Writing: The attainable superpower

WRITING is not just for the “writer.” It is a medium through which ideas are communicated. Assuming that everybody has some ideas, it is a necessity for all.

Lately I’ve found myself in the way of questions from, friends and acquaintances, mostly of a school going age, about how to improve academically, how to do better, how to you know?

Well, ask that question to anyone and you will be told to study, by that most people mean read. I have absolutely nothing against that, in fact as you will find, I am all for reading.

But I have found that as I spoke to these friends and tried to give genuine advice, I also got to have a clearer view of my opinion on the subject. My advice basically goes like this; writing, writing, writing!

Work on your writing, know how to express your ideas, know how to structure them. Be able to put your knowledge in the best light possible.

For someone looking to write for the purpose of academic examinations for instance, you want to reveal what you know without revealing your ignorance; you want to ride as close to the line between those two things without crossing it.

That is the essence of the advice, no matter what it is you’re studying, but more so for the humanities, social sciences, and even the natural sciences.

See, I have had the privilege of studying with some pretty talented people who had answers to some questions I was struggling with, but those same people who displayed high intelligence, only managed marginal passes at most.

I can only imagine it is because when they sat to WRITE their exams, those ideas did not arrive on paper in one piece. Write I say, and write well.

There are other reasons why one must write well, these will be expounded later. But for now, most may be wondering how does one go about writing well?

Well, remember that age old advice about reading? Read, and read a lot. In saying this, I draw from my own experience.

Reading “happened” to me when I was eight years old. Not to say I had not read before this time, but I remember the book I read and I remember the effect it had on me. Oliver Twist, the first memorable book I ever read opened my world. It changed my thoughts, my preoccupations, my ideas. Ever since, reading has been one of the foremost pleasure of my life. The writing came naturally, after all reading and writing go together like Tom and Jerry. This of course does not negate the importance of practice.

So after I tell people to write well, I go ahead and tell them to read, and read a lot. Read well too. You would be surprised by the most common responses I get. I tell someone to go through a novel every now and again, and the response:

“What the heck, dude, novels?”

I probably don’t push novels on them and suggest some non fiction instead, some really engaging literature, and the response: “Uhm... that’s boring!” Yep! Maybe you’ve thought that way at some point; no judgement. There is however a strong suggestion that you escape from that mentality sooner rather than later.

You see, behind our smart phones, tablets and laptops; behind all those screens, we convince ourselves to feel safe and comfortable in the shorthand we text on Facebook and other social platforms.

But real writing has not diminished in value. If anything, it has vastly appreciated. The world is changing; the number of times you have to exercise your vocal cords in order to communicate is becoming less and less.

Instead those screens we love so much are becoming our telephones, letter boxes and everything else all in one. This is how we now send love letters, emails, this is how we hand-in assignments, apply for college or employment, this is how we live. The world is there at the touch of a button, and all you have to do is write.

I just imagined someone slamming their desk muttering, “Man, there’s no escape!”

And there is none. If there was, I can assure you, you still wouldn’t want to take it. Because believe me, writing is more than just for the purpose of conveying messages, it goes much deeper than that.

Writing is creation; it is a form of art, and even more importantly it stimulates thought. Have you ever realised that when you write you are actually forced to think about your thoughts? You are compelled to reflect, and that experience and its effect is something that may last longer than the words you write. The intellectual development that comes from just attempting to write is invaluable!

After the sermon, comes the appeal. Please make an effort to write. These things seem trivial, but often they are the difference between success and failure in so many of life’s endeavors. Tell me any profession or career where writing will be absolutely irrelevant to you, and I promise to prove you wrong. ◆ Students, YOU CAN SEND YOUR ARTICLES THROUGH E- MAIL, FACEBOOK, WHATSAPP or TEXT Just app Charles Mushinga on 0772936678 or send your articles, pictures, poetry, art . . . to Charles Mushinga at charles.mushinga@zimpapers.co.zw or mushingacharles@gmail.com or follow Charles Mushinga on Facebook or @charlesmushinga on Twitter. You can also post articles to The Sunday Mail Bridge, PO Box 396, Harare or call 0772936678.