t even bother starting on them. The stereotype of the “writer” is often vaunted to the point that most individuals feel they are not good enough to put pen to paper. It’s a hair better than the perception of writers a few decades ago – that of slackers and never-do-wells that can’t get jobs.

However, it’s a stereotype nonetheless and it keeps a lot of talented or creative young talent from trying their hand in the field. The main problem is that most people feel, as with almost any time devouring endeavor in this day and age, that they should be paid for their writing. Stephen King and J.K. Rowling are worth billions of dollars, so why shouldn’t everyone else get a 12-country, movie, television and merchandising rights contract to their first novel?

But, writing is more than just a money-making endeavor or a showcase of innate talent. If J.K. Rowling has taught us anything, it’s that a little bit of imagination goes a long way. The world has reveled in her work for more than a decade now and two generations of young people have been drawn into the realm of literature and away from their televisions because of it. However, mere consumption is not the only means by which an individual can enjoy their imagination.

Writing is an extension of the innate ability human beings carry to create an imaginative work from memory and experience. Everyone should write a novel; not because they need the money or because they have a unique talent the world is waiting to see. Everyone should write a novel because everyone has the ability to do so.

It’s not about the work involved or the time required completing such a massive project. It’s about the complicated collection of ideas and thoughts that we all carry around with us from the first day that our brains start to form cohesive memories. We experience billions of little moments in our lifetime and each one is unique. Putting those experiences to paper or screen is a privilege that few in the history of the world have had.

My call for universal novel writing is not the first nor the most expressive to arrive. Nor is there any shortage of writers actually doing so in the world right now. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short) is a November call to arms for writers around the globe to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. Last year was the eighth year for the event, boasting nearly 80,000 participants and 13,000 individuals with completed novels. Almost one billion words were written for the event.

No one expects to write a publishable novel during November every year, though a few have had their works published. The point of the endeavor is to challenge oneself to write for 30 days instead of watching TV or playing video games. The commitment is for a little less than 1700 words a day for a month, for most people no more than 1-2 hours, the same amount of time most people spend watching sitcoms and crime dramas.

That’s not to say that everyone on the planet should spend their free time writing a novel. However, writing is a cathartic, relaxing experience – the kind that helps to clear the mind of troublesome thoughts and release stress. Even for those individuals not entrenched in the writing of fiction, there are somewhere between 100 and 200 million blogs online right now, each of them run by an individual with something to say. The internet, though another entertainment medium unto itself, has offered countless opportunities for individuals to write at length on anything they desire and find an audience. With that audience, individuals have been able to explore their creative underbellies.

Anyone can write. It doesn’t matter if you are 9 years old and intrigued by something you saw on television or if you’re 75 and simply want to write about the things you’ve seen in your life. Talent, training and marketability are all unimportant. The important thing is that when one writes, the audience does not exist. Everyone should write a novel, or a blog or a poem. It’s a privilege few have been given and an experience no one would forget.

I don’t know if I’ve gone over the importance of having a blog or other avenues to release energy when writing full time. The one thing most people (including myself) don’t think of when they first start writing freelance fulltime is that the act of writing on spec for other people about topics that you most likely have minimal interest in will quickly and completely sap you of any desire to actually write for yourself. For some people, this might not be a problem. If you work all day, there are minimal instances in which you want to come home and do the exact same thing on your own time.

However, there are those who are actually attached to their personal writing and you shouldn’t let your new career get in the way of that. It’s much too easy to let it happen. So, when I first started writing for money, I started this blog. It was a good way to relax at the end of each day and pay more attention to things not having to do with coffee makers and social networking. Eventually I got too busy and quit writing, but I came back and that’s what you have to ensure happens. Here are some good tips for keeping up your writing throughout the year.

Moleskine Notebook - A moleskine is the best pocket sized notebook on the market, easily. It’s small, extremely durable, and best of all, has more than 190 pages, so it will last forever. Keep a notebook on hand at all times to write down story ideas, notes, phone numbers, or whatever else you might you need to record during your day.

Blog - So, I’ve already said it twice in this post, but why not again with the bolded subtitle? A blog is a great way to get the steam out during a long work week though. Write about your day, your family, your work, movies, the sky - write whatever you feel like to earn some of those finger cramps from your own thoughts.

NaNoWriMo - It’s a fiction thing, but then again, it doesn’t have to be. With November closing in quickly, keep this fast growing option in mind. It’s a 50,000 word novel written in a month and it’s a great way to forget about writing for other people for at least an hour or so every night.

Side Projects - Every now and then, while you are writing for someone else, you’ll have a great idea that would be perfect for making a good deal of money. You then think, “I wish someone would give me that job”…well, write it yourself. If have think an eBook about how to choose ingredients for sushi would be fun to read and sell well, start writing it.  Even if it doesn’t come to anything in the next three months, eventually you’ll have enough written that you’ll want to finish it up and do something with it. Work on these projects over time and you won’t feel the strain of the time commitment.

There are dozens of other ways you can write and get more enjoyment of your work than from simple articles and piece meal work you pick off of websites. You can volunteer to write for a political party or non-profit organization. You can also write for other peoples’ blogs or help tutor at a local school. Before I start sounding too much like I’m writing an article here, just keep in mind that there are dozens of ways you can keep writing and not feel like it’s just for money. Don’t forget why you started writing to begin with. It’s extremely easy and eventually can become slightly depressing.

As my eyes continue to water from staring much too deeply into this computer screen all day, trying to complete a deadline early so I can enjoy my Labor Day weekend, I’m going to take a short break and (while still staring at the screen) at least stop working for a few minutes.

I have a couple of new projects in the works that will likely prove to be too much work for me in the long run, but are at least keeping me entertained at the moment. The first I have mentioned before and is my freelancing website at SeattleFreelance.com. The site has been live since early July and does not quite work yet, but the cogs are still turning and it will hopefully be operational in the coming weeks (as the work load lightens). My hope is to create a situation in which I am free of the grips of sites like Elance to garner myself work. We’ll see how it works out.

Second, I’ve started a blog novel at BrutusWeaver.blogspot.com. It’s a new project that sprouted up when I was working on an Elance project (there’s that name again). I basically thought it would be interesting to try and write a novel while people watched, commenting on my new additions every day. My goal is to write 300-500 words every day and have a few people share their thoughts. It’s been done before, but I’m not really aiming to be original, just entertained. So, if you read this (what few of you there are), please stop by and read the first few pages of my newest endeavor and leave some comments to let me know what you think.

Well, that’s it for now I suppose. I have 2500 words left and a massive proofread to undergo before I’m “officially” done for tonight. The sooner, the better.