Write With Purpose

Writing might be the least costly of hobbies. Fine arts require a solid investment in art materials and supplies. Crocheting too requires spending hard-earned money on yarn. Similarly, for knitting, one has to get good quality threads and wool. Gardening means purchasing seasonal flower saplings to plant in the garden, plus fertilisers and regular watering. Reading could be the most bank-breaking one. Books are expensive unless you get pirated ones. Then there is travelling for which you spend generously only for the experience to remain a memento in your social media profile. Don’t get this wrong, travelling is good for both the mind and the soul but it certainly costs you dearly.

 Finally, there is coding, one of the most rewarding skills in today’s world that will get you far. But it means taking classes. You can learn it for free but it requires a certain degree of instruction. Circling back to writing, all you require is a pen, paper and a head full of imagination. Granted, writing can seem daunting, particularly at the beginning. Images of writers hunched over a laptop nursing cups of coffee and banging their heads on the wall for lack of inspiration instantly emerge in our minds. Then there is the main question: where to start? How does one become a writer? 

When we think of writers, immediately we think of poets such as Sylvia Plath, playwrights such as Shakespeare, novelists such as Henry James and essayists such as George Orwell. But today the world of writing is vast with new fields such as content writing, copywriting, ghostwriting, and even speech writing among others. 

The field of literature glorifies writers who break ground but there are also those writers who quietly build a space where readers can find a solace of hope. Here one thinks of blogs, newspaper articles, and magazine write-ups that might be low-key but provide a moment of reflection, education and even respite, however momentary. Amid the hustle and bustle of the world, readers might pick up a thrilling novel to unwind after a long day. But they also might scroll through social media and read a two or three paragraph long heartfelt caption, whether it is a book review or even a recollection of memory. Thus, we cannot just box writing into one neat category.

These days most of our free time is consumed by social media. Especially short videos in an infinite scrolling have taken precedence as a leisure activity. Avid readers lament how reading is gradually declining which is bad news for aspiring authors. Instead of traditional writing, now compact but impactful writing is what sells on online platforms given the shrinking attention span of the users. However, let us not discredit detailed, thought-provoking, observant and descriptive writing; it is an act of sheer craft on the part of writers. 

What might seem easy and natural when reading might actually have taken a lot of time and effort. Particularly in the age of AI, writers are slowly becoming obsolete which is why it is essential that writers’ work be read and supported. Again coming back to writing, it might be perplexing to start at first but if you do start, however hesitantly, you will certainly be rewarded for your work.