Why I Write
Why do any of us write?
If someone were to ask me why I write I might not be able to answer that question. For me writing can be an escape, going somewhere, doing something, being someone I only dare to dream about. It can also be an outlet. A place for emotions I don’t allow myself to express any other way. A place where, no matter how many or how few people like it, nothing can hurt me. A way to speak to someone without ever saying a word. Maybe it’s immature of me to write letters instead of facing rejection first hand.
Many people have read various works of mine, most too shy or polite to criticize it. From those few criticisms I have gotten I have been allowed to grow ever so slightly. It’s never easy to hear harsh words, especially about things that mean so much to you. At the same time however, no work can evolve without constructive criticism. The best writers can learn to see beyond their personal attachment to the piece and criticize their own work. I can’t recall the number of times I’ve heard the wise words: “you have to be your own worst critic!”
My grammar is poor, this I have been told many times. I know it’s the easiest thing to just blame my mother for not teaching me correctly, but that would be unfair. My mother did not have the best teaching technique, that much is true. What she did do would have been very adequate if I had been less stubborn and more pliant to her instruction.
Another thing I have been told is that I have nothing new to offer. Nothing that has not already been done much better by many others. It might surprise you to learn that I know I’m not unique. I realize that I am a very small and insignificant ordinary person. Many things have happened in my life to make my circumstances unique but I am not. I was born average. No great beauty, no unique talents (unless you count getting into trouble) with an endless thirst for knowledge and an undying interest in art.
From my very first book, which I learned to read when I was seven (closer to eight), I realized what magical works of art could be created with a pen. I marveled at how mere words could take you to a different world. I enjoyed reading everything I could and making up stories as well. I loved to be taken in by the author, allowed to feel the character in every sense of the word. If I saw a good movie I would read the book it was based on. That’s how I first came to read the book Les Miserables. The characters drew me in and it felt as if I knew them. I knew Jean Valjean would struggle to do right but good would always win. I knew Javert would stop at nothing to find Jean Valjean and bring him to justice.
I’ve read many books that could make you laugh and cry at the same time. In my opinion those are the best kind. I’ve tried to write these kind of stories but it seems the only one laughing, or crying is me. I’m an ordinary girl trying hard to be extrordinary. I am a poorly educated woman in search of answers to endless questions. I may not be a good writer. I may not be able to pull others in, to make them feel as they make me feel. I may not be any of these things but I am still a writer. I will continue to write until this freedom is taken from me. Others may not like my work, others may not read it but it will be there. It will be a testimony to the fact that I existed and I had a voice and an opinion no matter how insignificant or ordinary it may be.
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Tags: Arts, books, Javert, Jean Valjean, Les Miserables, ordinary, reading, voice, words, Writing
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February 17th, 2009 at 8:22 am
I love writing. It gives me a chance to express myself since I’m not much of a vocal person and also give me a chance to release. Thumbs to to your article
February 17th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
I couldn’t disagree with you more on your ability to contribute something of value or meaningful. No one on this earth has had the identical experience of you..and even if someone did, they didn’t interpret it the same way; and this is just one of the reasons you are unique and valued!
February 17th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Like this good work, I just like to get out whats in my head thats why I write.
February 17th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
I agree with Fegger. What do you mean you do not have the ability to pull people right in? I assure you , you’ve done that to me. As I said before , I’m not in the position to analyze anyone’s work , I’m not qualified to do so. I can critique purely on the experience of reading the work. I hear your” voice” I see you are unique. To some, you might be just another sheep,but I see your coat glowing. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be better, I can understand and encourage that, but there is no reason think that many people are not going to enjoy what you are doing at this point.
February 17th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Okay, I’m with Morgana and Fegger in saying you are significant and you DO have something to offer, but I hear what you’re saying. We write because we can and because it helps. It’s good to know your limitations and faults too, and to work on them. I mean, hell, I hate most of my work so far.
You’re a wonderful writer, miss c, don’t put yourself down.
February 17th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
As a foreigner of English, I think grammar is not number one priority, the most important is: we must give a lot of meaningful articles. I always read my book for TOEFL to increase my grammar’s quality. That book is more complete than the other books about grammar.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
you can write and you are doing it good.. this piece is a testament.. thanks for continually sharing it.
February 18th, 2009 at 7:39 am
What a wonderful article!
February 18th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Everyone feels like they are a small person in a big world at times, mostly because we all are. It is through media that we can project ourselves, be it writing, music, videos or images. This is how we show ourselves, our unique and wonderful nature.
February 21st, 2009 at 4:54 am
Rubbish!
I DON”T MEAN YOUR ARTICLE! But saying you are insignificant is utter rubbish!
I feel some “drewism” as part of the reason for this beautiful article.
February 23rd, 2009 at 8:34 pm
“I realize that I am a very small and insignificant ordinary person.”
Okay, first of all, your profile says you are the mother of two girls. “Mother” and “Father” are the two most important jobs on the planet- who told you you were insignificant?
Who told you you weren’t unique? If you don’t tell your story, who will? If you don’t write your poetry, who will?
You say you’ve been told you have nothing new to offer. Newflash: there is nothing new under the sun. But how many of those “cliches” have been written in your voice before?
March 3rd, 2009 at 12:02 am
Cornelia, everyone else said what I was feeling about you being unique. Thanks so much for sharing your story – it is a vital one for the rest of us to see life through your eyes. It did seem to ramble a bit though and go broader than the original topic, but no worries, it was all good. Brian
March 6th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
A very impressive insight into the mind of a brillitant (don’t deny it!) writer. You are also way more than an ordinary person, many “ordinary” people would have broken under what you have been through, are going though and will go through.
The way I wrote that dimensions was because I spent quite a while with near insomnia levels of sleep, (while writing part 4 of The New Girl At School which is pending now) as I found the anticipation of waiting for the real Belle was too great to allow me to sleep.
Cheers,
Blade
p.s. I would say I’m the harshest critic of my own work, I hate reading through what I’ve done which is why I have some friends and we work in a triangle prof reading each others work.
March 20th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Ohhhh, man, in high school I was crazy about Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. What a lovely book it is.
On the subject of uniqueness and writing: One time, I took a creative writing class. The most valuable advice my instructor gave the class was learn to write in specifics. Even if you think your .. personality? isn’t unique, your life experiences ARE for sure. It’s said that real life is stranger than fiction.