Why I Write
"Thinking about 'why I write' helped me come to terms with the fact that I can love writing without being seduced by the actual writing process. I don't write because I need to write in an, "it's the only thing that makes sense to me and keeps me sane" kind of way; I write becuase in order to be an exceptional lawyer, I need to be an exceptional writer." -Emily Kaplan
My Analysis: When my Minor in Writing cohort was assigned to write about why we write for our first paper of the semester, I was thrilled. I’m a writing minor and a writing tutor, so I figured putting 1,000 words together about why I write would be easy. I just talk about being good at writing, right? Actually, very wrong. After taking 15 pages of handwritten notes to try to convey why I write, I realized I was sorely mistaken; this paper was not going to be easy.
In my three years of college thus far I have never struggled so much with a paper. I could not, for the life of me, figure out why I write. I don’t write because I want to be a writer, I know that for sure. Unlike most of my peers, I don’t write because I love it or because I think it’s particularly fun. I don’t blog, write for a newspaper, or even journal. So, why do I write? I should have just looked at my old papers for evidence. Every year since 8th grade, I've written a paper about crime, justice, or a combination of the two. Apparently, I've subconsciously known "why I write" for a very long time now. I write because I want to work in the criminal justice system; I write to accomplish my goals. Click here to read my revised final paper, "Grandpa Knows Best," and learn more about why I write.