Nickolas Hughes

Opinion Editor

Why do I love to write? It is a question that I struggle with from time to time, but here is what I came up with.

With the opinion section of the Snapper, I have a lot of freedom in what I can write about. That is one of things that I love about my section so much, but with so much to write, how does one pick something concrete? A reliable and consistent topic, which I could write about multiple times. I was able to when I looked at what I am passionate about. It can be seen in a lot of my articles. Most of them having subject matter on one or two things. Those being Star Wars and vaccinations.

Granted, I write about more than just those two, but it is what I am known for at the Snapper. My passion for these two come from different backgrounds. My Star Wars writings stems from an almost fanatical devotion to Star Wars. I know a lot about the subject and that translates well into my writing. Being confident about the subject matter makes the articles that much better. I come up with theories about Star Wars and I would like to think of myself as a prominent member in the Star Wars community.

With vaccinations, I write to serve a singular purpose. That being to inform and educate. As many of my readers know, I have autism. Which is a, according to the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, “is a persistent deficit in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts.” There is a common misconception about a link between autism and the MMR vaccine; as well as other vaccines. I have written about this subject quite often and I will continue to do so. It is this passion about it that points me to the conclusion that writing is my calling.

Is that why I love to write though? It can be looked at as a good example for a purpose in my writing, however, I do not attribute that to my love for writing though. What could be attributed though is my love for the craftsmanship that accompanies writing. If you were to think about it, writing is one of the true art forms that has withstood the test of time. Like that cliché that I used. Writing is used everywhere, though it may not seem it to an everyday person. Take some time to think about it and I am sure that you will find multiple instances within a single hour in which writing has played a part.

I like to think of myself as an artist. With my words, I can entertain people who read my writing. Look at the enjoyment that legions of fans got from J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series. She is one of my favorite childhood authors, and she has a gift to entertain with words and it has made her a public figure. I want to have that as well. Not the fame and the money, but the gift. The gift of writing is what I am looking for when I think of why I love writing.

To make others feel happiness from reading. That is my purpose for my writing. Looking back to some of my articles makes me smile because of the effect that the articles had. Take the National Socialist Black Metal article that I wrote. I got a reaction for the article. It alerted readers to something that, I felt, they needed to know. The same can be said of my articles about vaccines. There is a lot of discussion that goes on in the comments sections for those articles on the Snapper website.

To promote awareness on issues, to entertain, and to enjoy the pure craftmanship of writing. I think these are the reasons that I love to write. I look to inspire those who read this article to write more. It could be for the Snapper, but more important than that, you should write for yourself. Writing opens you to a world far larger than yourself and gives you perspective on things you never thought you would even think about. Stay writing, Millersville.