A cousin had once told me that he can never ever write. This is his response after advising him to just write. Turn on your computer, open your Microsoft Word, and just write what comes into your mind, I told him.
My cousin is having problems about writing. It is a problem of his because he can’t pass the English Language exam if he can’t write accurately or even just clearly. The exam is one of a series of Nursing exams; an exam needed to become completely eligible for work abroad.
Writing is not about intellectual capacity. Writing is about courage and discipline. If you don’t have these two, then I guess you just have to get some seeds and go gardening. If you’re not really interested about writing, then you can never ever write.
My cousin, I’m afraid, doesn’t have the courage and discipline to write. He said that he tried but he just doesn’t like what he had written. So, it is better not to do it anymore, he said.
It is pride and embarrassment that stops him from writing. It is the fear of committing mistakes that make him not to do it anymore such as the grammar, the sentence construction and the paragraph transition. What worse is that he has his own opinions about writing. He presents his own principles like the argumentative paragraphs, the conclusions, the tenses, etc... There is nothing wrong about presenting opinions on writing. The problem is the nerves to believe in certain rules despite the fact that he doesn’t want to do it and haven’t even taken one step further.
One can never learn if he/she doesn’t commit mistakes. One can never write if he/she doesn’t want his written work to be criticized. Famous writers underwent dozens and dozens of rejections before their work has to be accepted by editors and publishers. Even college students have to allow themselves to be corrected by their English teachers if they really want to learn. That is why there are writers whose works became bestsellers and there are students who get high grades in English or Writing for that matter.
I don’t believe that my cousin can’t write. He had finished two bachelor’s degree courses and it is impossible that he can’t create a decent sentence or a finished composition. He just doesn’t want to do it, that’s all.
Even let’s say, he has no plans of pursuing a writing career, writing is something that you have to engage yourself if a certain circumstance requires you to do so. In my cousin’s case about his English Language exam, I believe he has to indulge himself in writing even for a short span of time. I guarantee him that he is going to learn a lot of things and that the he can utilize this knowledge to become successful someday.
Writing is not easy that is why it needs courage and discipline. You can never write a good application letter, a high school book report, a letter of condolence, an annual business report, if you don’t have these two. It all just takes one blank page and let your fingers do the talking.
Write with all your might and you will be surprised with the wonders of writing.
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