(ThePseudonym)ESC and illDefined already shared their thoughts. Now, ThePseudonym, as expected, drops some serious science on the utility and justifications for writing. But is he right? Is writing just a means of communication? Or is there more to it?
In searching for what writing is, I took a moment to reflect on characteristics that make writing “good”. When analyzed literally and definitively, a piece of writing is a visual compilation of markings (letters, characters, etc.). If seen as such, what can make writing good or bad? According to our definition, it could be assumed that the visual quality of the writing would indicate its caliber.
“Good” writing, however, connotes a work that conveys a message clearly and coherently. “Better” writing often puts into words complex and difficult-to-describe concepts. Writing, in the sense most often used, is a means of communicating a point, or idea. It is a mechanism that humans have used to communicate with for thousands of years. The writer is given an opportunity to release and transfer streams of consciousness to be understood by one or many readers.
Writing has many advantages over other forms of communication. Like speech, written words can elicit vibrant and meaningful images and ideas; however, the time required to write and read these same concepts provides time for mental digestion – leading (usually) to a more coherent product. Speech also has the disadvantage of being limited by the social anxieties of the speaker.
Because communication is such a seminal element of writing, text is meant to be read and received by an audience. Diaries are a one-way street for thought – a kind of mental masturbation – that provide no more than therapy and release for the author. Do not get me wrong: I don’t underestimate the utility of writing for oneself, but without an audience, there is no transfer of thought, and no need to write coherently or concisely.
The beauty of writing lies in the true communication of what is on the mind. It allows the thinker to ruminate in his thought before presenting a finished concept to be interpreted and understood by another thinker. Writing allows solitary and concentrated thought to flow in a medium that allows an almost infinite viewership.
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