For this assignment, write an essay exploring the question of how you see yourself as a writer, what motivates you to write, what processes you use, etc. As an exploratory essay, the form will be rather “open” rather than “closed.” So rather than trying to structure the essay around a central thesis, organize it around the theme in question. This assignment may require you to think deeply about yourself and you may even discover new connections about yourself that you hadn't realized before.

Remember to use vivid detail in your writing and avoid writing in generalities. Use specific events from your life and paint a picture of words for your reader to enjoy. Remember, if you find the essay boring, so will your reader!The essay should have an introduction that orients the reader to what you are going to tell them, rather than jumping right in. The body paragraphs should each have a topic sentence that supports your overall theme. The sentences in the paragraph should all relate back to this topic sentence.

The essay should have organic unity and tell a the reader your story. Include a conclusion reflecting on your overall past experiences and how you see yourself as a writer in the future.In the essay you should cite 1-3 books that you have read. These books need to be listed on a works cited page at the end of your essay. See your Style Manual, section 33b for how to format this.

Use the following questions to help you write your essay. You don't necessarily have to answer all of them: 1.What are your earliest memories of learning to write? Of learning to read? 2.How were reading and writing viewed by your family and friends when you were growing up? 3.What role did reading play in your development as a writer? What kinds of texts were you drawn to—traditional print texts; visual texts, such as comics and graphic novels; a mix; or some other kinds(s)? 4.

Can you recall particular experiences in school or on the job that influenced your current attitude toward writing? 5.If you were to describe your history as a writer, what stages or periods in your development would you identify? Write a sentence or two briefly characterizing each stage or period. 6.What images come to mind when you hear the term writer?7.

What images come to mind when you think of yourself as a writer? Try drawing up a list of metaphors, such as “As a writer, I'm a turtle—slow and steady” or “As a writer, I'm a racehorse—fast out of the gate but never sure if I've got the stamina to finish.” Write two or three sentences that use images or metaphors to characterize your sense of yourself as a writer. 8.What kinds of writing have you come to enjoy? To dislike? What kinds of writing do you do outside of school? Do you regularly tweet or chat via text messages? Do you keep a personal journal or blog? Do you write poetry? 9.What role have multimedia texts (such as Web sites, video games, etc.) played in your reading and writing experiences? What role do images and graphics play in your writing—both in and out of school? 10.

What do you enjoy most about the process of writing? What do you enjoy least? 11.What goals would you like to set for yourself as a writer?How to get started: 1.Sit down and quickly answer as many of the above questions as you can in a freewriting session. Just write quickly without giving thought to paragraph structure, grammar, or any other formal elements. Many people find it easier to freewrite by hand, using pen and paper.

Use whatever works best for you. 2.Looking over what you have written, try to identify what major theme(s) you find most interesting. 3.

Write up a first draft, focusing your paragraphs on the strong themes you have selected. You do not need to include all the questions above or everything you freewrite. It is much better to be selective here. Fill in the paragraphs as much as possible.

It's always easier to cut things later than to add. 4.After your body paragraphs are completed, draft an introduction that introduces what you have to say. The strongest introductions tend to be narrative, describing a scene in the same fashion that a novel or short story would. 5.This is also the time to draft a conclusion, where you reflect on what you have said or mirror the narrative opening.