Reflection on Writing

Writer’s block. A demon. It affects the mind of every writer at some point in life. What do I write about? Where do I begin? Is there a proper way to write my paper? No. There isn’t a correct or incorrect way because there are no rules in writing.

There might be guidelines and ideas to improve writing, but there are no rules. One of the most important aspects to remember is that in order to succeed at something, you must first know how to fail at it. The sense of accomplishment is much greater when you get something perfect after the third or fourth try versus getting it perfect the first time. The first time I tried to bake and decorate cupcakes; they didn’t taste or look very good. But I didn’t give up.

I kept trying and now I love to bake and I continue to improve. I apply the same principle to my writing. The first and second drafts are just that—drafts. After countless revisions, the final product is the perfect piece, ready to be published. I try to make my writing clear and concise. If a phrase is full of unnecessary words, it is harder for the reader to understand the meaning.

I don’t like it when I have to search for the meaning of a story, and I don’t want my readers to have to do the same thing. And by leaving some details out, it allows the reader’s imagination to fill it in and makes the story more entertaining. People always tell me to be confident in my writing, but I’m not there yet. I worry that my piece won’t be as good as the person’s who is sitting next to me. But that doesn’t matter. Everyone is different in their own way, and it shows through writing.

Take risks and allow your reader to experience something new and exciting. I also learned to let my writing take its own path. Write whatever comes to my mind. Put my ideas down on paper and form them into a story. Some of the best written works are ones that started out as just an idea in someone’s head that they decided to write down.

My favorite book series, for example, started out as an idea written down on a napkin. J.K. Rowling had an idea for a story about a wizarding world and wrote her ideas down on the first thing she could find, a napkin. From there, she went on to write the entire seven book Harry Potter series. And she built a legacy while doing it.

Finally, I think the most important thing to remember is to have fun. Have adventures in your writing. Create new worlds for people to explore. The entire language is at your fingertips, use it wisely.