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Who I Am as a Writer

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Who I Am as a Writer: Unveiling My Identity

Table of contents, inspirations and passions: nurturing creativity, writing style: expressing through words, evolving voice: embracing growth, making an impact: connecting with others.

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Introduce Yourself AS A WRITER

by Marianne Richmond | 219 comments

Want to Become a Published Author? In 100 Day Book, you’ll finish your book guaranteed. Learn more and sign up here.

I have been a book author and artist for close to twenty years. I have paid for my mortgage, groceries, vacations and braces with my self-generated income. I have sold a blessed two million copies of my words and pictures.

Marianne Richmond, 2012

And yet, until about five years ago, I stumbled through an introduction of my writing and my abilities. It may have sounded something like this:

Interested person: So, what do you do?

Me: I write and illustrate children's books.

More interested person: Wow—you do both parts. You're a writer AND an artist!

Me: Well… I'm not really an artist. I mean, I AM but I've never been formally trained in art and well, I've just worked to create a style that matches my words. And ya so… (head down, change subject, pick off nail polish).

This was not serving me well nor building anyone's confidence in me, including my OWN.

Today I want us to practice owning our GIFT and TALENT as writers. Wholeheartedly. Even if we're not generating ANY income from it. Talent and ability are not always cash-making but are still real and worth our belief.

How to Confidently Introduce Yourself and Your Abilities

Ready to introduce yourself with pizazz. Here are five steps to do it:

1. State your name and your craft.

“Hi, I'm Marianne, and I'm a children's book writer and illustrator.”

Or “Greetings! My name is Joe and I'm a novelist.”

Or “Yo. I'm Paisley and I'm a poet.”

Stand tall. Make eye contact. Do not justify, downplay or explain.

2. Tell people about your current audience.

(Even if it's just an audience of one!).

Share what you write about, or for whom you aspire to write. “I currently am working a series of nature poems but hope to soon begin working on a young adult Vampire novel.”

3. Add a thought or two on how you hope to grow in your chosen area.

“I am not yet published but am seeking a literary agent.”

Or “I am contemplating the self-publishing route while researching various publishers.”

Or “I am a nurse by day and a novelist by night.”

4. Stifle the critic in your head.

You know that one who, on cue, is saying something like, “Ha! That'll be the day. You only have three pages written! If you were a real writer, you'd be published by now.”

Tell him to be quiet. You're too busy being a writer.

5. Revel in it.

Respond to the interest and admiration that is sure to come your way after such a confident presentation of your words AND your worth!

How do you introduce yourself as a writer?

Do you ever downplay your talent as a writer? Self-critique to save someone else the trouble? For today's practice, introduce yourself and your work in the comments section in the most confident, self-assured way possible! In addition to practicing this important skill, we will all get to learn a little more about one another! Who knows? Maybe you'll find a kindred spirit in the crowd.

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Enrollment closes May 14 at midnight!

Marianne Richmond

I'm Marianne Richmond—writer, artist and inspirationalist. My words have touched millions over the past two decades through my children's books and gift products. Basically I put love into words and help you connect with the people + moments that matter. You can find me on my website , Facebook , and Twitter (@M_Richmond21).

219 Comments

Hello. My name is Benjamin Clifton, and I write flash fiction and short stories. I plan on creating an anthology and will most likely keep it all to myself. One day, I’d like to delve into the craft of writing novels, maybe even write a series.

This is my latest project:

I woke up one morning with a feeling inside of my stomach. A pain. It felt like there was a knife, wriggling around within my insides, just trying to force its way to my heart. The problem was that it was lost in the maze of my stomach and intestines. All of the pain came in the flash of a moment; I woke up screaming. First was screaming. Second was puking. I ran to the bathroom across the hall. The family pictures hung in what my mom would call a ‘purposeful masterpiece,’ were a blur as I ran faster than those African guys who run away from lions for fun. I sat hunched over the white toilet that used to be shinier than any of the teeth belonging to those celebrities in Hollywood. It turned out to be not-so-shiny when I was done with it. I looked at my puke swirling around in the toilet in a pensive manner. That was, in between puking, gags and lurches. Why is it red? I remember thinking, I didn’t have any spaghetti recently… Salsa? No…

Needless to say, my mom took me to see a professional. She took me to a hospital, actually (yeah, it was that bad). I remember I had to stay sitting in one of those beds with a puke tray near me at all times. A male nurse, nicest guy ever, held the tray as my hands trembled. A string of something came out of my mouth as I vomited again. I could have sworn it was my small intestine, but I guess it was just mucus. He patted my back when I would choke and gave me comforting words when I finished each of my episodes.

