CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - With things like email, text messages and Twitter now commonplace, writing has become a regular part of people's everyday lives.

However, some take a little more time to celebrate it.

In 2009, the National Council of Teachers of English called for a National Day on Writing. The U.S. Senate recently passed a resolution declaring it to be Oct. 20.

While some area teachers had the chance to celebrate it Thursday, others said they're looking forward to when they'll get the chance.

"They're recognizing writing to draw attention to all the different kind of writings we do every day," said Mary Beth Emmons, elementary language arts curriculum coordinator with Laramie County School District 1. "We communicate so much more though writing than we used to because of technology."

For students in Justin Earnshaw's class at Burns Junior/Senior High, the celebration took a seasonal turn as students wrote epitaphs for themselves and others.

Though writing epitaphs may be in keeping with Halloween, Earnshaw said people might write a letter, as opposed to an email, to take part in the event.

Earnshaw said he started celebrating the day while a student at the University of Wyoming, and he wanted to continue the practice as a teacher.

"We always celebrated the National Day on Writing and wrote long stories where everybody contributed," he said. "It's fortunate (that) when you're in an English department, it seems like every day is a National Day on Writing."

Students at Cheyenne's Central High may not have been doing anything specific for the word-based holiday, but they were getting 88 minutes of writing time Thursday, said English teacher Rodney Atkinson.

For those no longer in school, he recommends taking the time to write in a journal as a way to have a belated celebration. "One thing that everyone should do is read something that means something to them," he said.

Though the local school district didn't have anything planned this year, there has been an increased focus on student writing, said Karen Delbridge, secondary language arts curriculum coordinator for LCSD1.

"We just didn't do anything formal this year, (but it) doesn't mean we won't in the future," she said. "(Writing) is just a huge part of our lives ... and sometimes we don't realize how much we use it."

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Information from: Wyoming Tribune Eagle - Cheyenne, http://www.wyomingnews.com

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)