The word 写作 is formed through the combination of two individual characters, each contributing its core meaning to create a new, unified concept. The first character, 写 (xiě), fundamentally means "to write" or "to depict". The second character, 作 (zuò), carries the meaning of "to make", "to do", or "to create". When fused, they do not simply denote the physical act of writing but conceptually merge to express the broader, creative activity of "composition" or "literary creation", where writing is the action used to produce a creative work.