My name is Danielle, and I happen to be only 15 years old. I live in the US of A with my mom, stepfather, and two cats. I started playing the viola in fourth grade for my school's orchestra, and haven't put it down. Instead, I added guitar, which I taught myself how to play in eighth grade, and piano, which I taught myself in ninth. I'm going to be a sophomore in the coming school year, and am still taking all honors classes.
My cat Philip and I, Spring '13
When did I find my love of writing?
I guess you could say writing found me, actually. It was first grade, and I had moved to a new town after both my grandparents passed away, so I was very quiet and didn't know anyone. I felt small in my school, even though there were less students attending it than my old one. One day, however, my teacher pulled me aside and gave me paper and a pencil and said, "Write whatever you want, and I'll put it on the wall." So, I wrote about my cat Philip. It was a silly first-grader piece, where I talked about how cute he was and how we played "Lion King" and how on one page he was six weeks and on another he was six months (when really he was maybe two or three years old). It really didn't matter. For a first grader, the piece was fantastic. My teacher and family were so proud of me, and I happened to love writing it. Later in the year, my teacher helped us write poetry portfolios. Again, I was in love. She had us read our poetry at a mock coffeehouse held in our classroom with parents and other guests, and I was the only one she let read two of my poems and showcase their drawings that were laminated onto the backs.
Philip then and now, '03 and '13
I still have those poems and that story in a box up in my attic.
Now that I'm somewhat older, I write much more than simple acrostic poems or poems just stating what I see on my way to school, and I write much more than a silly, inconsistent, non-fiction story about my beloved cat. Thanks to taking honors English last year and having a fantastic teacher for Reading in eighth grade, I learned what makes timeless literature loved and enjoyed. Through the writing of the greats, like Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, and Harper Lee, I learned just how to add in my symbolism and character changes, as well as many other things. In the past year alone I have learned so much more from reading the work of others and then dissecting it in my honors English class than I have in any Language Arts or Writing class in elementary and middle school.
This is where my blog comes in.
Many of my friends aspire to be writers like me, so they're constantly asking me for advice or to read some of their work and critique it and help them make it better. My advice and tips helps them quite a bit, even though they have so much natural talent. So, thanks to my mom's encouragement and the knowledge that I love to help others, I figured I'd share my tips and advice with anyone who stumbles across my blog. I will try to give a daily tip or piece of advice, and possibly share some of my own writing as well as my writing process, workspace, and the way I gather inspiration. I will share some of that inspiration with you all as well, in high hopes that you, too, will be inspired by it. I also encourage you to post pieces of your writing in the comments for me to post here and help you improve it. Granted, I don't know it all, but I learn fast and hopefully what I learn and teach can be a great success for everyone.
I hope that you all find this helpful, whether it be just in finding inspiration or in helping improve your own writing.
