Writing is a way for me to escape reality. It provides me with a creative and emotional outlet that can be very therapeutic and a great stress reliever. My writing makes me happy as it can help me not feel alone or misunderstood. Writing can help you learn about someone else as well. For example, reading my friend’s poetry made me learn about her perspective on love and life.

At first, I wasn’t good at writing. My grammar was bad and I didn’t know how to make events flow easily. However, as I grew up and started writing more in school I was able to develop this skill through the constant practice of journaling every school day. I learned the components of a good story and how to effectively convey my thoughts. I learned that writing is so much more than something you must do for school and in your everyday life. I realized that writing is fun and writing stories helps me become more creative. Reading books such as All the Bright Places, a young adult novel based on the author’s personal story, has helped me develop my own skills.

Writing is meaningful because I get to help other people through the characters and the stories I tell. I’m able to write about a variety of people’s perspectives on love, friendship, life, and family in ways that helped me be open-minded. When writing, I research the topic by watching documentaries and reading or learning about other people’s experiences. I once wrote and published a story online about a girl who wore a mask in front of others as a way to cover up her flaws and insecurities. This character demonstrated the life and feelings of one of my close friends. By having her share and make me feel her anxiety and insecurities, I was able to write about this character that actually helped others and my friend feel understood and healed by their own insecurities. In the future, I want to become a writer and publish inspirational stories about family, friendship, and more that can help people not feel alone.