My Autobiography as a Writer

By Pamela den Ouden

Writing is part of my everyday life. Not a day goes by that I don’t pick up a pencil, pen, felt marker, crayon, or coloured pencil to write something. Daily, I use my computer to write various things: e-mails, blogs, status updates on Facebook, and chat online with friends. Not only has writing always been an important part of my life, it is also one of my favourite things to do.

I have always enjoyed keeping a diary. Before the days of computers, I wrote by hand in books made especially for journaling. I have many of these in a box in my closet. Most of them start well, often on New Year’s Day. The problem with keeping a diary is that it is supposed to be written in every day. January—a new start! By the end of the month, however, days are missing, and then I might leave some blank pages, thinking that I’d fill them in later. That “later” never happened, so the book was abandoned. Once friends and family knew that I was a diary writer, they always gave me very beautiful journals for my birthday or Christmas. Now, however, I try to discourage this because I use Word documents to write my journal. This is more convenient and faster for me, and I can write more by typing than by handwriting.

Another kind of writing that has been important to me is letter writing. Although e-mail is very quick to write and send, I think it is wonderful to receive a letter by Canada Post. I have a sister who lives on the other side of Canada and several friends who have moved away from Fort St. John who regularly write me handwritten letters and postcards. Nothing brightens my day like recognizing their handwriting on an envelope in my mailbox. I think they are also cheered when they see my handwriting on an envelope in their mailbox. I have many letters that I have kept over the years. My letters to my friends are, in a sense, a journal of my life.

Finally, believe it or not, I have also enjoyed doing school assignments and essays. This kind of writing takes time, thought, and patience, Each sentence has to be carefully written and proofread. I have written many essays on lots of different topics. The most difficult writing for me was my Master’s thesis, but the sense of accomplishment when it was finished was very good.

When we write, we let a little bit of ourselves out into the universe. We send a bit of our soul to another person. It is a great way to share our thoughts, feelings, and day-to-day life.

How I Use Writing

By Iryna Semenukha

As for me, I use writing for explanatory of my ideas on the papers. When to send messages and mails to my friend. I use writing for the letters my parents. I use writing for create documents. When go to doctor, he is writing medical recipe. When go shopping I complete list to buy shop. I use writing to do hometask and to keep a diary.

How I Use Writing

By Pamela

Every day, I use writing at home and at work. First at home, I write many different kinds of things. Lists are important to help me remember things. I write grocery lists and to-do lists. I also write letters and e-mails to my friends and family, and I update my status on Facebook from time to time. At work, I write e-mails and lesson plans. I also create posters to announce special events. Finally, if I go to a meeting, I often take notes to help me remember what people said. Writing is an important skill for me.

How I Use Writing

By Pamela

Every day, I use writing at home and at work. First, at home, I write many different kinds of things. Lists are important to help me remember things. I write grocery lists and to-do lists. I also compose letters and e-mails to my friends and family, and I update my status on Facebook from time to time. At work, I write e-mails and lesson plans. I also create posters to announce special events. Finally, if I go to a meeting, I often take notes to help me remember what people said. Writing is an important skill for me. 

My Autobiography as a Writer - Yuko

By Yuko Hirata

When I was an elementary school student, I like to send letters to my old friends. I wrote about my daily life, myself, and so on. I sent many letters to them and they replied. We were keeping in touch for a long time. I couldn’t wait for the reply from them. If my mother didn’t teach me how to send letters, I couldn’t know such an enjoyment, maybe.

After I became a junior high school student, I got my own cell phone, so I exchanged e-mail with my friends. That’s why recently I haven’t written a letter. But I want to write letters to my family and friends in Japan. It may be good for me to do so. I am able to remember my original intention when I was young.

Now, I am about 20 years old. It is about 15 years since I could write something, so it’s natural for me that I can write, but I must not forget my mother who taught me writing. I write something, I will always have thanks to her from now.

My Autobiography as a Writer - Mayu

By Mayu Takenaka

I talk about my writer life. I have written letters since I was 6 years old. I learned how to write letters from my mother. Also, I sent the letter for my grandparent, and she heard from me but she said she couldn’t understand what I say. I was so sad, so I do letter exercises. I often sent the letter to my friends. The next year, I sent the letter to my grandparent again. She heard from me and she understood my letter. Then I often wrote letters.

When I was 15 years old, I had a mobile phone. Then I have sent the text messages. I learned how to send it from my brother. My brother was 17 years old, so he knew how to use it. I knew that we could send the text messages anywhere. When I finished school, then I sent it to my mother, so she met me at the school. It is a very useful tool. Now I am 21 years old and I use it every day. Text messages are one of the necessaries of my life.

Finally, when I was 19 years old, I entered university. I often wrote essays. I learned how to write essays from my English teacher. It was too difficult for me. I could note write good essays. I had the essay class when I was a first year student and second year student. Then I could write essays but I didn’t have the essay class when I was a third year student and now I forgot how to write the essay. Therefore, I should study English harder and when I go back to Japan, I’ll become a good essay writer. This is my writer life. I continue to do writing exercise.

My Autobiography as a Writer - Mami

By Mami Kashiwa

I write letters to my friends when I feel lonely. I write a letter when I got on the plane that came here recently. And I write letters of thanks to my family when they did something to me. Also, I gave a letter to my teacher when I attended graduation.

I send e-mail to my friends when I want to meet to someone. Then, we decide detail of the plan -- calendar, pocket diary.

I write down the message for someone when I received phone call. Then I don’t forget to put down one’s name and phone number, too. So the message will reach someone who was absent.

I write a blog or diary when I spend memorable days. I write a blog when I want to tell the memorable things to everyone. A diary is read by myself. So, I write sometimes bad things that I don’t want to tell anyone.

I write down the name of the food on the container [of leftovers] so I can know what’s inside even if I don’t open the lid.

I have made songs. Then I wrote down the words and music.

And I’m doing this homework on this paper!

My Autobiography as a Writer - Manami

By Manami Sugawara

I like to write letters. I’m not good at showing my feeling so I can tell someone my feeling by writing letters.

I wrote some letters everyday when I was a junior high school student. Then it is popular to write letters to someone. Specially, I wrote letters to club members who are younger than me to be on good terms with them. We talked about our secret story. I could write my feelings honestly.

I became happy to receive a letter from friends when I graduated school. I can leave letters intact. I can encourage myself by reading these letters and remember my life at that time. So I want to continue writing letters though it will be once in a while.

My Autobiography as a Writer - Yukari

By Yukari Fukuyama

It is hard for me to write a diary, blog, and so on because I can’t continue to write such a diary every day. I think that to write something is fun, but I have never kept a diary since I was a child.

For example, when I was an elementary schoolgirl, I started to write my diary one day because many friends around me have written their diary at the time. In the first day and the second day, I wrote my diary exactly, but I couldn’t keep writing from third day. As a result, my diary finished in a very short time. Then I tried to keep writing a diary, blog, and my life many times; however, I failed in all challenges.

I think that the cause of failure is two reasons. First, I get tired of many things very quickly. So I usually couldn’t keep doing some things except for forced cases. Second, I am not good at writing my feeling in terms. I like talking with someone more than writing. So maybe I lacked my feeling to write something. I want to keep writing some day.

However, an exception is a letter because I have been writing many letters for my friends when I was a high school student. At the time, I could keep writing a letter for a long time. I don’t know why I could, but these letters are very good memories for me. So I’ll write a letter to someone next time.