Opinions on Writing. What is it?

When I was assigned my second blog entry for my website I was excited to hear from the people that I would interview. I knew that I was going home for the weekend and could not wait to hear my family members’ opinions on writing. While my blog is targeted towards editing and pursuing my passion, I decided to take this time to discover how my opinions as an English major would contrast from people that decided to follow a different path for their education. I decided to interview my sister, Brandy, sister-in-law, Chastity, and brother, Byron. Each of my siblings chose a different educational path from my own. Some decided to earn an associate’s degree, while others decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Each of them have different lives; their careers are different and some have children while the others do not, which I assumed would create differences in their ideals and purposes about writing. My assumptions were proven correct, as each person had differing answers to my questions.

First, I will provide my own answers to the questions I asked my family. I will then provide the answers my family members provided.

1.       What do you think about when you think about writing?

When I think about writing, I think literally. I think about the tools that I need when writing, which are a pencil and paper.

2.       When do you write?

I don’t write often, but when I do it’s usually for school. I generally only write when I have an assignment or an essay to write.

3.       Where do you write?

I write wherever I feel the most comfortable, so usually I write on the couch in my living room or in my bed.

4.       What do you like writing about?

What I like the most about writing is that it can be a release. If I am overthinking about something or if I am stressed about something I can write out all my thoughts. This allows me to relax more. So usually, I write about whatever is bothering me or stressing me out.

5.       What do you dislike about writing?

I dislike when there is pressure to write. If I am assigned a paper then there is added stress. I know that this is necessary in school, but it is still something I dislike.

6.       Is composing the same thing as writing? Why or why not?

I would not consider composing and writing the same thing. To me, writing is more thought out than composing is. Composing is more like a skeletal framework, or the puzzle pieces of a writing and writing itself is the full picture or the complete puzzle.

Brandy’s Interview

1.       What do you think about when you think about writing?

When Brandy thinks about writing she thinks about the end result of her writing. She states that when she writes she is no longer writing for school. She is writing about what ever things she has on her mind. She considers writing more of a catharsis. This is a way for her to get all of her thoughts out of her mind. Writing is a resolution of a day, for her.

2.       When do you write?

She also writes early in the morning when she wakes up or right before going to bed. She states that if she writes early in the morning this is because she wakes up with thoughts on her mind. When she writes at night she sees this as a way to clear her mind and process her day when she has a lot going on in her life. She uses this as a way to classify the things that have happened that day and decides what her highs and her lows are.

3.       Where do you write?

Brandy writes when she is in bed because this is usually where she is during the times she has to write. She also keeps a pen and paper nearby so that she can jot down her ideas.

4.       What do you like writing about?

She likes writing about her son, Brycen. She likes to write about funny things that he does that she would like to remember when he is older. She likes to write about our family and the things that we do.

5.       What do you dislike about writing?

Brandy dislikes when her thoughts are not as organized when she decides to write them down on paper. However, this does reflect how her mind is processing the things she is thinking about. She knows that when this happens things may not make sense to other people but at the time these things make sense to her. When she goes back and looks at her work she knows that she could do better.

6.       Is composing the same thing as writing? Why or why not?

She does not believe that writing and composing are the same thing. Composing, for Brandy, is something that is thought out with more order and a definite purpose than writing. She explains that a composition is more systematic. Writing is more free and unstructured. This could be any type of writing or typing.

Chastity’s Interview

1.       What do you think about when you think about writing?

What Chastity thinks about when she’s writing varies depending on the writing subject.

2.       When do you write?

She does not usually write, but when she does it is usually for class. She tends to write reports.

3.       Where do you write?

When she does write, the majority of her writing occurs at her house.

4.       What do you like writing about?

Chastity likes the creative side of writing. She also likes that writing allows her to work more on effectively structuring her words.

5.       What do you dislike about writing?

Chastity dislikes when she cannot formulate her thoughts. Usually when she is distracted or she is somewhere that is noisy she can have a hard time forming her sentences.

6.       Is composing the same thing as writing? Why or why not?

She does not believe there is a difference between composing and writing. She states that the definition of composing is to write, meaning they are the same thing.

Byron’s Interview

1.       What do you think about when you think about writing?

Byron thinks more of movie scenes when he thinks of writing. Scary movies in particular come to mind when he thinks of writing.

2.       When do you write?

He writes whenever he thinks of an idea or whenever he sees something that makes him want to write.

3.       Where do you write?

He usually writes at home. This is usually done in his living room on the floor.

4.       What do you like writing about?

What Byron likes the most about writing is that for him, writing is a new idea. It is bringing something new to life.

5.       What do you dislike about writing?

Contradictorily, he dislikes the actual act of writing down his thoughts.

6.       Is composing the same thing as writing? Why or why not?

Byron believes that composing and writing are different. He sees composing is more of an art, whereas writing is just putting something on paper.

From my findings, I have discovered that writing is much more broad than one could assume; it also does not have one consistent definition, in my opinion. For me and my sister-in-law, Chatty, writing is more academic. To my sister, Brandy, writing is more cathartic, and for my brother, Byron, writing is more creative. I believe that writing cannot be defined as one thing, but rather a collection of ideas. For each person, writing occurs at different times. For Chatty and I, writing occurs when necessary. For Brandy, writing occurs when she thinks too much and for my brother it occurs when he has a new idea. There is no set time to write. For some, writing occurs when the mood strikes and for others it is when it is required. For myself and this group of family members, we write papers, our thoughts, and our ideas. Along this group, most of us agree that we like writing because it allows us to clear our thoughts; some use it as a catharsis and others use it as a way to organize their thoughts. My sisters dislike when they are unable to articulate their thoughts, my brother dislikes the actual act of putting pen to paper, and I dislike being forced to write; our dislikes vary.

What I was able to learn from this exercise is that the definition of writing varies from person to person. What someone considers writing may be completely different from what I consider writing, which is something that I accepted and believed prior to interviewing my family. Their opinions both agree and disagree with my own about writing, but I can understand each of their own opinions. Chastity and I both write academically for the most part, but I can also write to release pent up energy like Brandy does. I also dislike being forced to write, so in a way I agree with my brother that putting pen to paper is my least favorite part about writing. Originally, I believed that there was a difference between composing and writing, but honestly that was because I was thinking too hard about the question. I agree with Chastity that they are the same because to compose is to write. However, just as with the writing, the definition of composing can vary from person to person. This exercise has allowed me to realize that writing is not just one thing. Everyone has their own definition and opinion that could all contribute to what writing is.