Chidobe Umeasor

FIQWS

December 20, 2019

My Theory of Writing

 

               Writing became a larger part of my academic career when I entered high school. Many of the classes I took throughout those four years required me to write an essay that had guidelines and requirements to be fulfilled. I hated writing those essays. They felt repetitive, formulaic, and just all around boring. I didn’t care about the topic. I didn’t care if my sources were unreliable.  I found myself mindlessly checking off a checklist from the teacher, and struggling to reach a word count or page count because I saw these essays as assignments that had to be written a certain way to receive full credit. I was taught to write essays in the most generic ways. Five paragraphs, introduction, conclusion, and three body paragraphs. Each paragraph had five or six sentences. Start the essay with “In this essay I will…” and end it with “In conclusion..”. The formulas worked. Although I was bored out of my mind, I got the grade I wanted. At times, teachers would congratulate me on my writing, although it really wasn’t my writing, it was just a product of routine, robotic work. 

                 Upon beginning this first semester of college, I quickly realized that many of my classes included a good amount of writing, specifically these two Narrative Medicine (FIQWS) classes. Every class session included either a free write, reflection, or online writing assignment. Then came the first essay, the “outsider” narrative. The genre of narrative writing was an excellent introductory form of writing for the semester, as it forced me to throw away all my rigid writing “strategies” that I used in high school. After I submitted the final draft of the narrative, I wrote a reflection about my writing process. I broke down my process into these steps: Brainstorm, Write, Take a Break, Edit. I used these steps to help me writing the next essays for this course. Here’s a sentence from the reflection that sums up my experience writing the narrative: “I wanted whoever was reading my narrative, in this case the teacher and my peers, to truly understand how I was feeling at various times in the story and why I felt that way.” Of course, by the nature of the personal narrative genre, the writer is supposed to tell a story, and add a layer of interest to that story by conveying thoughts and emotions. However, this idea can be applied to other genres of writing, and stuck with me while I wrote the next few essays.Although there was a framework for every writing assignment I was given, I always made sure to incorporate something I actually cared about in each one. My metaphor essay included an analysis on the lyrics of some of my favorite musical artists and its impact on the way mental health is viewed in the media and society. I have a rather unexplored interest in the world of fashion, and I chose to incorporate different aspects of the industry in my writings. My target “text” of choice for the critical lens essay was how the fashion industry shapes our ideas of what is normal and beautiful, while simultaneously objectifying, even dehumanizing the models they hold up to a pedestal. Finally, in my research paper that looks at the changing role of women and the ideal body type in America over time, I discussed the subliminal, yet powerful role that the rise of fashion companies played in the changing narrative. Even as I reflect on the essay right now, I’m excited about the topic, and this is a relationship, an energy that I now have associated with writing that I did not have before taking this course.

               Perhaps my biggest takeaway from writing, and reflecting on writing throughout this semester is this: If I don’t care about the topic I write about, it won’t be good. By digging deep into the depths of my mind and bringing out the emotions, thoughts, values, and opinions that have been stored away, I opened up a new perspective on writing. Now I know that writing does not have to be stiff. It does not have to stay surface level. And it certainly does not have to be purely academic. When I write, I can choose to write about topics I care about. I can extend my ideas farther than where my mind has gone. I can present a claim, spread a message, or even share an idea about a topic. I can be fluid, flexible, and go with my own flow. I can write and not be bored out of my mind. I can write and mean every single word.