Every time I sit down to write an article, I have a dilemma. Do I write about what my audience wants to hear, or I write about personal experiences? Many times I try to interweave both into the article to keep it interesting. I don’t always know if it’s working, but I do get confirmation of one thing: if you like to write, you just keep doing it!

A friend of mine told me that you know you are a writer, if you started when you were young and continue to write for anything. Whether you are asked to write articles or one-liners, for newsletters, your church bulletin, your civic organization, or just to write letters to your family & friends, you will most likely be asked to write sometime in your life.

I remember writing to my cousin when we were in JR High School. She even reminds me now of how “cool” it seemed back then. I would take any kind of writing materials - fancy note cards, tablets, and get this one: I even would write on toilet paper and roll it up, put it in a toilet paper tube and mail it to her in Illinois. She remembers that and continues to tell the story to all my children and siblings in great detail!

What a goofball I was! But she remembers what was on the paper, even if it was a little weird! I never really considered myself a “writer”, but looking back now, I think I must have some biological gene in me to write. I’ve been doing it for quite some time, even if the delivery was a little unorthodox!

I remember reading my mother’s writings. She would write letters to her relatives, notes to herself, to us and would write lesson plans for her teaching. I really love to see her handwriting. It is so pretty and I wish I could have gotten that gene from her to be able to write with such a distinctive, recognizable flair. These days, I seldom see more than “sticky note” scribbles and notes on printed forms.

I have started to write letters & notes to my mom and kids, just so I can see the words on paper, without the perfect, corrected typewritten spaces.

Don’t get me wrong! I love to read a nicely written page, with the spacing just right with a font that intrigues me to read more. But that handwritten note - just seems to jump out at me amidst all of the other printed pages that line my desk.

Another friend gave me the bug to send a personalized thank you note to my customers. I have tried to keep up with that and keep a stack of thank you cards ready to write inside, a personal little note about how much I appreciate their business and something personal about the experience. Again - hope its working! I know it would work for me!

Can you imagine how many hand written words are written on papers, in the margins of books and in email messages? Take some time to think about your writing. Be creative with your descriptions of situations. It’s fun to read all the specifics! I’ve tried to learn the shortcuts when text messaging on my cell phone. I just can’t do it. I have to take the time to capitalize and punctuate the words and sentences. It takes me a little longer, but I feel much better about the way I’m communicating with others.

I remember being able to go through personal belonging of my grandmothers. I still have a hand written recipe of my grandmother’s for “Sticky Buns” (they are like a cinnamon pecan roll). I don’t think I’ve ever made them, but the recipe is cherished and I’ll never part with it!

Want to leave a legacy for your kids and grandkids? Write something about each of them- right now. Is their adolescence driving you crazy? Have they turned into a wonderful young adult? Are they a fantastic mother or father? Maybe you want to get a journal book for each of them & write in it every year? Wouldn’t you love to read something about yourself that your mother or father wrote about you?

Or maybe you want to write about how your parents make you feel now. All the wisdom and turmoil they went through with you?

Try it. You can start anytime. Just don’t forget to write now, while you are thinking about it!

Marquita McKnight is the owner of Impruvit Consulting. She is the Editor & Publisher of “The Dazzling Desert”