Thoughts On Writing
Well, I really like the Stephen King quote:
“You can approach the act of writing with nervousness, excitement, hopefulness, or even despair–the sense that you can never completely put on the page what’s in your mind and heart. You can come to the act with your fists clenched and your eyes narrowed, ready to kick butt and take down names. You can come to it because you want a girl or boy to marry you or because you want to change the world. Come to it any way but lightly. Let me say it again: you must not come lightly to the blank page.” –Stephen King, from his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
I think it makes a lot of sense, especially the part about approaching the act of writing with despair because you can never put your thoughts and feelings on paper to where it makes sense and sounds right. Nothing ever sounds quite like it does in your head, which kind of sucks. All of the quotes are really true, though. A journal is a way to tell a story, the story of your own life.
It’s not so much that I don’t enjoy writing, but I’m not particularly fond of other people reading what I write. Although, I don’t enjoy writing essays for school or things like that. It makes me self conscious for other people to read what I write. Not that that means very much, but still… I have always thought that journals are more personal, not really to be shared.
Last year in English II, we had to write a one page essay on our thoughts about writing. My first sentence was, “I hate writing.” How lovely, right? My opinion has changed since then, but it still isn’t really one of my favorite things ever. Writing is a form of expression, though, and can be incredibly effective for getting your opinions across. I have a notebook full of various little things I have written that only a few people have read (and mainly, they have read them because various people seem to enjoy going through my stuff completely at random, but that’s kind of irrelevant). I have sometimes put things that I have written on, like, MySpace or at the end of blogs (or maybe as the title…?), but I don’t credit them to me. It’s whatever.
So, I guess, writing is okay, as long as it isn’t really being shared with other people. Or, at least, if it isn’t too terribly personal. It’s just somewhat difficult sometimes to write and get your thoughts out clearly and have the meaning easily understood. Yup.
I feel the same way, Holly. I don’t really like other people to read what I write either…I can be pretty self-conscious about it, especially when it’s a personal topic. But think about it this way…writing is a form of communication. Sure it may be cathartic for you, but it is a good way to form connections with people who feel the same way!