Why I write

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What is a writer?

During the first lesson we discussed the top qualities that make a writer. We worked in groups to come up with the top five components to make a good writer and ordered them by importance. I worked with Elyjah to discuss and come up with these qualities.

1. Creativity

We deemed this the most important quality a writer could have, as without a creative mind, a story would not come about in the first place. A creative idea is the starting point of a great story, and would not captivate the reader otherwise.

2. Motivation and resilience

We thought that these two aspects are on the same level as each other, as they co-exist within each other to help a writer stick to an idea and a story.

3. Interesting vocabulary

Captivating words and language help to grab the readers attention and make them want to continue reading

4. Social awareness

A writer needs to hold a certain level and understanding of what is going on around them in order to write accurately and entice an audience.

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What is a story?

We similarly discussed the top five most important components of a good story, and decided that character and conflict were the most important aspects of a story, as it outlines the overall point of a writing piece and helps a writer to understand the plot, and how the character gets to that point.

The inciting incident, the event that sets the main character on the journey that will occupy them throughout the narrative, was also deemed a top aspect in a story. This incident often upsets the balance in the main characters world, and sets the tone for the entire plot.

Finally, we covered the significance of the Character journey or arc; following the journey of the central character, and how they overcome the forces of opposition. 

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Prompt task: A man in a denim jacket sits on a park bench, chuckling to himself

Laughter, a rumbling sensation from deep in the stomach, making its appearance through the throat as cackle, a giggle, or a mere light-hearted chuckle, something young Mark was entirely familiar with. What society deems as funny is simply set in stone- people falling over, funny cat videos, old sitcoms designed to enjoy on a rainy day. Mark, however dreamt of a world in which laughter was subjective to ones own personality, a world in which he wouldn't be judged, sneered at, locked in a jail cell never to view a single invigorating glimpse of hope again. This is how Mark began to dig his blood stained fingers into his dirt riddled denim jacket to reveal what could only be seen as a human finger. A grotesque, severed reminder of the sheer reminder of the sheer fascination one human oddity could obtain. A human that sits on a memorial bench, chuckling in satisfaction to himself, marvelling in his previous act of monstrosity, that was in fact an act of despair desperately trying to be replaced with laughter, joy, anything that resembled the familiar silhouette of his youth, family or childhood best friends whose decapitated finger lay resting in its executors calloused palm.

Mark once again chuckled to himself at this thought; was he simply a textbook definition of insanity, or rather an owner of a brain belonging to a troubled young boy, yearning for his best friend back.

He was suddenly launched back into a grim reality when wails of sirens and aggressive beckoning of the words 'under arrest' began to sketch out the enormous gravity of the situation.

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Thoughts on story:

The main premise of this short piece follows the idiosyncratic and psychopathic chain of thoughts that the main character Mark experiences during the aftermath of the sadistic murder he previously committed towards his childhood best friend. The inciteful incident is the crime implemented at the beginning and intertwines with the internal conflict Mark struggles with, and how he deals with the grief of his best friend and ludicrous acts he committed towards him, perhaps in an irrational moment of yearning for the bliss of his youth. This is just the beginning of my short story, however as I continue I will go into detail about the murder itself, why it took place and the significance of the finger. The character arc and development is also a part of the story that I will expand on and come to an eventual conclusion.

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Why Writers Write?

I went over this lesson at home

Next lesson we looked at many different speeches and essays of different writers discussing why they write. This task was particularly interesting as it was a meaningful insight into the effect and power of writing, as well as a motivational idea to understand why we personally write and the impact of it. The first writer that we observed was George Orwell.

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   - George Orwell, 'Why I Write' (link)

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George Orwell's insight on why he writes is something that I found very interesting, especially the rundown of his entire life from

his childhood to adulthood, and his inspirations for writing throughout. 

'The 'story' must, I suppose, have reflected the styles of various writers I admired at different ages'  was a line that stood out to me as I found myself relating to the idea of taking inspiration from other writers throughout life and applying it to my own work.

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Another writer we looked at was Anais Nin, who's reason for why she writes was my particular favourite and one I found to be particularly poetic and inspiring. She claimed that 'one writes to create a world in which one can live', which resonated with me as personally, I believe that one of the blissful elements of writing a story is the power to create my own world and escape from reality when needed. Nin also described her reason for writing as a place in which she could 'recreate herself when destroyed by living' and continuously referred to writing a story as a materialisation of ones inner world.

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- Anais Nin, 'Why I Write' (link)

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Cecilia Knapp was another writer who we observed, whom described her reason for writing was to 'end loneliness', and by ending her own loneliness, her stories ultimately make readers feel less alone. The main premise of Knapps reasoning was to convey a sense of communication, and the power writing stories has to create conversations 'across distances'.

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  - Cecilia Knapp, 'Why you should write' (link)

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Why I write

I write to express my ideas and fantasies to many people all at once. I find writing to be a dazzling method of sharing my own joy with others, whether it be to hundreds in a writing competition or an intimate entanglement of words to a few of my closest peers. Writing is a way of communicating to others, a transmission of ideas that perhaps I find myself unable to vocalise, yet when displayed physically, riddled with thought and emotion, it seems like the easiest thing in the world; a great pleasure in which I often indulge in when I am low. Writing has the possibility to be anything and everything all at once. It is a sporadic event in which my inspirations become a chaotic frenzy, spewing endlessly from my brain, ideas sparking one after the other, faster than I can write or type. However, frequently it can be quite the opposite, a blissful aid in organising my thoughts when I feel a lack of control, a reminder that I have the power and accessibility to create any world I want, however I please. I suppose that writing is a way of loosening the tight grip that the stresses of my real life have hold on me, an escape from reality in which I can always turn to. Writing is an old friend, a parent, a lover and a mentor all at once, reminding me that I am human. I find peace in the serenity of conveying my thoughts and feelings to others without judgement. As a more concise example, writing is losing myself and finding myself at the same time, a beautiful way of expression. I have been writing for my entire life, and plan to do so until the day I die, as it is one of my greatest passions.

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Writing a story from an image:

Denote:

• - The woman is glancing to the side, deep solemn faces, frown lines, man staring forward intensely, modest attire, plain/simple house in back round, barn house, holding pitchfork, muted colours

Questions:​

• What is the woman looking at?

• What are these peoples relationship?

• Why is the man holding a pitchfork?

• What was the time period?

• Are they on a farm?

Connote:​

• Controlling husband

• Secluded, religious community

• Woman is preoccupied with something sinister happening in the backround

• Unusual relationship between the two people

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