Essays vs. Blogs

When I think of writing, my stomach instinctively tightens. A normal writing experience for me always includes a long night spent stressing out over a five page essay that is due the next morning. I have never done well with the constraints that are included with essay writing. I am much more relaxed when I finally have the chance to write with a little creativity. I think the amount of creativity is the biggest difference between essays and more informal writing, such as blogs. According to Joseph Epstein, “the essayist never comes out to tell you his view of the matter being discussed, never attempts directly to assert his personality, and never even slips into the first- person singular.” When writing a blog, the writer has so much more freedom to express their individuality without necessarily worrying about being criticized. No person ever writes an essay unless their English teacher has assigned it or unless they want to express more serious ideas on a more educational topic. For example, a scientist writing a lab report is required to follow certain guidelines in order to cover the details and technicalities that must be included. Basically, essays are just pretty serious stuff. I think a blog can best be compared to a person being interviewed. I agree with Edward Hoagland’s opinion that during an interview, “you are not interested in the exact words that come out of the people’s mouths but in the essence of their meaning.” A long winded conversation is not what anyone wants to hear and so in contrast, blogs allow for the writer to get straight to the point. Blogs can be developed in a few short sentences. However, an essay requires five or more paragraphs before the topic have been fully discussed and usually by that your reader has become bored with your writing. I would definitely chose blogging over an essay any day!