The Five W’s of Linda

By Linda Patton - June 28, 2015

       In order to establish a credo, I think it would be important to answer a few questions. While answering these questions, I will find out more about who I am as a writer. Or rather-who I would like to become. It’s easy to answer these questions in my head, easy because the answer can change at any moment, or trail off into another line of thinking. By answering these questions to the world, it makes me accountable to myself. In becoming accountable to myself, I am therefore able to understand the difference in what I “think” and what I “believe,” which will hopefully make me a better writer, as well as a better person.  

               

                Why do I write?  I write because I believe everyone has something to say.  I write because it is an outlet for my imagination. I am a creative person at heart. Just a few of my hobbies include crocheting, gardening, building things, baking, volunteering for different organizations, and raising chickens. In addition to that I love music. I love many kinds of music, although I mostly listen to Christian music, and have even written a handful of songs. I have other hobbies, like being outdoors with my family. We go rock climbing, kayaking, hiking, camping and many other outdoor activities. I enjoy people, I enjoy listening to what they have to say. I also enjoy talking-as I am sure you have noticed. As you can see, many of my hobbies are creative hobbies, while others revolve around people.

I have learned that volunteering for different organizations provides an outlet for some of my creative hobbies. For example, I can make blankets for a local charity who helps mothers and new babies, and by helping with meals for many school organizations during trips and after school, I get to create meals and bake all sorts of wonderful things.

Who is my audience? While this blog journal is set up for an English class, I hope to learn enough to create a blog after I have finished this class.  I have learned that people enjoy hearing about something they have never experienced, in addition to hearing something they have experienced from a different point of view.  Around our house, we have a slightly different take on raising animals. One of my core beliefs is that man has a duty to take care of animals. I am not opposed to eating meat, but I believe that we should provide animals with the best life possible. They deserve to be taken care of in a humane manner. However, around here, chickens are family pets. All of our chickens have names and we have even been able to learn to communicate with them as well as we do with any dog we have ever known. They run to the fence and ask to go for a walk. There are specific sounds that they make for different types of predators, and our chickens asked to be held. People want to hear about that. Not everyone can have pets, much less chickens, and reading about them makes them feel as though they do. I thought I was only writing for friends and family to read, only to find that they were printing my stories off and reading them to coworkers and their friends and family. Boy if that isn’t a quick lesson on internet safety!

What do I write? I enjoy writing about my animals, what I learn in my spiritual walk with the Lord, my adventures, what I am learning, and of course-my family. I enjoy life. I want to live every minute to the fullest, and then I want to reflect on it. My family has a practice, whenever my husband, my kids, and I go on an outing, we take a few moments after to share our favorite parts. We have found that it helps us remember the things we don’t want to forget. We have also learned that negative has a way of overshadowing the positive. In reflecting this way, we are forced to look at an experience and realize that it wasn’t as bad as we thought, and we are able to shake off any negative and move forward with a positive perspective. I personally tend to think of it as our own little battle in making this world a happier place. It reminds us that we have a choice.

When do I write? I write back and forth with many friends and family that I only get to see on occasion. I write when I want to remember something. I write in some form every day. I find it helps me to stay focused.

And finally, Where do I write? Besides writing many emails, texts, Facebook posts, and letters, I like to use journals. Some things I don’t mind sharing, but other things are best left in a book that no one will ever read.

Thank you for allowing me to share this learning session with you. Your help has been greatly appreciated.