For some reason, I just have the I want to write a blogpost feeling.

   Today, I want to talk about being a writer ( a fan fic writer to be more precise ), what it means to be a writer, and how to grow as one. I've always felt that anyone can be a writer if they set their heart into it, but if you really want to expand and be someone worth looking up to, then you should set your mind and soul into writing, too. 

   Most of us write for the sheer fun of it. I personally write because I like organizing my thoughts and creating a new world out of nothing, or twisting the world I know into something that I'll enjoy. Having someone else read and give a feedback on my work is just an added bonus. However, some people write for popularity, fame, etc. and while these things aren't actually illegal, their motivation for writing is superficial and their fire tends to burn out quicker. 

   With that being said, how could you be sure if you're cut-off for writing? 

   I actually made a small checklist down below for you to evaluate yourself. If you fit all the requirements, then that's good. If you don't, there's no harm in it, anyway this is just something created by a teenage girl who wants to act like your mother / mentor / mirror.  

→ You're in love with books. 

     Before being a writer, you have to be an avid reader first. I'm not talking about those people who read eBooks and popular Young Adult fics. I'm referring to those people who enjoy reading novels of different genres and authors (even classics). Idk if it's just me, but I enjoy reading anything I could get my hands on, be it an old book, or a glossy magazine, or even a crumpled newspaper. Read. Read. Read. Read. Reading opens your mind and broadens your horizon. Don't forget the fact that being exposed to literary works gets you acquainted with grammar and the English language. 

→ You never feel like what you're writing is good enough. 

     Even though you receive kind comments and praises, there's still a nagging part of you that doesn't believe in them. You always feel like there's room for improvement and you're never going to reach the point where you're satisfied with what you write (although it's good). 

→ You honest-to-goodness love writing.

     Period.

→ You always think about the what ifs in each situation. 

     Even the most mundane situations could be improved by your  imagination. 

→ You have a relatively high self-esteem especially when it comes to your works.

     Admit it, you think highly of yourself and what of you've made. Deep inside, you're proud of what you've created, and what you achieved because you yourself know the tremendous effort that you've exerted on your story. Contrary to what anyone says, you're your own number one fan. 

→ You prefer being locked up in your room than facing the big, bag world. 

     There isn't anything better than sitting in front of your laptop, with your hands wrapped around a coffee mug while being cocooned inside a thick comforter. It's just you, your thoughts, and coffee.

→ You're a passionate and sensitive person.

     You feel too much and tend to have deep opinions regarding certain topics. A lot of things interest you. The simplest stories make you cry and you usually see the hidden meaning and messages in everything.

→ You're kind. 

       According to Lemony Snicket, villians are only people who haven't opened a book in their lives. You can't be a bad person when you read. With that in mind, every time you read, you open yourself to a new world, new feelings, and new situations. Readers are empathetic people, meaning they have the ability to put theirselves in other people's shoes. You experience what it's like to be an orphaned girl in some fancy island (Anne of Green Gables, anyone?), or being a young boy with a magical scar on his forehead. You become someone else. You think like someone else. This sort of traces back to point #1 (being an avid reader), and I feel like this is the most important thing when it comes to being a writer.