Why Do I Write?
I’ve been telling stories since before I could write my name.
I’ve been telling stories since before I could write my name. Hand me a picture book; I’d make up my own story with it. (Who says not reading to a child thwarts creativity? I had a natural love for books and, trust me, it did not come from my parents.) Give me dolls or stuffed toys, I’d use them to create a drama. Friends in the neighborhood? Let’s do a play! Even the clouds and designs on wallpaper became characters with a story. A photograph, a painting, ants on the pavement. People in a bus station, a café, a park. Voilà! A story.
I couldn’t get rid of the words inside me.
Even when, for over 20 years, a debilitating physical condition made it challenging to continue writing, I couldn’t get rid of the words inside me. I tried! but they wouldn’t go away. They were like caged animals pacing and bellowing for release. How well I could relate to Jeremiah’s plight when he tried to stop speaking the words God had put in him! When the challenges became overwhelming, Jeremiah said, “’I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.’ But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not.” (Jeremiah 20:9). I get that. The words and stories God put in me are like that, like a fire burning in me that refuses to be quenched. They have to be written down.
Why do I write? Can’t help it. It’s in my veins.
k.f. lange (Kathy Gross) received her BA in English from the University of Wisconsin—LaCrosse, and her MA in Creative Writing from Antioch University (Regent's College) in London, England. She’s had a number of short stories, poems, and articles published in various periodicals, as well as a co-authored children’s chapter book. One children’s story (“Treasure in the Woods”) was awarded Third Place in the MCWG contest. She’s also had a number of her plays and skits performed on stage in various locations throughout the United States and abroad, all of which were met with many accolades.
In addition to her personal publications, Kathy has worked as staff Editor/Writer for a number of publishers and companies, and has done contract editing and ghostwriting for several publishing houses (Harrison House, Honor Books, RiverOak, Lamplight Publications) and clients. Some of the authors she’s ghostwritten or edited for include Jerry Savelle, Ken Blount, Dr. Richard Deeb, Eastman Curtis, Jack Hartman, Dr. Ben Keyes, and Dr. Hanne Hojsted. She also owned and operated Get it Write! Creative Communications (a writing and editing service) for over 12 years, and has written health columns, newsletters, brochures, and various kinds of promotional materials.
Kathy was born in Wisconsin, but has lived in many different places throughout the USA and abroad. She currently lives in Georgia with her husband, Michael, and her dog, Tashi.