Member-only story
The Struggles of Being an Non-Native Writer
The pen is indeed mightier than the sword, but can it overcome long-standing biases?
The Love for the Written Word
I come from a strict family, with a focus on education as the means for survival rather than educating one’s self just for the sake of improving oneself. Thus, mundane and everyday activities a child might enjoy were prohibited for me, and I was not allowed to leave the house unless necessary. The only respite that I could find to break my monotonous routine was books.
I issued a new book every week, and although I was very bad at English, I drudged through it and enjoyed whatever little I could understand. However, I took very quickly to the language and became obsessed with trying to replicate the writers I read. I found that I could write better than most of my peers and that I actually enjoyed the process of doing so.
My mind began to become more comfortable with the idea of becoming a writer, even as my parents and teachers warned me that I would find little monetary success in the path I was about to embark on.
