By ELIZABETH KNAPP
Contributing Writer
Hello, Chronicle readers! I’m happy to return to the pages of the Chronicle to discuss some of my favorite topics: writing and language. I graduated from Saint Rose in 2010 with a degree in Public Communication, with a focus on Journalism, and I am back as a graduate student, in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program. This introductory column will give you a sense of my own background and relationship with writing before I move on to discuss writing in a more general way.
I was fortunate to find a writing job upon graduating. I wrote for a trade publication geared toward independent booksellers and other members of the book industry. But when I had to answer the question that all new graduates face (“Did you find a job?”), I often stumbled. Since it wasn’t as straightforward as a reporter for a newspaper or a columnist for a magazine, I struggled to accurately describe my job, often providing entirely too much information. I mentioned this to my brother, who casually asked, “Why don’t you just say you’re a writer?” This may sound crazy, but I had not, until that moment, considered self-identifying as a writer, despite the fact that “Writer/Researcher” was my actual, printed-on-the-business-card job description.
Thinking about it now, it seems like my reservations were based on other people’s perception of “writers” and my uncertainty about fulfilling those perceptions. After all, I wasn’t sitting at home, penning the next Great American Novel, nor did I believe that I possessed the skill set to do so. It seemed that embedded in the title “writer” was an affirmation that I was a “good” writer, and I didn’t want to come off as overconfident.
This is a crazy thought to have! If I told someone I was a bricklayer, I wouldn’t immediately wonder if that person was questioning my ability to lay bricks. Such should be the case with writing: I went to an office every day and wrote. I was a writer.
It seems like these exact reasons are why students freeze when they see the word “write” on an assignment or feel the need to separate themselves from writing, if their area of study is anything other than English. I often hear the disclaimer “I can’t write, I’m a math major,” and I wonder if that is a sufficient excuse.
Writing is a way of communicating. We are all writers—especially in a time when texting is a more socially acceptable form of communication than making a phone call. We should not fear the word “writer,” or try to dissociate ourselves from that title. Writing is also a dynamic process, and it is a skill that improves over time and with practice. Even the best and most established writers are constantly expanding their vocabularies and polishing their styles. Like speaking, writing is nearly impossible to avoid in most professions, so it is important that college students (yes, you and me!) work to develop this skill.
Over the course of the semester, I hope to explore the various ways we use writing, while featuring other students’ and professionals’ relationship with the craft. As is the case with these kinds of projects, I can’t predict with certainty the direction the column will take, but that is part of the fun of watching any piece of writing evolve. I hope you enjoy it!
Elizabeth is one of several writing tutors at our Writing Center, available to assist all Saint Rose students in every phase of writing assignments. To make an appointment, stop by the Academic Success Center, on the second floor of Saint Joseph Hall, or call 518-454-5299.
