I often wonder what made me start writing at the age of eighteen. At that time, I had no idea that the few words I was putting on paper would eventually become such an important part of my life. I was not thinking about becoming an author. I was simply writing what I felt.
Some feelings are difficult to say aloud. Sometimes we do not even know how to explain what is happening inside us. For me, writing became a way of expressing those feelings. Whenever something touched my heart, I found myself reaching for a pen. Slowly, without realising it, writing became a part of my life.
I believe every writer has a reason for writing. Mine has always been my connection with human emotions.
I have seen that people often carry much more inside them than they show to the world. A person may smile, go to work, take care of a family and fulfil every responsibility, while silently dealing with pain that nobody knows about. These unseen emotions have always attracted me as a writer.
That is why many of my poems and writings speak about pain, relationships, loneliness, resilience, healing, self-love and the silent strength of women. I do not write about these things simply because they are popular subjects. I write about them because I understand how deeply emotions can affect a person’s life.
Over the years, writing became more than a hobby for me. It became a part of who I am.
My journey has not always been easy. There were times when I questioned myself and wondered whether my writing was good enough. There were also moments when something I had written received appreciation, and those moments gave me the confidence to continue.
I have been fortunate to be part of many anthologies and literary projects. I have also received recognition and awards for my writing and have had the opportunity to see my work published on different platforms. Each recognition has brought happiness, but I have never wanted awards to become the reason I write.
For me, the real reward is when a reader tells me, “Your words touched me,” or “I could see myself in your poem.”
Those few words mean more to me than many certificates.
My journey as an author has also given me the opportunity to publish my books. Whispers of a Wounded Soul and Echoes of a Heavy Heart are very close to my heart. They carry emotions that I have collected and expressed through poetry. My forthcoming book, Moonlight Beneath the Scars, is another important milestone in my journey.
Every book feels like opening a part of my heart and allowing strangers to read it.
Writing has also changed me as a person. It has made me more observant. I notice small things—the silence in someone’s voice, the sadness behind a smile, the kindness of a stranger, the sacrifices people make without speaking about them. Sometimes an ordinary conversation can stay in my mind for days and eventually become a poem.
As a woman, I have a special place in my heart for stories about women. I feel that women often carry many responsibilities without talking about how much they are carrying. They are daughters, wives, mothers, sisters, professionals and caregivers. In the process of looking after everyone else, they sometimes forget themselves.
Through my writing, I want to remind women that their feelings matter too. It is okay to feel tired. It is okay to start again. It is okay to choose yourself without feeling guilty.
I also have a deep emotional connection with the subject of motherhood. A mother’s love is often found in the smallest things—the food she keeps aside for her child, the prayers she makes silently, the worry she hides, and the sacrifices she never counts. A mother may not always say “I love you”, but her entire life can become an expression of those words.
Perhaps that is why some of my most emotional writing comes from observing relationships and the love that exists quietly within families.
Today, when I look back at the eighteen-year-old girl who first began writing, I feel grateful that she continued. She could not have imagined the journey ahead—books, anthologies, appreciation, awards, features and the many people she would eventually reach through her words.
But I also know that I am still learning.
I do not think an author ever really finishes learning. Every person we meet, every experience we go through and every emotion we feel can teach us something new. There will always be another story waiting to be written.
For me, being an author is not about having my name printed on a book. It is about having something meaningful to say and finding the courage to say it.
I started writing at eighteen simply because I had words inside me that needed an expression.
Even today, I write for the same reason.
The difference is that now I know that sometimes, when we write from the heart, our words do not remain ours alone. They find their way into the hearts of others.
And that, for me, is the most beautiful part of being an author.
Penned by TABASSUM NAAZ
