All Writing is Writing

It may not look the same, but it’s words to paper!

Most of my weekly writing never ends up in essays, conference papers, or chapters. Half the time, it isn’t even academic; it consists of journal entries, long texts to friends, emails, teaching notes, and postcards or letters sent each Sunday as part of the Sunday Letter Project. These everyday forms, though unofficial, keep my writing muscles active and remind me that writing is integral not only to my academic life but also to my life in general.  

I’ve discussed the importance of a writing schedule in previous posts and on Instagram. Journaling on tough days or celebrating wins through writing. These can fill in as your writing for the day. Schedule time to think about what you will teach. Sure, PowerPoint works, but what about your notes for what you want to say? Before each class, I spend hours reading responses and making notes to foster discussion. When inspiration strikes, I draft and edit paper proposals for future use. I annotate books and papers to engage deeply with the materials, even on days I need a break from formal or personal writing. I agonize over my writing for my Instagram posts and captions for @scholarlysiren and @wendireadsalot (my bookstagram account). I keep lists upon lists upon lists. They honestly bring me so much joy. I love a good to-do list or a list of places to visit or eat at while traveling. Last week, when I needed a 5-minute break from work, I started a list called “to do later,” which includes planning my July and October trips. My oddest bit of writing that I’m a bit reluctant to share is that I keep lists of overheard phrases from public places or audiobooks. These may serve as book titles one day, or perhaps as essay topics about life and writing.

My main argument is that all these forms of writing count. Add them to your day. When we talk about writing, understand that you do more than you ever realize. Did you find a clever way to talk to your work bestie about a story about your co-workers? That’s a form of creative writing! It’s possible you may not recognize that you often write; a text doesn’t seem like it should count as writing, but it can. Writing doesn’t mean waiting for the eureka moment or inspiration. Stop and pay attention: how much do you write in a day? Are you giving yourself credit? I can cite a personal text conversation about reading to prove this. My friend Anne did not count her herb- and plant-themed books as “read books” for the year. She didn’t think they counted, since she was using them for a specific purpose rather than necessarily reading them for joy. If you look up a new way to use lavender from your garden, shouldn’t that count as reading? For me, it would bring me joy as I only use mine for cooking or as decorations. If reading is reading, why not recognizing writing as writing? Find value, joy, or even love in everything you write.