The Thing About Writing: What is Writing to Me?
As a writer, I have to ask myself this ultimate question — what is writing to me? Is it just a means to make ends meet? Is it just a hobby — something I do when I feel like it and not does when I am busy? Why do I write?
I have been writing since I was 12. I wrote to the student newspaper on a regular basis about a book review, movie review, exam revision tricks, and tips etc. I wrote as a student reporter after going to a whale exhibition. I would be given book coupons for my writing. Those coupons are nice to have but they are not the main reason why I write.
I wrote a recommendation letter for my cousin to get into a first-rate school. The letter caught the headmistress’s attention because it is genuine and interesting and earned my cousin an interview opportunity.
Then I wrote my way through law school. I wrote essays, research papers, legal reviews, etc. And now I am writing legal and business letters, submissions, and advice every day at work. Yet, these writings can’t satisfy me.
I want to write my mind. I want to express myself through my writing. And I have a lot of teaching and give being a lawyer, a yoga teacher, a daughter, a granddaughter, a woman, and me. I have been through a lot, made many mistakes so far, and learned a ton about life, money, relationship, skincare, style, career, etc. and I want to share these. And I want to inspire through my writing. To do that, I know I have to write from my heart, from my soul, to be authentically me. That is why I write.
My writing is far from perfect, especially my personal writings like this piece. Because I focus more on expression and ease of reading than literature impact. So, I tend to take it easy when it comes to sentence structure and use of words. I enjoy the process of writing my mind, of sharing my life and learning with others through words. And my readers enjoy reading genuine posts that they can take away a thing or two from.
So, coming back to the question: what is writing to me?
After long and hard thinking, here are my answers and what is it in writing that I find so fascinating:
#1 The thing about writing is that it is personal.
Same as any other creation or production, you and I would have a unique way of expression of the same subject matter. Because everyone is unique, we are the ones who have experienced what we have been through. Just like two actors, given the same script, context, and instructions, they would still have their different styles of expression in speaking the lines. That uniqueness is made up of part of us. In other words, part of us would stay in our creation. And that is what gives our creative the soul and life of its own.
#2 The thing about writing is that it is a digestive process.
Often times, we have lots of thoughts and ideas going through our minds throughout the day. They are like stars, sparkling to play hide and seek. Sometimes a thought would be like a glimpse of the future. It is hard to catch those thoughts and ideas if we are not conscious. Writing helps us to slow down our thoughts and perhaps even chew on them, think about them forward and back from different angles. It is through the writing process that we have the chance to process our thoughts and organize them in a meaningful manner. It takes effort and time to do this, but it is only after this digestive process can we truly benefit and learn from our experience.
#3 The thing about writing is that it is an expression of self at that moment in space and time.
Some people strive to write the perfect paragraph, the perfect book. And never started because it feels overwhelming. In fact, writing is an expression of self at that moment in space and time. The words we use, the tone, the length of the sentence, what we write about…. everything in our writing reflects who we are, how we feel, what is on our mind, what is our attitude and views at the moment of writing that piece. The photo captures something we see at the moment in pictures, whilst writing captures the invisible thoughts and feelings at the moment in words.
#4 The thing about writing is that it is a measurement of growth.
Some people never finish a piece of writing because they think it has to be perfect. There is nothing wrong with striving for perfection, but I wish that I would look back at my writing 10 years later and laughed at how badly I wrote. The writing is a piece of tangible evidence of how I have become more mature and how I have grown, in skills and in thinking. I may have written about my stress over little things and I would look back and smiled at my old self. I may have written about my failure or disappointment or regret and I would look back and see how that enabled me to become who I am today. It is always easier to connect the dots looking backward. And writing is the dot.
#5 The thing about writing is that it is a creation process.
We are the creator of our writing piece. We have the power and full authority to edit out any part that we do not want and add in anything that we want to appear in our creation piece. We have control over our creation just as we can edit our life story anytime we choose to. Nothing is set in stone. Authors and writers often re-write their draft in full or in parts several times before it gets right for them. There are many choices and possibilities in life and in writing, sometimes too many. We have to choose and edit to find out what is best for us. Do not be afraid to recognize that it is not alright and needs to be edited. Editing is a creation process. And writing gives us the power to change.
#6 The thing about writing is that it is about self-understanding.
When we write, regardless of whether it is fiction or non-fiction, there is a part of us in there. If it is fiction, we could find ourselves in fictional characters. As Irene Adler in Sherlock Holmes once said: “Do you know the big problem with a disguise, Mr. Holmes? However hard you try, it’s always a self-portrait.” If it is non-fiction, we would be researching and sharing our perspective of a subject matter. If it is a journal, we would be writing about ourselves and our encounter. We can know a person deeply by reading his or her writing. By the same token, We can know ourselves much deeper by reading our own writing. My writing is a mirror of my mind and heart.
#7 The thing about writing is that it is a marathon rather than a sprint. &
#8 The thing about writing is that it is a success habit.
Writing is as much about persistent, focus and doing what needs to get done. Successful authors have a disciplined time set aside for writing every day, regardless of whether it is rainy or sunny. Successful people have a disciplined time dedicated to their work every day, regardless of their tiredness or mood. Success does not come overnight. There are lots of people at the starting point because we all want and desire success. 5 out of 10 people dropped off mid-way because they do not persist. 4 out of the remaining 5 people dropped off because they encounter obstacles and believe that it is not meant for them. 1 out of 10 persist daily, regardless of obstacles, failures, self-imposed limits, fear, doubt, tiredness, hot weather, cold weather etc, and they reach the finishing line eventually.
By the same token, many people started with writing 1000 words a day. After 15 days or a month, they are writing 500 words a day. After 3 months, 100 words a day or on some days when they are sick or tired, they allow themselves to take a break. In 6 months or 1 year, they dropped off. Only a few started with 100 words a day, day by day, even when they are sick or tired, they finish that 100 words regardless.
In 10 years, they finished at least 365,000 words, more than the first three books combined of the Harry Potter series. Successful people and writers share the same traits of persistent, dedication, and discipline. We can all start developing the same success and rich habit of persistent, dedication and discipline by writing any number of words every day. The emphasis is on “every day”, not the number of words.
With such persistence and discipline, one day we will realise that we are among the successful in our field because others have dropped off or given up.
Keep on writing.
Or if you have not started writing yet, it’s never too late to start.
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