How I Discovered My Love of Writing Despite My Dyslexia

by Lynnsey Locke

The day I picked up a pen and notebook was the day I discovered my love for reading and writing. At the age of twelve, I began to write a book. It wasn’t that great, but when I put pen to paper I made a staggering realization; I loved reading and writing. A gift of a notebook blossomed into an obsession. My father often would write in thick spiral notebooks, filling them to the brim with words. I never knew what he said in them, but I knew that he loved doing it. One day I went to the store with him, something I often did, but this day was different. I asked if I could have a notebook, too. I didn’t expect him to agree, but he bought me my own notebook. From then on I couldn’t put a pen or pencil down. That pencil was like a key to my dyslexia; I unlocked something. With each stroke I was learning in my own new way.

Where teachers struggled, I succeeded. I found I needed constructive freedom, a form of writing I had full control over. This was something most teachers didn’t provide. School was one-size-fits-all and I just didn’t fit. This allowed me to expand my understanding, to climb over that mental brick wall instead of headbutting it. Though I struggled and my peers were cruel, I kept pulling my boots out of the mud. I was a twelve-year-old who just wanted to understand her world, and I did this through reading and writing. Harry Potter by J.K Rowling was one such series that my mother and I shared. Even though we know that the author isn’t such a great person her world was a core memory for me. Through other worlds I understood myself, my struggles, and that I wasn’t alone. Those worlds told me that I, too, can make things like them. I could run faster, be brighter. The cruelty of others fell to the wayside now that what they said was untrue. There it felt my dyslexia didn’t own me anymore.

Dyslexia, as it is known, is a learning disability. Dyslexia affects many people in many ways, and can shows itself early in life. Many things are a spectrum, and so is this disability. You can never escape dyslexia. There is no cure, but you can learn to live with it. As a dyslexic person I feel like I’m playing life on hard mode. Growing up, I struggled to learn and understand things that other people easily understand. I like to think I have great determination and curiosity. I want to know things; I think that is very human. My love for telling stories fueled my fight against dyslexia.

As I went through my teenage years, I worked and worked, never stopping. I’d turn around, and there would be people who would say my writing wasn’t good or I needed to work on it. To be fair, they were probably right. Then I found that one person in my life who said, “You can do it. You just need a good editor, and no one ever remembers that they need a good editor.” It triggered something inside me. There I was, finally having someone truly care. That wasn’t the first hurdle I overcame, but it was a major one. I learned that having a community while writing is important. People you can trust to ping ideas back and forth off of.

Then I found my chosen family somewhere in my twenties. I discovered them when I needed them the most. I wish that I would have met them when I was younger. Based off my own experience a good family is usually one that you find yourself. Sometimes you find people you need, and I needed them. They taught me so much and continue to do so. From them I learned something called the Rules of Writing. There is so much out there to learn, and it can be overwhelming. With them I didn’t stop though. I felt I needed to absorb everything I could. These people were integral to me knowing how to write. Maybe it was the way they showed me, but something clicked. That light switch turned on. They gave me a framework and showed me where I needed help the most. There was no one shrugging when looking at my writing and saying “I don’t know”. Their encouragement was like a drinking cold water on a hot day.

I had learned through other writers that the rules were a key. That knowledge was liberating, freeing. I’ve never looked at anything written the same way. When you have dyslexia the words on a page are a puzzle your brain is trying to solve. People who don’t have these issues don’t know how to help people with this jumbled jigsaw puzzle. They see the picture as something complete and can’t understand the issue. With these rules, it was like a cheat or a hint in solving the puzzle. The rules are now the backbone of my writing. I consider it the fundamentals of writing a novel, kind of like the fundamentals of drawing. The first is the voice. It is how an author sounds when someone reads their book. Next is the sentence structure, if it doesn’t make sense to the reader then it will just be a bad read. Third is punctuation. Fourth is expanding your vocabulary; It’s important to sound natural and unforced, but having a greater vocabulary reduces repetition. Okay now, and this is really important: always keep reading! I can tell you personally right now how important reading is. It teaches new things, keeps you writing, inspires you, and does so much more. Now, and finally, all writers know this: writing is the fun part. Rules like “find your voice” are just the start of understanding how to write.

