If you're anything like me, when you hear "writing assignment" you immediately cringe. The thought of scribbling out an essay, short answer, or written response sounds dreadful, and you would rather do multivariable calculus than actually write out your thoughts in a well-organized, in-depth, essay.

Throughout most of my schooling days, I just assumed I didn't have the "writing gene" that many of my peers had. It just wasn't in my blood but I've done some introspection and come to realize I wasn't always this way.

As a young girl, I really did enjoy writing. I had journals overflowing with all sorts of ideas and short stories, I made countless lists, and I even bought books filled with writing prompts. My pencils were dull and life was good.

Fast forward to high school, suddenly writing wasn't so creative anymore. All that mattered was the grade attached to whatever words my pen produced. I couldn't just write whatever I pleased-- I had to conform to teachers' expectations. Writing became more of a chore.

Over time, the feelings of joy and creativity that came with writing diminished and were replaced with those of dread and disgust. For years, I labeled myself a "bad writer" because of a few poor essay grades back in tenth grade. For years, I told everyone (including myself) that I hated writing.

Now, as a soon-to-be sophomore in college, I've come to realize that I don't actually hate writing, and I'm not actually a bad writer. I wrote for my high school's newspaper for four years. I still keep journals and make plenty of lists. It wasn't the writing I disliked, but the lack of creativity.

My point in saying all of this is that writing is what you make of it. It's not only essays and discussion posts, short answers and annotations. Writing doesn't have to be horrible. It can be creative and silly, exciting and fulfilling.

My hope is that some of you, on some level, will be able to relate to my experiences and enjoy reading my future posts as much as I enjoy writing them.