Elements of Writing

Being an avid reader has enabled me to recognize well-written works. However, I do not know the qualities that define “good writing.” For most of my life, if anyone asked me about liking writing, my answer would have been an emphatic “no.” From a young age, I enjoyed writing poetry; I would come up with a sudden inspiration and soon would have a stanza of a poem mentally jotted down. However, I never considered this “writing.” It was always fun and rarely for school. When I was in eighth grade, I reconnected with a friend of mine who is an enthusiastic creative writer. It did not take me long to catch the writing bug once she suggested co-writing a fiction series. It was at that moment my love of creative writing was born.

We attended a local summer camp on Eastern Michigan University’s campus, called Inkstains. It is a camp designed to help young writers flourish in their creative talents. This camp provided me with a spark for writing, but in a one-week session, it is difficult to capture the essence of creative writing. I have never taken a formal creative writing course and still have many questions. What elements are crucial to a riveting story? How is it possible to capture a reader’s attention in one sentence? How does a writer add unexpected plot twists? What causes a piece to evoke a vivid image or emotion in a reader’s mind? What are the many different rhythms, meters, and scansions of poems?

While I am not as experienced in poetry and creating a well-written story, I have a thorough background in prose. I have taken three composition courses in high school, each of which introduced me to new aspects of the written language. I thought academic writing would be tedious, but in those classes, I discovered that there is room for interpretation and creativity in even a standard, 5-paragraph essay. From that first moment of realization, I have ceased dreading a formal paper; instead, I challenge myself to try and make it enjoyable while still fulfilling the assignment. While I do not prefer prose to poetry or vice versa, I believe the element of creative writing is my passion.