Finding Your Reason to Write.

I believe I’ve lived many experiences, each capable of becoming a story. Not necessarily an autobiography, but a narrative rich in twists and turns, like all good stories. This desire to write isn’t new; it has been rooted in me for a long time. One of my fears is knowing how to express my thoughts through words, or even the reverse! I will share fragments of myself, moments that will connect with each other; to help you understand. That’s my fear—not being understood.

As a newcomer to this fascinating world—or maybe not so new after all!—I let myself be guided by the inspiration of the moment, whether to compose an entire book or just a short story. As you read on, don't forget to smile at my words, because I want to share this adventure with you in a lighthearted and kind way.

Before I begin narrating my journey, I felt the need to truly understand what it means to write a story and what a book really is. Even though I already knew these definitions, I wanted to revisit them. A story is that captivating tale that takes us away, while a book is the medium, whether physical or digital, that holds that content. You’ll see, writing is as exhilarating a journey as living an experience in reality—or maybe even more so!

The Start of the Journey

Overcoming the blank page is a universal challenge for all writers, researchers, and many others. Having studied chemistry in the cosmetics field, I can confirm that the blank page exists in this domain too. Convincing someone to use a product for healthier skin is another story that could fill entire chapters, between words, photos, and, of course, the perfect marketing paragraph.

So let’s begin, with the story of the 365-page planner.

Childhood Memories

Let’s recall my very first desire to write. My earliest memory associated with writing goes back to my childhood when I first learned to write. It wasn’t just the desire to tell a story that drove me, but rather the act itself—engraving words, letters on a page, letting the ink flow. My thoughts were ready, but I didn’t have the tools. I remember an old blank planner, a gift from my parents, probably one of those freebies from banks. It had a deep navy blue hue. My parents had noticed my interest in paper, pens, books, and similar objects. I was always active, never staying still. But where to start? Just thinking about it was already a story, because from a single word, a story would take shape, then another, and so on... Yet the incitement of those famous words that would suddenly free me and come to life in my mind as a long story—I still didn’t see that. I saw the planner, its thickness, but not all the words needed to fill it. Suddenly, I saw numbers. Perhaps influenced by a large notebook, a desk, a bank... so numbers? Just as the definition says: a book is the physical or digital container of that content.

The Navy Blue Planner

I could never have thrown it away. Ideas crossed my mind. Would it become a diary, a sketchbook, or maybe a collection of my wild dreams and ideas? The task of deciding its purpose was captivating for my young, curious mind. The question haunted me: what will you become, dear navy blue planner?

I love books for their form, their colors, and even more for their smell. At that time, I was passionate about the Bibliothèque Rose, with The Famous Five or Martine. I also recall Pagnol. It would take me days to rewrite the list of the first ten books I read. Once my homework was done, I was quick and never got bored. I always found something to do.

So, there I was, thinking about how to use that blue planner. What could it become? My mind was filled with unanswered questions. And I really kept the idea of numbers in mind. But just like with words, would they be enough to fill the planner?

The Beginning of a Passion

I wrote my name with a sense of conquest and the date, as if announcing to the world that I was starting a book. My brain, true to itself, seemed to play hide-and-seek with inspiration, leaving me face-to-face with that cursed blank page. But, like any self-respecting writer, I couldn’t stand idly by in the face of this challenge of numbers. So, armed with my pen and determination, I set out to conquer that blank page by writing numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, +1, +1, +1... Unable to resign myself to inaction and with this incessant need to create, I continued... As if each stroke of my pen brought me closer to inspiration. But as I filled the pages, I turned this ordeal into a game of numbers. I kept writing, counting, adding one by one, as if each number whispered a new idea.

The Quest for Infinity

The ink kept flowing. My notebook had 365 pages, and I wrote on every single one. Each night, I tucked it away in my desk. And thus, I reached infinity.

A literary adventure as absurd as it was exhilarating. I don’t know how long I spent lost in this numerical frenzy, each day bringing its share of new numbers. But one thing is certain: I savored every moment of this adventure. In this world of numbers, I felt like I was in uncharted territory, ready to explore every corner of my imagination. I feared nothing, even though I couldn’t even read those numbers, and neither could my parents. But I had written my book.

A Hidden Activity

I kept that planner for a long time, but unfortunately, it is now lost. No one knew I had written numbers until I reached an infinite state that itself never ended.

That first navy blue planner marked the beginning of my passion for writing. It symbolizes the first steps of a literary journey where each blank page was an opportunity to discover something new. For anyone who hesitates to start, know that even the greatest writers began with a simple blank page, a piece of history, or something else entirely.

SINCE THEN I want to write a real book. I’ve written numerous short stories, letters, and mini notebooks, and so on... As it seems I know how to tell my stories, I’ve often heard encouragement to write my story! Even though the urge wasn’t entirely spontaneous, it seems I have a unique voice and fascinating stories to tell. Whether it becomes an autobiography or fiction, we shall see, but I’m getting closer to the starting line.

Véro Infini

This exercise, proposed by Erik-Emmanuel Schmitt in collaboration with The Artist Academy, is a gentle invitation to explore your creative motivations. It invites you to dive into your memories and reflect on what sparked your desire to write. Drawing from your own experiences, you will write a structured text (with a beginning, middle, and end) to share the roots of your desire to write and the emotions that come with it.
Day 1 – Finding Your Reason to Write and Learning How to Nurture It