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What I’ve Learned About Writing: A Personal Reflection by Rochelle Agius

I know writing is something many of us take for granted – until we have to sit down and actually do it. Over the last four years that I have been a member of the Gold Coast Writers’ Association, I’ve taken time to understand and develop the fundamentals of writing. What I’ve discovered is that good writing isn’t just about stringing words together – it’s about structure, clarity, purpose, and connection.

1. Writing Has a Purpose

One of the first lessons I learned is that writing always serves a purpose. Whether it's to inform, persuade, entertain, or express an opinion, every piece of writing should begin with the question: Why am I writing this?

Understanding the purpose helps shape the tone, language, and structure of your writing. Recognising the goal behind the writing allows the message to come through clearly and effectively.

2. Audience Matters

Closely tied to purpose is the idea of the audience. Who you’re writing for influences how you write. One of the most important takeaways for me was realising that the reader’s experience matters just as much – if not more – than the writer’s intent.

Writing for children requires different vocabulary and sentence structure than writing for professionals. Keeping the audience in mind helps you choose the right tone, language, and examples to make your writing relatable and accessible.

3. Structure Is Everything

Before this learning journey, I underestimated the power of structure. Whilst I follow this structure in both writing emails and in my assignments at university, I didn’t really realise that writing a novel also follows a logical flow – typically an introduction, body, and conclusion.

The introduction sets the story and tells the reader what to expect.
The body presents the main points or arguments, supported by details or evidence.
The conclusion ties everything together and reinforces the main message.

I’ve learned that without structure, even the most interesting ideas can feel scattered and confusing.

5. Grammar and Punctuation Matter

While creativity is important, I recently learned from an online article the proper rules of grammar and punctuation. I will wholeheartedly admit that I am a stickler for concise grammar and punctuation – something I’ve been since primary school (many thanks to Mrs Garrett for reinforcing this in my everyday life). I’ve had many colleagues ask me to review their emails and ensure they’re grammatically correct. I’m particular about the correct positioning and use of commas and apostrophes. For example, coming from a person whose surname ends in an ‘s’, if you have to write a sentence that uses the plural of my name, please don’t add an extra ‘s’ at the end of my surname – just place the apostrophe straight after the ‘s’, as in Agius’. That said, different style guides may vary, so it’s always worth checking the preferred approach for your audience.

Grammar and punctuation give writing its shape and consistency. They’re tools that guide the reader and prevent misunderstandings, particularly when establishing a dialogue between characters.

6. Revising Is Part of the Process

One of the biggest mindset shifts I experienced was understanding that writing is rewriting. First drafts are rarely perfect, and that’s okay. The real magic happens during revision, where you refine your ideas, improve clarity, and fix any awkward phrasing.

I’ve learned to be less attached to my first draft and more willing to review, revise, and even delete parts that don’t work. Writing is a process and a journey.

7. Practice Builds Confidence

Lastly, I’ve come to the realisation that like any other skill, writing improves with practice. The more I write, the more confident I become. Whether it's journaling, writing short stories, or even composing emails, each experience adds to my understanding and helps me grow.

Final Thoughts

While I am still working on my novel, I acknowledge that some significant life changes have hindered my ability to achieve the goal of completing the first draft by the end of this year. However, I’ve accepted that this is okay. For me, writing is a hobby, and by immersing myself in the writing world – even in small ways, such as attending Gold Coast Writers’ Association meetings, reading captivating novels, and participating in short story competitions or writing short blogs – I keep my writing appetite alive.

Eventually, I will get back to my novel, but in the meantime, I continue to learn and grow as a writer every day. As I keep learning and evolving, I look forward to building on this foundation and exploring new styles, voices, and challenges in my writing.

For anyone just starting their writing journey, I’d say: start small, be patient, keep practicing and learning – and come along and join us at Gold Coast Writers’ Association meeting and events. Every word you write is a word you hadn’t written before.