Understanding the writing process is one of the critical aspects any person with interest or passion in writing is required to master before they become critical in the art. This process involves various skills and competencies that enable individuals to provide meaning in writing to send a specific message. Writing can be either formal or informal, depending on the audience and the types of writing, to either entertain, inform, explain an issue or persuade an individual or group of people on a given aspect. All writers should be clear to present information at the level of the readers by internalizing their interests and preferences in a specific manner. In addition, proficient writers should be able to use text to express their feelings, explore ideas, evaluate them, argue for or against the concept or mediate. Therefore, undertaking the writing course is critical in the writing process as it not only equips individuals with writing skills but also enables them to understand the factors that hinder an individual’s writing capabilities.
Motivation is one of the things that has highly influenced my writing skills and capacity. This aspect is based on the fact that motivation enables individuals to prepare themselves physically and mentally to undertake the writing process. The inspiration level of an individual towards an activity makes them create time to do it and learn the various skills they can use to enhance their proficiency in the task (Elufiede & Barker-Stucky, 2021).
Before undertaking the writing course, I was highly discouraged since I had a negative motivation which made to take less time to engage in writing. The course was hectic and tedious since I needed to have goals. Learning about the various types and styles of writing has made me develop a positive motivation toward the writing process. Through learning, I have gained more interest in the art as I am encouraged to engage with my different tasks. In this case, the increased level of motivation has made the process enjoyable, and I have even set goals to guide me as I write.
The lack of confidence is another factor that hinders an individual’s writing skills and capacity. Confidence gives individuals the security that their skills are perfect and practical to the course they are dedicated to (Elufiede & Barker-Stucky, 2021).
Such an aspect assures an individual that there is room for improvement, allowing them to express themselves through their writing. This skill enables an individual to have the courage to stand out for themselves and address what they feel is natural and good for themselves. The lack of confidence made me scared to air my opinions, as I thought they did not count. Inadequate confidence made me feel inferior and unworthy to address anything, as I did not feel like it would meet the standards maintained by other writers. Developing self-confidence has played a critical role in enhancing my writing prowess and skills, as the more I present my ideas, the more my writing skills get better. Through the process, I was able to gain the courage to be different from the rest, which is an aspect that gives individuals the power to be unique and different in art.
In addition, procrastination, fear, and lack of trust in oneself are other factors that negatively impact writers, making them unable to accomplish anything in writing. Procrastination is a product of several factors that bar an individual from making a single step in writing (Elufiede & Barker-Stucky, 2021). The other factor that influenced me to remain stagnant in my writing process was the fear of writing, as I felt I was not good enough to become a writer. Such a condition made me feel bored as I thought I was wasting time and could not develop something that interested anybody. The lack of trust in my abilities made me stop the writing process to wait until I gained the skills that I thought were perfect for me to start the writing process. At other times I would start writing something but quickly get distracted, losing interest and leaving the writing process. After undergoing the learning process, I learned the various ways of dealing with procrastination, and I got the opportunity to embark on a successful writing journey.
The desire for perfection has always influenced my writing process throughout the course. Sometimes I felt imperfect as a writer wanting to learn more about the art before committing myself to the writing process. Being excellent in the art, I could easily attain success in the process. However, in the process, I lacked satisfaction in my writing as I always felt something needed to be added, ending up stopping the writing. In addition, I would dwell on an idea for a long time, trying to find the best way to present it and make it impressive to my target audience. Due to such reasons, I spent a lot of time on one idea making the writing process take too much time editing the work than developing new ideas after learning about writing. The language used in writing is a tool to express themselves, and no one is perfect; hence striving for continuous ability development is essential for all. I was able to change my attitude toward the writing process as I believed that it was through making mistakes that I could perfect my writing skills.
After learning about the various aspects that create barriers to effective writing, I have developed critical skills that have enabled me to become a better writer. Among the things that I have learned is to believe in myself, as it is the main push that has helped me commit to the writing process (Elufiede & Barker-Stucky, 2021). Self-confidence is a crucial factor that has made me develop a positive attitude toward writing. In addition, I have gained the courage to present my ideas without fearing how others perceive or think about me. Having a positive attitude has made it easy for me to avoid perfectionism and procrastination, making it challenging to focus on the writing process. I can now plan myself and set attainable goals, which has made it easy for me to commence a productive writing journey that is highly motivating and enjoyable. Finally, barriers to writing create a challenging environment that promotes critical thinking skills leading to better creativity and writing abilities.
In addition, learning about different writing styles has made it easy for me to navigate my writing skills. The acquired knowledge has allowed me to choose the best style that fits the ideas I want to share with my target audience. Continuous learning and advancement of different skills have enabled me to perfect my writing capability and made it easy for me to effectively address different issues around me in a literary manner. I have been able to use devices compatible with the values and morals maintained in society (Elufiede & Barker-Stucky, 2021).
I can now write about issues affecting distinct individuals in the community without fearing being judged for talking about any topic, as I have learned how to use language to create varied meanings. Writing efficiency is achievable as I have learned so much about sentence structure, tone setting, active and passive voices, and vocabulary, making it easy to use words that are not age-sensitive. Therefore, the learning process has made it easy for me to improve my writing skills and become a better writer than I was before.
In conclusion, learning writing skills is critical for individuals with the passion and dream of becoming a writer. This aspect is based on the fact that writing combines creativity, talent, and learning that bind different themes together. With writing skills, an individual can effectively undertake the writing process no matter how talented they are. Learning enables an individual to gain skills that would allow them to overcome all the barriers that affect their writing process. In addition, it will allow them to gain confidence in themselves as they can develop advanced skills in language use which promote their presentation of ideas and facts without falling short of words or devices. The course has made it easy for me to use writing as a communication tool. Therefore, learning writing skills has made me a better and more experienced writer than I was before.
Reference
Elufiede, K., & Barker-Stucky, C. (2021). Strategies and tactics for multidisciplinary writing. IGI Global.