Grecia Betancourth

Professor Valerie Ortiz

ENGL 1301

November 6th, 2022

WHY IS WRITING IMPORTANT?

Since we were kids, in school our teachers often gave us writing assignments

or told us to write notes. And now, as college students, there are also writing

assignments, so, I think writing has good importance in our life, but, why is it that

important? Can we learn more easily if we write? Or are there other benefits from

writing? Maybe if we solve these questions we can be more motivated in our courses

to start writing more, or also in our daily life, and start to write with a purpose.

First, we need to know that there are different types of writing, depending on

our purpose they can be:

-Informational writing. It explains a topic with facts, and it informs.

-Opinion writing. Explain what you think about a certain topic.

-Narrative writing. Shares a story, it can include characters, plot, and dialogue,

and its purpose is to entertain (Scholastic news).

Writing can be defined as an extremely versatile tool that can be used to

accomplish a variety of goals (Graham, 2006, as cited in Graham, 2012), these goals

can be communicating to your friends, family, etc, doing notes to remember

something, express feelings or ideas, share experiences from the past, and so many

more. Writing can have an impact in how students read, Graham and Hebert (2010,

2011) found that when students in grades 1–6 wrote more, there was a

corresponding improvement in their reading comprehension skills (Graham).

 In Cecilia Knapp’s TED talk, she

said “our society relates our silence,

and not sharing our emotions with

strength, but that can cause negative

impact in our life, she recommends

everyone to express our feelings by

writing. I share through writing, I write

about loss and what scares me, I write

stories, I imagine, I comment and I write what I’ve seen in the hope that people can

find comfort in it” (Knapp). This shows us that writing is not just for school, or learn, it

can also be useful in our daily life, in our mental health, to share our feelings, and

stories, for example, having a journal, maybe no one will see it, but you are writing

your daily experiences in it, and that is the important part.

Ruthanne Reid shares 6 reasons why we write in Why do you write:

1. We write for others

2. We write for ourselves

3. We write for the sake of the story

4. We write for the sake of beauty

5. We write for the sake of grief

6. We write for fun

(Reid)

Also, this article from Grand Canyon University shows us their point of view about

the importance of writing in our daily life. “Being a fluent reader and skilled writer are

critically important in all aspects of your life. Beyond its importance for your career,

knowing how to write clearly and engagingly supports your interpersonal interactions
with family, friends and peers. Here’s a quick look at just a few of the reasons why

it’s important to know how to write well.

● When you know how to choose words carefully, you can reduce the risk of

creating misunderstandings in your social media posts and comments.

● If you decide to keep a daily journal, writing is an act that can give you greater

self-clarity, and which you can use to ponder your next steps or figure out the

solution to a problem.

● If you’re stressed, writing down what troubles you is a way to unburden your

mind.

● Writing personal letters—whether via email or old-fashioned snail mail—is an

excellent way to stay in touch with family and friends that you do not often see

in person. (Grand Canyon University Why is writing important?)”

So, there is not just one reason for us to write. They can vary depending on your

objective, that is what makes writing interesting, there is no correct way of doing it,

you just do it.

As college students, maybe we should be asking the purpose of writing in

college, “Writing forces students to think about their own positions more clearly,

examine evidence more critically, and learn to both understand and empathize with

the positions of others (Kilcrease).” College’s writing assignments have their own

characteristics, because now we have to be following certain rules or indications. For

example, we always need to focus on one question of a subject to start our writing,

and that is our purpose.

There is also an importance of writing in jobs or finding jobs. “Employers

generally recognize that someone who demonstrates good writing skills is more

likely to be someone who thinks clearly, knows how to organize information and
understands how to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. As a result, good

writers may be more likely to work well with other people. Plus, their ability to

organize information in logical ways can support their problem-solving and

decision-making abilities. (Grand Canyon University Why is writing important?)”. I

have never thought of this part of the importance of writing skills.

In my opinion, and experience,

writing has been part of most parts

of my life. Since I was 9 years old,

I had a journal in which I wrote

everything I thought. It is my way

of expressing my feelings without

telling them to a person. Now that I

did my research and read other

people’s perspective of writing it

only shows to me that other

people think about the great importance of writing in our daily life.

