Writing Exercise

I've gotten into the class I wanted, phew! Tomorrow is my REAL first day (okay, it's really the second day of class, I know) and I've got homework that needs to be done. So I'm plugging away and reading till my eyes are drooping and I've still got another chapter to go. It's invigorating.

So, I will give you a moment to read my first writing exercise. Out of a list of things I had to pick the one I agreed with the most and the one I completely disagreed with and explain why. Here it is, it's a bit rough so forgive me.

(drum roll please)

Agree: The most important thing is that a writer believes they can learn to write well.

I thought at first that I'd say a writer needs to write more to get better, but then I thought, 'well, no, because a bad writer can write till their fingers turn blue and still be bad if they haven't learned.'

Learning and expanding ones mind is the key to becoming bett at anything in life. You must learn and broaden your mind. And you must have the confidence and self assurity to know that you are capable of learning and growing or you will never try. My handwriting is a great example. I don't imagine a time when I'll be able to improve it. I have neither the energy nor the desire nor the conviction that it will improve, to work at making it better. I can write and write and write and it still won't get better by itself.

So it is with the written word. You must have the desire, the time, and the confidence to change if you truly want to become better.



Disagree: People are born writers. You either can write or you can't.

I utterly disagree. There is nothing that you are 'born' as that can't be changed with hard work and dedication. And by hardwork I mean serious hard work, any task, any goal in life is reachable if you are willing to take the time and make the sacrifice.

This is evident throughout history with the greatest men and women. Jane Austen lived in a time where she, as a woman, was not 'born' to be a writer and yet she is one of the greatest.

Galileo was not 'born' to discover the stars and yet despite manifold trials that he faced he accomplished the un-imaginable.

No, anyone can write if they so desire.

Comments

Polly Blevins said…
I don't know if I agree on your examples of Jane and Galileo. What I took out of the statement of you are either born to write or not is more of you were born with the talent of writing or not. Grandma Spilsbury was not born an artist. She was not good at all but she worked really hard to become one. Ammon, on the other hand, has a natural ability. I think that maybe Jane had a natural ability to write and just got better. My take on the statement wasn't necessarily the era or the end results. But I do agree that anyone can become anything they want to if they work hard enough. Just some food for thought.
-T said…
Thanks for your compliments on my blog. always appreciated. photo taking has been a bit slow as of late. but hopefully I can keep updating with more and more interesting pics. have been enjoying your blog too.

-T
Cannwin said…
Polly... hmm, I will work on that. Now I have to take this writing exercise and make an essay out of it so I'll be playing with it some more. We'll see what happens.

-T,
Thanks. I do love seeing your work.
Winsor said…
I agree through sweat of the brow, practice, and dedication even Forest Gump could be a good writer. I do agree though, that Jane Austen probably was a good writer, social expectation or culture doesn't determine how much talent someone is born with. Polly, Ammon was and is a good artist, but I do think that Ammon has studied and practiced more than we give him credit for. Anyway, good luck with school.

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