The Draft by Emily

The Draft by Emily - February 2025 Scholarship Essay

I did not realize my passion until very recently. I had been floating through life with no regard for colleges, or majors, or careers. I had no idea what I wanted to do. Then I sat down at my desk one day and said to myself, “I’m going to write a book. It’s going to be 400 pages, and then I’m going to publish it.” So I started it. I tried to write five pages every day. And in about half a year, I had a finished book. It was 420 pages long; I had poured my heart into it. And it was absolutely terrible.
It will never be published. If I ever become famous, it will not be because of that book. But thanks to the efforts that I put into writing it, I was finally able to recognize my passion—writing. I love to write. I dream of publishing my works and getting the stories in my head out into the real world. I love to read—after all, reading is willing homework for writers. Now, as I study the classics, I read them with new eyes, attempting to learn from the masters to improve my own writing.
In addition, I now know what sort of college I want to go to in order to learn what I need to learn. I would like to attend a liberal arts college, so that I can have meaningful discussions on Austen and Alighieri, and all the other authors throughout the ages who inspire me.
All because of one terrible, horrible, no good, very bad draft.