Now that I am in college, writing has been a great tool of learning for me.

When I listen to what the teacher is explaining, I write everything down, that is my

way of learning. “Writing down what you know, and even what you don’t, helps you to

master a subject. By writing something down, it’s more likely time will be spent

reflecting upon it. Research suggests even a three year old can use the reflection

process to learn better. (Boser Writing to learn and why it matters)”.

We all need to apply some writing in our life, it is a helpful tool in many parts

of our life. And if you think about it, you have applied writing since you have memory.
Annotated bibliography

Boser, Ulrich. “Writing to Learn and Why It Matters.” The Learning Agency Lab,

14 Sept. 2021,

https://www.the-learning-agency-lab.com/the-learning-curve/learn-better-through-writ

ing/.

In this text, the author explains his theory about how writing something down, like

doing notes in class, can help you learn more easily. “In a classroom context, writing

has the radical potential to position students as active participants in their own

learning. Rather than regurgitating information, writing offers students a chance to

create, and use higher order thinking.”

Graham, Steve, et al. “Writing: Importance, Development, and Instruction.”

Reading & Writing, vol. 26, no. 1, 2013, pp. 1–15,

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-012-9395-2.

https://utrgv.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=cdi_proquest_misc

ellaneous_1417554847&context=PC&vid=01UT_RGV_INST:UTRGV&lang=en&sear

ch_scope=Search_All&adaptor=Primo%20Central&tab=Search_All&query=any,cont

ains,importance%20of%20writing&offset=10

Graham states an important point of learning by writing, he said “Writing is also an

indispensable tool for learning. We use it to gather, preserve and transmit

information widely. The permanence of writing makes ideas readily available for

review and evaluation;”. I think that these words are important to explain that writing

something is important because it is permanent, you can read it over and over again,

this is one of the importance of writing.

 Kilcrease, Bethany. Falsehood and Fallacy: How to Think, Read, and Write in the

Twenty-First Century, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2021.

https://doi.org/10.3138/9781487588649

In this text, chapter 2, is specifically for college students, it explains how in college

we need to grow our ability to write, and research, and think about good sources.

“Writing forces students to think about their own positions more clearly, examine

evidence more critically, and learn to both understand and empathize with the

positions of others (Kilcrease).”

Reid , Ruthanne. “Why Do You Write?” The Write Practice, 20 July 2015,

https://thewritepractice.com/why-do-you-write/.

Reid explains the 6 reasons to write, and she encourages us to find our own reason

to write. “Whatever reason you have for writing, it's a good one. You don't have to

know all the answers yet, either. You have time. Explore this question as you grow in

your writing. Knowing the answer will empower you in ways you won't see

coming.(Reid, Ruthanne)”

“Types of Writing.” Scholastic News (Trails Ed.), vol. 70, no. 13, 2014.

https://utrgv.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01UT_RGV_INST/18vpea1/cdi_gale

_infotrac_357035223

This article from Scholastic News, defines the types of writing, and how are different

ways of authors to share their ideas.

University, Grand Canyon. “Why Is Writing Important?” GCU, 25 Mar. 2022,

https://www.gcu.edu/blog/gcu-experience/why-writing-important
The Grand Canyon University website explains the importance of writing in careers,

and in finding jobs. “When an employer sees employees or job candidates who

possess good writing skills, they tend to form the following opinions about these

people:

● They are intelligent. Grammatical errors, poorly formed sentences and

improper word choices can make a person seem less intelligent than they

might actually be.

● They are credible. Solid writing implies that the writer is competent, and this

leads to credibility and authoritativeness.

● They understand professionalism. A good writer is able to convey

professionalism in written communication.

● They are organized. The act of writing requires the careful organization of

information before it can be presented in a logical form. (University Grand

Canyon)”.

“Why You Should Write | Cecilia Knapp | TEDxWarwick.” Performance by Cecilia

Knapp, YouTube, YouTube, 14 Apr. 2016,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTAquXIa1Fs&t=519s Accessed 16 Oct. 2022.

The first time I saw this video I knew I had to use it on my essay, Cecilia Knapp,

articulates as a poem how is writing important in her life, she encourages everyone

to apply some writing in daily life, just because it can be a way of expressing our

emotions and feelings instead of suppress them.