You are a writer--no question about it. But what sort of a writer are you? How much and what kinds of writing have you done in your life? What is your attitude toward writing? Is it something you usually enjoy or dread? Answering questions like these will help you to discover your role as a writer--and put you on the road to becoming a better writer.
This is not a composition assignment but a chance to write a letter of introduction--to yourself. Nobody will be passing judgments about you or your work. You will simply take a few minutes to think about your writing background, skills, and expectations. By putting those thoughts down on paper (or on a computer screen), you should gain a clearer sense of exactly how you hope to improve your writing skills.
Use the suggestions and questions below as a guide when you write your letter. But feel free to provide additional information that you think helps to define your role as a writer.
- Describe your background as a writer. What kinds of writing were you most frequently asked to do in school--short reports, essays, journals, research papers, short stories? What sort of writing do you do on your own just for fun? Do you write letters, articles, e-mails, or poetry? If you are working, what sort of writing is required by your job?
- Describe what steps you follow during a typical writing project. How do you get started? Are you in the habit of writing several drafts, or do you attempt to write a perfect paper right from the start? Do you spend much time planning what you are going to say and how to organize it? Have you ever suffered from "writer's block," and if so how do you overcome it?
- Identify your strengths and weaknesses as a writer. Perhaps you have no trouble connecting and organizing your ideas, but you feel that it takes too long to discover those ideas in the first place. Or maybe you are satisfied that your writing is usually correct but not as interesting as you would like it to be.
- Describe your attitude toward writing. Is writing something that you usually enjoy doing? Or is it just work? Are you interested in improving your writing skills? What connection (if any) do you see between good writing skills and success in your classes or in your career?
Be sure to save a copy of this letter. Several weeks from now, after you have practiced the lessons on this site, you should read the letter again to see how your perspective on your role as a writer may have changed.