That’s a little gross and disturbing, but interesting at the same time.

Benjamin, you are a passionate writer, a true gentleman, and an creative extraordinaire. Let me know when your novel is done so I can trade or buy it!

Ha. Yeah, it has a purpose. As I was first writing it, I myself was grossed out. I wanted to change it, but I decided that it’s necessary for the finished product.

Benjamin: I am blown away by your descriptive writing. I would be curious to find out more about this story. Keep up the great work!!

Well thanks! “Blown away,” huh? That kills me. In a good way. Thank you.

I’m asking you, Benjamin, please please please do not keep it all to yourself. People want to hear what you have to say; don’t you ever forget that. To the piece that you presented here: great descriptions. You have a knack for description. Knowing that you are well capable of providing a great description, I might suggest holding back just a little bit. Save the cream filling for when it’ll be most appreciated. Here you have two paragraphs of little to no story. Can I make a suggestion? Find out what else you’re good at. Practice your dialogue. Practice your action. Create characters. You’ll surprise yourself. I’m sure of it 😉

Ah… My first “criticism” for my descriptions. Just kidding. It was well-taken.

First, thank you. Second, thank you. I’ve always wanted to know what I was good at in writing. I always dreaded descriptions, but ever since this semester at college, when we were forced to write a paper pretty much purely based on descriptions (it had a plot, we just were supposed to write it as descriptive as possible), I started to realise I was getting better at it. Thanks for the comment and the encouragement!

Did you have fun writing that paper? Maybe you could do something similar (perhaps on a smaller scale, or whatever size suits you) with your action sentences, dialogue, exposition. Try writing a page or so using only dialogue. Or action. You get it. Actually, I think I might do that. Thanks for the idea!

Ha! I think you mostly gave yourself the idea if it’s all action or dialogue. Thank you for the idea. I’ll definitely have to explore.

I’ve thought about doing similar focused practices.

I certainly downplay myself as a writer, especially because I’ve had no formal training. I self-published a novella recently, but I’ve only sold copies to my family members. It doesn’t make me feel quite like an author…yet. So let’s give this self-assurance thing a try.

Hi! I’m Alicia Rades and I’m a freelance writer, blogger, and author. I’ve been working on building a blog over the last several months that gives tips to writers by using my experiences in freelance writing over the past three years at TheWritingRealm.com. I recently published my first novella that explores the idea of an afterlife, and I also just finished the first draft of my first full-length novel, which is a New Adult Contemporary. I plan to send this into traditional publishers once I iron out all the kinks. I have a passion for writing and dream that someday I’ll reach a wider audience and show what I can really offer.

Good luck! I’ve yet to sample your novella. It certainly looks interest. I don’t know if you though of this, but you are selling it at a price that other indie writers are selling their novels. This might be part of the reason no one is trying it.

I don’t know. I haven’t published anything yet, so I’m not probably the most reliable source of info or advice.

I’m learning that self-publishing is almost as much work as traditional publishing because the author does all of the marketing. There is a lot of good info out there about to market self-published books. In his book, The Success Principles, Jack Canfield named several ways he marketed his earlier books (pg. 179). It made me realize that there was some real work to do after I gave/sold copies to my family members.

Yeah, I think my biggest problem is marketing. I’m not entirely sure where to start, nor do I have a ton of money to put into it.

Hi Alicia! Check out Dan Blank’s site for some great tips on marketing for writers. I love his weekly newsletter! http://wegrowmedia.com/

Awesome. Thanks for the reference.

I did read this and did make a reply… Weird. Anyway.

I had said something along the line of your novella looked interesting, but it was priced at about the same as most indie novels. But, I’m not published or anything, so it is just an observation. You really want to get your name and writing style out there with your first publication, raising money comes as a bonus. Good luck, Alicia.

That’s actually really good advice. I’m just dipping my toes in the water, so that makes a lot of sense. Thank you.

I’d love to read your novella! Where can I find it?

Where the Darkness Ends

Thanks for sharing

Hi Alicia! When I read your self-assured description, I see a woman with a LOT of writing experience! And who has much to offer! I would love to read your writings on the afterlife. Losing both my parents in one year has caused me to ponder this very topic!!

Thanks! My novella is a work of fiction, so you might not find it useful, but you might like the story. Thanks for the encouragement. This was a great post. You can find my book here: http://www.amazon.com/Where-Darkness-Ends-Alicia-Rades/dp/1492743585/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380059294&sr=8-1&keywords=alicia+rades

Ah, ignore my question in comments above. I see it here.

