A simple definition of writing is putting pen to paper and composing text. But people who truly enjoy writing know it as something else. Writing is more than putting words on a page or in a document; when done skillfully, writing is a way to escape reality or learn something new.  It used to be a hobby of mine, but that has since changed. Writing is a lot of different things to me.

Writing is something I used to love. When I was younger, I wanted to be an author and I wrote all the time. I spent every spare minute of my free time thinking of ideas. I used to sit in the corner at a little desk with my dad’s old laptop, with a battery so old it had to be plugged in all the time or it would not work properly. I created so many documents I could not keep track. I pulled ideas from shows and books I’d read, started a new document, abandoned it when another prompt stole my attention and repeated the steps. 

Writing, unfortunately, is something I do not enjoy as much anymore. It is normal to grow up and change hobbies, which is what happened. When I entered high school, I no longer wanted to spend my time writing in front of my computer. I spent hours each day learning in front of a computer and completing assignments outside of class. I didn’t feel the need to do something as stimulating as writing on my own time anymore, even if it was for my own pleasure. I wanted to relax with what little free time I had left. I had so many new responsibilities and priorities and not enough time. Writing was the lowest on the list that got cut.

Writing is a concept that I believe was tainted by taking AP Lang as a sophomore as well. At the time I started this course, I still enjoyed writing, even though I did not devote as much time to it anymore. However, I now know the effects of burnout in multiple different parts of my life. School. Swim. Stress. And eventually writing. Writing an essay each week and having to write three in a row under time constraints during the exam changed my mindset. I no longer thought of writing as a fun activity, I saw it as something I was required to do. The spark and creativity was lost in the sea of informational writing that was enforced in class. 

Writing is a part of me that I don’t expect to go away. I still have ideas, and I still write them down on my phone just in case. I don’t keep it a secret that I have a book I’ve written that is over 100 pages long, and I will share it if someone asks to see it. Maybe someday I will feel inspired enough to write like I once did…that time just isn’t now. Writing is a lot of things, and right now it is taking a break.