The writing I enjoy involves an old black and white notebook where I record random thoughts, ideas, reminders, sketching, etc. In a way it’s like a journal… when you have too many thoughts inside your head writing them down feels like you’re siphoning those thoughts from your brain, through your arm then through your pen onto paper. Along with writing whatever your thinking it also allows any tension, stress, or confusion to be released and organized in plain view instead jumbled and mixed up inside your mind. Since this notebook is kept near my bed any task, errand, or reminder that pops in my head in the middle of the night can be recorded because I know if I don’t write it down I won’t remember it come morning. It’s a personal notebook where I record memories and events that occur that are worth remembering in detail. I’m not a great writer of essays, poems, or articles but the area of writing that I enjoy most is writing whatever comes to mind in no particular structure or order.

I taught for quite a few years before going to grad school. Now I find myself working with individual students rather than a classroom of thirty in the BGSU writing center. Every day I realize the power of the written word. It can either frustrate and trap a student or can emancipate them.

Writing is definitely a passion of mine. I write a lot personally, I work at the Writing Center 30+ hours every week and generally just love it. The process can be overwhelming, but I find that by breaking it down into sections, like individuals paragraphs, everything is so much easier!

I once heard a speech where the speaker stated emphatically that “words have meaning”.  So we must be careful with our words, but we must use our words.  We need to express, feel, tell, and receive with our words.  We touch through words, but we shouldn’t cut with our words.  We smile and laugh and find out that everyone has words.  What do your words mean!  Write something that tells who you are and leave a lasting impression.

See you in five days. It isn’t a long time but a long time can happen in five days.

We’ll be in LA in a little over an hour. The pilot came on the intercom to say that we are currently over lake Michigan, that soon we’ll be crossing into Chicago, Illinois to our left, then going through Iowa, over the plains in Colorado, over the rocky mountains, crossing the tip of new mexico and into southern California. Ontario will be to our left, LA will be to our right. He said this very explanatory in three minutes, nonchalantly, but also paying attention to each region covered, being sure he didn’t skip large chunks of land or water. Over two thousand miles covered in six hours, explained in plain English in a minute or two. It all seemed so simple. The very base and seeming essence of all our problems, the distance that shuts out and isolates coasts from the heartland to coasts again, boiled down to a few lines. It was comforting for a moment to think, as it always is, that though we can’t compete with distance, we can shrug it off sometimes and go on dealing; not denying it perse, but not letting it get to us either. If only for a bit, still, it’s something… and only something words can give and take away.

In the 12 months I’ve lived here, writing has been the only thing that has saved me consistently from going mad. so thank you… whatever intangibility binds us to each other to communicate and seek relief in recording whatever silly thoughts of the moment, thank you.

     As we know that the use of language is detected through speech and writing, and the two are related to each other.  Speaking, in general, is our first chance to create language of our own, which paves the way for us to produce more language in the form of writing. Different as it is, writing makes our thinking visible, and it fosters our ability to explain a complex position. For example, writing out our ideas provides us opportunities to evaluate the adequacy of our argument and to stimulate us to extend a line of thought beyond our first impression. Besides such possibility of changing our way of thinking, writing is also a “technology that has had a profound effect on the way we use language,” such as spelling a word, forming a sentence, or putting together a plot (Leamnson).

     However, with the fast development of science and technology, we are more influenced and shaped today by what Walter Ong referred to as the “oral culture,” and the written form of our language becomes in a way quite secondary. Nowadays in China, for example, we have many teaching and learning TV programs, ranging from ancient Chinese philosophy, history, culture to literature with a purpose to enhance people’s knowledge in the whole nation. With such a convenience provided, some people enjoy learning through hearing only. My 14-year old son argued why not to watch the TV program, why he would like be bothered to read, especially to read the ancient literature works if he could find an easier way to get access to those knowledge. But the irony is that when I talked with him about a certain work or a certain philosophical concept, he could only tell that he knew it but could not say it. I don’t deny the great convenience modern technology has brought to us in learning, but my point is that we should focus more on reading and writing since thinking goes along well with reading and writing. If my son could take my advice and give a try by writing down the ideas, whatever, he has got in his mind, he would be able to tell what he has learned even though it was achieved through hearing. As a primary means of retaining self-consciousness over cognition, writing is the process that enables our inner speech and oral dialogue to synthesize. In other words, writing enables us to explore and know more about our own ideas and feelings. As both a teacher and student, I find that I often learn more from writing papers. I have to agree that writing is hard work, but I always find it rewarding.

