Perhaps I was under a little spell, which is why I never stopped writing

I once quit being a web writer.

The reason was simple: my body and mind were worn out.
The pay was very low, and my time was just slipping away.
Before I knew it, I had back pain, couldn't get rested even after sleeping, and had reached my limit.

And yet, why am I here "writing" again?
When I was thinking about that reason, I suddenly remembered an event from a long time ago.
Perhaps I might be under a "spell."

A child with low self-esteem

When I was little, I was a child without confidence.
I was short and didn't have much stamina.

I was so exhausted just from going to school.
My friends would say, "You're so small" or "You're physically weak," and
I thought, "I have nothing."

Kids who were fast runners, smart kids, strong kids.
They were dazzling, and I was truly envious of them.

The summer book report contest

One summer day like that.
We were given a homework assignment to write a book report for elementary school.

The teacher said, "We're submitting these to a contest, so write them seriously."
Everyone in the class was unmotivated.

I also wasn't good at book reports, even though I liked reading.
But the book that year happened to be in a genre I liked.
I believe it was a fantasy book.

I read it with total absorption and wrote my thoughts as if I were speaking passionately.
"Why did the protagonist do that?"
"What would I do if it were me?"
"How does this apply to reality?"
Thinking about it now, I think it was the kind of writing an otaku would produce.

After I finished writing, I hesitated, thinking, "Submitting this might be bad..."
It was too long, I wrote it too seriously, and it might stand out too much.
But it was a hassle to rewrite it, so I submitted it as it was.

The teacher laughed and said, "You wrote a lot."

My first award and the teacher's words

About a month after that.
I found out that my book report had won a prize in the contest.

I was surprised.
I had never received an award before that.

The teacher said this to me:
"I read it, and it was an interesting piece of writing."
That one sentence has remained in my heart ever since.

Honestly, I don't really know what exactly was interesting about it.
But,that "someone enjoyed" what I wrote
made me incredibly happy.

Perhaps I am under a "writing spell"

Even now, more than 20 years later,
this memory comes back to me in unexpected moments.

There are countless people in the world who write better than I do.
But there was someone who told me it was "interesting."
There was someone who told me, "I like your writing."

It was like a little spell.
Perhaps it might even be something like a curse.

There was someone who said they "liked" what I thought.
I cannot forget that feeling of wanting to fly away at that time.
That is why I end up writing again.

What is your reason for writing?

Thank you for reading this far.
Why do you write?

If you'd like, please tell me in secret.
May your day be a wonderful one.