Learning to Love Writing
May 2, 2025
Emily Hormann | Writing Center Tutor
I love writing. I know that’s a bold statement, but it’s true. Writing can guide you down a long pursuit for knowledge, empower you, and give form to your unique voice, but it can also be fun. I believe this can be true for anyone.
I remember my first experience with writing, the one that sparked the passion that would guide me for the rest of my life: I was sitting on the rug of my first-grade classroom as my teacher flipped the large notepad to the next page. We went around the room providing ideas and attributes for the classroom's main character. This activity was intended to model how to create our own characters for which we would write a picture book about. A few of my classmates got passionate, I remember, and shouted out ideas without raising their hands. Eventually, we made a character: a young basketball player with an annoying baby sister who constantly tried to touch and, consequently, break his trophies. I remember the excitement that welled inside me, and that warmth growing in my chest nearly exploded when we were turned loose to create our own characters individually. I fell in love with my first original character, Emma, and I began imagining her in all sorts of scenarios and plots.
After we created the mandatory picture books in class, I went home, took my mother’s blank printer paper and a blue pen, and wrote until my hands were stained with ink. I wrote short illustrated books and longer short stories, eventually growing a collection of creative works in which I felt nothing but pride. I wrote because I found excitement in crafting stories and characters and playing them out for both myself and others to share. Writing was a hobby, and a fun hobby at that. As I grew older, I became motivated to perfect my writing. I read to find inspiration for my writing style, and I researched both writing techniques and ideas for content. For example, I wanted to write a court case into one of my novels, and the logistics of bringing that case to life through words sent me down a rabbit hole of researching all about the United States court system. Writing brought me to college, to pursue a life as a novelist, to grow in my writing skills, and to assist others in learning to love writing, too.
I know my experience is not common. I know that, for many, writing is a tedious chore to just get over and done with. And I agree that being told to write is not nearly as fun and enriching as choosing to write for yourself. Even so, I believe everyone can find joy in writing, even for class. You may never become passionate about writing, but that does not mean you cannot enjoy writing.
The first step toward learning to enjoy writing is to write about what interests you. If you are writing for class, you can twist the prompt (within the professor’s requirements) into something you want to discuss and pursue further. When you experience genuine curiosity, you are more likely to look more deeply into the topic and have fun writing about it because learning about it is fun too. You can think of writing as a way to discuss what you love with others, perhaps even enter into a larger conversation; who doesn’t like talking about what they love and sharing their unique opinions? Additionally, I recommend building time in your schedule to write for yourself. Not for class, not for others, but for yourself. You could journal about your day, free-write about some topic you want to discuss, or write a short story or poem. If you write for yourself rather than being told to, writing becomes more than an academic tool; it can be fun and self-enriching.
Writing might feel like a chore, but it doesn’t have to be. Find what you are passionate about and integrate that into your writing. By writing for yourself and about topics you love, you can grow to have fun with and love writing.
