Gabriel Lott

Western Lit II

My history as a writer is complicated but also simple. I learned how to write “correctly” in

school, and I’ve perfected it over the past thirteen years or so. My teachers and parents told me I was a

good writer, and I was frequently given high grades for my writing. Most of this writing was papers and

essays, not really creative stuff. On a personal level, I hate writing. I can’t stand typing, writing by hand,

or all the hassles of thinking up something to write about or how to structure it. Writing essays and papers

has become rather formulaic for me. I hate it, but I’m good at it. I tried my hand at writing creatively for

myself as a kid. I would think up these great stories and ideas, but always had trouble putting them down

on paper. I’d rather tell them to someone or envision them as a TV show or something. Most of the

“books” I did write are probably packed away in boxes in my basement, complete with preschool level

handwriting and hand drawn “masterpiece” illustrations. I have a large collection of numerous stories

stored up in my mind, sometimes jotted down on notes, and constantly growing when I daydream,

imagine, or fantasize. I’ve tried to put them down in writing, but most of the time I run into roadblocks,

have to rethink some ideas, or run out of time or interest to worry about it. I’ve been told that my

Facebook “opinion” posts are very well written and engaging, but I only do those when I feel strongly

about an issue or event. I understand that writing is valuable and important, and I’m willing to deal with it

in order to be successful in life. Casual creativity is more my style than serious writing. While I dislike

writing, I still am a very creative person, and I just choose to express my creativity in other ways than

writing. Since coming to Patrick Henry College, my writing has already improved thanks to the

invaluable critiques by professors and friends (and the dastardly Research and Writing course that was

actually quite helpful). I hope to be a better writer when I graduate than I am now. Writing has grown on

me, so I guess as long as I am writing on a topic that I enjoy or feeling strongly about, I can write in a

way that is both excellent and fun.

p.s. Expect more creative “Redneck Interpretation” papers this semester!