Words: Friends or Foe? How can writing help you.

[quirkywords]

People can be afraid of words as they have no confidence in what they write. Maybe at school teachers have said negative things about their writing or their parents have said they don't write well.

Some people are anxious to write their first post as they wonder if they will make sense to others.

I believe words are your friends and everyone who can read this can write in meaningful way.

I want to look at how writing can help you

1) by helping you to explain and express your feelings to others

2) allowing you to connect to others through your words

3) by keeping a journal or starting a thread here and learn from your own writing and read others.

4) by helping you work out how to change certain behaviours

and many more we can share with each other.

To start at the beginning : Are words your friend or foe?

When you see a blank page or screen are you filled with fear or are you excited at the challenge.

Does writing words down help you more or in a different way to speaking them?

Everyone is welcome to contribute, first time posters , regulars, people who don't like writing , people who find they go the character limit for the post every time.

Write on

Quirky

PS writing in this context is same as typing , or using voice to text.

I want to look at how words can help you express your thoughts and emotions?

[Summer Rose]

Hi Quirky

I write a lot of notes at home, which has become a chore. I have two 20-something young adults at home who are both university students. I'm told they're bright but if I don't leave a note to remind them to empty the dishwasher or walk the dog or hang the washing up nothing gets done!

At work, writing anything technical is a chore. I write a lot at work--speeches, reports, information bulletins, strategy papers, etc--and I enjoy it. But the really technical things I despise. I've been writing a lot of standard operating procedures lately and it bores me to tears. There is no room for creativity or nuance. I procrastinate and dawdle and have to force myself to concentrate. The whole process is joyless and completely in congruent with my normal experience.

[quirkywords]

Hello writers of word,

umber Rose, I think I keep post it notes in business. I have notes to myself, notes in books, notes for my partner.

I think I would really procrastinate if I had to write a standard operating procedure.

I write a media release for a committee I volunteer on, and I find it very hard as it flows a plan and is not creative.

Thanks for your post.

Quirky

[smallwolf]

Tagged.

Sometimes I can express what I want to say in written form better than verbally. In written form my thought come out in a sequential manner, whereas verbally I might have 3 ideas to communicate at once. From a therapy perspective, writing is perfect to get thoughts out of my head, as a release mechanism.

Tim

[Summer Rose]

Hi Quirky

I hear you about writing media releases ... inverted pyramid style gets boring after awhile. Written many.

I think I preferred it when I was on the other side of the fence (early in my career). Particularly enjoyed a stint as a radio reporter. Writing for the ear is a different kind of challenge once again. Have you or anyone else ever tried it?

[Summer Rose]

Hi Lici

I agree that writing your MI story for someone else to read in an essay is an interesting concept.

I have tried to write my mental health story as a novel many times but can't. I feel too exposed, too vulnerable. It is also very confronting.

Instead I have chosen to build charcters, setting or context using my experience for different pieces of work. I think it's easier to be a bit detached. I hope you have better luck than me. Let us know how you get on.

[Lici]

Hi Summer Rose,

I definitely wouldn't be able to write a novel on my experiences, it would be way too daunting for me!

The essay I have to write is 3000 words so I really have to think about what to include and what not to etc. The interesting aspect of creative nonfiction and personal essays is that it has all the aspects of fiction writing. I have to include scenes, it has to follow a plot and it has to have character and voice etc. I think those aspects is what will help me detach enough to be able to tell my story.

They also follow a theme of dealing with a personal issue that speaks to a broader issue (or universal issue as they put it) so I think choosing my experience with PTSD will speak to broader issues without even really needing to think on it too much.

I'll definitely let you know how it goes, it's due next month so I won't be starting it for a little while as I have 2 psychology assignments due first. More reading of journal articles that are bland and boring (sigh).

Hope you're having a good night 🙂

Kind regards,

Lici

[quirkywords]

Hello wordsmiths,

Smallwolf, I agree that the written form is easier to organise. When I speak I ofte ramble- imagine that. Writing as a release mechanism , that is so true. I see it when people start writing posts and they gain more perspective and confidence which each post.

Summer Rose, I wrote a few pieces for the local radio station - just personal things. Sometimes I would do it off the cuff but then I would ramble so I would write it out and use it is a guideline so it had structure and spontaneity- well that was the plan! I once wrote a short radio play too.

Lici, sorry I missed your first post. I like your avatar.

Thanks for answering my question. When I was studying I was a bad student as I would read anything but the texts or books I was supposed to!! I use to say that studying literature at school or uni would put people off novels for life!!

In regards to your personal essay. This may not be the same, but I give talks for BB about my lived experience and while ot an essay I construct a narrative of my experience. By writing it helps memakes sense of my past and write it in such a way it helps others.

I think your essay sounds like a very useful experience. Like Summer rose I am interested in how it goes.

I found writing and talking about things can bring up issues you have not thought of for a while so it is importnat to practice self care. May be even keeping a notebook while you write the essay just to be aware of any reactions you have. I am sure you know all that, I wanted to helpful and not patronising!

Thanks Lici, Summer Rose, Smallwolf, Quercus . Tams for your posts and all those reading, nodding and now thinking about their writing.

Write on!

Quirky

[Summer Rose]

Hi Quirky

Wow! A radio play. How amazing. I'm wondering what inspired you? What was it about?

Actually I'm also looking for advice about inspiration, too. I've only been active on the forums a short time and would like to be able to start interesting threads like this one. I've tried a couple of times without great success but don't want to throw in the towel just yet. So, what makes a good thread?

[quirkywords]

Hello to everyone

Summer Rose.

think it is something that interests you?

t can be a question?

Look at threads you like and see what it is you like about them.

It depends if you want a personal thread and get help and ideas and support, or one like this where it is a general topic that people can discuss.

White Knight, writes heaps of interesting threads, you could ask him on one of his threads.

Maybe I slightly exaggerated about the radio play.

On a radio evening show they asked people to write a short episode of a funny police show episode, mine was the case of the missing mummy!! There was formula and listeners just wrote their own using the formula.

I did not mean to mislead well maybe I did!!

2 of my children came into the radio studio and played 2 children.

So a radio play maybe a bit of an exaggeration.

Quirky

[Lici]

Hi quirky,

Thanks! My avatar is a picture I took a month or so ago

I don't think I've read a whole book or textbook in the 2 and a half years I've been at uni lol. Actually that's a lie, we had a science fiction book and Carrie by Stephen king as set books, I was happy to read those! Everything else I struggle with though! Mrs Dalloway was like reading the literary equivalent of a dusty attic or watching paint dry! Psychology papers are difficult to get through too!

I think that your BB talks would be a lot like a personal essay, especially if you write down your speech, it would probably read exactly like one, or pretty close to it! I can't imagine speaking in public like that, I'd die! It's bad enough when I want to say something in class lol

Thanks for the notebook idea! You didn't sound patronising at all, I hadn't actually thought about keeping a notebook handy as I usually just write my assignments on the computer. I think that will be super handy to have. I've recently started to track my anxiety symptoms in my study journal so maybe I can put a few pages aside to write down my reactions when writing my essay. Thanks so much!

I'll definitely keep you all updated 🙂 It will be an interesting experience. I haven't had some of the more nasty PTSD symptoms for a while, so I'm hoping that writing about it won't trigger them.

Hope you have a great day!

Kind regards,

Lici