I first started writing when I was young. By that I mean I have journaled my entire life. I've often found that processing emotions through writing helps me (and I rarely go back and read those journals, but sometimes it's fun to see the journey).
I started a novel in high school, then got overwhelmed and stopped. When I was 17, my best friend and I drove an hour to the next town over to go to IHOP (small-town life!) and made up a story with character names. I couldn't tell you what the story was about, but I remember the name: Cade Haskins. Since my friend has no writing aspirations, I borrowed that name for my current work in progress (and called to ask her permission. Side note, it's fun that we're still best friends all these years later).
Flash forward to my life now. A couple of years ago, my husband studied for the BAR exam, and I was home with our then-eighteen-month old son. They were long days, and I decided I needed a hobby that was affordable, enjoyable, and something I could do while my son slept. Housework can only keep me so occupied! I read often, and I'd finish a book and think "I could do this." If you know me, you'll probably think this makes sense. I've always been teased about loving Christian romance stories! I'm not traditionally creative (crafts and projects are NOT my thing), my mind is constantly processing, I love good stories. So my hobby officially started. I wrote the first draft of a novel that summer. I put it away for a year, had another baby, and pulled it out a year ago to start writing again. It's morphed in a bunch of ways and I've learned a ton, but I continue to work on that story and edit it to its best potential. It's kind of like running a marathon--slow and steady, and it takes a lot of work to get it where I want it to be. But I'm a runner and love long runs, so I can work with that analogy.
Writing gives me a way to process life. I like to take serious questions and issues and place them in a fictional world. Usually, they are topics I struggle to understand. I'm not entirely sure where this journey will take me, but I know it's been a therapeutic and enjoyable experience.