<https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-yellow-crew-neck-t-shirt-writing-on-white-paper-4144173/>
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
—Mother Teresa
What My Final Semester Taught Me
As mentioned in earlier blog posts, 2020 has not been a picnic for anybody. As a senior in my final semester of college, I have been struggling for nearly a month and a half to cross the finish the line. Though I lost an abundance of opportunities I hoped to treasure (like commencement, senior retreat, and saying goodbye to all my Marian friends), I did find a flicker of hope in my ongoing English class.
I have had the privilege this semester of engaging with my ENG 322: Line Editing course. During this class, I learned a plethora of editing processes I might share in later blog posts, such as conceptual editing, copy editing, making style sheets, and so forth. These processes were implemented in an ongoing project known as the Indiana Prison Writers Workshop.
Our project this semester is to edit and piece together a collection of prose written by inmates at Pendleton Prison. It is to be published this coming summer.
While I am a sucker for editorial knowledge, I reflect back on this experience as more of an eye-opener for the therapeutic power of writing. My responsibilities included gathering and transcribing stories from those who have been incarcerated and shut out from society. I experienced a range of emotions as I read through the realities of prison life, childhood narratives, and optimistic goals for the future.
This workshop was created with the intent of offering an outlet for “those who have experienced violence in their communities” and to help participants “find confidence and courage to write from their hearts.” As one of the editors, I can attest to the truth of its mission. This project revealed to me the power of writing for those suffering or struggling. It is an outlet for emotion and feeling that connects communities and builds up self-esteem.
Building Up Communities From Home
In this uncertain year of 2020, suffering is all around. To overcome the burdens of COVID-19, we must stay positive and do our best to uplift ourselves and others. And what better way to do so then with an activity you can do from home.
I have decided to name this home-style writing: charitable writing. Charitable writing is any kind of written activity by which you help lift up others with kind words. For me, this looks like bringing the voices of Pendleton prisoners to a broader community—all from my computer and the WebEx program. But for you, this could be writing a letter to an elderly or missed family member. Or, using an online program to write to a quarantined pen pal around the world.
I have made a fun infographic to help inspire you:
Helpful Links:
- Letter Writing Groups and Pen Pal Websites ➡ Letter Writers Alliance Blog
- Writing Congratulation Letters to Seniors ➡ Gretchen Rubin
- Letter Writing to the Armed Forces ➡ Soldiers’ Angels Letters
These are just a few fun ideas to be generous with your time and writing capabilities. Let me know in the comments below how YOU are engaging in charitable writing!
The Writer's Desk 
Hi, Dr. O here. Great job! This was an excellent first post. I’m invested in the blog and the subject.…