Gina Matarazzo

My love for writing started when I was very young. My grandfather worked in a book bindery and would often bring home books that publishers didn’t want or those that were defected. One day, he brought home two big books—one red and one blue. The books were filled with blank pages that you could write or draw on. The books also had a gold string attached to them. He gave me the books and told me to be creative with them. I began drawing pictures on the pages and eventually started to write stories to go with those pictures. I loved creating characters, putting them in place, and creating problems for them to solve. I wrote stories about my pets, my friends, even my favorite television show characters. I would often research specific topics and write informational pieces in addition to my fictional pieces. I loved to write. As I got older, I wrote only for school assignments—essays, research papers, reflections. Writing for fun and recreation was put on the back burner. Recently, I revived my photography hobby and found that I could also revive my writing hobby. I began writing the stories behind my pictures as well as my experiences with photography and techniques I learned along the way. Writing is a beautiful outlet and a way to share my stories and views. If I get just one person to take something away from my work, it’s worth the effort.