Many people know me as a writer, among many other things. Some might say a bad one, but I like to think that I'm typically known for spitting out pithy articles about whatever it is on my mind, which used to be only sports. I suppose I do have to thank the Rockets for letting me down one more time in the playoffs because I'm finally expanding my writing horizons! The funny thing many people do not know about me is that I most definitely, absolutely, and with all my heart, hate writing. Why?
I was never a great writer. Everyone who ever knew me in elementary school knew that, and I would consistently get less than average marks whenever I had to write something. I loved to read, but somehow the language of the great writers of my childhood (Dav Pilkey, "Captain Underpants"; Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"; J.K. Rowling, "Harry Potter") never quite assimilated into my writing.
Whenever we had a writing assignment I would cringe, then procrastinate until the essay was due the next day. As it would seem, I learned how to procrastinate at a very young age.
Freshman and sophomore year of high school was about the same, as I could always think of what to write, but I could never think of how to write an introduction. For timed writings, I would just sit there with an empty notepad until there was 15 minutes left in class. Let's be real honest here -- I was so bad at writing that I was procrastinating on timed writings. It's probably no surprise then that I didn't have A's in English anymore. You know, for obvious reasons.
Somewhere in the latter half of my sophomore year, however, writing somehow just clicked for me, and it became easier and easier to write. One of my friends offered me an internship at a local online newspaper, and I started writing my first articles. I became what I believe to be a pretty good writer. So happy.
So now, you're probably scratching your head, wondering why I hate writing after this long journey where it would seem I found the secret to writing. I hate writing because it reminds me of how much I hated it. It's hard doing something that reminds you of something you hate. Whether it be an ex that broke your heart, a picture of a relative who passed away, or a sport you no longer play, seeing witnessing those things just brings you sadness. Writing for me no different.
OK, I might be being a little too dramatic about why I hate writing. I just feel like learning to write from our broken school system doesn't help the majority of students become good or even decent writers. There are too many criterias to adhere to, too many "rules" to follow, and the beauty of writing is effectively stifled. If you want the real reason why I hate writing, it's that we're confined to write about topics that are already set for us and that there is a specific rubric grading us on the exact elements that we use.
Writing is a magical action, where the writer can and should write about what they want, and to explore the limits of language. The fact that we need to adhere to rules set by an institution or be deemed a renowned writer is why I hate writing. That, and the fact that it gave me bad grades.
