This assignment (due Monday by 2 pm) will ask you to explore the question, “Who am I as a writer?” To
answer this question, you will first have trace back in your personal history to see how your
current feelings about writing were formed. Perhaps you were influenced by a former teacher, or
a book you read in grade school. Maybe education was a priority in your family, or maybe
school was just somewhere to be. Regardless of what these experiences were, they shaped
you in significant ways. None of us came out of the womb with love or hatred for writing; these
feelings were developed over time.

The first step to improving your writing skills is to understand what your strengths, weaknesses,
and habits are and why you have those strengths, weaknesses, and habits. All of us have a
story, and that story has shaped our literacy. This journal gives you the opportunity to really
reflect on the major moments in your life and how they have influenced you as a reader, writer,
and learner. Note: Literacy narratives tend to be very personal, and some experiences may be
difficult to reflect on and write about. Sometimes, though, those are the experiences you most
need to confront.

After identifying some of these past experiences, spend some time explaining who you are as a
writer today. Do you write for fun? Do you write because you have to? What, specifically, do you
like or dislike about writing? What do you think your strongest attributes are as a writer? What
are your weakest? Considering questions like these will help you understand your identity as a
literate individual.

This assignment should be approximately 2 pages long. A successful literacy narrative will
have a strong organization, natural transitions or fluidity, and insightful reflections that show you
thought deeply about these ideas. Feel free to use questions from the list below to guide your
discussion, and (as always) come to me if you have concerns. Do not try to answer all of these
questions. Instead, choose one or two that really stand out and form a narrative, or a story,
about your life. Also, don’t simply state events in your life (“I did this and this, and then this
happened”), but reflect on how those events or experiences influenced you as a reader or
writer.

Educational Experiences:
Where you expected to go to college? Why? How did you decide where to attend
school? How did you fund your undergraduate education? To what do you attribute your
success as an undergraduate?
Were you ever disciplined at school? How? For what? By whom? Did it stop you from
repeating that behavior in the future? Were you ever punished for something you wrote?
Was writing ever used as a form of punishment?
What is the lowest grade you received on a paper in primary or secondary school? Why
did you receive this grade? Was it justified?
What is the best trick you’ve learned about writing to be successful?
Do you come from a quality school that cared about your success? Was it well funded?
Were you encouraged to attend a university? A community college? Were there any
teachers, coaches, or other faculty who had an impact on your education? Were you
part of an honors, “remedial,” or alternative program? Did you play a sport or were you
involved in any extracurricular activities? Did those take time away from homework and
studying?
Currently, how does your major relate to reading and writing? (I promise it does,
somehow.) What kind of feedback have you received on your writing? How did/does that
make you feel?

Early Literacy Experiences:
What reading and/or writing do you remember family members doing? Did your parent(s)
read to you as a child? Did your parent(s) assist with homework? If so, what subjects?
What did authorities (teachers, parents) say to you about your writing?
What was your favorite book as a child? Why? Where did you get it?
When and how did you first learn about the power of words?

Current Literacy Experiences:
How do you come up with ideas for your papers? How long does it take you to come up
with an idea?
What typical formats do you rely on when writing? What evidence do you usually use in
your papers?
How do you determine when a paper is finished?
How do you typically determine if something you have written is successful?
Give an example of “good writing” and explain why it is good.
I write because…
Sometimes I don’t feel like a writer because