Monday, August 30, 2010

Somewhat Random Thoughts of my Writer's Mind









I have never considered myself as an excellent writer. I am embarrassed of every thing I have ever written. The funny thing about that is I love to write. I’ve written essays, and poems, I have even attempted to write a book. There was no surprise on my part that it never was completed. Being in love with writing is terrible because I feel like I’m not very good at all.
        
Although I say I’m an awful writer, awful may be a bit of an exaggeration. I do not recall ever failing any of my writing assignments (although I probably deserved a lower grade than I received). I even won a reward my 6th grade year for writing the best persuasive essay out of the whole county, but I call that lucky. Also, give me some credit for at least attempting to start a book. I did get a few chapters into it, but then I ran out of ideas and the effort to go on.
           
First of all, I started to love writing just from reading it. I would sit for hours reading books. And as pathetic as this may sound, when I was bored I would read food labels and recipes. My mother would always say, "Read a lot, find out what kind of writing turns you on, in order to develop a criterion for your own writing. And then trust it—and yourself." Ok, I lied my mother would never quote that to me. I actually found that phrase from an unknown artist on the Internet. Nevertheless, I wish my mother had quoted something to me to inspire me to write.
      
 I never felt a great push from my parents to write. When I would ask either one of my parents to proof read something I did write, they never gave me any feedback on what I should fix or what they liked or disliked about it.  My mother did keep a journal but she never pressured me into keeping one for myself. I have a 3rd grade journal that I had for a little while, and I’m getting a kick out of how I used to write back then. I use bigger words now then when I was 8 and since then I have learned how to set up my paragraph with paragraphs and such. Even my writing style has changed. I can say now that I am a much better writer then I was then. I can now also say for the past year I'm a proud owner of a journal that i actually write in. 
        
    I guess depending on how long it takes me to write a paper, depends on the type of paper I’m writing. Like this essay for instance, I’m having a lot of trouble because I have to stop and think of what to say, plus I have to re-write everything, and the fact that I keep getting interrupted by my annoying, little brother.  Anyway, compared to writing a persuasive essay, it would take half the time it is taking me to write this paper. Research papers are a pain for me also. They are not my most favorite type of paper to write. My most favorite thing to write about is, well, my feelings. Ever since I started my journal, I have had a place where I can go vent when I am angry or write down how exciting my day was. 
           
 My advise to anyone that has trouble writing like I do would be just to keep at it. You will never get better if you do not try. Learn to love to write. I probably should listen to my own advice when I say do not be ashamed of your work. Someone out there will read what you have written and simply love it. I can personally say writing has taken me a long way. This is me as a writer.