Into A Writing Society

By: Firman Nugraha

Writing, as one of the competence, holds significant role in many fields. It is not only aimed for expressing feelings but also for documenting knowledge, history and so on. And it becomes valuable as form of humankind’s development. In addition, writing seems cover necessity for all people regarding to information due to globalization in this world of parallelism. Koentjaraningrat (1985) stated that writing as an opus has possibility in preserving live and positioning one in a great honour that in turn demand him of her to create more and more work.

However, to mention facts, writing –as one of the activities—has not become a culture in the society, especially in Indonesian context. It is different from other countries such as United States, Japan, or even our neighbor, Malaysia, where writing has placed as a necessity as same as our necessary to primary needs of life e.g. foods and drinks.

Millions of books they produce; billions of writings they make. And because of its strength that has been proofed, writing is believed as a vital element that enormously influences human civilization. European, for example, deals a tremendous grateful since writing has achieved a massive development on economic, social life, and politic in the early 18’s (Bradburn & Berlew, 1961). They have those bargaining power on literacy –read and write—in every day life. In fact, Japanese spend their holiday in reading as a schedule. Obviously, it is hardly spoken to describe how Indonesian’s attitude toward this: literacy.

Literate, according to Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary (1981: 666) refers to educated one and has capability in reading and writing as its culture. In Indonesia, reading has yet assumed as a culture. Whereas it effects to writing, which is in its relationship stands for a component linked. However, writing would not be achieved since people have not done to read. Concerning this, one of the Indonesian critics, Ajip  Rosidi (cf. Alwasilah, 2005) said that people still assume that reading is merely wasting time and giving nothing. It is not concrete activity. The facts turn into dilemma that writing society will not be achieved if people still insist with the assumption regarding to it.

It is true that writing skill is complex (Heaton, 1995). It needs effort and hard work (Cluncy & Ballard, 1989) and doesn’t get much easier as one advance in his or her studies. Furthermore, it requires not only grammatical aspects and rhetorical devices but also conceptual and judgmental elements (Heaton, 1995). However, this is only principle; other point that leads someone to go into a certain level in the world of writing. Frankly, one will not have or make writing if he or she has no basic instinct, that is ‘write’. A philosopher, Epictetus, said that if you wish to be a writer, write. There is no such thing called talent. There are hard works and altruism that implicitly shows that process becomes so important than what we will obtain then. The beginner might have difficulties to do such. But regardless to achievement intended, they have the drive: motive to make writing. ‘Begin to write and write and write more’ is one thing that must be put in every single heart who intents to be a writer.

One can make writing without worrying whether it is good or bad. In so doing, writing can be an activity that can be maintained by every body. Write what you see and scratch what you feel. Build a pleasure and enjoyment first in conducting your writing. In the society, in general, writing is an opus. It has been seen as holly work that emerges other appreciation and contributes real experience of life. In academic society, writing is a must. It is a measurement to one’s intellectuality and achievement. However, reality reveals that not all students and lectures or even professor has a great deal in writing. As Alwasilah (2005) stated that all professor are the same until they write a book. This statement becomes critic for one who does, so to become a motive to deal with writing as an activity.

Shifting an intimacy from literacy such as write a day journal (diary), poem, and short story, are best way to conduct this holly aim, writing. Express what is in your thought through words. Begin from yourself and then move to others; begin from small things to big things, and so on and so on. Through this, in unconscious mind, you have emphasized affective and psychomotor aspects along with the process. In forth, one can maintain writing through the ways since he or she is used to it. At last, writing society is not merely a dream if we have good perspective that everything can be done if we are able and used to do it.[]