Everyone has something they are really passionate about. For some, it’s tending to their garden. For my boyfriend, it’s cooking up new and exciting meals. For me, it’s writing.
Whether it was just random scribbles in a battered notebook or typing out whole pages on my family’s shared computer, I’ve always felt a strong desire to write. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to work in a field that would let me use my writing ability.
There’s just something special about writing that really speaks appeals to me. Maybe it’s watching a story unfold right in front of you as you transfer your thoughts to the page. Maybe it’s the satisfaction of reading over your finished piece after spending hours struggling to find the right words. Maybe it’s the joy of seeing it finally published and knowing that there are others out there reading and enjoying something you created.
Perhaps one of the most fascinating things about writing is just how many different ways it can be employed, which allows almost anyone to take part.
Take journalism, for example. Journalism is almost exclusively non-fiction and has its own unique style and conventions which writers are expected to adhere to. Even then, however, there are still plenty of ways a clever writer can express themselves creatively (just ask Hunter S. Thompson).
While some people might argue that non-fiction is not as flexible as fiction since writers are ultimately constrained by reality and facts (we hope), this is simply not true. Just because you’re writing about things that actually happened, doesn’t mean you can’t do it in an interesting way. I’ve read non-fiction that borrowed stylistically from detective fiction, drama, and even adventure stories in order to keep the reader gripped.
Non-fiction doesn’t just have to be dry re-tellings and boring text-books and it’s a fun challenge to see how you can make your work exciting while still remaining true to the facts at hand.
Fiction offers it’s own set of challenges. In some respects, writing fiction can be harder than non-fiction since you’re relying solely on your own imagination. Like non-fiction, there are endless ways for a budding writer to express themselves.
You want to explore how mankind survive a global catastrophe? There’s a genre for that. Want to tell a steamy tale of romance and mysterious strangers? Yep, you’re covered. How about a story that just follows an ordinary person as they go about their lives? There are several best-sellers about exactly that.
Of course, this is all just scratching the surface of writing as a craft. I haven’t even mentioned poetry, which is an art form in its own right.
The point is, writing is something that has room for anyone regardless of their preferred style or interests. While some arts (such as painting or photography) require specialised and often expensive equipment, writing requires little more than a pen and a scrap of paper.
We all have stories to tell and with self-publishing being easier than ever, there is no better time to share them with the world.
