Some time back when I was struggling with the whole idea of fan fiction and its legalities, a writer I knew commented that she didn't write fan fiction because she didn't do "wasted writing." Everything she wrote had one goal: paid publication. While a bit taken back at the concept of wasted writing -- any writing that is not or cannot be for publication, I told her then, and firmly believe now, that no writing is ever wasted. Not all writing should be done purely with the goal of being published. Writing is one of the few careers that can be done just for the joy of it, without worrying about what the "boss" (editor or agent) will say. We need these moments to refresh ourselves and to remember our love for it, or it becomes just another job.

But writing without publication in mind does more than renew our creativity. Freewriting allows us to explore our ideas and find new ones. Since freewriting is personal and not intended for any eyes but our own, we are free to release our deepest thoughts and feelings on the page, no matter how silly or how horrific. While something in our freewrites might eventually lead to a publishable short story, publication is not the goal. The goal is to release ourselves, to let the word flow however they may, without censure or pressure. Freewriting is for release and discovery. Like freewriting, other forms of non-publication writing have their purposes: letters communicate; lists and notes jar our memories; journals records our success, our failures, our lives, and allow us to explore our feelings. None of these are wasted. They have purpose; they have their own power.

Beyond expression, release, and creativity, writing also teaches. Not only so we discover ourselves, but we learn about our craft. I have stories I would never dream of attempting to publish that have taught me about form, genre, style, and voice, and that I've used in classes to teach others about writing. My first 3 failed attempts at my first novel taught me about how I write and how I need to write, and how to take criticism. Critiquing teaches me how to read, teaches me different ways of writing, gives me an appreciation for different voices, shows me new ways of seeing and doing, and helps me to reinforce what I already know. Even fan fiction, which I do not write, has its lessons. Writing in someone else's world, using someone else's characters, isn't easy. From it a writer can learn about all those basics of writing: plot, character, setting, and so on. Those who write fan fiction are learning, in a roundabout way, the skills they need to be published (if they wish) from authors who already are published.

Writing cannot be wasted, no matter its form. Whatever its purpose, from the personal to the professional, writing always gives back to us. Words have power. While they may not always reach out to others, they always reach into ourselves.