Writing

Each person has a unique talent that defines him or her. What defines me is my writing, or rather, the freedom it provides. Talking traps someone, but writing frees me. Writing possesses a complexity that talking lacks; it is an underrated art that people view as simple, yet nothing about it is simple. Anyone can write down words on paper or type words into documents, but it takes a true artist to create a literary masterpiece. Writers say things in their works that they would not dare to utter in real life. I find that when I write, I am a different person. My shyness melts away when I write, and is replaced by a confidence I wish I displayed more often when I speak. As I write this, I realize the truth of my claims and cannot help but wonder why this is the case. It is a mystery that will perhaps remain unsolved, but it does not vex me.

As a child, I spent much time with my grandparents while my parents were at work. I developed an especially close bond with my grandmother. She nurtured my love for literature and writing. Although I do not see her as often as I used to, I still feel close to her. I remember how we would sit together and read fairytales in Russian. I grew to love those fantasy worlds and the magic within them, though for my first few years in school, I balked at any writing assignment I was given and usually asked my parents for help. Even when I produced a good piece of writing, I was embarrassed and thought discontent with it. It was not until I reached third grade that I grew more confident about my writing. Only once I entered high school, however, did I completely cease my hesitation. By the time I became a sophomore, I was no longer nervous or hesitant to write.

Though I previously hesitated to fulfill writing assignments, I constantly wrote in a diary during my childhood. At first, I simply jotted down random feelings and thoughts, but as I grew older, I only wrote when I was upset, releasing all my feelings of indignation, sadness, and frustration onto the pages. Writing became more than a hobby; it became my escape from reality. I retreated into my imagination, where I was in control of everything, and used it to improve my writing. Though I have stopped using a diary, I project parts of myself into the characters I write about when I work on my fanfiction and regular fiction stories. Some people say a good writer puts some of himself or herself into their characters. I cannot agree more.

My introversion has doubtless played a part in my love for writing. Although I have friends, we mostly converse on the phone or text, rarely communicating in person outside of school. I am not as quiet as I used to be, but nor am I talkative, particularly in public. The phrase 'actions speak louder than words' is something I agree with, so I prefer not to speak too often. My preference is to let my actions and writing talk for me and I do believe the latter has succeeded in its task today.