I still remember my 8th-grade English exam where I have to write a 200 words essay and I couldn’t write more than 70 words. Or in college where I have to describe a picture and I was blank. Writing has always been difficult for me. I have always wanted to learn this skill.

I have been a reader for a long time. To me, writers are conjurer who produces magical prose out of thin air. They can transcend the reader to a world of their creation.

Writing provides clarity to our ideas. It is a thought exercise. We can be deceived very easily. The ideas which seem earth-shattering in our head may be nothing but a fluke. Writing forces us to think. It provides rigour to our thoughts and helps in finding holes in the arguments.

Writing provides a way to convey our ideas. So many great ideas remain buried until a great communicator comes and introduce them to the world. Nobody knows what goes in one’s head. If we can’t communicate it concretely with others, it is of no use.

Writing in public

The stakes are raised when someone is watching us. We put in more effort into organising our writing. Moreover, if we are wrong, there are many people to provide feedback and correct us.

In this age of the internet, writing online can be a window in our mind. People can know us through our writing. It can be an excellent opportunity to know people with similar ideas and collaborate with them on the work we want. Writing online can help me learn and connect with like-minded people.

Writing publicly requires courage. We are presenting a piece of your mind for others to attack. Sometimes you get encouragement too. This vulnerability provides us with the strength and confidence to face the world. To hold onto your ideas or change your mind if you are wrong.

Writing is fun. It feels good to create something. It is a great feeling to see my ideas written coherently.

It takes effort to organise our ideas and present in a way so that people can understand. The skill takes time to develop. And what is a better way to learn writing? Just by writing.