Why I write and why you should too
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Afifah Muhammad Jamal from Monash University Malaysia’s School of Business takes writing units that the School of Arts and Social Sciences offers as a minor and shares her thoughts on the discipline.
I used to write to merely fill time— an activity I would pursue when I was bored, and would abandon when busy again. That was until I entered university and was confronted with a selection of elective subjects from which to choose. It was inevitable that I would naturally gravitate to those involving creative writing, not only because writing was (is) a hobby, but also because I wanted subjects that I thought would be effortless and fun for me to balance out the business subjects I was taking for my Major. Over time, however, I learned that writing wasnot “easy” in the least ( although still fun) as its subjects both challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and added depths to what was once a shallow, stagnant style.Before, I would restrict my writing to primary stories because– or so I thought – it was my forte; but having been introduced to other genres and styles in my creative writing subjects, I now have a different perspective of my own performance (i.e. I have still much to learn) and a broader view of the possibilities and power of writing.
In my first year, for example, I enrolled in the subject (or unit), Writing Techniques, which taught me genre-specific formal conventions that has undoubtedly transformed my view of not just creative writing, but of myself as a writer as well.
Up until then, my writing would only revolve around fiction; however, as a consequence of taking the abovementioned unit, I now find myself increasingly more adept at writing poetry as well, whether in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet (which is derived from the Italian “sonnet”, meaning “little song”) or, closer to home, the pantoun. By venturing into writing territory that was once unfamiliar to me, I have since learned to appreciate the importance of experimentation as a means of developingmy own voice and unique style.
Having taken a number of creative writing units up to this point, I have come to realise that I have been rather self-indulgent in my writing, which would be fine if it is meant only for my eyes, but an issue if it is meant to be read by others.
Accordingly, I have learned that I need to consider my readers, to put myself in their position so that I do not become so self-absorbed in my craft to the extent that only I understand and appreciate what I have written. Acknowledging the importance of myreaders has also taught me the value of their criticism, since feedback on my work invariably helps me to see things from their perspectives.
In turn, this has further encouraged me to be culturally sensitive and politically correct as well, such as using language that is free of gender and racial bias; and up-to-date with current political, economic and socio-cultural developments so that my writing is relevant and able to speak to contemporary circumstances.
In a way, writing feels more like a journey of self-discovery and self-improvement than just picking words and putting them together to fill a blank sheet.
The American writer Annie Proulx once said, “Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write” – a remark with which I could not have agreed more since all writers are readers first. Pursuing a Writing Minor has also encouraged me to both read better and be a better reader. Allow me to explain this point using my Major in Economics as an illustration: in order to effectively deal with an economic problem, I need grasp the subject matter so that I can identify the best approach for my purpose. To do this requires strong reading skills that is not limited to what is communicated on the surface, but involves interpreting nuances, making sense of complex notions, and seeing correspondences between ideas quickly as well.
Only by being a better reader can this be achieved, and I certainly credit my creative writing subjects for helping me to this end, although I acknowledge that I have still a long way to go to master reading.
I am also curious why some people consider the Arts as somehow lesser than, say, Science or Business Studies. As a student who is undertaking both, I can say that they are incomparable as disciplines because they are fundamentally different, whereby each involves theories, concepts, approaches and knowledge respective to itself. Being different, however, does not mean they are not able to complement each other. In the case of creative writing, for example, it is knowledge that is applicable to a wide range of professions, whether in the publishing and/or media industry, journalism, the corporate sector, governance, and so forth. In fact, my study of creative writing at a tertiary level has not only made me fall in love all over again with literature, but has also inspired me to rethink my future career choice to involve writing as a fundamental component.
The Writing Minor at Monash University Malaysia that I am currently pursuing is comprehensive and designed with students possibly looking to a writing career in mind. The two first year sequential units, for example, introduce students to issues of genre, forms and techniques in writing. Here, students are given the opportunity to learn about the craft and the mechanics of writing employed in a range of published medium from fiction and non-fiction, to the graphic novel and speech writing.
While the focus is of course on writing, equal emphasis is also given to reading, especially in terms of developing interpretive skills and the ability to perform close reading of texts.
On the other hand, the second and third year subjects are more inclined towards experimentation and developing a job-ready portfolio respectively.
Classes are, furthermore, conducted more like workshops where students are, under the guidance of a dedicated lecturer or tutor, expected to share ideas and compositions, and provide constructive comments and feedback to each other in a mutually enriching environment.