Why I Love Writing Showcase

Dear Writer,

It’s Olympic week in London and it just so happens that the office I work in is directly opposite the Jamaican team’s HQ. Let me tell you, it’s very hard coming up with story ideas when Usain Bolt is about to arrive at any moment for a press conference!

This has been my view for the past few days as I gaze out of the window longingly…

Waiting for Usain!

As promised last week, after unveiling the first ever competition winners here on Dear Writer, today it gives me tremendous pleasure to showcase the five runners-up. I think you’ll agree, they all deserve showcasing. And I love the fact that the same title; ‘Why I Love Writing’, sparked such very different responses.

So here they are, with my reasons why I chose them:

Why I Love Writing by Anna Pilkington

I have loved writing since before I could write. Literally. I drew pictures to tell my story. And I love to read. I was in about first grade when it hit me, that you can go anywhere. That you can be drawn into another world and leave all your problems behind. You can fight Lord Voldemort and win the Hunger Games all in one day. And most of all, I love writing for other people. I love watching them react to it, to be transported to that world. The world I made. It can be anywhere. In outer space, Antarctica, Paris, or the Ice Age.

I was brought up on reading and writing. I have had stories read to me since the day I was born. At one time my parents owned a magazine in Lubbock, Texas, and my mom has worked at newspapers her whole life. She started a blog in 2009 about letter writing, so that started my desire for a blog. I now have a fashion blog that I just started that I love to write on.

I suppose someone out there can just whip up a story without throwing anything away, but I love the half finished stories that you find in a notebook from a year ago. It's so fun to finish them and to see how much your taste has changed in genres and themes.

The thing I love most about writing is that I can put my dreams into a story for others to read. I love the feeling when you just finished a story and you feel so proud. Like right now. And that's why I love writing.

The thing I loved most about Anna’s entry (apart from her obvious passion for writing) is when she talks about that amazing sense of pride you get when you complete a piece of writing, and it was fun how she tied this in with completing her entry for this competition. I hope she feels really proud at being a runner-up in the competition too! Well done, Anna!

Why I Love Writing by Drew Boulton

The best song ever written for me and you,

Is the song by P!nk entitled Who Knew,

When I first heard it I very nearly started to cry,

The emotions that were expressed came from her heart inside.

She really lets go about her feelings of her friend,

Who sadly let drugs make his life come to an end,

And the lines in it say exactly who she is,

Just a normal person with nothing but a wish.

A wish that her friend could just have stayed alive,

So she could just touch him one more time,

The words are those of a person with feelings,

Who only writes about something with meaning.

That is why I love that song deep in my heart,

A song of true meaning that in my life will never part,

And if you ever think life doesn't treat you as a friend,

Think of those people who's lives have come to an end.

Drew’s was the only entry about loving another person’s writing and it was also the only entry written in poetry form. I love the way certain song lyrics can have such a powerful effect on you so Drew’s poem really struck a chord with me. I thought it was really well written, emotional and moving and I loved the fact it was so different to the others.

Why I love writing by Marian

There is a problem. Yes, a big problem. See the title is highly inappropriate as I do not love writing. Nor do I even remotely like it. It is a bothersome and distressing ordeal. First you have to think of a storyline and plot. Look how that’s working out for me. I’m going completely against the topic. I’m commonly found dumbstruck with a pen in my hand. Nothing registering in my genius brain. My thoughts get jumbled up and I forget whether I’m supposed to be writing about my dream holiday travelling around the world, with a book in my hand or a fiercely dragon fighting a knight, destined to live happily ever after with a mystical princess.  As you can see it is a big problem. A big problem indeed. And that’s not the half of it. How on earth am I supposed to write what’s going on in my far away mind. It’s difficult enough to focus on one idea at a time. And you’re asking me to write it down? I will forget my capitals letters and full stops. The whole two page essay will be one big sentence with approximately one hundred and fifty two “ands”. Every sentence will start with “I went”. At least my spelling will live through this deathly torment. Thank God for spell check is all I can say! Then after that there’s the proof read to make sure it makes sense. My beginning began in the 21^st century where it meandered to the middle ages and came to sudden stop in the year 3000. That is when I start singing Busted's “ year three thousand” and press x without thinking and forgetting to save. There goes all my effort. My long hours spent in front of my thesaurus. So I can firmly tell you I do not like writing and I will never write again – wait … I’m writing!

I LOVED this entry. It was so much fun and made me laugh my head off in places because I could relate only too well to the whole love / hate thing when it comes to writing. Great ending too!

Why I Love Writing by Nadia

My love for writing came from my love for reading. At first I only used to read I didn’t even consider writing. I read because I loved the different places a story could take you, I loved how a character could change the way you feel about something and most of all I loved the story line of a book and how every story was so different and each story held a different idea

I just love how the author can make you feel different things in a book, how it can make you laugh , how it can make you cry but the thing I love most in books is how it can take you places you never dreamt of , places you never imagine. It can just teleport you there and you can feel like your there.

Then one day I thought I want to do that, I want to make people feel like that after reading something that I wrote, so I decided that I should try writing as a hobby. When I did I found that I really enjoyed writing, I didn’t even think my writing was good, I just really enjoyed writing.

But then one day I posted one of my stories onto my blog and the feedback I got was really nice and people said they really liked it. I just loved that feeling I got when someone commented or told me something nice about my story.

So ever since then I have been writing and love it. I love it when someone is genuine when they say how much they liked my story. Also I enjoy writing when I blog, I love to write about different things, it doesn’t always have to be fiction or a story. I love writing in my diary, blog and scribbles of ideas in my notebooks.

So the reason I love writing is because I love the feeling of entertaining people with my writing and I love getting positive and sweet feedback. One day I hope more people will enjoy and appreciate my writing as I love to write.

I could really relate to this entry too – my love for writing also stemmed from a love of reading and I think Nadia perfectly captures the way in which the written word can ‘teleport’ you into a different world. And I’m sure one day her dream will come true and readers will appreciate her writing as much as she loves to write.

Why I Love Writing by Georgia Walters

There are so many reasons as to why I love to write! Mainly though, it lets you escape from the real world... And when I am typing I can write as freely as I want, about whatever subject I like ( it isn't like English classes at school, where you have to do what the teacher says: I can write whatever I want!)

Also, I love it because you can write anything in a story. I love to write fictional stories, mainly dystopian and fantasy one too. When I write these I feel like I'm in the story... Not writing it! it's great, because I can just escape problems at school or arguments by just turning on my laptop and writing!

In fact, that's what I'm doing with one of my stories, about a problematic schoolgirl. I have edited names and write up funny stories, in a diary format. I based it around me and a boy called Michael, who used to pick on me, and also I have based it on my two friends Leigh and Molly, who are so obsessed with a certain few celebrities it drives me nuts! So, I just change some names, and write about the funnier events that have happened to me. I want to make other people laugh along – and hopefully I will, if any of my stories are ever published.

The thing I love most about Georgia’s entry is when she talks about the freedom that comes with writing what you want – especially when you are so used to be told what to write in school or college. I also love the fact that Georgia talks about the therapeutic powers of writing and how you can escape the problems of your every day life by just turning on your laptop and starting to write. Well done, Georgia!

Summer Writing Prompts

Later this week I will be publishing some special summer writing prompts here, aimed at keeping you writing through August, but in a fun, holiday way - no-one should have to work too hard in August, not even us long-suffering writers!

More soon...

Siobhan x