HI Alicia, I’ve enjoyed your posts … (we met on Story Cartel or Writepractice… I remember that article about Oxford Comma’s). I’d love to read your novella that explores the idea of an afterlife since I’m playing around with one about parallel lives. Can’t seem to find a place to download it on your blog?

Nice! Well done…

Hi my name is Kay, and I’m a non-published (yet) fiction writer. I have two pieces that I am currently working on, one a Romance/Suspense and the other a Romance/Paranormal. When they are finished I am looking at e-publishing to begin with, then, who knows. This piece is so timely, thanks so much for sharing it again.

Hi Kay — thanks for sharing! After e-publishing will come e-marketing, no doubt! 🙂

Level-headed and achievable goals. I think you’ll find those goals met if you take the steps to make it happen.

Hello, my name is James Hall. I love being a writer. It is the most fulfilling job I’ve ever had. Call it intuition, but one day, my fantasy books are going to be read all over the world. But, I try to not let that premonition distract me from writing for fun or writing for me. I stick to level-headed goals and achievable dreams.

I would love for you to check out my latest work on my blog . Look under the heading “Writing” and you can find an assortment of my short stories and current novel projects. My first fantasy novel is over halfway written now. You can find an introduction to my novel under Writing -> Greybo: A Dwarven Legend.

I appreciate your comments on this blog as well as your encouragement.

Thanks for introducing us to what lights you up! I will meander on over…

How’s that meandering on over doing?

If you are more fond of introductory-sized stories that demonstrate my writing, you might look at my flash fiction stories .

James, I feel like I know you from all your insights, comments and caring on this forum. I admire your fire for writing and your desire to be read all over the world and I am going to believe that with you. Since I live in Canada, you have a start with this fan outside of the US.

Your heartfelt comment is just that, felt by this heart. Thank you!

I love that you embrace your writership so easily James. Something I must learn.

You can make it anywhere you believe you can. If it is possible for me to be a best seller, I will only achieve that if I believe I can.

You’ve got a reader for life in me, James.

Between you are Margaret, I know I got a good readership. 🙂

I just took a look at your site, James. I love the old library background with the dragon header. I’m looking forward to reading more of your work.

Feelings + people + moments that matter = Marianne Richmond’s keys to being a great and inspirational author!

How’s that?

My life’s work, James! 🙂

Keep up the good work.

Do you have a collection of your stories, playes, or short stories floating out on the internet somewhere? If so, feel free to post a link to that somewhere, so I can take a sneak peek!

Greetings! My name is Emma, and I write. Simple as that. Do I hope and plan to be on the New York Times Bestselling list? Today, no. (I’m still a teenager!) I write because I love creating worlds and people. I love a blank page in front of me, and I like writing whatever comes to my head. That’s bad, because I jump from one story to the next, like a bee chasing after pollen, and never finish anything, but I’m practicing dedication. My only audience is my writing group, which consists of my closest friends. But, yes, I AM A WRITER.

Well hello there! My name is Jevonnah Ellison and I am a Leadership Coach and Writer. My first book, The Journey to Excellence, will launch early next year. Stay posted for details and sign up for a free gift at http://ladyjevonnahellison.com

Who wouldn’t want to take that journey? Thank you so much Jevonnah!

I am William Teague a writer and an artist. I’m currently finishing a seedy literary novel called ‘Staggering Past the Bone-Yard’ and will soon be searching for a literary agent to represent me. Another story I’m working on is ‘Jack Kilroy and the Roller Derby Girl’. I recently had an installation at my favorite café of my Abstract Expressionistic paintings during the month of September where I sold two pieces.

… And do you have a link for us to see any of your paintings?

Unfortunately I’m not very computer savvy. But I am working on it and hope to have a website soon!

I second that, I love art and paintings that I can see. You need to create a portfolio!

Would love to read your material, William. You seem very much into expressing yourself through creativity, and I’m sure your writing is no different. I, too, am a man of many colors and arts. 🙂

My name is Robert Nielsen, and I’m a writer. I’m currently working on an alternate-history novel called ‘Armageddon’s Clock,’ set during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and combining two of the most important events of the early 1960’s–the Cuban Missile Crisis itself and the assassination of President Kennedy, which in reality occurred in November of 1963. I am still looking at all options in regard to publishing, including e-publishing and traditional publishers, but the manuscript is still raw and unpolished. I am hoping someday to see my book on shelves of bookstores.

Hi Robert! You certainly ARE a writer, given voice to such an important time in history.

Hi, Marianne!

