Terry Tempest Williams Why I Write Analysis

Why I Write by Terry Tempest Williams is a thought provoking short essay, that makes its readers’ question “Why exactly do I write?”. I find myself asking the same question and only getting the answer “because my teacher tells me to”. That is honestly such a superficial answer but the best I can come up with at the moment. I’m thinking a little harder and I guess I unintentionally write everyday. I write whenever I send out a tweet or post a caption in my Instagram photos or when I am writing something anonymously on Yik Yak or whenever I am texting my friends. Technically that is considered writing and I guess the reason I write is entirely for social reasons and every once in a while write a paper for academic reason, such as right now. I

think I have this relationship with writing because of the way the world is set in 2015. So many social aspects of life have been transferred over to the internet and “social” media and writing about every little thing I do is almost second nature. Having this intimate relationship with the internet is almost a necessity for young people in this day and age. Although this is writing is consistent it is a fairly shallow level of writing. I find it hard for me to conjure enough brain power to write a paper that is worthy of a decent grade. I wish I wasn’t like this and I had a stronger background in writing and it was easier for me to write academic papers. I blame it on technology and the direction the world is going. By the time I am done with class I plan to have be a stronger writer and actually have the desire to read books instead of only doing so when it assigned by a teacher.