Six Whys of Writing

You pick a pen, grab a piece of paper and scribble?or, nowadays, turn on your PC, go to MSWord, exhaust your fingers on the keyboard?and you're done?instant article! That easy, and you're an instant celebrity.

It has been made clear that everybody can write. Why not? It's as basic as reading. Once you've mastered the alphabet, able to distinguish plural from singular and loaded your cerebral bank with tons of vocabulary, you're off to a good start.

Much has been written on the how-to of writing ? from poetry to essays to novels ? but only less on the why side of writing. Allow me to blab on that for a change.

Why write?

A semester of essay writing classes and four years of enduring journalism teachers who were fond of dumping projects with tight deadlines helped me come up with the reasons for writing.

Reason #1 Power

Writing is a good weapon in swaying opinions, influencing people's mindset and way of living and in fighting for causes believed in.

Being a writer, you can bask in the glow of glamour. You become a celebrity but most of all a leader.

Reason #2 Expression

Other than being a weapon of might, writing is a good outlet for your pent-up emotions. Also, it allows the graceful or direct presentation of opinions and know-how.

Reason #3 Attention

You can use writing to bring attention to an issue you deem important or to things unheard of, which you want to share. As for my case, the scribbled words became my voice.

Through writing, you can reach a great number of readers from all walks of life without exhausting your vocal chords.

Reason #4 Entertainment

You can write for people's delight, and even for your own entertainment when you've got nothing else to do.

Reason #5 Immortality

You can be immortalized through people's memory; the written works you leave behind would remind them of you and your ideals.

Reason #6 It's a Write-Or-Starve Situation

It's your job. No escape. Write or be fired.

Reason #7 For Others

Most of all, write for others, not only for your self. Use writing to reach out to someone who feels alone and misunderstood, and who needs all the comfort in the world. Use writing to teach a lesson. My mentors had made that perfectly clear to me.

Before, I was merely satisfied with creating a world of my own. I enjoyed playing god. However, I soon realized that to be a better writer, I must not write merely for myself.

As a writer, you have readers whom you communicate a world of ideas, and who are affected by what you write. Don't only think of yourself. By becoming a writer, you have taken a responsibility to the society. You are molding and reshaping somebody's persona.

As a writer, you move readers to do something. Lead them to the light; lead them to the truth. They deserve nothing less.

One of my mentors used to read this to me: A writer without a sense of responsibility is no better than the leader who goes on with his work without regard for the welfare of those he leads.

I have failed to remember the writer from whom those wonderful words came, but they are words that are not easy to forget.

Sheryl is a junior editor of publishing company CannonCreek Asia Inc., currently dealing with business news, and is a contributor to the Sun Star Daily Cebu. A journalism graduate, she writes short stories, poetry, essays and few novels.

elite cleaning services Mundelein ..

In The News:

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.

Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.

LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Six Whys of Writing

Article Writing