“In every language, in every part of the world, story is the fundamental grammar of all
thought and communication. By telling ourselves what happened, to whom, and why, we
not only discover ourselves and the world, but we change and create ourselves and the
world too.”
Aeden Chambers
“The purpose of writing is not to arrange ink on paper, to provide a mirror for the
author’s thoughts, but to carry ideas and information from the mind of one person into the
mind of another.”
Donald Graves
“A writer is motivated by the need to express himself/herself. To put it another way,
writers write because they simply have to write. It is their way of dealing with emotions,
with their understandings, with their lives. When poet Alden Nowlan was once asked,
“Why do you write?” he answered, “What else would I do?” For me, writing is a neverending journey of self-discovery. I could no more give up writing than give up breathing.
It is as much a part of me as my skin.”
Glen Sorestad
“We use language to contemplate what has happened to us or to other people, or what
might conceivably happen: we improvise upon our world representation – and we may
only do so either to enrich it, to embroider it, to fill in its gaps and extend its frontiers, or
to iron out its inconsistencies.”
James Britton
Assignment: State which of the above quotes you most identify with and why. Then
create a poster with your own statement about writing and present it in an appealing way.
Learning from Other Writers
Take time to reflect on what you value in writing by completing the following
questionnaire.
1. What mode of writing are you most interested in?
2. What genre do you prefer?
3. Describe the type of reader you are.
4. Who is your favourite author? Give reasons for your choice.
5. What attracts you to a particular mode of writing, genre or author?
6. List five things you’ve read recently. Start with your favourite and work down.