     In this very act of writing, I have enjoyed very much sharing my perception of writing on this special day. I intended to write with my son together; however, he is still in school for his basketball training. What a pity!

Freedom seems to be the heart and soul of our constitution.  We have been guaranteed all these right including freedom of speech.  This freedom alows us to explore and acomplish many things, expically in the area of writing.  We can research topics and state our points of view and no one can say they are wrong.  We have the oppertunity to be heard through writing.  We can state our beliefs and opinions though blogs, newspapers, letters, etc.  Writing is freedom.

This I believe, that matter is merely condensed to a slow vibration, that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are imaginations of ourselves.  I live my life by these words and it has opened eyes, I began looking at everything in a different way.  I see the same things that you do, but I have a greater understanding for its purpose in my life, or in our lives.  Every person you meet is a part of you.  If you see them judging you don’t fear, just remember that they are YOU judging your ownself.

Why do I write? I guess there’s a lot of reasons why I write. I like to express myself, even if I’m the only one reading it in the end. I write to vent. I write to make myself feel better. I write when I’m up and I write when I’m down. I write because one day when I’m old and dying I know I’ll have some memory of what happened. Even if it’s only written on paper.

I was inspired to write, keep a journal that is, by John Adams. I read a biography on him once, and so much of his history was written by himself. The events he participated in, the words he said (which may have been distorted by himself), the feelings he had. And I inspired to do the same. Alright, so maybe a whole nation won’t be reading what I choose to write, but does that really matter? Personally, I don’t want people reading what I wrote. Not everything I think and feel is for the public.

But by writing it all down, it helps me express myself. If I have a problem, something about my day that just didn’t go well, then sitting down and writing helps me get over it in a way. When I’m writing, I have an easier time thinking why I got so upset. And while I think about it, sometimes I come up with some solution to the problem, or I realize it wasn’t really that big of a deal. So when I actually look at what I wrote, I feel…well silly. However, I don’t erase it. I leave it there, so I can remember the stupid mistakes I made, and hopefully learn from it.

That’s why I write. That’s why I keep a journal.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not”- Dr. Seuss.

Knowing that someone else cares about you, is the best feeling in the world. I am the kind of girl who thrives to make others happy. I am someone who cares. Sometimes I think I care too much. It is not the kind of care where I worry about what others think of me, because that is not the case at all. I care about people. I care about how people feel, and I care when other people get treated badly. Yes, people should care about all those things, but I am only eighteen and I have seen bad people who believes they care, but in the end they show they do not. I want to meet someone like me that can care a whole awful lot  about. because everyone should have someone that will care when others will not.

Being able to teach others to express their thoughts on paper is the most rewarding of jobs.

Happy Day on Writing!

Staff of Spring Creek Campus Writing Center, Collin College

Plano, Texas

The translator pauses just between the moment he has comprehended, apprehended the foreign locution and the moment in which he designs a native version. Perhaps he translates just to be able to inhabit this interstice without language. Words, words, all  day long. And then relief. And words again.  And another moment of relief. And then words again that are newer for having been momentarily forgotten, forsaken, forlorn.

Geoff Howes, Bowling Green State University

Our Campus Writing Center at Illinois College is collaborating like crazy to celebrate NDoW. Besides the requisite bowls of candy, we are hosting an exquisite corpse. We also have an email corpse going and will be able to post that tonight!

On Tuesday, October 20,
our nation
will celebrate its
first National Day on Writing!
To kick off IC’s contribution to this NDoW occasion,
we will have a tremendous writing event in the Kirby Rotunda
starting at 9:00 a.m. and going all day!
The goal is to get EVERYONE in the U.S. to write something,
so come and ADD A LINE
to our
Exquisite Corpse Poems!

sponsored by the English Department,

the Campus Writing Center, Forte, Sigma Tau Delta,

and our Claridge Visiting Writer, Karyna McGlynn

Writing Rocks!

“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” — Mark Twain

Our writing center consultants went to a local elementary school and worked with about 180 4th and 5th graders. They helped them write a letter to college students describing ambitions for when they grow up. They learned about
letter writing and wrote their letters during class. The tutors collected the letters and today have set up tables around campus to invite college students to answer the letters. Each response will be placed in an envelope, decorated, and delivered back to students at the school, along with some writing center pencils and Mad Libs.

