I have always seen essay writing as the biggest chore. Years of being forced to write 5 or more pages about uninteresting topics nearly turned me away from writing altogether. My final theology paper this fall was almost the breaking point. As I slaved over the essay for two full days, the Bapst library corner cubicle became my self-imposed jail cell. I had virtually no idea what I wanted to write about, so each sentence was a struggle. I was staring at the ceiling fighting to form just one sentence about the covenants and heaven. Ironically, my only thought was What the HELL am I writing? When I finally finished, I did the math and figured I was averaging over 15 minutes per sentence which really pissed me off. The prompt was too specific for me to have any writer’s freedom and I was forced to drone on. I was worried that English class this semester would consist of more boring, academic writing and would have little personal value to me. The close reading essay wasn’t all that bad, but it still felt very schoolish. I felt constrained to the text I was referencing and just didn’t think I had enough to say. However, I noticed a huge difference in my attitude towards writing during my second major essay. I wrote about making an igloo and playing football in the snow. I was shocked, but I absolutely loved it and effortlessly used my stories as a metaphor for college. The paper didn’t feel like a chore as I was simply excited to talk about a great snow day. I was writing in the first person, something I had rarely done before this class. I imagined I was actually talking to someone and the writing just flowed out of me. I realized I need to do this every time because it makes my work more personal, which motivates me to write better. I often feel stuck during academic-style writing since I am removed from the topic. When I use the first person, I’m no longer removed from the topic, the topic is me. While writing conversationally with an intended reader in mind has been a great tool, the ultimate test is writing for me. In order to produce good writing, I have to be interested in the topic myself. If I don’t even care about what I’m writing, how can I expect anyone else to? I know I will take classes with tedious essays I cannot escape, but this semester has made me realize that I have the freedom to write about anything I want. Even if I’m given the most boring prompt in the world, I can always make a metaphor and write about something I actually care about. This will make the paper more enjoyable for me to write and for you to read.
Jude's Portfolio 