We’ll use Perusall to annotate and read together. 
Writing is Art
I love to free write. I’ve done it since I was in middle school, though now I don’t write as much as I use to. People ask how I can write outside of school essays–for them, it’s hard to write a title on the damn paper. I would just shrug my shoulders. I never found it necessary to really state my reason for loving something.
My theory of writing is passion. Yes. Passion. Cheesy af, but that’s ok. Because it works for me. There have been many things in my short life that I did not want to write about. Did I want to write an essay about Andrew Jackson on my AP exam that Tuesday morning? Hell. No. But I wrote it with a passion, because at that moment, I knew that if I wanted to pass this exam, I needed to write a good essay. (I didn’t pass). But oh well. No, that passion sparked because the writing came from me, and the information came from me. That what really helps me.
If you’re going to write a paper about why x=12, then write it with passion. You have to breathe it–meditate on why x=12, and the words will flow endlessly, because if you do just that, you’ll reach the limit of the amount of pages your paper is supposed it be, and you still haven’t said everything you had to. That is the best part. You think in the very beginning that you have nothing to say about a pathetic paper, but when you find one tiny thing to talk about, there will be an overflowing power that won’t make you stop writing.
Key terms that I can come up with when I write are: music. Ah, yes I have to listen to music as I write because if I don’t my brain will…die. Ok, another term is connection. And this is something that I completely agree with the reading of this week. I almost jumped up and down because I was so excited. In section 1.0, it says, “Writers are always doing the rhetorical work of addressing the needs and interests of a particular audience, even if unconsciously.” Amazing. We want to connect with an audience who will understand us and who will be like, “Yes! They get me! They understand me! I’m not the only one!” As a reader, it’s great to find a writer that gets you.
Now shifting the position, you being the writer, you conjure up ideas for people who are open to those ideas, and for people who have thought of those ideas as well. That is our audience. My free write stuff, if I were to ever publish, I would love a young adult audience–those who are young at heart as well because, I know for a fact that I will be reading that genre for the rest of my life. I will be living my life as a teen in high school dating an alien when I’m seventy-four years old because the book has allowed me to.
I’m so grateful that I found a method that works for writing essays rather than one that makes me want to pull my eyelashes out.
Even if it’s the most stupidest subject on the planet, make it a passion . A passion that allows you to bear the hours you spend on it. Make it a passion because it came from that beautiful brain of yours. I swear it will make it less painful.
And that is my theory of writing.
Peace.
2 Replies to “Writing is Art”
love the enthusiasm in this Jazmin. I think you are on to something that we can use when working with writers: sometimes we need to find a way to make writing enjoyable to us, finding something we can get excited about even when at first it seems boring. I also like your ideas about audience and the need for connection: what about writing we do for ourselves (like journals)? Something about journaling still makes me feel connected even though I’m not sharing it with others. Still feels like I’m putting something out in the world…
Thanks for the thoughtful post.
I definitely agree Jazmin, Having a sense of passion and enthusiasm goes a long way regardless of what you do. Your method for writing sounds quite intriguing that I might have to incorporate it into my writing.I like how you much that mention writers do rhetorical work even if it’s unconscious , you don’t really think about it but its so true!