Location: United States
Member Since:
Aug. 05, 2018
Marjorie Joseph
Biography
Becoming an author was never my career of choice. Journaling and poetry encouraged expression through the written word. Always the longwinded kid, I definitely had a way with words-not forgetting to factor in a flair for the dramatic. Being a nerd at heart who pretty much read all the time and played with my dolls didn’t exactly foster popularity, but did fan the flames of imagination.
My late teens found me writing articles for a few magazines and church bulletins. There were also stints of working as an editor for journals and newsletters in my community. I did manage to compile a vast collection of poetry, but completing a short story and writing a novel would come later.
It didn’t even occur to me to make writing a focus in college. What was viable was exploring liberal arts, until I finally settled on a major in English and minor in education. My first novel was penned-and I mean literally with a notebook and pen-in the mid ‘90s. At the time I was operating under the misapprehension that using a keyboard could not intimately express the same level of emotion in one’s work as using pen and paper.
So, my first few works were done manually. Eventually, I joined civilization when I had to rewrite everything on the computer in order to save them as files. Even then it was a hobby-something I did for myself. Writing for the masses was the last thing on my mind. So, I taught English and Bilingual Education for quite a while. However, being a person of faith teaches you not to be too complacent, because you never know where God will lead. There are times we’re asked to leave things behind and to explore other options.
Such was the case with teaching. It was placed on the back burner so that I could focus on writing. Over the years I’ve partnered with my Heavenly Father in penning a number of unique stories and experiences. My journey has led me so far away from the career I chose. However, I realize that it’s all of the off-the-beaten-track pursuits which have helped to sculpt an unparalleled body of work, capable of impacting the world. Writing is no longer my hobby or a minor. It is a God-given ministry with the potential to transform lives for the better.
My late teens found me writing articles for a few magazines and church bulletins. There were also stints of working as an editor for journals and newsletters in my community. I did manage to compile a vast collection of poetry, but completing a short story and writing a novel would come later.
It didn’t even occur to me to make writing a focus in college. What was viable was exploring liberal arts, until I finally settled on a major in English and minor in education. My first novel was penned-and I mean literally with a notebook and pen-in the mid ‘90s. At the time I was operating under the misapprehension that using a keyboard could not intimately express the same level of emotion in one’s work as using pen and paper.
So, my first few works were done manually. Eventually, I joined civilization when I had to rewrite everything on the computer in order to save them as files. Even then it was a hobby-something I did for myself. Writing for the masses was the last thing on my mind. So, I taught English and Bilingual Education for quite a while. However, being a person of faith teaches you not to be too complacent, because you never know where God will lead. There are times we’re asked to leave things behind and to explore other options.
Such was the case with teaching. It was placed on the back burner so that I could focus on writing. Over the years I’ve partnered with my Heavenly Father in penning a number of unique stories and experiences. My journey has led me so far away from the career I chose. However, I realize that it’s all of the off-the-beaten-track pursuits which have helped to sculpt an unparalleled body of work, capable of impacting the world. Writing is no longer my hobby or a minor. It is a God-given ministry with the potential to transform lives for the better.