Writing is alive and well at the campus of Texas A&M!

At MWCA’s 25th annual conference, we’ll celebrate writing and writing tutoring in the spirit of the National Day on Writing (this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) by LIVE TWITTERING the conference. Read tweets about conference activity at http://pages.usiouxfalls.edu/mwca/mwca09/twitter.htm. We celebrate NOW, I mean NDoW!

It’s midnight, and it’s NODoW!

“Writing makes sense.  Writing gives order.”

“Writing makes stupid ideas incredibly awesome.”

“Writing is very necessary for life!”

“Writing helps me get real!”

“A way to organize your thoughts.”

As part of the University of Denver’s NDOW celebrations, we’ve been collecting “post secret” cards from students and faculty across campus.  Here are some of our favourites:

“In the fifth grade I copied far too much of the entry on Kansas for my state report.”

“I have to clean my whole house before I start writing.”

“I don’t find revising as fun and engaging as I tell my students it is.”

“Sometimes I spend hours thinking of what I should post as a Facebook status update.”

“i absolutely refuse to use punctuation”

Our favorite entry so far for our “Say it in Six” contest which entails using exactly 6 words to describe what the writer thinks/feels about writing is “Writing makes me want to hurl.”

In the SLCC Student Writing Center we’re going to be having 4 fun writing contests with great prizes.

First we’ll have a “favorite word” sticky note contest, where writers will write down their favorite word.  At the end of the day SLCC staff will choose the best word of the day and the author of the winning word will receive an 11th edition Merriam Webster dictionary and other sundry school supplies.

Next we have a “Say it in Six” contest where writers use a sticky note to post what the think/feel about writing in exactly 6 words.  The winners too will be selected at the end of the day and will receive a bunch of different school supplies and writing implements, as well as a paperback dictionary/thesaurus and a gigabyte jump drive.

For the poetically-minded writers, we will have an <em>ars poetica</em> contest where writers will write a poem about poetry.  The winner will be chosen by poet and SLCC faculty member Lisa Bickmore and will receive a gift certificate and free books from local SLC bookstore fixture The King’s English Bookshop.

Finally, for our ultra-contest, writers will “Write a minute!” for one minute on what we can use writing for and/or writing can do for us.  Winners, also chosen by SLCC SWC staff will receive 3 tickets for a Utah Jazz game valued at $237!

We’re hoping, as well, that students will submit their writing to our gallery, but more fun will be had in the Center itself where we’ll have not only the contests, but lots of candy and free blank books to everyone who meets with a tutor for a tutoring session (while supplies last) .

We’ll be tweeting all day at http://www.twitter.com/slccswc

Also Student Writing Center director Clint Gardner will be participating in online chats from NCTE about the NDoW, but we don’t have the link to that now.  http://www.ncte.org probably has that information.

See you in five days. It isn’t a long time but a long time can happen in five days.

We’ll be in LA in a little over an hour. The pilot came on the intercom to say that we are currently over lake Michigan, that soon we’ll be crossing into Chicago, Illinois to our left, then going through Iowa, over the plains in Colorado, over the rocky mountains, crossing the tip of new mexico and into southern California. Ontario will be to our left, LA will be to our right. He said this very explanatory in three minutes, nonchalantly, but also paying attention to each region covered, being sure he didn’t skip large chunks of land or water. Over two thousand miles covered in six hours, explained in plain English in a minute or two. It all seemed so simple. The very base and seeming essence of all our problems, the distance that shuts out and isolates coasts from the heartland to coasts again, boiled down to a few lines. It was comforting for a moment to think, as it always is, that though we can’t compete with distance, we can shrug it off sometimes and go on dealing; not denying it perse, but not letting it get to us either. If only for a bit, still, it’s something… and only something words can give and take away.

In the 12 months I’ve lived here, writing has been the only thing that has saved me consistently from going mad. so thank you… whatever intangibility binds us to each other to communicate and seek relief in recording whatever silly thoughts of the moment, thank you.

Writing as blood sport
try try try
Pain gain pain gain–gain

We love writing like we love the cold. Writing, like the snow, becomes our life, our way. Words fall like snow flakes, prayers to the god of the earth. The glaciers melt as we learn to count days, measure subsistence, learn to write warm without dying.

“I’m not a good writer but I am an excellent rewriter.” –James Mitchner