Why I Write

Through all my life, the English language has been a major influence on my life. It was more than basic communication; it opened new worlds and allowed me to explore them. I have always been a voracious reader and I have always enjoyed writing as well. Reading has always given me methodology and inspirations, writing has always given me the chance to play with the English words. It gave me the power to create new worlds and new life. It gave me a chance to invent and think. Writing taps into a flow of creativity and allows some of it out. Like crude oil, my writing needs to be refined sometimes, but the creative flow never ceases. It is the process that I enjoy, the creative thinking that occurs when I write.

I would guess that my literary life began when I was five and living in North Dakota. My favorite toy to play with were the Lego sets from KB Toys. With all the little pieces, I could build a new world and have my little mini-figures go on exotic adventures, which always ended up with the smiling good guy winning, and the ugly bad guy losing. Lego built up my imagination and started my literacy path.

During that time, I read a lot of books. Dr. Seuss for one amazed me. I loved the rhyme, the weird words, “Schlopp! Schlopp! Beautiful Schlopp! Beautiful Schlopp with a cherry on top!” the strange illustrations, such as a “guff going by,” and the general artistry of the books. I also read Berenstain bears and other books like that, but Seuss was my particular favorite. Seuss turned into the Belgariad, a fantasy series by David Eddings, and Eddings became Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt novels and then Tom Clancy, whom I like to read now. I have read many other books as well, but these four have influenced me the most. Recently, I acquired a whole series of ten books full of Robert Louis Stevenson, dating back to 1908, which I intend to read soon. I also have five years worth of National Geographic which I enjoy reading and learning about the natural world around me. I enjoy reading stories that have good plots and surprising twists and magazines that have interesting articles about things I have never heard of. Books allow me to escape and either watch the adventures of some character or learn about some new thing that science has found.

These writings have inspired me to write stories several times, none of which I have had the focus to finish. One, a fantasy story called Soldier of Light, was my first serious attempt at writing something good. It is currently 28 pages long and not even near completions. I don’t know where to go with it if I ever go back to it, but I did enjoy writing what I did. Another serious attempt was a modern war story but I learned something important about writing, which was to write what I know about. I knew nothing about war, even though the story was in my head. I found I couldn’t describe it very well. Combat occurs too fast for me to write about and I know too little about army life to document a war, even a fictional war. But my inability to focus, which I can work on, hasn’t stopped me yet. Soldier of Light I may some day return to, and I have another story in process. Stories are like playing with Legos, I get to build the characters and their world and have grand adventures. The figure with the smiley face wins at the end, of course.

Writing an essay, is more iffy then writing a story. Sometimes I can do it well, sometimes not. I am a good essayist when I know what I am talking about and I can get a good flow going with the words and the ideas. I keep a blog. Several of the entries in it are essays about current events, although they wouldn’t score high on the AP English Exam. However, these essays though are an exercise in creative writing and they allow me to get my thoughts down on paper. When I write an essay, I know what I am doing in my head. I have a thesis, a body and a conclusion laid out before me in my mind and then I just watch where the writing takes me. It can be risky but it usually gives me a good result. I also tend to make my writing fancy, I search for a linguistic flow as well as a good conveyance of meaning.

My literary life has been one of Legos, reading, and writing. It has been a creative process that I have always enjoyed. From reading about Jack Ryan hunting for a Soviet Submarine, to writing about people, whom have had their memories erased, marooned on an island, the English Language has always been there for me when I called it. Writing was an art and whether I was reading it or writing it, I have always enjoyed being a part of it.

In other news, I had to write that for my AP English Class.

My sister Katie is moving to California to start a life as an Extra in Los Angeles. I am a little jealous. California is more fun than Maine. There is more to do. I like Maine, but California is exciting. My other sister Emily moved to a new appartement in Cambridge Massachuesetts. It must be a sign. Time for me to get cracking so I can move on as well. Ah, well, one thing at a time, 270 more days.

I found an cool video about Boba Fett. Nice.

When the going gets tough, the tough call J Kuhl.

J Kuhl Signing Off