Beach Reading for Writers

My name is Kelli and I am a writer. My third grade teacher, Mrs. Brown, gave a class assignment to write an essay on whatever subject we chose. I went home and wrote a 13-page paper about the circus, although I had never been to a circus (and still haven't for that matter!). I remember thinking how much fun it was to write that essay and how quickly the words flowed from my No. 2 pencil. I didn't necessarily think of being a writer as a career at that point, but I knew it was something I would always love to do.

As much as I loved to write, I didn't explore it any further than just classroom assignments until high school. I loved writing for my HS paper and felt I'd found my calling as a journalist. However, after two years of college and a short stint at a local newspaper, I was bored and enlisted in the Army. I've been able to continue my writing while serving my country because my powerlifting coach and mentor ran the newspaper. He asked me to do a column, which he named "From the Trenches." At first I was a little apprehensive and figured no one would want to read about my military experiences but I was wrong. My first article was about eating MREs (meals-ready-to-eat) and other not so appetizing food at Basic Training. I received numerous compliments which boosted my confidence and helped me continue to write. I didn't have a set schedule for the column; just submitted a piece whenever an event happened or I just felt like writing. Some of my best pieces (in my opinion) were about the protests I witnessed in Korea and what it was like to be at Fort Hood on September 11th. After receiving letters and people in our small town telling my parents how much they liked to ready my articles, I realized I couldn't stop writing because I wasn't just writing for me anymore.

Currently I am working on a novel about the Iraq war. Its part love story but still has the gritty details of the war which I'm hoping makes it more marketable. I enjoy writing about the military and would love to be published as there are very few female war writers. Like most writers, I have the story in my head already. Just need to find time to put it on paper!