All my life, I have been writing. Stories, poetry, letters, articles, and blogs – I have tried them all. I must say that it’s an unavoidable passion of mine. There’s something encapsulating about losing yourself in the story you’ve conjured up inside your mind: something alluring that brings me back to a well written, controversial topic. To some, writing comes naturally; but to many people of my generation, (or even the Millennials before me) writing is just an unnecessary task. In this blog, I’ll talk to you about why I think writing is something that everyone should try, enjoy, and not just put to the side as a one-off job.
To begin with, here’s a little bit about me! I’m currently 15 years old (Year 10) and completing work experience with OggaDoon. Even before I could write my own name I was reciting stories to my mum, who would write them down on paper for me. In school, we always wrote poems and stories as part of the curriculum. In year 6 my teacher recommended that I tried different poetry styles as a challenge. Thus, I wrote my first sonnet. Quite unusual you might say! I was an avid reader and you could always find me with a book nearby. Books were like fantasy adventures I could explore and use to experience things unimaginable! They were an escape from my boring or chaotic life. When I was in year 7 I started to write my first novel at the recommendation of a family friend – A comedy book, similar to the style of David Walliams. However, I struggled to keep writing in this vain. In year 8/9 I began to write a new dystopian future novel which I am now committed to completing.
In schools, students always do creative writing. At every opportunity, teachers are getting young people into writing stories or fictional news articles. The only problem is, is that I find students around my age are becoming less and less interested in it. In modern society, technology is constantly streamed into the teenage brain. We are being force-fed a diet of instant gratification and are being overburdened with the intense facts in the news. There is no room for creativity any more as children don’t feel that they need it. Everything they could possibly want or imagine is behind a small black screen big enough to fit inside your pocket. Don’t get me wrong, technology is incredible and one of the greatest advancements in society. Personally, I believe that everyone should try to enjoy creative writing, read more and persevere, rather than dropping a story at the first hurdle.
Octavia E. Butler said that “You don’t start out writing good stuff.” As all writers will know, a good story or analogy doesn’t just happen. Sports stars train for years before they compete professionally! I stopped writing my first book because I struggled to come up with new, funny lines and as I grew older my headspace changed. Despite this, I hope to come back to it one day. Unlike many, I didn’t give up writing, but simply changed the angle from which I wrote. I have to ask myself why schools don’t allow their students to write freely without setting specific topics, moods (this can limit creativity as everyone is different), or looming deadlines. A deadline just restricts creativity and forces you to write something quickly that you may not enjoy. Why not give it a go? Pick up a pen, or sit in front of a computer and immerse your mind in another world.
“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” – Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)
In summary, I feel that nowadays original ideas are hard to come by and my generation makes up the future writers, journalists, and poets of the world. So many past emotions and stories can be preserved forever through a good book – you could even preserve the future, in the present…
