Writer’s block: That awful feeling where you can stare at a blank page for hours and still not come up with anything to write. The white space is daunting; all these words and ideas are floating around in your head yet nothing is coming out cohesively on paper.
To cut to the chase, I’ve been slacking on my articles lately. I know, I know; it’s really been for the last few months. Summer break mode has been in full force lately and no matter how hard I try, I just cannot think of a topic that makes me want to write.
That’s when I started thinking. On the Fourth of July, a family member asked me what I wanted to do after college. More specifically, they asked if I wanted to keep doing something and writing like I do for the Odyssey. So then it hit me. I figured why not write an article about why I write for the Odyssey.
To take it back to the beginning (not to sound dramatic), it was the beginning of my freshman year of college when I came across the table for the Odyssey at the involvement fair. I recognized the name from articles I’d seen on Facebook and figured I’d write my name down on the sign up sheet. I’d always enjoyed writing in high school and college was the time to try new things so I thought why not.
The worst that could happen was that I would change my mind and decide not to pursue it. Well, that’s exactly what happened. I put it on hold, intimidated by the idea of choosing my own topics to write about and then having to share them with what it seemed to be the whole world.
Fast forward two months and I finally reconsidered writing for it. Two weeks later my first article is published. As I started writing more frequently, I felt myself starting to open up more. I used to imagine my name underneath my work in a magazine or a newspaper. To be honest, it was pretty cool seeing my work published on a platform such as the Odyssey.
It was not until recently though that I came to recognize why I enjoy writing for the Odyssey. At the beginning it was just something fun and new to try, almost like an experiment to see how I would like being a writer.
I write to express my thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Sometimes it’s easier putting things on paper than to speak them out loud. I write for the Odyssey to get my words out there. Contrary to what some people think, it’s not only about how many shares our articles can get.
Sure, it’s exciting to find out one of your articles is going viral, but some people put their heart and soul into their pieces because it makes them feel accomplished, not to gain popularity.
I write for the Odyssey to enhance my creativity. Odyssey is one of those few platforms where you have the freedom to pretty much do whatever you want. No one is checking your word count or making sure you have a structured essay with five paragraphs, an introduction, and a conclusion (like how we were told to write in middle school and even high school).
I write for the Odyssey so people can relate. Nothing is more fulfilling than receiving positive feedback on an article that not only means something to you, but also took time and effort.
I write for the Odyssey because it helps me learn. If one day I hope to go into a field where writing skills are valued, I want experience of doing just that. The more I write the more I learn about what makes an article successful.
I know my audience and content that catches people’s attention. I learned that not everyone agrees or has to agree with your views and that it’s important to take other's opinions and pieces into consideration.
Writing for the Odyssey has showed me that maybe I don’t want to specifically go into journalism. Sure, maybe I don’t want to be a reporter or a journalist and maybe I’ve realized that I don’t want to write 24/7; but to me it’s more than just that. Odyssey gives me the opportunity and freedom to just write and to be honest, I think that’s the most important of them all.
