At age 8, Kelly Smith was filling Big Chief tablets with stories. So, when her parents offered her the choice of a bicycle or a typewriter that year, it was no surprise she opted for the latter.
She still has that typewriter, as well as her passion for writing.
Recently, her essay "Slogging" was published in "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Curvy and Confident." Outside of reporting for her hometown Boonville Daily News, this is her first time to be published.
"When you've been a writer your whole life, it's nice to have someone validate you besides your Mom," she said.
But it likely won't be her last.
She has two novels - one she's shopping for a publisher and the other she's putting the finishing touches on. And several more projects started in college she hopes to refine and complete.
After completing her master's degree, Smith worked two jobs with writing components. Those demands, however, took her away from her personal pursuits.
Things changed for the former executive director of River City Habitat for Humanity when her third son was born. She works part-time as a communications instructor at State Technical College, Linn, and is a full-time mom.
Yet, she has reclaimed her calling as a writer and about a year ago committed to writing when she can, even if that's in the early morning hours after everyone's gone to bed.
"I'm recapturing the kid I was who wanted the typewriter instead of the bicycle," she said.
Most of what she always has written has been inspirational, encouraging others in life's journey.
"I would like to put out as much positivity as I can," she said.
The project that is the most difficult for her to work on also is the most profound.
For those who know Smith and her husband, Ryan, how their family life has unfolded has been miraculous. But it also has been painful.
In her "adoption and infertility memoir," Smith is writing their experiences in the hopes of helping other families who struggle with infertility.
"Many women struggle with it, but it's emotionally wrenching to write," she said.
The Chicken Soup chapter is only a piece of that story.
The "Curvy and Confident" installment focuses on people taking control of their bodies, Smith said.
But few of the other chapters have the same shocking conclusion.
After wrestling with infertility, the couple decided to focus on adoption to build their family. They adopted Ben, 13, from Vietnam and then domestically-adopted Sam, 8.
In 2014, Smith lost one of her best friends. To cope, she decided to take up running. And eventually, she completed a half-marathon.
That accomplishment, however, was not the surprise.
Six months later, she was pregnant with Rowan.
"My body changed, and I got pregnant," she said.
Through the Chicken Soup story, her advice to women is: "Don't wait for the body of a runner. I didn't, and it ended up being life-changing from a family standpoint."
But her eventual memoirs will tell the broader story of fear and grief and recognizing God has a plan.
"There's a comfort in the hindsight view," she said. "If things worked out the way I thought, I wouldn't have the life I have now.
"God had a plan for our life."