For The Writer

My Writing Treasure Chest
  by: Holly Bliss

Writing didn't start out as a passion for me.

Don't get me wrong - I wrote from a young age; but words didn't burn inside me trying to escape my brain, and set fire to the paper.

In high school, English was my least favorite class. I groaned (procrastinated and whined) every time I was faced with a writing assignment. I hit puberty and wrote to deal with hormones, and all that tags along in those years (e.g. angst over Cameron and Buster; my middle school and high school crushes).

Once I hit my twenties I discovered I adored words - their denotation and connotation, the way they sounded, either alone or in the company of friends.

By the time writing became a desire so strong it could keep me from sleeping, I was a stay-at-home-mom of four. Since I was hampered with the budget of a single military income for six people, I had to get creative... and that's how I discovered my writing treasure chest.

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I discovered thrift shops back in my high school Madonna phase ("Like a Virgin," pre-cone bra Madonna, if you please). I bought costume jewelry, old designer suit jackets, and the occasional romance novel. I rediscovered thrift shops when I had a need for kid's clothing - since the little buggers grew out of shirts, shoes and pants faster than I could buy them.

Then, (cue the spotlight) there in the corner - beside the mountains of toys and leatherette luggage (cue the angel choir sound track) - I found treasure. I found it bereft by the bodice rippers (aka cookie cutter romance novels). It was a used college literature textbook (cue the sparkles), it was two dollars, and it was mine - all mine.

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Since then I've discovered more literature textbooks - because you can't have just one. I've also found a wonderful book of baby names (for naming characters), but not just any baby name book. This book has names from all over the world; it's categorized by country, and runs from the Middle Ages to the present. Oh yeah, I was pretty proud to be the discoverer of that particular gem.

I've discovered more than books at the thrift shop. I've found memories, and funny scenarios that turned into stories and poems. Hold on, before you create your list of local thrift shops, don't forget to add yard sales and library book sales to your list.

Go dig up your own treasures today.