Ross Ramirez — Why I Write
I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. Whenever someone would pose the question, I never had a solid answer. If you had asked me anywhere from about first to third grade, I probably would have said I wanted to be a baker. This was because that was the time that Cake Boss was on the air. I never really had a passion for baking but it sure would be cool to be on Cake Boss.
One day in fourth grade, I decided that I was going to be an author. I pulled out a spiral of notebook paper and right then and there, began my first novel. Everyday after school I worked on this thing. At the time I thought it was going great, but it was very, very bad and a blatant rip-off of The Kane Chronicles mixed with Avatar: The Last Airbender. I eventually got bored of this project and constantly started new equally mediocre stories but I could never stick with one long enough to really see it through. Sigh… maybe writing wasn’t my calling after all. (Although that one about the dogs who solve mysteries was gold).
In middle school, my love for visual arts started to take over. Photography became my number one interest, and of course the fill-in answer for my future career. Writing didn’t disappear from my life completely though. I delved into poetry and spoken word. I tried my hand at it, I thought with some success. But as per usual, my taste for the exaggerated imagery found in poems faded a bit. But, I was still very interested in the emotion that could be drawn out through art and writing.
Moving into highschool, my interest in photography transitioned itself into a passion for film. Now as a senior I can confidently say I know what I want to be when I grow up. Filmmaking combines all the things I’m interested in (save baking, sorry Buddy). The storytelling from scripts, the visuals of photography, and the emotional impact of poetry all converge together to create a film.
Why do I write? I write because it’s important. Writing is the basis of human communication. Writing is how we share ideas, writing is how we document memories. Writing spreads across all fields. You can write about anything, and writing can be anything. Writing is not just one specific thing. It can morph and change and adapt. Writing is human.