I don’t know when it happened or how old I was, but I found my “voice”. Every writer has a unique one, and it shows up in how someone writes. Terry Pratchett, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Douglas Adams all have their own “voice”. You hear it when you read their books. Terry Pratchett, when I hear it, it sounds like comedic and off the cuff. His narration is tongue and cheek, I laugh at the puns and double entendres. It is similar to Douglas Adams in that it too is comedic and off the cuff. They both relay on footnotes and snide comments. Unlike them J.R.R. Tolkien is more serious and long-winded. His humor is more subtle, for example there is a moment in The Fellowship of The Ring where after being told to be careful, Pippin is messing with a well while the others are getting ready to rest. He intentionally makes a noise just to see how deep it is. Then Gandalf angrily calls him a “Fool of a Took” and suggests he throw himself in next time. In Tolkien’s voice you can still hear the folktales that had influenced how he wrote.

From the time I began writing I had been growing my voice. It never stops changing. When I started having my dream to publish, I thought maybe I was dumb and wrong because my voice didn’t sound like theirs. We all want our writing voice to sound a certain way. It was maybe a month in with my found family, just in my mid-twenties, when I finally trusted them enough to show them something I wrote. That scene is lodged in my memory, strong and at the front, standing ready. They told me that I had a creative voice, one with more of noir flavoring in my sentences, dusky and full of life. I never felt encouraged like that before, I was told I was boring and no one would ever read anything I wrote. That I needed to sound like another person. Being told that it was more important to find your own voice, that is what the reader wants. I’m the one the readers wanted to hear, and I had the dedication to deliver my voice to the world.

Dedication is substantial. What is the point of being an author without it? This is what sets writers and authors apart. Those who put dedication into their novel get published. I was told once that writing the book is only the first step. It is like carrying a baby to term. There is so much more that goes on after that, more love to give. Editing, that is the sleepless nights and you just want it to be over. Then the proofreading; the baby-proofing the house and raising the baby, and finally you send the young adult off into the world, that is publishing. Where was I going with this? Well, don’t you worry. I got you, boo. We’re going to the bookstore! Sometimes I don’t even know where I go when I write. That is the beauty of writing!

Inspiration is also substantial. It can be found in things like other books, in movies, and even in the world around you. It was like a flash in my mind when I finally realized what I was going to write. I found my inspiration in something called Shadowrun by Jordan Weisman et al. Shadowsrun is filled with cool ideas and fun action. Shadowrun takes mythic fantasy and adds modern noir. Which, I think, fits so well in my voice. There are many editions to chose from. I could go on and on about it, but we don’t have that kind of time. I’d have to write a whole different essay on that alone. This book that I have been writing and plan to publish is an urban fantasy. Set in the modern world with all those fantasy races you see in stories like J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of The Rings; elves, dwarves, gnomes. My story is full of action, and suspense, and a little bit of societal drama.

Through all of my life and through all of my hard work battling my dyslexia I am finally able to say, “soon I’ll be a published author!” Everyone has a dream, and I hope that through this essay I have conveyed how important it was for me to combat dyslexia and gain the tools to fulfill my dream. The strings of joy played a melody of pride through my soul the day I wrote something I was willing to publish. Though it hasn’t been published yet, I can’t wait to share my book with those who’ve supported me. There is a lot that goes into writing a book, but that labor of love is and always will be worth it. Even if isn’t a bestseller or becomes a movie, I think just having it out there is worth it. There is no other joy like that of a completed dream, especially when you overcome the challenges that some may put in your way, along with dyslexia itself.