Student Blog: To Write or Not To Write

When I was younger, I loved reading all kinds of books and I admired how authors could create intriguing stories. I wanted to be just like them, sparking joy in readers by the words I put on a page. I was always thinking of little accounts in my head, usually just a scene or two, that had the potential to turn into something more.

When high school came, essays in my English classes were a breeze. Being in AP classes, I was pushed to improve my writing every year. I found the rhythm to take thoughts from my head and make them flow easily onto paper. I was proud that I could be successful in such a difficult skill. I also dabbled in more creative forms of writing like poetry and memoirs, and I enjoyed them even more.

After I graduated, I decided I wanted to major in English Literature at the University of Pittsburgh. Even though I had not picked up a book in quite some time, I still had interest in them. After taking one class in the English Literature department, I was not enthused. I appreciated the information I was getting out of it, but the tactics of the class did not interest me.

When it came time to schedule classes for the second semester, I wanted to try an English Writing class to see if I would like to switch to that major. In this major there are three concentrations: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry. I knew right away that I did not want to do poetry, so I started with an Introduction to Journalism and Nonfiction class. It has been incredible.

I always used to think of nonfiction writing as research essays, or argument and rhetorical analysis papers. I was so wrong. Nonfiction simply means that the writing is true and based on real people and events. My entire life and everything I have experienced is a nonfiction story, and that is what the class focuses on.

Next year, I plan to take a fiction class to weigh all my options, but l admit I am a little nervous. As I mentioned above, when I was little, I loved crafting little stories in my head. Now that I am older, that spark of imagination has disappeared. I have read all sorts of books, watched all types of television shows, movies, musicals, and plays and I feel like every story has been told already. I struggle with discovering new narratives that have not been done before but would still be interesting to experience. I hope that I will get over this sort of fiction-writer's blocks so I can improve my horizon of writings.

Overall, I have been content with the improvement of my writing abilities over the past couple years. I have seen myself grow and expand as a writer and I know I can only improve more. Hopefully, my growth will lead me to my dream job, writing for Playbill. It would be the perfect opportunity to involve both my passions, theatre and writing. I also find myself searching "How to write a play" in Google occasionally. The idea to write a play keeps nagging at me, in a good way. I know there is nothing stopping me, but I have not pulled myself to try just yet. Being a part of this Student Blog has also given me ideas to start my own personal blog. I love writing about accounts of my life and would love to share them with the world. The possibilities are endless, I just need to take the time and make it happen.

To write or not to write, that is the question and I think my answer is obvious. I love writing, but I must find the happy work for myself, not anyone else. I want to inspire, create, and reimagine the world through my writing while integrating personal joy to make it all worth it.