Writing (Observing) My Surrounding: A Writing Journey

Hi!

I just realized that I love to write since I was a little girl. I can tell that I started writing when I was entering elementary school, I was also writing some short stories and poems lol and it was soooo bad you can't even imagine. Since the beginning, I love to read books and maybe that pulled me to write. 

A story about an orphan named Ema (2004)

Please, don't laugh at me lol

I actually have some better one like when I was in grade 4 or 5, but I forgot where I put it. I think there was on my old elementary book and left it on my Dad's home, too bad. I can still remember I've made poems about my feelings, my friends, my parents, also my Brazilian turtles: Tot, Tet, and Tit and my cute little chicks: Cika, Ciki, and Ciko! (Oh! How I miss having some pet!)

I used to write diaries back then (well, until now on) and it's kinda funny to read it again after all this time. I can see that I was so naive, kind of innocent, and an honest one. Well, you can say I'm the only child in the family and I'm not used to sharing what's going on my mind or what I feel to others. So, rather than keeping it myself, I try to write it down. It makes me feel relieved. 

Oh, dear little me, the past is the best experience you could ever ask.

Past few days, I throw back the time when I was at an Islamic boarding school or you can call it pesantren, Daarul Qur'an (DQ) in Bandung. I remembered how I begin to channeling my inner writer's soul again after I met Ibu Desti Fatin Fauziyyah, an Indonesian Language and Literature teacher in DQ. She was successfully encouraged me to write and having no fear to be wrong as long as I want to try to write it down. Not only fictions, but she told me to write articles too. She also introduced me to some majestic poets and writers in Indonesia like Sutardji Calzoum Bachri, Yudhistira ANM Massardi, WS Rendra, Acep Zamzam Noor, not forget to mention Sapardi Djoko Damono and Seno Gumira Ajidarma as well, while at that time, I only know that Dewi Lestari is the one that mesmerized me. And there are many more writers that I adored. 

Even in my notes, instead of wrote the school subjects, I prefer to write my favorite poems in it lol, but thank goodness I still could achieve good scores that time.

Here are two of many poems that I wrote in my notes:

Biarin by Yudhistira ANM Massardi

(Sorry for the misspelling of his name in my notes)

Kucing by Sutardji Calzoum Bachri

At that time, my adrenaline rushed very fast as anything comes to writing. Selamat Ulang Tahun, Ayah was my first (real) achievement in writing. I was so happy and feeling more excited to write! And as you can guess, I would not featured in that local newspaper if I didn't meet Ibu Desti. 

My short story got featured on Belia, Pikiran Rakyat Bandung (2011)

(Sorry for the bad resolution, I forgot where I put the real newspaper)

Until I had to say goodbye to DQ and also Ibu Desti because I moved to Tangerang. It was very emotional to me because I fear of losing the spirit of writing. While in Tangerang, I'm more into writing speeches for competitions. 

You are my savior on literature world Ibu Desti, thank you.

But I was wrong, my passion for writing was getting stronger day by day, especially when I was continuing my study at UMN and meeting my Creative Writing lecturer of the first semester, Ibu Wa Ode Wulan Ratna. She was also having a role in my writing journey. If it was not because of her tasks (that is a lot of it), I would not be as confident as now on to write. I adored her imagination and beautiful mind to create such a beautiful masterpiece. Ibu Wa Ode inspires me to let my mind and my imagination gone wild to finally pour it all down in words. 

As a finalist in Young Journalist Award: Writing (Short Story),

Commpress UMN 2015

I'm definitely just an amateur and still searching for my writing's character. All things I said above are just a little piece of my writing journey. There are a lot more things that make me want to write and a lot more people that inspire me to write. Writing is like having my own pen to make history and planning my own trip. It's such a joy that brings happiness to me. 

What about you? Do you like to write?

Cheers,

Gendis.