Why does writing matter?
How a student challenge got me thinking about the power of words.
Last week I had the privilege of mentoring a group of English Literature students at the UEA as part of a week-long challenge in which they were tasked with creating a digital project in response to the question: why does writing matter? They had a week to interpret the brief, create a five minute digital piece and prepare a five minute presentation for a virtual conference in which five mentors, including myself, would give critical feedback.
Having worked for the best part of a decade across production studios and agencies, I know the work involved in creating a five minute digital story, whether that’s a video, animation or radio script – so firstly I want to acknowledge the determination and skill of the students who all worked exceptionally hard (often teaching themselves skills along the way) to create a series of distinctive and thought-provoking pieces. I was seriously impressed.
But I was also fascinated by the subject matter. The students themselves all gave varying responses to the question. I saw answers to the question range from: writing matters because:
It’s self-expression
It’s world-changing
It’s the formation of ideas
It makes people happy
It creates imaginative worlds to escape to
It raises awareness of issues and experiences
It’s the recording of memories
It’s how we learn
It connects us
And more – all touched upon in the students projects and just waiting to be explored further. And it got me thinking. I’m a professional writer, I’ve always wanted to be a writer. What started out as skipping around the garden and telling myself stories (I’m aware I must have seemed a strange child) has evolved into writing words for some of the biggest brands in the world, alongside wrestling my own attempt at a novel into something not even slightly resembling submission – so why does writing matter to me?
What’s important about it? How can you distill the essence of good writing into words?
And there you have it: to me, writing is communication in its purest form. It’s the gateway between minds, ideas, brands and their customers. It’s permanent; it’s there for one person – or hundreds, or thousands, or millions – to absorb. Writing is the ultimate communicator.
Every film, play, game, VR experience, mission statement, brand slogan, radio ad, viral tweet – the list goes on – is underpinned by writing. And it’s good writing that gets paid attention to. Words are my clay – they are there to be moulded into sentences, ideas or even worlds of my choosing. But that’s just on a personal level. If you step away from ‘me’ and look at how writing connects people across the globe, how words flung into Twitter on one side of the world can speak directly to somebody on the other; or how a journalist can tell a story that topples dynasties; or a catchphrase can catch the imagination of a social revolution that rallies millions – then that’s where you see why writing matters.
It informs our present, keeps our past and shapes our future.
And if you’re a brand, it can ensure your survival. So if you’re after a copywriter, you need one who can wield words like a weapon to cut through the clamouring of bland brands and speak directly to your customers. So what are you waiting for?
