It all started one night when I was dreaming about writing a text. Actually, I was writing my own dream. Clearly, it has been the effect of too much reading in the previous day. However, when I woke up in the morning, the idea was already inoculated in my mind – I could write something, anything.
My name is Amandine and I am a student in 12th grade. Ever since I can remember myself, I love reading. I didn’t grow up with smartphones, tablets or computers, but with books – beautifully illustrated books, containing stories from all over the world. As I am living in a small town, the only way to escape into another reality, more adventurous and more exciting, is to plunge into a well written volume, one that makes you feel the rain and hear the sea waves.
I’ve started writing some time ago, as I’ve discovered this process is more than creative. It can heal wounds, it brings comfort and it helps you see life as a beautiful story. The truth is that I always had problems integrating into social groups. Even since I was going to the kindergarten, I found it difficult to make friends and to play around with all children. Then, at school, girls used to make fun of me, because I was always prepared to answer to classes and I had straight A’s. Thus, even if I have been a great student, I had just one or two friends.
As you may see, reading and writing have been my solace since ever. But these activities also helped me better understand human nature. As a result, I can now see beyond the masks people are wearing daily and I can tell how they really are and what they really think. In this way, over the years, I have managed to make several good friends who are ready to be next to me whenever I need them.
Academically, writing has brought me a lot of satisfactions. I have participated to a lot of literary competitions and I have scored high every time. Now, I am contributing to the high school’s weekly publication with short texts on different subjects. For instance, my article called Inoffensive ways of telling your friend she/he is stepping on your nerves has been appreciated even by my professors.
I would really like to integrate writing and reading into my future professional life by becoming an editor. I truly believe this career will suit me, as I can bring precious contributions to a text. I love editing as much as I love writing and all my colleagues ask me to improve their essays from many points of view –I like to check their grammar, to add a unique touch to the style, to clear up the structure and to correct the formatting.
In the end, I believe growing up with books was beneficial for me – I’ve learned how to select good friends, I’ve developed a true passion for writing and I know for sure what I want to do in the future.
