While March 14 is technically National Write Down Your Story Day, I feel like I’ve been observing that my whole life through my love of words. Read along to see the evolution of myself as a writer through this written piece.
Elementary School
From ages 6 through about 8, there were days when I’d just pick an animal and write down all the facts I could find about it on the Internet. Sure, it wasn’t writing, but it was my way of writing about an interest I had and finding an outlet for it. The most vivid one I remember, mainly because my grandma still has a folder of the evidence, is a phase on sharks and whales.
I was also a voracious reader most of my life, which is a habit I wish I could still commit to while in college. I tried writing many novels, most of which began with how the character got ready for school in the morning because that’s how I imagined everyone should start a morning. I also, with my ultimate wisdom at 9, tried to write and illustrate a novel called “The Book of Life.” And yes, I’m still waiting for my deal with Barnes & Noble.
Moseying along through elementary school and into middle school, I also kept a very, very, very accurate log of my life in copious spiral notebooks and journals.
If you wanted to ask my sister, she’d probably tell you they were an interesting read.
Middle School
Ah yes, with new transitions comes new middle school angsts. On top of keeping up with my journals, I also started my Tumblr called My Life as a Misfit. Here’s my first ever entry I made, eight years ago:
“All my life, I’ve sorta been the person who stands out, the reject. And I’ve become accustomed to that; that fact has never really bothered me. I would rather be ridiculed for being myself than be overlooked because I fit in. I have my close-knit group of friends, and we accepted our flaws and oddities a long time ago. If you’re wondering what sort of person I am, then you can join the club. I’m at the age where I’m trying to discover who I really am. It’s trial and error. But, I know that I am a devoted bookworm: I must have a book with me at all times or I might start to hyperventilate. I also love to write: the words seem to flow from me, and I tend to prefer to write everything out. In cursive. I have an obsession with any kind of sweet candy. I love being in thrift stores, and I love vintage clothes. I am a person who has very high expectations for myself. I am a competitive swimmer. I am hopelessly optimistic. I’m that girl you see in the hallway and think, ‘Was that girl dropped on her head as an infant?’ I am intelligent. And lastly, I am a girl with imperfections. I have been blessed with the knowledge that imperfections make you unique. Did you know there’s an I in unique? You know why? Because I am unique. There’s also a U in unique. You know why? Because YOU are unique. Thank you for taking the time to read these ramblings. If this amused you, then please check this out again and don’t just let this be a thing that floats to the deep recesses of your mind. Sincerely, Hannah Marie.”
That post was called “The Outsider,” and many of my posts afterward were titled with similar adjectives or characteristics of myself. But man, wasn’t that just a quintessential middle school electronic diary? I was 12.
My Tumblr was my main form of expression back in the middle school days because it was a cool and quirky ~digital~ diary where I could also reblog swoony pictures of Zac Efron.
High School
I continued my blog throughout most of high school with more sparing posts, supplemented with my trusty journals. By this point, I filled and kept almost 20 notebooks. Depending on the year in high school, I fell out of writing about my feelings and said them to other people, but I still liked to keep a log of what was going on.
I also really delved into the emotions I couldn’t express in more mundane journaling and wrote some poetry. And by some, I mean… a lot. It’s still probably my favorite avenue to express myself.
If you’d like to read my favorite poem, check out this article from 2018 written by me and my co-president, Hailey.
College
Much like my blog, I wanted to find a place to express myself but with an, um, audience.
No offense to my 23 followers to My Life as a Misfit.
So, I joined Her Campus freshman year and have never looked back.
I’ve embraced so many different styles of writing and grown to experience different sides of myself through the pieces I write, which has been the most rewarding.
I also joined the Winonan during my sophomore year of college to get more attuned to the type of writing I want to do as a career, and that has also made such a difference in the way I share my story because I’m doing it alongside the other narratives I’m exploring and writing.
Overall, I think this somewhat arbitrary holiday of National Write Down Your Story Day gave me a way to take stock of all the ways writing has and will continue to shape me. If you’re anything like me, take this day and jot down a little something about yourself. Or if that’s not your vibe, then I want to thank each and every one of you reading this for being a part of my story, whether or not I choose to write it down today.