I haven't always been fond of writing. In fact, I used to hate it. Like most people, the length and topic of an essay determined how much anxiety I'd be feeling. However, once I discovered my natural skills at writing and organizing papers, I slowly turned my fear into my primary interest. Don't get me wrong, as an English major I still feel anxious when I'm assigned papers, it's just now I feel a sense of relief and accomplishment when I successfully complete my assignments (including my Odyssey articles). Odyssey specifically made me realize I do have a passion for writing. Before I started writing for this site I was only concerned with essay writing, but now that I've found my voice I'm more inspired than ever. This is why I love writing:

1. No one can argue back

Okay, clearly people can leave nasty comments or publish articles as a counter-response to yours when they disagree. What I'm getting at is that people can't literally debate with you as you're working on an article (or any form of writing). I hate arguing because I'm the worst debater. I don't exactly have the quickest thinking skills so I struggle with thinking of counter-arguments in the middle of a discussion. However, on paper there's no one to constantly interrupt and shoot down my points so I'm always a winner.

2. Everything sounds better on paper

Unfortunately, I've always struggled when it came down to anything in regards to oral speech. I hardly ever win arguments because I don't have the quickest thinking skills. With that being said, I enjoy writing because not only can you state what you want without interruption, but you can revise what's said an unlimited amount of times until the deadline.

3. It's a release

Writing is a great exercise for people who struggle with depression, anger issues or anxiety. Journaling, for example, allows you to quietly vent or release any pent up stress you've been holding onto. Think of this activity as "transferring your problems over to the piece of paper." Clearly you don't have to be overwhelmed in order to be a writer, it's just another method to combat your negative emotions when they start to take over, or perhaps express the positive moments in your life.

4. Through writing I discovered my voice

Growing up I've always been that person who gets walked all over because aside from the fact I can be a total pushover, I'm not the least bit assertive. With that in mind, I find I'm either silenced or not often heard, but writing has been a helpful method in finding my voice. The more I write, I feel myself gaining more self-confidence overall.

5. You have the ability of impacting others

As a writer you leave your mark on the world by influencing—or at best, stimulating—the minds of others. You can accomplish this goal through creative and/or academic writing. Of course, this primarily applies to writers with a larger audience, but whether one person reads your work or millions, you always have the capability to educate.