What kind of writer am I?
It’s funny, the whole format of Medium’s blogging function reminds me so much of my Wattpad days. I would define myself as sort of a creative writer, I suppose. One that is not too worried about the correct grammar usage or the way my sentences seems to run on and on until it becomes long-winded. I prefer writing as if I would talk, just a bit fancier though otherwise I would have to manually type out the filler words or sounds I use in speech. It’s also hard to give an exact way to write a specific word that is considered slang, especially if the sequence and spelling of the word is different from person to person. I notice that when I am given freedom with a prompt I am able to express myself more through my writing. If the prompt I was responding to was about research or analysis, of course the focus that people want is the information and objective-ness, not my personal feelings on the matter. Although having a strict “answer0and-response” type prompt has its perks. For instance, you wouldn’t be side-tracked jumping from idea to idea like you would if you were just writing out what you felt like writing down on a page. I tend to either jump from point to point, with no real direction or meaning to my writing, or to go on long tangents about a specific subject that I am passionate about.
When do I write?
Oftentimes I write when I feel inspired to do so. I hate writing because I am assigned work like essays or research papers. It is so unmotivating and stifles my creativity whenever I am required to write. I usually end up procrastinating while writing or stuck trying on a certain part of the prompt I am to answer. I like writing for the sake of writing, and by that I mean to write in terms of recording something in written form. When I am inspired to write, I tend to write pages and pages on the topic. I feel like every child who loved reading also tried to create their own stories in their spare time. I loved reading when I was younger, and I still do to this day. While it isn’t a very interesting hobby to tell people about, I still consider reading as my number one hobby. I tend to read books at my own pace, whether that be all in one sitting or in parts for several months, depending on how the book has captured my attention. The main reason I was inspired to write when I was younger was due to something I wouldn’t like in a book that I read. I would think of my own scenarios or ways the story could’ve played out better and try to form a story with the new possibilities that came to mind. These types of stories are referred to as “fan fiction,” and while there is a negative connotation — or embarrassing in my opinion — associated with writing fanfiction, the world of fanfiction is truly all about the creativity and freedom of writers.
How do I write?
As I mentioned before, I tend to write while jumping from one topic to the next. The whole reason I put subheadings in italics were so people could follow along with my writing. One thing that frustrates me a lot in essays and where points would be taken off of my work would be clean transitions from one idea to the next. I have to remind myself sometimes that not everyone would be able to follow along. When it comes to academic writing where it is required that writing is structured I tend to use lists and bullet points in writing drafts. At least, I follow a similar way of structuring my writing as how I was taught in school. For instance, if I was writing a five paragraph essay analyzing an author’s use of figurative language, evidence, and reasoning to support their evidence I would organize my draft into five parts. The general structure would be first the introduction, then three body paragraphs each about one main point, and then the last paragraph as a conclusion and summary of the previous paragraphs.
What is my attitude toward writing?
I enjoy writing when I have the freedom of what to write about. However, I wouldn’t consider myself to be an excellent writer. I don’t recall every single grammar rule or sentence structure or way to use plot devices. I tend to reuse the same limited vocabulary to the point where my words seem repetitive. I would honestly like to improve as a writer since whenever I write something, I look back on my writing in slight disappointment. I always try to think of new ways to write what I actually mean to say in the way that I actually want to convey it, but I still end up unsatisfied with my work. And I certainly don’t want to publish something that I am unsatisfied with the result. So while I do enjoy writing, I also don’t in a way.
