I have always been frightened to share my work all my life. It wasn`t until fifth grade that my teacher encouraged me to pursue a writing career. Back then I didn`t know what to think of that idea. I didn`t know that the rest of my life could revolve around literature and writing. You see I`ve always enjoyed putting things on paper and sharing how I felt through words. I began fifth grade as a shy little girl whom no one expected to be a talented writer, therefore the feeling rubbed off onto me. If I hadn`t stood up in front of that class and poured my heart out as I basically read my life to them, I wouldn`t have realized that I had more potential than people gave me credit for.

Years passed and my passion for reading and writing slowly faded. I lost interest in every single book that I had read, and the books that were handed to me appealed very little to me. I didn`t know why that was. My parents, especially my mother noticed that I didn`t read as often as I used to. It concerned them greatly up to the point that they decided to have a talk with me. It went a little along the lines of-" What happened? You used to read for hours endlessly and now you don`t read at all."My mother, who had read much of my work even said: " You used to spend hours at your desk writing stories and you hardly pick up a pencil anymore."

That`s when everything sunk in. I remembered those long days when there was nothing to do and I either grabbed a book or a pencil. So I decided to give reading and writing another shot. I read and read and wrote and wrote until my fingers and my head stared hurting. I didn`t know how I had ever lived without my true love: Literature. It gave me so much joy that I didn`t want to stop, and ever since then I haven`t. I admit that I didn`t do it as often as I would have liked, but I did it anyway. My inspiration mostly came from documentaries and commercials on TV, the ones about sponsoring children and donating to the poor. If I had to name one that spoke to me the most, it would be the two-hour special documentary about poor children with cleft lip. I was devastated. I didn`t know how many people out there were suffering and not just from diseases and deformations like cleft lip, but from other things as well.

Ever since the day I saw that documentary, I felt I had a purpose in life. I loved writing, and I wanted to make a difference. So how was I to decide what was more important to me? Writing or helping others? I couldn`t. I couldn`t decide between what had been my purpose until then and what could be my purpose later on. So I did the only thing I knew I could do. I wrote about what I wanted, and then it hit me! I was going to reach people through my writing and inform them about all the tragedies that surrounded us in our everyday lives. I was going to make a difference.

So I wrote about what mattered to me and even made a plan for the future. The only thing I felt was left was to get the message out, but I still had those insecurities from the fifth grade. How was I supposed to know if what I had written actually reached my audience? What if it wasn`t good or even powerful enough to serve its purpose? But most intimidating was the question: What if they don`t like it? That`s when I decided to test things out. I searched online for websites where I could post my writing and get constructive feedback, so that one day I could really reach people. I stumbled onto many websites that didn`t fit what I was looking for. I wanted a place where I could share my work with people that had the same interests and goals as me, but all I found were sites where the writers were only interested in becoming the best writer that they could be. That is, until I found Booksie. Booksie was the only place where I actually felt that people could relate to what I had to say. It has given me so much more confidence than what I had when I started out and all because of the wonderful people who I have come to regard as my family. Booksie is not only the place where I have grown as a writer, it is also a second home and I don`t know what I would have done without it. So I encourage everyone to not be intimidated about sharing your work, at Booksie we will only give you the tools you need to become more confident about sharing your work and possibly giving you some few pointers. I know I have definitely benefited from this experience even though I have only been here a short while. Hopefully you feel the same way.

Now I have to say that if it weren`t for my Booksie family, I would be at home sulking and wondering what would have been if I actually followed my dreams. Luckily, I don`t have to do that. I know I have chosen the right path, and I don`t regret taking it at all. For all writers new and not so new, Booksie is the way to go! I am AngelaSteele, and I'm proud to be here. :)