Deciding to Become a Writer | Shane Everitt | TEDxYouth@Conejo

I remember in kindergarten all third

I remember in kindergarten all third grade school middle school and even some

grade school middle school and even some

grade school middle school and even some of high school where you’d walk into a

of high school where you’d walk into a

of high school where you’d walk into a new classroom take a seat out of desk

new classroom take a seat out of desk

new classroom take a seat out of desk and there’d be this white half sheet of

and there’d be this white half sheet of

and there’d be this white half sheet of paper with the massive title on it that

paper with the massive title on it that

paper with the massive title on it that said tell me about you so you read

said tell me about you so you read

said tell me about you so you read through the questions and it asks what’s

through the questions and it asks what’s

through the questions and it asks what’s your favorite color or what’s your

your favorite color or what’s your

your favorite color or what’s your favorite movie and the list just keeps

favorite movie and the list just keeps

favorite movie and the list just keeps going but for some reason there’s this

going but for some reason there’s this

going but for some reason there’s this one question and this one question

one question and this one question

one question and this one question I can always recollect it rings in the

I can always recollect it rings in the

I can always recollect it rings in the back of my head what do you want to be

back of my head what do you want to be

back of my head what do you want to be when you grow up it’s almost like I have

when you grow up it’s almost like I have

when you grow up it’s almost like I have this Stern voice in my head saying it to

this Stern voice in my head saying it to

this Stern voice in my head saying it to me over and over again we all have heard

me over and over again we all have heard

me over and over again we all have heard this question countless times so maybe

this question countless times so maybe

this question countless times so maybe being the first or second grader that we

being the first or second grader that we

being the first or second grader that we were our first instinct was to write the

