A Letter To An Eighth Grade Me

"The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say," -Anais Nin

This post was inspired by Maggie's post, earlier this week. You can read it here --> Letter To An 8th Grade Me

Dear 8th Grade Olivia,

On the surface levels, not a whole lot has changed.  Yet, however, in the most basal layers, the core of Olivia has not changed. It's those weird middle parts that have molded and changed.

First, let's talk about eighth grade itself.  The friends you have now, they will change drastically.  People you weren't that close to at Central will become some of your best friends. Some people you would have nearly died for will change and pull away.

But the saving grace of eighth grade year was Mr. Ringle's English class. After finishing the glorious Ten Chapter story, your writing would kickstart, and a year and a half later, you would finish another novel. Mr. Ringle still will continue to influence you for years to come.

You have a blog now!  You have been published in an art and writing journal! You have your own Creative Writing Club!  Your writing will flourish like no other and touch people like never before.  Keep going, because I never could have gotten these things if you never kept on writing.

High school will be good and bad to you.  Security and safety will be found in the art department and in Mrs. Stafford's room/the Creative Writing Club, and in that little circle table in the back corner of the lunchroom. However, disarray will ensue in every other aspect of your life, and, nine times out of ten, it will suck.

But never give up hope, because, while high school will feel like the bane of your existence, it's only four years.

But truthfully, if I could only tell you, eighth grade Olivia, one thing, it would be that you will overcome. Those sleepless nights weren't all for nothing. Those feelings would be released.

And even when their screams would never cease, peace would come.  Not for years, but it would come.  So, no matter how bad you want to, never give up.

Because if you do, I'm going to kill you in my next novel. ;)

~The WordShaker