What would New Years Eve be without a countdown?
In
the tradition of every media that has ever done an ode to a countdown, I present to you the ShirleyIsNotMyName Top 5 Blog
Posts of 2013!
Our countdown winds down with the number 1 post for 2013 by author/blogger, Andrea Buginsky. I hope her inspirational and soulful post on "The Chosen" will spark a revival in your heart, mind and soul as we close the chapter on another year. May her words help lead you toward a Wonderful 2014!
Today's guest poster is
author and blogger, Andrea Buginsky. I am very excited to have her here
at the blog and helping me launch a new chapter in my little blog world.
So, without further hesitation let's go! Grab a cup of coffee and
enjoy!
The Chosen
Have you ever felt a calling? Like you were meant to be
“something?” I’ve had this twitch in my belly for years now telling me I’m mean
to do “something,” but I could never figure out what it was.
For years, I thought it was to work with children who had
heart disease. I grew up with a heart condition, and I used to dream that when
I was older, I would work with kids who were going through the same situations
as I did, and be someone who can say to them, “I know what you’re going
through. I survived this, and so will you.”
But, alas, life had other plans for me. I tried to make it
in the world of pediatric cardiology as an ultrasound tech, but couldn’t pass
the math and science classes I needed in college to save my life. So, it was
back to the drawing board.
“What do I want to be when I grow up?”
My sister had the answer:
“You love to write, why don’t you do that?”
Thousand-watt light bulb! Of course! I could go to school
for journalism! I was already taking writing courses in my first two years of
college, and loved those classes. So
I talked about it with my English teacher, and she thought it was a great
choice for me. She even sponsored me in an independent study course called
“Introduction to Mass Communications,” which introduced me to the journalism
world and the many aspects of it.
Through the course, I was able to see that my heart
definitely lied with magazine feature writing. That’s the course of study I
followed when I transferred from St. Petersburg Jr. College to the University
of S. Florida.
I loved the program and my teachers. I learned all about
becoming a journalist, writing and editing stories, and even freelancing.
Because of my heart condition, I knew freelancing would be my best option. I
joined the Society of Professional Journalists, and learned even more about my
career field. I even had the opportunity to meet several professional
journalists in all of the fields. One of them was a great freelance journalist.
She became my inspiration.
After I graduated, I slowly started my freelance writing
career. I found some websites that offered writing opportunities to freelance
writers via the Internet and started writing for them. Over the last few years,
these websites have been growing, and so has my career.
Along the way, I also decided I wanted to write a book. I
tried several different genres, and finally found that I was chosen to write
fantasy for young adults and middle-grade readers. My first book, The Chosen, was born, and I was a
published author. It was a dream come true, and finally showed me what I had
been chosen for.
So the next time you start wondering what you’ve been chosen
for, simply let life take you on your path, and you will soon discover your
answer.
Andrea Buginsky is a freelance writer and author. “The Chosen” was
her first book, and was followed by “My Open Heart,” an autobiography about
growing up with heart disease. “Nature’s Unbalance” is the second story in THE
CHOSEN series. Andrea plans to write more in the series. She’s already done
with the first draft of book 3 and has a concept for book 4. You can find
Andrea on her website, Andi’s Realm. Her
books are available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Remember to sign up for
Andrea’s newsletter to
stay up-to-date on all of her exciting events.