were our first instinct was to write the

were our first instinct was to write the first thing that popped into our head

first thing that popped into our head

first thing that popped into our head lawyer doctor teacher athlete did we

lawyer doctor teacher athlete did we

lawyer doctor teacher athlete did we really at age eight know for a fact we

really at age eight know for a fact we

really at age eight know for a fact we wanted to be a neurosurgeon maybe you

wanted to be a neurosurgeon maybe you

wanted to be a neurosurgeon maybe you did but I surely did it we constantly

did but I surely did it we constantly

did but I surely did it we constantly hear that lawyer doctor teacher athlete

hear that lawyer doctor teacher athlete

hear that lawyer doctor teacher athlete it’s what made up our basic society

it’s what made up our basic society

it’s what made up our basic society that’s what made up our workforce let’s

that’s what made up our workforce let’s

that’s what made up our workforce let’s take another example

take another example

take another example growing up we are all supposed to take

growing up we are all supposed to take

growing up we are all supposed to take certain classes in elementary school we

certain classes in elementary school we

certain classes in elementary school we don’t get options we get assigned

don’t get options we get assigned

don’t get options we get assigned teachers in middle school you get about

teachers in middle school you get about

teachers in middle school you get about one or two elective choices but those

one or two elective choices but those

one or two elective choices but those are even limited in high school you get

are even limited in high school you get

are even limited in high school you get a little bit more freedom but you’re

a little bit more freedom but you’re

a little bit more freedom but you’re still considering what our college is

still considering what our college is

still considering what our college is gonna think about that or my best friend

gonna think about that or my best friend

gonna think about that or my best friend isn’t taking that class so why should i

isn’t taking that class so why should i

isn’t taking that class so why should i I hate to say it but I was a part of

I hate to say it but I was a part of

I hate to say it but I was a part of that quite frankly I think we all were

that quite frankly I think we all were

that quite frankly I think we all were I would go day-to-day from one period to

I would go day-to-day from one period to

I would go day-to-day from one period to the next

the next

the next not really taking in the information I

not really taking in the information I

not really taking in the information I was being taught I was going to the

was being taught I was going to the

was being taught I was going to the classes I needed to to get the grades I

classes I needed to to get the grades I

classes I needed to to get the grades I needed to get into the next four years

needed to get into the next four years

needed to get into the next four years of college a couple weeks ago my IB

of college a couple weeks ago my IB

of college a couple weeks ago my IB English class was watching a JD Salinger

English class was watching a JD Salinger

English class was watching a JD Salinger documentary for those of you who don’t

documentary for those of you who don’t

documentary for those of you who don’t know JD Salinger is an American author

know JD Salinger is an American author

know JD Salinger is an American author who’s mainly known for his published

who’s mainly known for his published

who’s mainly known for his published work Catcher in the Rye now like a

work Catcher in the Rye now like a

work Catcher in the Rye now like a typical high school student I walked in

typical high school student I walked in

typical high school student I walked in saw that we were watching a documentary

saw that we were watching a documentary

saw that we were watching a documentary and I thought I could just sit down and

and I thought I could just sit down and

and I thought I could just sit down and kind of skim by that class period but as

kind of skim by that class period but as

kind of skim by that class period but as I watched Salinger continue to get taken

I watched Salinger continue to get taken

I watched Salinger continue to get taken down because he wanted to be a writer

down because he wanted to be a writer

down because he wanted to be a writer and constantly denied from The New

and constantly denied from The New

and constantly denied from The New Yorker it inspired me I know it’s weird

Yorker it inspired me I know it’s weird

Yorker it inspired me I know it’s weird but it did inspire me he turned out to

but it did inspire me he turned out to

but it did inspire me he turned out to be able to create amazing pieces that

be able to create amazing pieces that

be able to create amazing pieces that now make history that’s what made me

now make history that’s what made me

now make history that’s what made me want to write so the rest of the day all

want to write so the rest of the day all

want to write so the rest of the day all I could really think about was that

I could really think about was that

I could really think about was that documentary it was kind of just

documentary it was kind of just

documentary it was kind of just lingering in my head and I was kind of

lingering in my head and I was kind of

lingering in my head and I was kind of dabbling with the fact like okay like

dabbling with the fact like okay like

dabbling with the fact like okay like I’m gonna do this I’m gonna be a writer

I’m gonna do this I’m gonna be a writer

I’m gonna do this I’m gonna be a writer and I got in my car after fourth period

and I got in my car after fourth period

and I got in my car after fourth period and got in close the door and stopped

and got in close the door and stopped

and got in close the door and stopped there I had these voices in my head kind

there I had these voices in my head kind

there I had these voices in my head kind of saying writers can’t make it in the

of saying writers can’t make it in the

of saying writers can’t make it in the real world writers can’t make enough

real world writers can’t make enough

real world writers can’t make enough money writings a hit or miss opportunity

money writings a hit or miss opportunity

money writings a hit or miss opportunity writers can only make it big if you’re

writers can only make it big if you’re

writers can only make it big if you’re exceptional I wonder to myself if

exceptional I wonder to myself if

exceptional I wonder to myself if Salinger had heard these same voices

so as my writing career began I kind of

so as my writing career began I kind of decided that I wasn’t just gonna sit in

decided that I wasn’t just gonna sit in

decided that I wasn’t just gonna sit in my room and write in a diary I was gonna

my room and write in a diary I was gonna

my room and write in a diary I was gonna do something that was gonna leave a mark

