*Spanish narrator voice*

Creative writing comes in many forms, and so do its authors, but we all have a lot more in common that we might think. Staying up way past bedtime to finish something that isn’t required for any of your classes, procrastinating with poetry and carrying a journal everywhere are just a few of the ways a writer dedicates time to his or her passion(s).

1. You have some form of a writing utensil at all times.

This could be an actual pen and notebook, your laptop or even the “Notes” app on your iPhone (which I am currently using to write this article at midnight in bed), as long as you have something for when that inspiration hits at its infamously unexpected moments. You want to turn that guy on the train into a fictional character ASAP.

2. Your family doesn’t realize all the time you spend hiding in your room on your laptop is spent rather productively.

We all know the feeling when an adult and/ or relative complains about you spending too much time on that computer and wasting precious daylight, and as much as your want to defend yourself, deep down, you know it’s not worth it. Uncle George does not understand and probably never will (until you publish your first book), but that's OK.

3. You write about the little things.

You write about the way your mother’s voice sounds when she sings; you write about the way it feels to take a power nap after covering the morning shift at work. About the way your grandma’s perfume smells; about popular phrases you see online and what they mean; about the way your Biology professor made you want to get up and walk out of class in the middle of a lecture; about the way he looked at you at that exact moment so you never forget.

4. You write about the big things.

You write about the pain and confusion you felt after losing a loved one. You write about all your firsts and all your lasts. You write about all your friends and family members and everything you do together. You want to write down your best and worst days. You want to write about major life changes, including the latest music, fashion and entertainment trends.

5. You're always stuck in your own head and sometimes have trouble being a real person who does real things and talks to real people.

You try to convince yourself that writing is the reason why you've always been single and/or a little introverted, and that certainly might be part of it. Your characters are way more exciting than some people you know in real life. Then again, reality inspires your stories and characters (though they always say the right things so the plot moves forward).

6. Your desktop resembles your life.

It's chaotic, disorganized and chock full of finished and unfinished works. Even if you have a creative writing folder, it is split into too many subfolders to keep track of: Creative Writing, Poetry, Spoken Word, Finished Spoken Word, etc. So you gave up trying to organize them any other way besides by date.

7. Other people will be written about.

But the best part about writing everything down is that nobody knows they are a character in the story of your life. Nobody knows you are going to remember what they said to you that one time…forever. You have complete power inside your mind and at the very tips of your fingers, and you can make everyone seem better, worse or more dramatic in your writing than they are in real life. Sometimes you wonder if the people you write about will ever wonder if your poetry is based on them, but they’ll never know because you’ll never tell.

8. You read books when you are bored of life. You write when you are bored of books.

Reading transports you into a different life more exciting than your own, and it brings you an indescribable joy…for a few days, or maybe even a few hours. Once it’s finished or you simply can't finish because it's so bad, you move to your journal or laptop, filled with enough inspiration and adrenaline to write you own story and try to fill the void that appeared after you turned that last page.

9. Your Creative Writing class has access to some of your deepest, darkest secrets.

But they’ll never know which ones are true and which ones aren’t.

10. You hate clichés.

Whether your crush sends you a text that makes you want to hide under your bed forever, or you read a completely overused word/ phrase in an amateur Wattpad story, or you find yourself cringing at your own writing, clichés will always be fiction’s worst enemy.

11. The future terrifies you.

There are so many talented writers popping up all over the place, and the competition is scary. There will be times when all your doubt builds up to the point when you think you’ve chosen the wrong path and should've become a nurse or a teacher or a journalist instead. You’ll feel like you have chronic writer’s block, and everyone who reads your writing is lying when they tell you, “It’s good!” or “I like it!” You’ll wish you could fast forward time and see where you’ll be and what you’ve published 10 years from now, but you have to muddle through. Take this time in the limbo phase of learning to observe, keep writing and get better. You have so much to offer your readers. Have faith in yourself and work hard, first, and success will follow, whether it be a lot or a little. As long as you’re doing what you love.