I don’t remember learning how to write, but I do have memories of my first writing wins.
I remember the first time I was really creative with my words and that a teacher acknowledged and praised me for it. I was in Grade 7, and as part of a vocabulary exercise, our teacher asked us to write a playlet to incorporate idioms but literally. I had so much fun writing and coming up with creative ideas to display the idioms. Two things that stayed with me from this experience were the fun I had writing this and the praise I received.
The second time I remember, I was in Grade 10. The assignment was to write an essay about an older relative. I wrote one and showed off my vocabulary gained from all my reading! So I used words like chauffeur and valise and told the tale of an imaginary, idiosyncratic uncle. The teacher said it was very good and wanted to read it out in class, but before she did, she asked whether was my writing or if I had copied it from somewhere! Two things stayed with from this experience as well. I needed to write to tell a story and not to show off. And that reading was great for the imagination! And also the two things from the previous experience-fun and the joy of being praised.
Years later, writing is still part of my life. It has followed me through different seasons, taking on new shapes and demands. Now there are deadlines, albeit self-imposed ones, platforms, and the quiet pressure to be meaningful and consistent. I know more about writing than I did then, and sometimes that knowledge makes things harder. Writing can sometimes feel like hard work instead of bringing joy.
How I’m Planning To Make Writing Feel New Again
This year, I’m trying to figure out how to make writing feel new and fun again.
Maybe I need to write more by hand, allowing my thoughts to slow down and match my body. Perhaps I could write more pieces I don’t need to share, now or later. Letting some words exist only for me. It might mean committing to writing that follows questions instead of trying to provide answers.
Those first memories of writing showed me the power of words and how I could use them to make people listen. I want to feel that spark again, the feeling of being absorbed in my writing and the thrill of getting an expression of my thoughts on paper.
This year, I want to honour that version of myself. To write with childlike joy. Keeping things simple. Less urgency and more presence. To let writing be a place I return to—not to prove anything, but to remember who I am.
To write with childlike joy—how simple it is when we can just slow down and relish that feeling. You are so right, Corinne, fearless writing means coming up with more questions than answers, or filling more notebook pages than blog posts. Writing for the love of the craft instead of to prove a point is my favorite kind of writing. 🙂
I have a feeling that you have already started experiencing the ‘spark’ and the ‘thrill…’ because, I felt a sense of thrill passing on to me while reading this piece of your writing – a joy that is absolutely real and genuine , Corinne. I actually wrote lot in my notebook immediately after reading your article… just shared one sentence here.