by Elizabeth Wordsmith

Created on: February 25, 2010

Writing is a gift shared by all.  Even small children struggling with spelling errors and penmanship create works cherished by parents.  Every piece of writing has merit as a window into an individual's unique reactions and interpretation of both commonplace and rare experiences.

As a more permanent form of communication that can be used for many purposes, writing is unique in that there is a delay between the time of putting words to paper or computer screen and revealing those words to an audience.  A writer has the time to edit, rearrange and change words, reorganize, or even press delete.

Writing is without the same constraints as oral communication.  Oral communication often is inhibited by shyness, time limits, audience attention span, and other constraints.  As an example, Emily Dickinson was very shy and published only a few of her poems during her lifetime.  Yet, because her relatives later found her poems and made sure they became published, we now are able to enjoy her poetry and unique relationship with the world. 

 A writer needs only a scrap of paper and a pen to create his or her art.  How many other forms of art allow people from all walks of life to create lasting works of art?  If you have ever visited the British Museum in London, you might have seen a glass case housing a scrap of paper on which the lyrics to one of the Beatles' great songs was hastily written. 

Writing is a lot like decorating a house.  One can rearrange the furniture and accessories, paint the room a different color, knock out a wall, eliminate clutter, hang new draperies, add more lighting, or do whatever one wishes.  The only difference is that in writing there should be no beige walls.  In this area, a writer appeals to the masses more by standing apart from the crowd and being unique.  That can be very freeing to someone who feels as though they don't fit in with the masses.

Perfectionists or those with thin skin may find writing to be a curse. Worrying about reader's reactions and comparisons with other writers can only lead to writer's block.  Children should be taught from the beginning to write with confidence and edit later.  How many talented writers have been discouraged by rejections and disapproval at an early age?   How many wonderful authors received countless rejections until some smart publisher recognized their art?  One must write for writing itself

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>