Let your voice be heard

ESSAY writing or creative writing may strike fear in the hearts of many teenagers, but it certainly does not have that effect on me. Unlike others, I do not see it as a chore or a bore because writing is my favourite pastime.

I was just four when I first fell in love with words from the Peter and Jane series. From there, my interest in reading grew by leaps and bounds, aided by the colourful images from picture books.

As time went by, I craved for more stories and so I started exploring books of different genres – from biographies of famous personalities to science fiction, and from gothic fiction to current day love stories. Each of them had its appeal.

Soon, like many other readers, I began to write in my free time. I found pleasure in stringing words together to form short stories, and sought solace in my characters who always had fantastic adventures.

So strong was my interest in writing that I went on to create a blog where I jotted down my ruminations.

As an SPM student, writing provided me with a breath of fresh air; it gave me a break from dreary subjects such as Biology, Physics and Chemistry. When I struggled with Additional Mathematics, I put my frustrations down in words, be it in the form of a poem or a story.

Other than blogging, I kept diaries even though there was always the challenge of keeping its location a secret.

The best part about keeping diaries and writing blog entries? Reading your previous entries and cracking up when you realise how hilarious and frivolous your worries and problems were as a child. You also get to reminisce on the good old days.

My passion for writing had its downside at times. For example, during examinations, I often lost track of time and exceeded the word count as I let my imagination run wild. I would then have to remove certain parts – which could be challenging because every part seemed so important!

It was because of my love for writing that I joined the BRATs Young Journalist Programme. Writing is a craft that needs to be honed and challenged. My participation in the programme has forced me to write in formats that I never tried before.

For example, it trains me to interview others and quote them in interview articles.

Apart from taking part in the BRATs programme, I often look for competitions that challenge myself in the area of creative writing.

All in all, writing is a hobby I enjoy tremendously, and you don’t need a big budget for it. All you need is a pen and a paper, and you can unleash your creativity!

To those of you who share the same passion, do find windows of opportunity for your voice to be heard. Never be afraid of challenges!

This article was published in the Newspaper in Education (NIE) pullout by The Star Newspaper dated 18 July 2018