Write a narrative about your experiences with writing. Generally, what have they been like? What was your best writing experience? Was it out of school, or in school? How about your worst writing experience? What reasons can you give for the quality of the bad and/or good writing experience? What did you do that was successful? What did you do that was not successful?
Writing never came easily to me. I brainstorm, freewrite, scribble whatever you want to call it, but when it comes down to actually putting the words onto paper I tend to:
A) Sit and stare at the screen with 1000 thoughts in my head ready for action and unknowingly forget how to organize a comprehendible sentence.
B) Veer off of the subject and start writing about something completely different, or
C) Worry so much about my grammar and writing style that I try to sound like someone I'm not.
I often think "can I use a bigger, more intellectual sounding word there?" Unless I'm writing about something about which I have very strong opinions, I find it very difficult to find the "right" words to use. Ultimately, I'm afraid of my audience and I don't think that I'm alone. I can honestly say that I have not had a lot of experience with writing; a few articles that were required by my dreaded high school journalism class that I barely passed that class by the skin of my teeth. I think the next experience would have to be when I was in Non Commissioned Officers Academy in the Air Force, and that too was uneventful. My essay actually turned into a seven minute speech about leadership and my job. Yawn.
I picked up an English 111 class in Virginia just because a friend wanted me to take the class with him. I will never forget that my final essay was on "Modern Fashion in Today's Economy" I literally was attending class in my cammies. I followed fashion like I followed underwater basketweaving. My closet consisted of cammies, sweat pants, 1 pair of jeans, combat boots, slippers and a dress for the occasional wedding, funeral or birthday party. I cannot remember why I was given that topic whether or not I chose it. Needless to say, I didn't do well and I vaguely remember my professor saying something to the effect of "I'm passing you with a C- because I know you are deploying to the desert and I feel sorry for you." Yes! Passed on guilt! That didn't get me very far seeing that I'm taking it again! I didn't put forth 100% because the topic did not interest me. I struggled with that paper; I remember crying over the keyboard for hours just hoping that something would appear on those three pages. Somehow, I did it, don't ask me how, but it did it. The paper rambled on about nonsense, I even lost interest proofreading it, but I completed it to say that I did it. How disappointing. There was not even a smidge of satisfaction.
The next and final experience with writing wasn't until many years later. I had to take a college prep course at YCCC and was to write a story about an experience that changed my life. Terrified of my past experiences with writing, I was excited I had the opportunity to write about something of interest to me. I had just returned home from almost a year in Iraq so I had some material (and a few visuals). Completely terrified, I started pouring some of my experiences out on paper; I even recall having to omit a few things because the story was too long and exceeded the time limit. I was finally writing about something I could relate to and enjoyed telling. After I finished writing the story, I had to read it aloud to the class. I was so nervous! I was older than most of the students in my class, at the time, and they were a very diverse audience, but by the third paragraph I saw my peers setting down their cell phones, taking their earphones out and eyes were focused on me. They were actually listening to me and looked interested. I wrote something that people wanted to hear. I got a standing ovation when I was through. I passed because I wanted it; I passed because I enjoyed it and put everything I had into it. Bravo Casey, Bravo.
To be a good writer is like being a professional baseball player. You have to love the game, otherwise why would you play? Like spectators, readers can "see" your heart. I have heart and am becoming very passionate about writing, it just has to be something I strongly believe in or enjoy writing about. I may have what it takes to write an interesting story that readers would appreciate, it's just a long road it takes a lot of time and practice to get there but I'm working very hard at it. Hopefully someday, I'll hit my grand slam.
To Be a Good Writer Means..
Writing never came easily to me. I brainstorm, freewrite, scribble whatever you want to call it, but when it comes down to actually putting the words onto paper I tend to:
A) Sit and stare at the screen with 1000 thoughts in my head ready for action and unknowingly forget how to organize a comprehendible sentence.
B) Veer off of the subject and start writing about something completely different, or
C) Worry so much about my grammar and writing style that I try to sound like someone I'm not.
I often think "can I use a bigger, more intellectual sounding word there?" Unless I'm writing about something about which I have very strong opinions, I find it very difficult to find the "right" words to use. Ultimately, I'm afraid of my audience and I don't think that I'm alone. I can honestly say that I have not had a lot of experience with writing; a few articles that were required by my dreaded high school journalism class that I barely passed that class by the skin of my teeth. I think the next experience would have to be when I was in Non Commissioned Officers Academy in the Air Force, and that too was uneventful. My essay actually turned into a seven minute speech about leadership and my job. Yawn.
I picked up an English 111 class in Virginia just because a friend wanted me to take the class with him. I will never forget that my final essay was on "Modern Fashion in Today's Economy" I literally was attending class in my cammies. I followed fashion like I followed underwater basketweaving. My closet consisted of cammies, sweat pants, 1 pair of jeans, combat boots, slippers and a dress for the occasional wedding, funeral or birthday party. I cannot remember why I was given that topic whether or not I chose it. Needless to say, I didn't do well and I vaguely remember my professor saying something to the effect of "I'm passing you with a C- because I know you are deploying to the desert and I feel sorry for you." Yes! Passed on guilt! That didn't get me very far seeing that I'm taking it again! I didn't put forth 100% because the topic did not interest me. I struggled with that paper; I remember crying over the keyboard for hours just hoping that something would appear on those three pages. Somehow, I did it, don't ask me how, but it did it. The paper rambled on about nonsense, I even lost interest proofreading it, but I completed it to say that I did it. How disappointing. There was not even a smidge of satisfaction.
The next and final experience with writing wasn't until many years later. I had to take a college prep course at YCCC and was to write a story about an experience that changed my life. Terrified of my past experiences with writing, I was excited I had the opportunity to write about something of interest to me. I had just returned home from almost a year in Iraq so I had some material (and a few visuals). Completely terrified, I started pouring some of my experiences out on paper; I even recall having to omit a few things because the story was too long and exceeded the time limit. I was finally writing about something I could relate to and enjoyed telling. After I finished writing the story, I had to read it aloud to the class. I was so nervous! I was older than most of the students in my class, at the time, and they were a very diverse audience, but by the third paragraph I saw my peers setting down their cell phones, taking their earphones out and eyes were focused on me. They were actually listening to me and looked interested. I wrote something that people wanted to hear. I got a standing ovation when I was through. I passed because I wanted it; I passed because I enjoyed it and put everything I had into it. Bravo Casey, Bravo.
To be a good writer is like being a professional baseball player. You have to love the game, otherwise why would you play? Like spectators, readers can "see" your heart. I have heart and am becoming very passionate about writing, it just has to be something I strongly believe in or enjoy writing about. I may have what it takes to write an interesting story that readers would appreciate, it's just a long road it takes a lot of time and practice to get there but I'm working very hard at it. Hopefully someday, I'll hit my grand slam.