{"id":11212,"date":"2014-09-05T03:00:12","date_gmt":"2014-09-05T10:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=11212"},"modified":"2014-09-04T22:38:30","modified_gmt":"2014-09-05T05:38:30","slug":"tortured-tormented-yet-tantalizing-tale-became-writer-written-theresa-w-bennett-wilkes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2014\/09\/05\/tortured-tormented-yet-tantalizing-tale-became-writer-written-theresa-w-bennett-wilkes\/","title":{"rendered":"The Tortured, Tormented yet Tantalizing Tale of How I Became a Writer Written by Theresa W. Bennett-Wilkes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_10111\" style=\"width: 210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/2276607037_548490d232.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10111\" class=\"wp-image-10111\" src=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/2276607037_548490d232-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"Tony Hall, Writing\" width=\"200\" height=\"132\" srcset=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/2276607037_548490d232-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/2276607037_548490d232.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10111\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tony Hall, Writing<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 300; color: #000000;\">Today we welcome a new columnist, Theresa W. Bennett-Wilkes\u00a0who is stopping by to chat with us today about \u201cThe Tortured, Tormented yet Tantalizing Tale of How I Became a Writer.\u201d \u00a0<em style=\"font-weight: inherit; font-style: italic;\">Enjoy!<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 300; color: #000000;\">***<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.\u00a0<\/em>Dr. Maya Angelou<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>My foray into the world of professional scribe was an accident. I never dreamt of becoming <strong><em>the<\/em><\/strong> author of <a href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/1w6LLbv\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>the great American novel<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. I didn\u2019t feel a yearning. I loved reading and I was content to build my personal library of works in the genres I most enjoy: biography, fiction, history, and politics. I was doing quite well broadening my horizons and engaging my imagination through the literary offerings of others.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A horrible, terrible, awful job upended my world and changed my life.<\/strong> Let me take a moment to put the experience in perspective: I found myself struggling to survive in a hostile work environment which was not conducive to productivity. I had an office, a desk, chair, phone, computer, and a fancy title but I was hindered at every turn by bitter political warfare and breathtaking incompetence.<\/p>\n<p>I told myself I needed to work. My stomach ached all the time and I fell into a depression every Sunday night. I never knew what a day would bring \u2013 but I had to have this j-o-b. I began writing short stories to ease my sense of isolation and help me make it through each day. I recall experiencing a profound sense of exhilaration. You could say I was falling in love.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, I frequently clashed with my supervisor and ended up on paid administrative leave. I was so emotionally overwrought I couldn\u2019t appreciate the gift I\u2019d just been handed. I continued writing stories and became totally enamored. The characters who manifested delighted me and I was hooked.<\/p>\n<p><strong>While I was out on <em>leave<\/em>, I was asked to write a proposal.<\/strong> On the heels of this request came a second one and then a third. I happily got to work creating documents. I was pleasantly surprised at the reception I received. I didn\u2019t think of myself as having a gift. <strong><em>I was thinking paycheck<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>My <strong><em>leave was extended <\/em><\/strong>and the fog was beginning to lift. \u00a0More opportunities to do freelance writing were materializing. I kept pounding the pavement \u2013 the allure of a <strong><em>steady paycheck<\/em><\/strong> hadn\u2019t completely lost its appeal. I had a couple of promising interviews and actually <strong><em>wanted<\/em><\/strong> one of the positions. After my third interview \u2013 yep \u2013I was suddenly aware it wasn\u2019t going to be mine. I was moving in another direction.<\/p>\n<p><strong>My husband pointed out the potential conflict I faced: I still had a <em>steady paycheck<\/em> coming in, even if I was banned from the office.<\/strong> \u201cYou need to make a decision,\u201d he urged. We formed a business and I ordered business cards. The last step was a leap of faith: letting go of my <strong><em>steady paycheck<\/em><\/strong>. The current arrangement wouldn\u2019t last indefinitely.<\/p>\n<p>I submitted a carefully worded letter of resignation. To my utter surprise I received a formal response advising me <strong><em>I could not quit<\/em><\/strong> because my contract hadn\u2019t been renewed. My career as a freelance writer was off and running, right? Wrong. I hadn&#8217;t taken time to figure out <em><strong>what<\/strong><\/em> I wanted to do or <strong><em>how\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>or even <strong><em>why<\/em><\/strong><em>.<\/em> I hadn\u2019t gotten around to <strong><em>owning, affirming or acknowledging<\/em><\/strong> a desire to write.<\/p>\n<p>I certainly enjoyed it and I was beginning to appreciate my abilities but this knowledge didn\u2019t rise to the level of passion or an avid pursuit. I was still hung up on the <strong><em>steady paycheck<\/em><\/strong>. A <strong><em>decade<\/em><\/strong> passed <strong><em>before<\/em><\/strong> I published my collection of original short stories. I tried writing a business plan. The effort shook me to my core and I walked away from it for <strong><em>two <\/em><\/strong>years! I had less trouble taking my daughter to school for her first day of Kindergarten.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Letting go of my writing was so much more complicated \u2013 until I came to terms with my calling and accepted writing as my passion.<\/strong> I live to write, however I traversed a circuitous path, filled with torment, to reach this understanding. It took twelve years to become comfortable with who and what I am. I proudly <strong><em>own and acknowledge<\/em><\/strong> my gifts and talents. <strong><em>I am a writer<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>When doubt clouds the horizon success is fleeting and comfort non-existent. Fear of accomplishing <strong><em>my<\/em><\/strong> goals and achieving <strong><em>my<\/em><\/strong> dreams took me on an incredible journey of self-discovery. <strong><em>I am a writer <\/em><\/strong>and, if I say so myself, I\u2019m a darned good one. Yet it took me almost forever to find out.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 August 2014 by Theresa W. Bennett-Wilkes. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 300; color: #000000;\">***<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #444444;\"><strong style=\"font-weight: 600; font-style: inherit;\">ABOUT THE AUTHOR<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-11201\" src=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Theresa-Bennett-Wilkes-pic-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"Theresa Bennett-Wilkes-pic\" width=\"150\" height=\"188\" srcset=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Theresa-Bennett-Wilkes-pic-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Theresa-Bennett-Wilkes-pic-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Theresa-Bennett-Wilkes-pic.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>Theresa Bennett-Wilkes, owner of Holly Tree Publications, LLC, is a freelance writer, published and self-published author, consultant, and writing instructor. She has more than 150 published feature articles and blog posts under her byline. Visit her on the web at: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.alwaystheresa.com\" target=\"_blank\">www.alwaystheresa.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I began writing short stories to ease my sense of isolation and help me make it through each day. I recall experiencing a profound sense of exhilaration. You could say I was falling in love.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10111,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[231,96,2167,17,11],"class_list":["post-11212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-writing-tips","tag-authors","tag-story","tag-theresa-w-bennett-wilkes","tag-writers","tag-writing"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Tortured, Tormented yet Tantalizing Tale of How I Became a Writer Written by Theresa W. Bennett-Wilkes &#183; Writer&#039;s Fun Zone<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Today we welcome a new columnist, Theresa W. 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