Abdallah
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Writing is like war, like diving for oysters in search of hidden
pearls, struggling to find a way home. Writing is a quest to dwell in
repose, a battle for groundedness, the red sulphur of the
philosopher’s stone, the axis mundi, the columna cerului, some dry
earth to rest one’s exquisite corpse under blue stars of a winter’s
night sky. Put simply, it is seducing unrequited love in utter hope of
redemption from an unexpected source. |
Anne
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Writing is like . . . getting dressed for a special event. You begin with a mental image of how you want to look and what you hope your finished image will convey to others. In your head, you select the various parts of the outfit, thinking about the specific dress, the lingerie, the shoes, the jewelry, the hair style. Then comes the actual process of putting these elements together, which may involve a great deal of standing before a mirror to rearrange and substitute different things: maybe the silver metallic sandals will work better than the black pumps. Perhaps the chandelier earrings make a stronger statement than the plain pearl earrings. Gradually, bit by bit, piece by piece, a drop-dead gorgeous outfit comes together, just as a piece of writing eventually does, as a result of a series of decisions and debates over alternatives. |
Ben
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Writing is like attending a party full of strangers. Beforehand, you get gussied up or organize your thoughts and materials so as to feel comfortable as you transition from the self to a world that requires you to speak to someone who is not you. Much like the handshakes and introductions that bridge this divide, the introductory hook of a piece of writing figures prominently in the reader's decision to continue reading (or engage you further). It may be rare that the substance that follows in conversation, or in the body of the text, moves beyond the first encounter. When it does, you know you've done something right. When it does not, you can consider the encounter or writing attempt as practice for the next time. |
Billye
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Writing is like opening a closet with new clothes you've never worn and you try on each article, mix and match, become your own high fashion model dressed in your style, articulations and high theories... or a pantry with all your favorite foods sampling and gobbling thoughts until you're full of complete meals and desserts...running outside to the backyard finding an old friend you share old memoires and ideals with to build treehouses you can climb in and never forget how much you love freedom and tall trees to support you.
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Brandon
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Writing is like…is like, is like… That pretty much explains it. Like a
destination, journey, process, end, like waiting for a friend. Looking at
the blank page is, well, frustrating sometimes. You might be looking around
at other writers even now, their pages slowly filling with sentences. Just
keep
writing. Look down. The page was blank a few minutes ago. Now, it’s almost
time to turn it. |
Brooke
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Writing is like playing water polo. Some players appear to be natural super stars, arriving with a just-add-water label. Others of us require coaching, and years of practice before we can quickly analyze what is happening in a game and know what we should be doing next. However, with guidance and the fun of practicing on a team, anyone can become a solid player. |
Carol Ann
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Writing is like so unbelievably frustrating. I mean, come on, when I write a paper, nobody wants to hear my speaking voice. Writing like I talk just isn't acceptable in college and so I am forced to cloak my words in measured academic prose. The whole process of "writing" frustrates me because I am not expected to just say it. If I just say it, then I come across as some flaky girl who "like" doesn't belong at a prestigious university. Writing for an academic audience requires me to weigh each word, consider alternatives, use my commas correctly, and proceed with grammatical caution. The truth be told, I just want to jump in there and say it. I want people to hear, see, and sense me. Writing for an academic audience makes me slow down and pause in a very uncomfortable way. It forces me to wear my words as if I'm somebody else and rarely captures my spontaneity and lack of intellectual reverence. Ultimately, writing is like wearing a Halloween costume to a black tie event.
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Chris C.
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Writing is like making an appointment with the dentist for a toothache. Oftentimes, the toothache will go away, making one think they are in the clear and need not spend their hard-earned money. This process of procrastination can go on for days, weeks, perhaps even months. But there finally comes a point when the toothache can no longer be tolerated, or the paper must be turned in. So you go to the dentist, or write, as the case may be, and you realize the process was not quite as bad as you had thought. You swear that next time you will be on top of things, and if you have sufficiently learned from the ordeal you will. |
Erin
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Writing is like packing a suitcase. When packing a suitcase, it's important to consider your trip. Writing a personal statement can be like packing for a hike on the Appalachian Trail-since you'll be carrying all your baggage on your back, it's important to take only what you really need and pare down the rest. If you're going on an extended trip (or writing a research paper) you'll need to consider all the possible situations you'll find yourself in and what kinds of things (passport, walking shoes, thesis, supporting evidence) you'll need to include. Once you begin your writing journey, if you find you need something you don't have, you can always pick it up along the way-and remember to pack it next time! |
Gigi
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Writing is like rock climbing. As I approach a climbing site (or a writing project), I have a goal, some tools and tricks, some experience, some enthusiasm, some trepidation. I study the rock for a while, figuring out how to approach it, and as I climb, there's progress…and getting stuck and backtracking and rethinking (…and, I confess, some slipping and swearing and a bit of panic now and then). And there's always a belayer—a fellow climber who can offer feedback from a very different perspective. And when it's finished, there's immense relief and satisfaction at the top. |
Jill
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Writing is like baking. There are many different ways you can go
about baking a cake, just as there are many ways to approach a writing
task. Most likely you’ll have a recipe or an assignment, a list of
ingredients or requirements. In baking, it’s important to have the
right amount of ingredients that go well together. Order is important
too – sometimes the dry ingredients really do need to be combined
before the liquids! In writing, content and organization definitely
matter. Both writing and baking involve personal preference: if you
know your guests dislike chocolate, don’t bake a chocolate cake. If
your readers expect an essay, don’t compose a poem.
