You see I'm having a hard time writing this post even.
I took interest in writing when I was a kid. Being the youngest in the family somehow made me the most emo and to keep me from becoming psycho my Mom got me a very nice stationery-like notebook. I used to collect stationeries since I was 7 and it was unheard of to actually write on them! So I was utterly confused when my Mom told me that the nice pink notebook was going to be my first journal.
I started keeping a journal when I was 8. Most of them were one-liners of stuff I did during the day and my Mom would remind me whenever we had an activity to record it in my journal. So I just kept writing and writing with my ugly chicken penmanship, not minding how I constructed sentences.
When I was 9 I discovered the wonderful world of the Bobbsey Twins! That was the time my Dad was a judge in Lucena, Quezon and my Mom and I would take a trip to visit him every other weekend. My Mom would buy me something to read. Eventually I read my sister's hardbound Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys collection. That was where I realized that I wanted to write more than one liners.
I was already 11 when my Mom pointed out to me that I had horrendous grammar. I became so conscious of it that it became hard for me to write. If my friends dig up my snail mail to them during that time they'd be laughing their heads off. Hey, I was only 11! So to improve my writing skills I joined the creative writing club in high school and eventually several student publications in college. I became EIC of our literary folio not because of my writing skills, but probably because I scored really high in the management IQ exam.
I'll be celebrating my birthday in a few weeks and I realize that I'm still far from being the writer (or blogger) I want to be. The best I can do for now (I guess) is to at least not be an eyesore to those who read what I write.
And thanks to Sweetie who patiently checks my posts for grammatical errors.
And I ask for bloggers, are you conscious about how you write?
Yes, I'm very conscious. I still have minor slip-ups here and there. Sometimes I cringe at my own writing but that's because I'm my own toughest critic.
ReplyDeleteYes but I try not to and instead concentrate on what I'm actually trying to say. :D
ReplyDeleteA better writer or a better blogger is someone who occasionally correct his/her work for any errors and someone who accepts corrections from others. I think your a good writer and blogger. keep it up!
ReplyDeleteAww shucks, Aileen. I honestly don't think I'm any good at what I do - everything is a matter of improvement and perfecting a craft - but thank you for considering me an "idol." You're an idol of mine too.
ReplyDeleteAs for me I think of blog entries as fried chicken. Once you get it golden-brown and fried to perfection, you have to make-himay the chicken to get to the bone. Writing the entry or the work is one thing. Revising and changing and doing what you can to satisfy your inner critic, is what makes it worthwhile. Writing is fun, but the down-and-dirty work of revision is what makes it satisfying. :)
- Maro
Yes, I am conscious about my writing. I find that it's not hard to think of what to write. It's HOW to write about a topic that matters, what point of view to take, making sure I'm politically correct, what keypoints to highlight. Anyone can write, but not everyone can edit. Learned that from being in Malate Literary Folio. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm not the best writer I would want to be, but I'm satisfied with the level of writing I have now. there are times though that I get stumped and try to find the right words to use. I end up making minor revisions around 2 - 3 times.
ReplyDeleteI like injecting wit in my writing projects and sometimes that takes more time than the usual in thinking how to portray a thought in a different light.
If you capture the reader's interest, then chances are your writing is effective. And I know a lot of people are following your blog, so that says much. Keep it up sweetie ! ;)
@ria I agree with you. Everyone can write, but not everyone can edit. Nosebleed mag-edit ha! And I learned that too from Malate Literary Folio and believe it or not, despite that experience, I'm still terrified of writing.
ReplyDelete@jay We have to keep up Sweetie. Your Mom is an English teacher and my Dad loves writing. Good thing I have you to check my posts :)
Hello! Our selection committee compiled an exclusive list of the Top Blogs, and yours was included in the Top 100!Check it out at http://thedailyreviewer.com/top/blog
ReplyDeleteYou can claim your Top 100 Blogs Award Badge at http://thedailyreviewer.com/pages/badges
Snappy writing is a joy to read not just in blogs but everywhere. =)
ReplyDeleteIf you don't mind me asking, is the opening sentence really supposed to be that way, or you missed a word? ;)
@markku I missed a word :)
ReplyDeleteI've always been conscious about my grammar ever since I can remember, that I sometimes end up correcting other people, even :P
ReplyDeleteBut they say that the best way to write is to just let your thoughts flow as they come, unmindful of your grammar or spelling, and then reread it later to correct it :) Being too conscious can restrict your creativity daw kasi.