do something that was gonna leave a mark

do something that was gonna leave a mark so I started writing down things on a

so I started writing down things on a

so I started writing down things on a notepad and these ideas kind of

notepad and these ideas kind of

notepad and these ideas kind of piling up and they all kind of came

piling up and they all kind of came

piling up and they all kind of came together and I decided to start a blog

together and I decided to start a blog

together and I decided to start a blog now I really wanted it to be closed up

now I really wanted it to be closed up

now I really wanted it to be closed up as close to perfect as it could get it

as close to perfect as it could get it

as close to perfect as it could get it when it came to content and character I

when it came to content and character I

when it came to content and character I brought in some help from my sister to

brought in some help from my sister to

brought in some help from my sister to help me kind of design it man once it

help me kind of design it man once it

help me kind of design it man once it was kind of in place I had all the

was kind of in place I had all the

was kind of in place I had all the pictures and the logo and everything but

pictures and the logo and everything but

pictures and the logo and everything but then it was time to publish my work on

then it was time to publish my work on

then it was time to publish my work on it I was so scared

it I was so scared

it I was so scared so I sitting there and I I remember it

so I sitting there and I I remember it

so I sitting there and I I remember it vividly I was sitting in this room that

vividly I was sitting in this room that

vividly I was sitting in this room that my mom created for my family it’s a

my mom created for my family it’s a

my mom created for my family it’s a little bit of a studio we can paint kind

little bit of a studio we can paint kind

little bit of a studio we can paint kind of get her creative juices flowing in

of get her creative juices flowing in

of get her creative juices flowing in that area and sitting on my desk and I

that area and sitting on my desk and I

that area and sitting on my desk and I clicked the post button my first

clicked the post button my first

clicked the post button my first introduction post was up I kind of sat

introduction post was up I kind of sat

introduction post was up I kind of sat there waiting I didn’t really know what

there waiting I didn’t really know what

there waiting I didn’t really know what to expect

to expect

to expect kind of thinking five to ten views that

kind of thinking five to ten views that

kind of thinking five to ten views that day at most next thing you know all

day at most next thing you know all

day at most next thing you know all sudden my phone is buzzing out of

sudden my phone is buzzing out of

sudden my phone is buzzing out of control I’m getting damns text messages

control I’m getting damns text messages

control I’m getting damns text messages snapchats

snapchats

snapchats my emails popping up notifications Oh

my emails popping up notifications Oh

my emails popping up notifications Oh someone so just entered in and they’re

someone so just entered in and they’re

someone so just entered in and they’re reading your post now I was like whoa

reading your post now I was like whoa

reading your post now I was like whoa this is all happening way too fast so I

this is all happening way too fast so I

this is all happening way too fast so I kind of took a step back and I was like

kind of took a step back and I was like

kind of took a step back and I was like okay okay

okay okay

okay okay I’ll give it some more time and I

I’ll give it some more time and I

I’ll give it some more time and I realized I reached a hundred views on my

realized I reached a hundred views on my

realized I reached a hundred views on my first day publish that astonished me I

first day publish that astonished me I

first day publish that astonished me I was so incredibly excited for what was

was so incredibly excited for what was

was so incredibly excited for what was ahead so as I saw that people were kind

ahead so as I saw that people were kind

ahead so as I saw that people were kind of clicking on my blog here and there

of clicking on my blog here and there

of clicking on my blog here and there and then it started becoming more

and then it started becoming more

and then it started becoming more constant people loved what I was write

constant people loved what I was write

constant people loved what I was write were loved what I was writing kind of

were loved what I was writing kind of

were loved what I was writing kind of click down the hearts in the comments

click down the hearts in the comments

click down the hearts in the comments and I was getting all this interaction

and I was getting all this interaction

and I was getting all this interaction it made me want to write more so started

it made me want to write more so started

it made me want to write more so started writing once or twice a day posting more

writing once or twice a day posting more

writing once or twice a day posting more often and my numbers were just going up

after that I realized that I wasn’t

after that I realized that I wasn’t feeling like my goal was accomplished

feeling like my goal was accomplished

feeling like my goal was accomplished because the thousands of views I would

because the thousands of views I would

because the thousands of views I would get I was getting I realized that my

get I was getting I realized that my

get I was getting I realized that my goal was accomplished because I got my

goal was accomplished because I got my

goal was accomplished because I got my work and my words out into the open now

work and my words out into the open now

work and my words out into the open now I really want to advise you please take

I really want to advise you please take

I really want to advise you please take a step out realize and think are other

a step out realize and think are other

a step out realize and think are other people and society making decisions for

people and society making decisions for

people and society making decisions for you or are you striving for those secret

you or are you striving for those secret

you or are you striving for those secret ambitions that you’ve always wanted to

ambitions that you’ve always wanted to

ambitions that you’ve always wanted to pursue step back make decisions for

pursue step back make decisions for

pursue step back make decisions for yourself and do not care what society or

yourself and do not care what society or

yourself and do not care what society or other people think of you thank you