Painter Put.

Writing is existential. Putting pen to paper, finger to keyboard are all expressions of existence—ways of leaving your mark on the world, saying “I thought this,” and “I created this.” That expression of existence leads to the communication and connection with the world at large, both contemporary, past, and future.

To write is to paint. Like painting a picture, writing is painting a story. A good story could be a mere short slice of life, an illustration of a moment and a nuance, as long as it richly captures meaning as the writer blows into it; the story itself is the sketch—technique adds color, bright, dull, or grey. Of the many forms of writing, fiction—especially short stories—has been my dearest paint brush. Fiction is a craft: it paints meaning with a combination of literary technique and creative story-building. To master it would mean mastering not only writing technique, but also power of imagination. As a result, fiction enriches the writer’s own experience of living, as well as those of the readers. Therefore, mastering the act of writing is in itself worthy of becoming one’s raison d’etre, a pathway to a rich life; I find value beyond greatness from the opportunities.

I first began writing as a hobby to pass time in middle school. The regular old ways of scribbling and dozing off weren’t attracting options anymore. Instead of scribbling stick figures, I began scribbling words on scratch paper. Initially, they were more schemes to keep my hands busy than creative work. They were closer to practicing penmanship rather than writing ability—disorganized, grammatically imprecise, fully stream of consciousness rants. But repetition did its work, and writing became a more fluent activity for me. Consequently, my introduction to writing—fiction, poetry, essays, basically any kind of writing I did out of class—was upon a sturdy platform of fluency and familiarity. I’d learned that writing ability works as the basis for creativity and, most importantly, creative fervor.

I hope to accomplish not many things. My aim is straight and steady: improve. I hope to meet new people, read their work, show them my own, and establish wonderful connections. I hope that, in the end, I would make my own existence more marked and colorful.