Stories upon stories are screaming to get out of

His head. Stories about anything – anything at all.

Different stories – something new – something

Fun. He only knows how to tell them on paper because

A writer writes.

The words other writers have written have meant the world

To him. If his words could mean an ounce of that to

Someone else, it’d make everything worthwhile. He’s happy that

A writer writes.

He has dreams of writing for the screen and to help others

Escape their sorrowful lives, even if just for a moment.

That’s what would make him happiest. Simply when

A writer writes.

His family tell him to, “Get a real job!” –

“Get into business!” – “We don’t want to

See you struggle!” He doesn’t want to struggle

Either. He’s scared just as much as them, but

A writer writes.

What they don’t understand is that he’ll only struggle

If he can’t write. Because if a writer is not writing, then

He is no longer a writer, for we all know

A writer writes.

It was when he went through his darkest times, he learned he

Could transfer his negativity and hate and sadness from pen

To paper – from real life to fiction. Sometimes this is how

A writer writes.

His head, heart, and gut are all screaming

That same thing over and over again –

A WRITER WRITES!

So then why is this so hard?

He’s ready to leave his small town and head to the big

City. He’s ready – ready, but scared. Scared of failing.

Really scared. Terrified even. But even when numb he knows

A writer writes.

A writer writes.

A writer writes.

A writer writes.

It’s on this day that he reads the words of his favorite

Doctor – who tells him that he’ll move mountains!

He’s on his own. He knows what he knows.

Luckily for him, he knows what he knows and he knows

A writer writes.

Even when sitting in the lectures of his business classes, he’s

Doodling stories, characters, or even sentences he never

Thinks have been spoken before such as: “Hamburger

Cars do flips in Aunt Tom’s molten-lava pool!” – Or perhaps

“I’d loooooove to come watch your Nickelback cover band!”

Gosh – it sure is weird sometimes how

A writer writes.

Oh, now he’s got that cocky, little smirk on his face.

Oh, he’s about to write something again – watch out.

When he gets that look I swear magic is made and when

He gets that look – oh, that look means something.

A writer writes.

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I think I’ve always been a writer, but I never really knew it. I used to write made-up stories as a kid, doodle with words and such, but it was Manchester that made me realize I was a writer – and it was Manchester that transformed me into a GOOD writer. It’s now my job to become the GREAT writer that I want to be.

I think that is the secret to Manchester or even college. In high school, maybe you have an idea who you are (seldom do people REALLY know who they are) and then you go to school and you become GOOD at something, anything. It’s our jobs after undergraduate or whatever circumstance we’re in to be GREAT at something. I’ve been through what I’ve been through and learned what I’ve learned at Manchester all to make me GOOD... so now let’s go be great.

Stratton Smith ’17 is an English major, hailing from a small town just east of Indianapolis. Stratton is the captain of the tennis team, co-founder of Academic Probation, Manchester's improv troupe, and Vice President of the Theatre & Society club.