Today is officially a holiday, but I planned the series this way. Writers don’t take days off, unless we suffer from a deadly case of a creative block. I would honestly rather get the flu than writer’s block. And to tie everything together, on this 12th day of gratitude, I am going to express my love for writing (as if you didn’t already know).

Summary of my writing life:

• Fourth grade: We would write as a class nearly everyday for an hour. I first discovered what a true passion felt like when I would experience a deep sadness every time we were instructed to put our pencils down. I could write for the entire day, and maybe the whole night too. Later that year, I filled a full notebook front to back with short stories. This was my first real book.
• Junior high: I took a “careers” class, and I was 100% committed to being a writer, while my classmates chose nursing and business paths.
• Early high school: I frequently wrote short stories and nonfiction essays, entering into contests and sharing with my friends. I switched from writing in notebooks to writing on my laptop, and this helped the words flow even faster.
  
• Late high school: It was time to decide on a college, and my main focus was the English program. This helped shape my decision greatly. As if this wasn’t overwhelming enough, I wrote and published “Undefined” in the fall of my senior year, and “Project 105” in the summer after my senior year.
• Today: I am entering into my second semester of college, and enrolled in two workshop writing classes. I blog frequently, and am in the process of brainstorming a novel (surprise!). I write to rid myself of anxiety, frustration, and fear. I also write because it’s what I was born to do.

Reasons I write:

• I write to express the feelings I can never say out loud.
• I write to make an impact on the reader’s perspective and mind.
• I write to make tangible, lasting legacy for my future family to have.
• I write to let the passion that’s bottled up in my chest escape.
• I write to please the creative muse that keeps my fingers furiously typing.
• I write because I want to.

Reasons I don’t write:

• To please other people.
• Because I have to.

I am thankful for this beautiful creativity that comes with the arts, literature, and music. Most of all, the main reason I write is because I have something to say, and I will not be silenced by fear.

Always,

Madeleine Rheinheimer

PS: Thank you for following along with my 12 Days of Gratitude series, I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday and my entertainment.