The first thing I ever wanted to become was a space cowgirl. And while I haven’t lassoed asteroids in the Kuiper belt just yet, my imagination has led me to becoming a writer.
I’ve shared a little about the women who nurtured my love of writing, but there have been many others who kept me moving forward throughout the years. It’s said that no man is an island, and frankly (or francesly? haaaaaa), neither is this woman. In the spirit of International Women’s Month, I’d like to share three anecdotes that honor a few of these ladies with you.
[1]
So, about that imagination. A wise book once told me, First We Read, Then We Write. I don’t think I would enjoy writing if I didn’t have the words of others to fill my mind’s theater. And so I have my mom to thank for instilling that in me.
My mom finds no joy in reading. Books weren’t really around when she was a kid. This was a tragedy she knew she could not repeat with her children, so every summer, she would drop my sister and I off at the library. Countless hours were spent in the fiction aisles engrossed in Encyclopedia Brown’s latest case, Merlin’s adventures before he became a great wizard, or the grisly murders on Fear Street.
I loved how words could come from anyone and create anything. It was the closest thing in reality to casting a spell.
[2]
A love of fiction led to a love of roleplaying games and anime, which led to a love of fan fiction. I spent years authoring stories on my own, until the advent of Facebook. My summers at the library evolved to summers logging in to the social network. Writing by myself became sharing ideas and writing with friends from other states, Canada, and the UK.
By far my most consistent writing partner was Becky. I am in no way exaggerating, not even by a hair, when I say we wrote together from sun up to sun down. To this day I haven’t experienced such a profound state of flow.
Roleplay gave my writing more depth. I was writing for fun, but I was also learning how to improvise, develop characters and worlds, create interesting plots, and embrace creative control. I could be and explore all versions of myself through these characters. It was a wonderful, golden time for creative writing.
Becky’s written amazing plays since then, while I found a creative home in advertising and marketing.
[3]
Finally, professional writing. My first agency internship was out in Santa Monica. This is where I met Laura, a fellow copywriter. Along with two others, we were the self-proclaimed Intern Palace.
Laura was awesome to me not only as a colleague, but as a friend. She stood up for me when I didn’t know how to use my voice. In particular I remember her outrage when 1) a fellow intern said that my long-distance relationship wasn’t a real one, and 2) when I was let go from the internship. She believed my talent and skills had gone unseen, which allowed me to borrow confidence for the job interviews to come.
When I got a full-time offer within a week of leaving the agency, she threw me a party. It meant a lot to have someone celebrate my success and reinforce that I belonged.
Fast forward almost a decade later, and Laura is the reason I’m at my current gig doing work I’m interested in, at a rate I’m happy with. She wholeheartedly recommended me to her boss, which got my foot in the door to show work and prove myself in a space I was trying to grow into. She also unabashedly shared her own freelance rates and experience with me so I could go into negotiations as prepared as possible.
I’m a better writer in imagination, creativity, and career because of people like my mom, Becky, and Laura.
If I’m a space cowgirl today, it’s because they helped me shoot for the moon.