Why I Write Wednesday: IUWC Intern Alex Hardgrave

I write because I always have. I swear I’ve tried writing in every form — fiction, non-fiction, poetry, script writing, journalism. I’ve been there done that, and I both enjoy and loathe aspects of all of the forms, but I keep trying and writing and learning. 

One of my earliest memories of enjoying the act of writing was in my fourth grade class. Every week, our teacher would give us a prompt and I’d write and write until my hand ached about whatever world she dropped us into. I realized that this was unusual when my other classmates complained about these assignments, but I looked forward to them every week. This is what I think I can point to as the time I “became” a writer and I’ve not stopped since then. 

I’ve always felt the need to create and put something out into the world because I am also a reader. There is a long list of books that have made me laugh, cry, and inspired me, and that’s what I hope to create for other people. I remember a book from childhood called Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. In this story a woman leads a fulfilling life, doing everything she wants to do, but as she grows older she remembers that there is one thing she has left to do which is make the world more beautiful. She goes around planting lupines everywhere in her town. Now, lupines grow each year and make the area more beautiful. For me, the lupines are my words. I hope to use them to leave the world more beautiful. Maybe that’s cheesy, but it’s what keeps me writing even when it’s hard — knowing my words will outlive me and have a chance to make an impact. 

Whether it’s for fun or for a workshop class, I’m always writing, and I’m very lucky to have had the chance to learn so much about it through my English and journalism classes here at IU. As I look to graduate, I’m not sure what comes next, except that I’ll be happy as long as I’m writing.