my writing journey essay

my writing journey essay

The Importance of My Writing Journey

1. Discovering the Power of Words

Despite my aversion to writing, my discovery of the power of words brought me to a realization of the profound influence language exerts on the human mind. It affects thoughts, emotions, and the ability to succeed. I had always considered writing to be a waste of time and something to be avoided at all costs. Writing was a chore to me, and the thought of becoming a writer was never an aspiration. Upon being introduced to Japanese literature in the 12th grade, I discovered the world that could be unlocked through the written word. I had always considered Japan to be a hostile and intimidating country due to the fact that my mother was born and raised as a war bride, and I was constantly bombarded with reminders of the war and its perception in American history. Reading the anti-war novel “Nobi” by Tani Hisao filled me with an undeniable sense of pathos, and I was moved as never before by any written work. I was amazed by the fact that the novel was able to shatter my stereotypes about Japan and its people and cause me to empathize with their suffering. From that point, the contempt I once had for Japanese culture was replaced with respect, and my desire to learn more about this culture eventually led me over to the proverbial shores of Japan and to my current residence here. By witnessing firsthand how written words had changed my views, I began to realize that literature had a unique ability to evoke emotions, persuade people to ideals, and present concepts in ways that no other media could. And I too wanted to acquire this ability.

2. Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Growth

I thought I was a great writer when I was a freshman. I was always told that I was good at writing, and I may have even believed it. Then I took English 114 with Professor Dormady. What a slap of reality in the face! This class was terrible for me, but in a good way. I remember going to my first tutorial with him and receiving my very first college paper back. I got a D, and the paper was covered in more red ink than black. When I looked at the grade, I was really confused, and then I looked at the comments. I bet I was in the tutorial for 2 hours that day getting schooled on the difference between a fact and an interpretation! It was pretty bad. Now you may ask, how could this terrible experience be good for a writer such as me? Simply put, it forced me to be a better writer. I was always in his office hours and often had to miss more soccer practices than I would have liked to go to my own private tutorial. But it paid off. I learned that I was nowhere near as good of a writer as I thought I was and needed to re-learn many of the basics of writing. Then, I feel like I reached a plateau at the beginning of junior year. I was a competent writer, and I felt that I didn’t need to improve further. Then I took a Multimedia Authoring and Digital Storytelling class, and everything changed. The class was tough but the most enjoyable class that I have ever taken. According to a couple of my professors, I was learning how to learn again, and that was a tough transition for me. Though I was motivated to figure it all out and get it. I had never been exposed to a medium such as this, so I found myself learning from the ground up how to write yet again. It was almost like being a freshman in college. It was very frustrating at times, but in just one semester, I feel like my writing greatly improved. This class also exposed me to multimedia and its many uses for writing. I found this very interesting and began working in the field. Randomly landing an internship as a web content writer, in which I am currently doing, was another great break for me. I had no idea how I even got it because I had no previous experience. I think that it had something to do with the fact that I had built a website that semester and I was interested in multimedia. Nonetheless, the experience has also been great for me. I find it impacting my writing yet again, and I feel like I am progressing more and more every day. This internship was also a key factor in my decision to create a portfolio website. This site is a testament to my journey as a writer and the growth that I have achieved, and will continue to strive for.

3. Finding My Voice and Expressing Myself

This vision, from which I have not strayed, led to my acquiring a ‘no fear’ point of view on opinion papers. Early in my first semester at college, I wrote a paper for my English 119 class, the purpose of which was to analyze a person or event, and lead the reader to a certain conclusion on said analysis. The assignment called for me to show an evolution of thought through a series of drafts; the final paper would be a result of peeling away prior confusion, then comparing and analyzing conflicting ideas until the best one, supported by argument, was unveiled. During the drafting period, I found that I had much difficulty understanding what my professor desired, and my ideas fluctuated wildly on the subject of the paper. When the draft period ended, and only one draft remained of which I knew would be the final, my ideas had still not fully pieced together. I decide to take an unorthodox method of writing the paper in one sitting without stop, in order to solidify my thoughts and not end up with another draft. This was a time of frustration and stress. But, frustrated though I was, when the paper was finished, I found myself with a certain sense of calm. This paper was not my best, but it was the best I could have done at that point. I had not an ounce of regret, because my human error had seemed to install a theme in the paper, and the conclusion I reached was actually one of my fluctuating ideas put into words, because it was the best conflicting idea. My inner feeling that this paper was a success was not wrong; I would later learn that it had received a high grade. This is the first time which my method of inner voice translation to the page has appeared in writing.

