We all love to talk. That’s clear the moment you step into the hallways of IHS. Whether it’s an opinion on today’s lunch, the results of a test, or whatever’s happening after school, someone’s always yapping about something.
With everyone trying to voice their concerns, the issue becomes the methods by which they are shared. Let’s be honest, dozens of students talking over each other in the school cafeteria is not exactly efficient communication. How should we be conveying our ideas, then? In my opinion, we should all be writing books.
Fundamentally, a book is an assortment of ideas assembled together in one easy-to-access source. While a leather-bound, paper-filled text might jump to your mind, I’m no purist, and I openly accept any novel, pamphlet, or ebook as a viable option. The main benefit of these is their convenience. You can crack open a book with your morning coffee, plop down on a bench for a quick read, or pop in an earbud during your morning commute. And with the world’s knowledge at the turn of a page, you are free to choose the perfect environment for your learning. All these factors make a book one of the most practical forms of consuming information.
Additionally, as the writer, you are free to write at your own pace. Sitting at your desk, you have all the time in the world to collect your thoughts and arrange them in the most cohesive manner. You don’t have to come up with retorts to someone else on the spot; the ideas can flow into your mind naturally. This guarantees that only your best work will be sent out to the world.
Furthermore, having your complete book at hand, you decide where, when, and how this peek into your mind palace is distributed. You can pass it out at the corner of Cayuga and State to anyone who will take it, or only share it with your closest friends.
So, now you’re convinced you should write a book. But what should you write about? Really, it can be anything you want other people to hear. It could be a series of constructive criticisms of the design of the IHS bathrooms, or perhaps why you think Pikachu is a better Pokémon than Charizard. Heck, you could even write about how you think other people should be writing about their own passions. It doesn’t matter what you write about, or how long or short it is, as long as it means something to you.
To erase from your mind any doubts you might have about this method, let’s take a gander at some historical examples. Throughout history, writing has been important to the spread of religions, which have catalyzed some of the most important developments of our world. Much of the creation of peaceful trade routes and cultural exchanges between civilizations can be attributed to the sharing of a common belief. These ideas weren’t always so widespread, though. It took the spread of religious texts such as the Qur’an and the Vedas to allow those belief systems to become the powerhouses that they are today. Without the efforts put into these texts, there’s a very real chance that we would all still be plowing fields in medieval Europe right now.
Closer to home, members of the American Revolution wrote countless essays about the many shortcomings of the British Empire and their desire for independence. One of the most famous examples are The Federalist Papers, written in part by Alexander Hamilton, which argued in support of the Constitution. The authors chose to write under the pseudonym of “Publius,” meaning “the people,” not only to protect their identities, but also to display their empathy towards the average citizen (you, the future writer, also have the option of writing under an alias). These revolutionaries used their writings as a platform to reach as many people as they possibly could—and it worked! It’s clear to see: without people publishing their thoughts, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
However, your text doesn’t have to be entirely nonfictional. Some of the best commentaries on human nature have been fictional tales. From George Orwell’s 1984 to the original Odyssey itself, morals and warnings have consistently been woven into works of fiction. If you feel up to it, try constructing a story that sends some sort of message to your reader. Or, if you just want to make something up for the fun of it, feel free to narrate a fantasy about whatever people or places you want.
And, if not for anything else, you can write to cure your boredom. Writing is a really easy way to pass the time, and will stimulate your brain in the process. Working on something like this outside of school is bound to improve your literary skills for assignments in class. So, if you’re lying in bed and about to open up TikTok, or just don’t know what to do, consider picking up a journal, or powering on your laptop, and writing something down.
After all this, if you’re still not sure where you should start, consider writing for The Tattler. Meetings are once a month and come with a plethora of new ideas for interested authors. It’s an extremely supportive place and open to all experience levels. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start writing!
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