Journal Response #1: Allie Wisniewski

Writing, in simplest terms, can be described as the recording of thoughts and ideas using a language of letters, numbers, and/or symbols. Essentially, it is the act of utilizing words in order to communicate for entertainment, transference of information, persuasion, encouragements, etc. to a particular or unspecified audience. It is useful and impactful in almost an infinite number of ways by, for example, appealing to human emotion, conveying factual or instructional information, encouraging a person or group of people to think or act in a certain manner, or by simply entertaining the reader.

Writing:

1. Explanatory

         Writing is often explanatory in the sense that it can provide factual (or fictional) information about a topic in order to better articulate its meaning and elucidate certain aspects and details. Examples of explanatory writing include informative essays, nonfiction books, and news sources such as CNN online or a local newspaper. Explanatory writing can also be instructive, such as how-to manuals or recipes, or persuasive, like petitions or speeches.

2. Entertaining

         Writing can be extremely entertaining, engulfing readers in fictional narratives as they begin to lose touch with reality and find themselves sinking deeper and deeper into the imaginations of the authors. A writer may also make use of comedy, horror, or tragedy to affect the reader emotionally, making for an engaging and entertaining experience.

3. Descriptive

         In order to describe something, whether it be an object, place, event, person, or feeling, writing can be used effectively to describe and give more information about whatever it is one intends to make more clear for the reader.

4. Communicative

         Writing, for thousands of years, has been used to communicate words, ideas, and information. Since the invention of correspondence, people of the world have taken advantage of writing in order to remain in contact over long, or even short, distances. What began as telegrams and handwritten letters has today evolved into emails and text messages. Writing allows for nonverbal communication, which is both convenient and oftentimes more efficient.

5. Symbolic

From cuneiform and hieroglyphics in ancient times to the modern languages such as English, Spanish, and Chinese in use today, writing in itself is symbolic. Letters represent sounds that represent words that represent things that represent sentences that represent ideas—and so on, and so on. Writing is not only physically symbolic but also can hold infinitely deep meaning and significance through the use of figurative language like similes, metaphors, and personification.