Reflective Piece

“Oh, do not ask, What is it? Let us go and make our visit.”- T. S. Eliot.

This quote illustrates the individuality of writing, especially in the course of creative writing. Although this quote immediately seems to only portray a motive of a tactile lifestyle, it also is extremely relevant to the idea of writing your own ideas and beliefs. Instead of just comprehending or accepting the concept of other writers’ ideals, I always try to make them my own. Most of the time, trying to start from complete scratch with just my mind and a blank page.

This is especially why I loved the independent pieces, which enabled me to promote my unique style, motives, and experiences. Even when we were given tasks of trying to imitate amazing writers such as Hemingway, Vonnegut, and Fitzgerald, I always tried to throw my own twist, or concept into the piece of literature. I wanted to “make my own visit” in to the story, and derive my own skills from it as I attempted it. If I tried to follow the model too much, the creativity of the literature, and most important, the class, was gone.

In class, sometimes I might search through other’s blogs to view their ideas and style, but I never tried to follow. In my writing, I want to be in complete control, just like a dictator in a totalitarian government. Certainly there needs to be influences, because that is, in my view, the main purpose of writing to begin with, but without creativity and individuality, literature would never live free; never progress.

My influences, without a doubt, come from my past experiences, which, even at my age, seem endless beyond belief. From learning to ride my bike, my lives piece, to just hanging out with my friends, to even going on vacation, I could write about almost anything. However, there has to be meaning. I feel a story is nothing unless there is an ideal, motive, reason, desire, philosophy, or just something that the piece of work has been built off. With my poems and independents, I tried extremely hard to put forth an internal meaning, that the reader could interpret in their own way, just like I did, independently and creatively.

Creative writing has certainly helped me grow as writer, and helped my grade along the way. I never thought I was a great writer, good at best, and I still don’t, but I surely have had more experience and forward seems the only place to go. If I focus more on writing, I have the will power to hopefully reach many accomplishments in the field, even if it’s just better grades on my essays. I feel I’ve gotten the most out of my writing through the course, and am very thankful I chose to stay with it.