Welcome to Forged In Words

It was quite the transition.

I’d been making a living with words for twenty years, as a journalist and photographer at various newspapers, before I got into metal work.

But don’t get me wrong; writing is still in my blood. If I could use only one word to describe myself, it would be “writer.” I still write, I just don’t make money doing it at the moment. I’m currently working on writing two books and I do other personal writing. For me, not writing is akin to not eating. I can go without it for a while but then I get cranky and out of sorts and you wouldn’t want to be around me.

Photography is right up there with writing. Over the years, I’ve spent hours and hours hiking with my camera in my hand. My family has learned to ignore the camera, which is perfect since I prefer candid photography over posed photos. Since I am obsessed with archiving things, I have thousands of photographs just sitting in my files waiting to be seen. Some of those will be featured on this website.

As much as I love writing, I got burned out on journalism a few years ago and needed a change. In 2015, at age 41, I signed up for welding school at Wallace State Community College, graduating in 2017. I got a job right off the bat and have been welding ever since.

I had also always had an interest in blacksmithing. My Uncle David and Aunt Andrea breathed life into that dream by asking me to take a local blacksmithing class with them at the Cullman Forge a few years ago. I was hooked from the first whiff of the coal forge (even though I use a gas forge in my shop). Since then, I have been learning to forge from the kind and generous blacksmiths at the Cullman Forge meetings, by reading books and watching videos, and mostly by trial and error.

This website, Forged in Words, is meant to tie together three things I’m passionate about: writing, metalwork and photography.

I invite you to forge on with me and take part in the adventures.

- Melanie Patterson

© Forged in Words 2021