My Personal Writing Philosophy

     Writing of all types is one of the best ways to share information. Newspapers, essays, blogs, social media posts, scripts, and any other type of writing all effectively share information with a variety of audiences. I see and learn new things from writing every day. For example, I use academic essays to help my research I do through my university, look at social media posts and news articles to stay updated with current world events, and read text messages and emails to keep me updated with my friends, family, and colleagues.

     Writing is also vital to relationships. Because I go to a school so far away from my home of Kansas City, Missouri, I text my friends and family every day to keep me feeling involved in their lives and to keep them updated with what’s happening in my life. Emails are how I communicate with professors and other mentors to ensure we are all on the same page about my goals and work. Without writing as a means of communication, these relationships would be much harder to maintain and get the most out of. 

     Although my writing has many different purposes at different times, my crafting process still follows a similar process with every piece, depending on how professional it needs to be. With longer academic and professional work, I begin by outlining what I want my main ideas and thesis to be. Then, I craft my essay starting with the body paragraphs, continuing to the conclusion, and finishing with the introduction. I then go through and edit; this is oftentimes the part of the process that takes me the longest depending on the level of professionalism needed. For example, I am sure to thoroughly edit my academic essays until I feel any more changes would make my piece worse. With all writing, I ensure each sentence most effectively says the point I want to get across. This is what I focus on in my writing, that my message is as efficient, effective, and clear as possible. 

     Personally, I prefer writing on a laptop. I feel I am most efficient on a laptop as I can 1. Type a lot faster, and 2. Easily reorganize my drafts. Sometimes, I go through a paper or text and realize that one paragraph or sentence should be placed somewhere else, so I love being able to copy and paste. I also utilize a lot of online editing softwares, such as Grammarly, to make sure my grammar is well done. Writing on a laptop makes this a lot easier. 

     Although my writing process is relatively constant, the formality and style often changes with the context in which I’m writing. For example, my academic papers are very formal and in the third person. I take into account the mistakes I look for in determining reliable sources for research and try to avoid making those mistakes myself. However, my informal or opinionated writing is typically in first person. This way, I can clearly show where my opinion is showing in contrast to solid information. Furthermore, my vocabulary changes depending on who my audience is. To achieve my goal listed above of most efficiently, effectively, and clearly sharing my message, it’s important I consider the context and audience I am writing for.

     Writing comes in all shapes and sizes. This is one of the things I love about it. I can write to inform or entertain an audience, or to simply note my own thoughts and reminders, and it helps me to maintain and foster relationships. I also learn a lot from other’s writing, whether it be from academic papers, news articles, or even social media posts. This is why I want to begin a career in writing myself. It is so influential today, regardless of technological advancements, and is needed to have a working society. I am excited to continue to improve my writing skills in hopes of impacting someone’s life in the way other’s writing has impacted mine.