During the fourth grade of my elementary schooling, I had a teacher who took time after school to instruct students in creative writing. The advice and instruction I received during those sessions were of great benefit to me. For the first time, I learned the joy of writing. I discovered that the written word can be an immense tool for expressing oneself and communicating ideas. From that time on, I wrote with a greater purpose. The avenue through which ideas flowed from my mind was no longer primarily spoken word, but written. I had a vision of something great that I would do with it someday: it was a sort of consuming, but liberating thought to have.

4. The Influence of Writing on Personal Development

I keep the feeling of pride writing an article for my high school paper that my history teacher tore up in class for no reason, but I was in the library when it happened, saw it on video, and made my principal apologize to me because I knew I was right. I don’t just remember it, I relive it. This is the first time I have ever written about it. What an idiot he was. How can I frown with so many great memories? Writing memoirs enables me to touch the past. By recording daily events and reliving old memories, I can deliver multiple perspectives to one lifetime. It’s like seeing a movie and understanding it better after seeing it a few times and catching a few things you didn’t catch the first time. This is the look I get when I have a few of my friends read my rough drafts and give me feedback. Priceless. Writing is the ultimate “virtual reality”. Nothing takes the place of an experience, but experiences don’t last. Great learning and self-development come from recreating and reflection, you can do those simultaneously with writing. Writing also helps you express emotions, thoughts, and complex ideas. Who hasn’t had something on their mind but couldn’t quite grasp or fully understand it. Whether I’m happy, frustrated, angry, guilty, or reverent, writing gives me the mechanism to capture every facet of my emotional experience for a lifetime. Sounds cool like a little time capsule. It’s helped me work out personal problems and develop a better understanding of myself. Writing gives new meaning to the cliche form of therapy known as “talking to one’s self”. I’ve talked to myself more times than I can remember, and I’m comfortable admitting it. I’ve asked myself tough questions and answered them on paper. I’ve gone as far as interviewing myself. Never underestimate the power of a well-thought-out question. Inquiring into inquiries elicits increased intellect. I remember one time preparing for an important interview I had, AHDH’s Chris Anson, a pioneer in Cognitive Composition. I laughed at myself for days practicing the things I wanted to say. Who needs an expensive shrink? Writing is problem-solving. Cognitive development is perhaps the greatest potential of writing. Whether thinking or writing about a specific topic, comprehension, or self-understanding, there is always room for improvement. High-quality writing will equal high-quality thought. This is where I’m at now in my writing odyssey, on the endless search for the perfect word, phrase, or sentence and the figurative pot of gold.

5. Inspiring Others Through My Writing

Inspiring is not something that I ever set out to do through my writing, but looking back on how my work has touched and affected readers, I think that my greatest hope is that showing others my humanity through my art helps them to confront that which they would destroy and to grow towards a more passionate and inspired existence. With age and experience, I find it easier and easier to counsel that there is something good for each of us to foster and develop and that self-development, be it in the arts or in the sciences, is a life-affirming act. My writing is a record of my own attempts to affirm life through developing my perception and my creative skills. That record can make known to others the importance of an active and aware existence and the joys, and even the pitfalls and terrors, that can be found in the life of a self-made man. This is the most inspiring message that my work could hope to convey. I believe in leading by example, and I believe that all men have the potential to be noble, and it is this belief that encourages us all towards our own personal betterment.