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The first story I remember writing was called Ashley the Pink Dragon. I was nine at the time so I filled it with wonderfully descriptive passages, at least one adjective for every noun and one adverb for every verb.

This week's Write Space by Piper Ball.

When I finished writing I read my story to everyone I knew, feeling certain that I was going to be a writer (or an archaeologist). (Then) Somewhere between 9 and 29 I forgot. I was still writing – mainly travel journals and essays – but I forgot that I was going to be a writer.

I became an English teacher and while reflecting on my teaching practice I began to struggle with the concept of teaching creative writing. So I began to write again. I played with structure, language techniques, genre, characters, themes and setting in order to give my students advice based on experience. Somewhere in the back of my mind I thought that if I could get something published then I could call myself a writer and my advice would be authoritative.

What I didn't take into account was that the mere act of writing, makes you a writer and any advice you give based on your own experience is the best any student could want. To make an analogy, my daughter plays football (sorry darling). She has played for three years. Her team rarely wins a game, but they train twice a week and have never cancelled a match. Who would argue that she knows how to play football? Who would argue that her advice would be useful to someone new to the game? No one, because she's continually improving her knowledge and skills as the years go by. And this is also true for writers.

Recently, I held a writing competition at my school, open to all students, as a chance for them to have a go writing for a different purpose (other than a creative writing assessment). The response was overwhelming: I received numerous submissions of amazing creativity, and almost every day since a student has asked me if I know of any other competitions they can enter. As a result, in 2012, Tauranga Writers is launching a site for young writers in the Bay of Plenty. The site will allow school-age writers to get writing tips, have a chance to get published on line, and find out what other competitions are available for them to enter. I want them to know that if you write… you are a writer (publishing be dammed).