Never Give Up by Steffen Luke

Never Give Up by Steffen Luke - February 2014 Scholarship Essay

"The benefits of effective business writing, in economical terms, would include the opportunity cost of all the consequences of using poor writing instead.” Benefits of Effective Business Writing by Eric Bailey.

Writing a book seems like a relatively commonplace occurrence nowadays with all the self-publishing options. Despite the numerous difficulties of the task, it is possible for most aspiring writers to create a work of fiction mirroring the fantasy world in their head. The value of attempting to write my own novel benefits me in ways I never imagined. After rewriting the plot enough times that I began to lose count, I believed I had finally settled on one plot—only to find my imaginative mind could not reconcile to a single idea. The incorporation of different images and elements onto a canvas forced me to make sacrifices in order to ensure that the quality and unity of the piece did not suffer.

A year into the project I hardly understood how to write a truly gripping story—until I examined the wide range of books I read with the eye of a writer. Characters and plots had been swirling around in my head for years, but I never possessed the writing prowess necessary to craft a truly gripping tale.

My avid reading eventually paid off, giving me the confidence to write a story perhaps as entertaining as my favorite author, (Ted DeKker). As I matured and excelled, my writing abilities grew with me, allowing me to branch out and dive into the world of my characters as their struggles and victories came to life. I spent hours typing and writing. Partway through I realized I had entirely skipped the brainstorming stage; thus, I returned to complete that crucial stage, only to watch more possibilities unfold as my characters developed.

So many ideas. So little space! How could I find a way to write a worthy story when I found it nigh impossible to settle on a single plot? Start over? I started five times over. No, three years later, by taking the strongest elements from each draft and incorporating them, I finally settled on an outline of the best plot yet. I am ready to pursue final publication, though the book remains unfinished. Interestingly, this is the same writing process involved in any trade or business agreement: from draft through revision to editing. Instead of settling for an original quote on a product sale, business owners review everything, find cuts, and maximize the appeal. Never give up when work can be improved.

For most students English is a sore subject. Literally. Grammar, editing, brainstorming; who cares. I made a B, right? Sure it is easy to come up with excuses, but why settle for second best? Why not strive for an A? It is not easy to write; it takes hard work and lots of time, but so does everything else—business, construction, even friendship. To excel in the realm of modern business, the qualities of an individual revolve around their ability to be creative and rework a schedule or even an entire job quickly.

By constantly working and reworking my book, I have learned the value of creativity and its applications in all situations, from writing to tennis to cooking and even playing guitar. Creating ways to blend multiple ideas on a single project taught me to never settle for second best.