Do you ever feel like some books and writing sound the same? Do you hate how some writings tend to have no variation, and become bored while reading because you become tired of seeing the same structure? Donald Murray displays a very unique approach to change one’s writing strategies through his text, The Interior View. In the Interior View, Donald Murray uses his composition to teach his readers that writing is about individuality and communicating one’s creativity to the world through the writing on the page. By his repetition of the sentence “a writer is an individual who uses language to discover meaning in experience and communicate it” as well as through diction and imagery, Murray shows how writing can express one’s individuality by playing with the structure and meaning of a typical essay.

When reading Murray’s excerpt, he uses distinct word choice to help the reader understand his own view on writing to influence the way they take on writing. He uses vivid words such as “hungry” (p. 26) and “self-centered” (p. 26) to convey how a writer can change the definition of a word to mean something else. When he uses the word hungry, he doesn’t mean hungry for food, he instead uses this as an analogy to convey that in order to communicate an idea, the writer needs to be hungry for improvement and success at what he or she aims to discuss (p. 26). By “being hungry” Murray is conveying that the writer needs to be craving the newest piece of meat on the market- meaning the highest quality of what the writer has to offer. Murray also discusses on the idea that the reader does not want to be exposed to the same structure and ideas every day because they simply grow tired of it. A reader does not want to read a text only to find out that it is very similar to a work they have been exposed to before. The unique way he uses hunger contributes to his argument that writing is a creative process because of how he changes the definition of hunger. 

On top of being a hungry writer, Murray also states that a writer must also be self-centered in a way as well (p. 27). Being self-centered does not mean cocky, though- Murray is instead saying one needs to be confident in themselves because being confident helps to get out of the standard method of writing. Murray uses the word “self-centered” continuously as he portrays his purpose of individuality. Confidence is easily mistaken as self-centeredness but to have creative writing, an individual needs that confidence. This is similar to his use of the word hunger because he changes the meanings of both words to portray how writing should be more individualized. 

Murray also uses the device of repetition to help prove his purpose. In his text, Murray constantly repeats the phrase, “A writer is an individual who uses language to discover meaning in experience and communicate it” (p. 26-31), while emphasizing different parts each time he repeats it. Through this, he emphasizes the significance of individuality and how it can communicate a writer’s ideas on a page for others to see, by dissecting the sentence in a way most writers do not. By structuring the sentences with bolded sections throughout the essay, Murray adds overt emphasis to the idea of being creative. Constantly reading the individual ideas of a writer over and over again will embed it in the readers’ brain as something they will remember and hold significant.

Murray also uses imagery to help prove his theme about how writing is about expressing yourself. He states, “The painter doesn’t paint colors he has seen, he uses color on the canvas to see” (pg. 27). He used this imagery to show that if a writer tries to mimic other writers, then there will be nothing special about their writing. Not many people are going to find enjoyment in something they’ve already seen before. A writer must become like a painter and use his canvas (the paper) in order to come up with a work that expresses his or her own creativity and individuality. A painter is most successful when their work is new and different- and writing is the same way. Creating a piece of writing with a format and style that has never come across a readers’ eye will bring them excitement, just like a painting that has never been seen before by the viewer. Murray uses imagery to help provide clear images in the readers’ eyes as he explains his purpose and reasoning behind individuality and the positive effects it can have. 

Through Murray’s essay he shows a reader how one can use their individuality in their work by messing with the structure and meaning in their piece. By seeing how he changes the definition of words, uses repetition of phrases and imagery one can see how the creative process works. By a writer adding their own twist on their piece one can make their writing more unique and their own. Once a writer portrays individuality and has a mindset of confidence to get out of their comfort zone, they will find that writing will be much more exciting for them as well as for their readers.  


 