Why I Write

This is an interesting and continuously intriguing thought. Writing is something I do, something I've always done, but the times I think about writing are a lot more frequent than those when I stop to consider exactly why I write.

I am a communicator by my very nature. I relish the chance to convey thoughts and feelings to an audience. I am a glutton for the back-and-forth of one-on-one communication, and I am talented in the area of small group communication and public speaking. Granted, I have a lot to learn in all of these areas, but to deny my edge would be to practice a dishonest form of modesty. And while modesty is important, honesty is moreso, I believe.

Writing is undoubtedly one of my preferred mediums to communicate, both for what it can do and what it cannot. What writing can do, in any of its forms, is allow the opportunity to more accurately convey the writer's message. Assuming the person who is writing has a decent vocabulary and at least moderate knowledge of language, writing can take who is normally a stammering, stuttering individual and turn them into a wonderful communicator.

However, what writing cannot do is, in my opinion, far more important.

Writing limits us in our communication in a way that we often don't think of while reading a book or a magazine article, yet it becomes very clear to us while we're texting or messaging friends and family members. Writing lacks all forms of nonverbal communication, and while we can attempt to convey such ideas (such as through the use of ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, or with emoticons :) ), it still pales in comparison to the nonverbals we get in face-to-face communication. This forces the writer to be extra certain of what words he or she uses, in what order, and with what rhythm. Diction, grammar, syntax, and punctuation go beyond the realm of 'rules of writing' and become 'tools of writing,' and with proper manipulation can convey more in a single sentence than some of us could ever hope to do in an entire conversation.

Why else do I write? The power of writing is undeniable. A person's inner voice is both their loudest distraction, and oftentimes their greatest influence. Reading exercises a person's inner voice, flexes their lexicon, and generally helps with focus and comprehension. If reading is such a powerful and beneficial way to spend your time, then the people who spend their time, energy and effort writing are those who seek to truly enlighten others, whether consciously or subconsciously, whether it is simply to expand creativity through entertainment, or to open readers' minds through persuasion.

To help emphasize the power of writing, we only need to look to Mark Twain. When a bet was made that Twain wouldn't be able to make people cry with no more than six written words, Mark Twain wrote the following:

For sale: child's shoes, never worn.

The gravity of that simple statement speaks mountains for the effect that writing can have on an individual. And it is my hope, my goal and my dream to become part of the industry and part of the community that contributes to furthering the drive for understanding, for learning, and for entertainment.