Writing has a bad reputation because of school. Many students see writing as a form of punishment or requirement rather than a useful tool.
Writing is an integral part of society. Everything we know about the history of human beings has been derived from ancient writings. The first known written records date back to the sixth millennium B.C. and were discovered in Greece and Romania (The Dispilio Tablet and Tartaria tablets, respectively). The writings of Mesopotamia are most commonly known, completed in a style known as cuneiform writing. Our first works of fiction can be traced back to times long ago as well. Egyptian hieroglyphics tell wondrous tales of gods and goddesses and the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh talks of the fictional king of Uruk and his journey to discover eternal life.
Nowadays, we see and use writing in almost every aspect of our lives: for entertainment, education, advice, information and persuasion.
Why am I telling you this?
Writing has a bad reputation because of school. Many students see writing as a form of punishment or requirement rather than a useful tool. In school, you are made to write reports or essays on topics that may not appeal to you, or you have to write about a book you didn’t want read, and everything is given a specific length or a set of rules you must follow in order to get a passing grade.
But writing doesn’t have to be viewed negatively.
There is so much that is positive about writing. Writing allows you to broaden your understanding of the world and of yourself in ways you might not have been able to before. Through writing, you can develop a style and a voice that are original to you. You can find words and phrases that resonate with you and, through those words, discover a part of your own heart, mind and soul that you never knew was there.
You don’t have to write a book to accomplish this. You can write poetry, a song, short stories, personal essays or even little notes jotted down here and there. There is no single way that works for every person. Try out as many different ways as you can until you find what works for you. It could be amazing and even life changing.
George Orwell, otherwise known as Eric Arthur Blair, is the famous author of many well-known novels, such as Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. In his essay, Why I Write, Orwell states that there are four motives to write:
“Sheer egoism — Desire to seem clever, to be talked about, to be remembered after death, to get your own back on the grown-ups who snubbed you in childhood.
“Aesthetic enthusiasm — Desire to share an experience which one feels is valuable and ought not to be missed.
“Historical impulse — Desire to see things as they are, to find out true facts and store them up for the use of posterity.
“Political purpose — using the word ‘political’ in the widest possible sense. Desire to push the world in a certain direction, to alter other peoples' idea of the kind of society that they should strive after.”
Nothing is holding you back but you. Go pick up a pencil and a sheet of paper or open up a new document on your laptop and write anything and everything you can think of. It’s not going to be a masterpiece, but it doesn’t have to be. Just write.
Kirsten Saylor is a freshman studying English. Email her atks749113@ohio.edu.