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Josh
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Writing is like most other things in life that we try to avoid and put off as long as possible. The hardest part about it is getting started on it, not to mention the fear and anxiety that may come with starting. It may be painful to start writing, but at some point the writer hits a rhythm where he or momentarily forgets the difficulty of writing. That moment may last for twenty minutes or twenty seconds, but it's a surefire sign of progress. And like the other things we try to avoid in life, writing is hard work and it takes practice to become better at it. But the more work you put into it, the more rewarding it can be. |
Julia
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Writing is like ironing. You have to tackle a giant mess one piece at a time. Sometimes in ironing one part, you make another part more wrinkled, so you have to go back and smooth it over. You sometimes you get so rigorous (or so absent minded) that you burn your shirt or yourself and have to start all over again or at least take a break to recover for a bit. But when you've finally managed to get all the wrinkles out, and your shirt is smooth and crisp, you are rewarded with a great sense of accomplishment. And it makes you look darn good, too.
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Kim
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For me, writing is like grocery-shopping. It's a familiar routine for which I have developed favorite strategies over time; yet each time, it's a new experience with new needs, products, and timing to negotiate. I like having a list, and often do, although I've learned that making the list is its own exercise. I usually need to brainstorm menus, review what's in the cupboards, and find out if my family's cereal and lunch box preferences have changed. With list in hand, I tuck my cloth bags in the cart and wander up and down the aisles filling the cart. I revise my menu as I see what vegetables look good, what's on sale, and what new ingredient I might like to experiment with this week. When there's no time for a list, I wing it with a strategic scan of the shelves and a "reminder" march up every aisle to help me think through what we need. While grocery shopping is a chore, once I'm cruising the aisles, tasting the free samples, I enjoy the process of making choices and imagining the cooking ahead. |
Kwangtaek
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Writing is like driving. As anyone can learn how to drive, everyone can learn how to write. Yet as there are good or bad drivers, there are good or bad writers. As a good driver should pay close attention to signs, signals, pedestrians, joggers, animals, and weather, a good writer has to consider grammar, punctuation, sentences, paragraphs, citation, and mechanical convention. When terrible malfunctions or accidents happen to your vehicle, you need to go to a car repair shop. When things seem to go wrong in your writing, please come to the UNC Writing Center!
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Marc
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Writing is like walking down the street in Washington, DC on a snowy afternoon. You might not want to leave the house. Someone unprepared for such an excursion could be extremely uncomfortable. The whole scene is beautiful if you can look up from your feet. You can walk down the street by yourself, although sometimes it is more rewarding to walk with a group of friends. It might be cold outside, but when writing and walking you know you're alive.
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Patrick
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Writing is like… drawing or painting or sculpting - whatever, choose your medium. Writing is like creating a piece of art. There’s often some sort of personal expectation to produce a masterpiece on the first try. You might tell yourself: Real artists don’t erase! They don’t agonize over details and throw away half-formed monstrosities. They certainly don’t plan – right? Da Vinci sat down with brush in hand and stood up in an hour to view the Mona Lisa. Michelangelo woke up one day, put chisel to stone and found David inside. Jackson Pollock bought a canvas and a bunch of paint and just… okay, maybe that’s not a good example. The point is that most artists, including the great geniuses of ages past, didn’t just sit down and produce a masterpiece on a whim. They spent months, years and lifetimes in planning, sketching, testing and practicing. They produced a lot of mediocre work and tossed a lot of failures along the way. The masterpieces we associate with them were the culmination of a lifetime of work. So unless you plan to dedicate your life (and your sanity) to the art of writing on this one assignment, stop stressing about writing that masterpiece of a thesis paper on the first try. It’s okay to organize, plan, test, revise and even throw it all away and start over if you have to. That’s what the geniuses would do. |
Vicki
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Writing is like making a piece of pottery. I have all kinds of ideas about what I'd like to create, and I can spend hours daydreaming about what a beautiful bowl or plate or vase I'll have when I'm done—but at some point I have to sit down with a big, slimy lump of wet clay and get to work. Bending over the wheel can be tiring, and it's discouraging when an almost-finished piece collapses in a heap. After the basic form has dried, it's time for my favorite part—decorating and glazing it in preparation for the final firing. I have to remember to leave myself enough time to get the details just right—it may take several tries to make a good handle for a mug or find an appealing combination of glazes. The object I end up with may not match my vision perfectly, but it's usually functional, and sometimes it's even kind of pretty. |
Virginia
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Writing is like learning a long piece of music. You need some familiarity with the process to get started. Once you know a little about reading the notes you can do a rough stumble through to get a better idea of how the piece should sound. Then you break it up into little bits and work on each one separately, learning as you go and making it sound just the way you want before combining it all to make a beautiful piece of music. |
