The Importance of Writing
Written by Nancy Maria Fernandez
@nancymfernz
Thumbnail and Header Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
When Edward Bulwer-Lytton wrote “The pen is mightier than the sword,” he wasn’t lying. True to the proverb, writing finds its place within almost every field, even in the present age. To this day, writing holds significance as an effective form of communication in various aspects of our lives, including personal, professional, leisure, and essentially all other areas. While it may be argued that good writing skills are the most necessary for English and Creative Writing majors who intend to pursue writing careers, written communication forms an integral part of most professional positions you might pursue after graduation. This article will focus on the importance of writing in the realm of academia and in the professional spheres.
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Imagine being hired for a lucrative position at a reputable company, but not having the foundational skills, like the ability to write a simple business email. Moreover, imagine having the academic merit to win a scholarship to a good university, but you don’t get in because your personal statement was poorly written. These two scenarios share a common theme — the importance of writing as a communication tool. When writing a letter to a loved one, sending a business email to a client, or even submitting a term paper, you are essentially conveying many things at once: an emotion, a message, and your understanding of a topic or concept. How effectively you can communicate non-verbally all comes down to your skill with the pen.
In an article written for Psychology Today, Dr. Barbara Sarnecka confirms that in order to build a career in research, adequate writing skills are a must. “Professional researchers are, by definition, professional writers,” she writes. However, the definition of “good writing” is subjective. Given the lack of structure and instruction regarding what constitutes good research writing, Dr. Sarnecka expresses the need for proper writing programs designed to help graduate-level students with academic writing, as nobody is born a writer. In another article, Dr. Jonathan Wai states that practicing “public writing” is an effective way for people to improve their writing skills. Public writing involves writing for members of the general public, which is quite different from writing for academic audiences. Dr. Wai states that the feedback you receive from your reading audience can go a long way in terms of helping you hone your skills as a writer — so, it is important to keep a wide array of audiences. This also highlights the importance of tailoring your writing style to suit the needs and intellect of the target audiences. This might apply to writing in academics, in research, in business, creative writing, or just writing for fun.
When it comes to writing in the work environment, any career coach can confirm that writing is an essential skill that finds use in nearly every professional field. For this reason, it is important for individuals to acquire and hone their writing skills as they make the transition from university to the workforce. While the prospect of effective writing may seem daunting to many, there are several ways in which you can improve your proficiency in writing. A major way to develop your writing skills is by reading more. Intuitively, this makes a lot of sense. As children, we learn to read first and then we learn to write — beyond this, reading and writing are closely tied to each other on a cognitive level.
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Reading books, newspapers, academic journals, poetry, novels, and even blogs can set one on the path to becoming a good writer. Beyond reading, it is also important to practice writing regularly. You can start by maintaining a journal, or maybe by applying to work for the SMU Journal. Another tip is to use a dictionary and thesaurus as often as you can, especially while working on written assignments. If you come across a new word, don’t just skip over it. Take the time to look up its meaning: this is an excellent way to improve your vocabulary. You can also download the dictionary and Word of the Day apps on your phone that will give you prompts on the go. Further, consider approaching your professors for help as they are often the best guides to help you sharpen your writing skills. Finally, the Writing Centre is a great resource that everyone should take advantage of as they navigate writing as university students.
In life, people write (or rather, have to write) for several reasons. Whatever yours might be, it is important to remember that you can always access writing resources to help you along the way. You can contact the Writing Centre at writing@smu.ca. You can also reach out to Career and Experiential Services at career.services@smu.ca to learn more about careers and professional skills. Good luck and happy writing!
References
https://interestingliterature.com/2015/01/who-said-the-pen-is-mightier-than-the-sword/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/thinking-writing-science/201910/the-writing-workshop?amp