I used to write mostly fanfiction, specifically Airwolf fanfiction (my favorite TV series growing up in the ’80s), and several of the people who read my stories suggested that I should try and write a book. And, given that military history, including the Cold War and Cuban Missile Crisis, is one of my main areas of interest, it seemed like a natural fit. The combination of the Crisis with the assassination of President Kennedy should give the conspiracy theorists something to chew on. 🙂 Thank you for your kind words. 🙂

Don’t ever give up and one day you will likely see your book(s) in a bookstore.

A humble man will know more than an arrogant man, for an arrogant man can learn nothing. Keep humble, keep learning!

James, That quote (“A humble man will know more than an arrogant man..”) Thank you for your kind words. 🙂

I love all things Kennedy and intellectual thrillers so it sounds like something I would like to read – when it comes out, I can say, “hey, I met him on The Write Practice…”

Margaret, I hope you get the chance to say that! 🙂 Thank you for your kind words. 🙂

Margaret, Thank you for your kind words! 🙂 Even though I was not alive during Kennedy’s time (I was born in 1970), due to my interest in history, specifically military history and the Cold War, I learned a lot about him during my research into the Bay of Pigs incident and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

I wonder how many “I met [them] on The Write Practice” I will come across. It is amazing to be so actively involved with talented people chasing their dreams.

So good. When I Started doing this, I went from being an amateur to a professional.

I love what you write about, Jeff. Your concept of embracing the InBetween is one I have spent many an hour pondering. So HARD for the achiever in me. I’m a fan and follower!

You are awesome, Jeff, and inspirational!

Hi, My name is Max. I am a Writer. My first book; *Breaking the Addiction Code will be out in Oct.2013. I write spiritual concepts in layman’s terms resulting in freedom.

Thank you Max! Freedom for … who? The reader? “I put into layman’s terms complex spiritual concepts that offer freedom to my readers.” Is this accurate?

Thanks for catching my incomplete thot. Yes, the reader, and those who they may help that are caught in some addiction.

Hi! I’m Sherma and I am a writer of Christian fiction and short stories with the odd article thrown in from time to time. My current audience is small but important because it gives me the motivation that I need to continually grow in the craft of writing. I have had a few short stories published in print and electronically. I have a blog that captures whatever is on my mind at the time. Feel free to stop by at http://www.faceinacrowd.wordpress.com .

I am growing into a novelist which is a great challenge. I look forward to publishing the series that is in my head and connecting with readers through the characters they meet in my novels. While I am writing, I am also investigating publishing options for new writers–traditional or self publish? I don’t know yet. This writing thing is a journey, and I am enjoying it.

I am IMPRESSED Sherma. Nice to meet you!

Thanks. I really enjoyed this post because it is very practical.

Publishing is filled with more questions than answers it seems. It all too often depends on the book, genre, and specifics. I wish you luck on your journey. What would you be most proud of your blog? Share a link to a favorite work of yours.

Blogs are for connecting with people. I’d feel my blog has a chance if I affected people through it. http://faceinacrowd.wordpress.com/2013/06/14/a-tribute-to-small-efforts/

quite=quiet

Saw that and tried to edit… but need to get Joe to do it. Thanks!

I try not to do this, but I still have my shy moments. Let’s give this a try!

Hello all, my name is Justine Manzano – I am currently working on revising an Urban Fantasy Novel and a Romantic Comedy Novel. I have several short stories making the submission rounds, and I’m working on outlines for future novels. I also run my own blog at justinemanzano.wordpress.com.

Thank you Justine. If we were at a dinner party, my next statement would be, “Oooh… tell me the plot of your Romance Novel. I’m quite happy with a fireplace, a cup of cocoa and some good chick lit!”

Thank you! This is usually where I would get nervous because I write strange things. Okay, let’s give it a go!

My romance novel is is about a recent divorcee who is trying to rebuild her life with the guidance of her imaginary friend – her favorite TV character.

You see. I write weird things. 😉

I love this idea, Justine! I am an empty nester who has been a single mom for 20 years – an imaginary friend would be awesome! Who would it be? Hmmmm…. John Boy from The Waltons? (he was a writer and so grounded) or Jack from Will and Grace? 🙂

Thank you! Hers is a military commander with a sarcastic sense of humor. Yours should be Jack from Will and Grace, I think he would be way more fun. 😉

Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Would love a link to some of your best works. I always like linking to good and short-winded samples of my work to introduce myself.

There are links to my published work at my blog: justinemanzano.wordpress.com. Unfortunately, I am not an extremely prolific short story writer, so there is only one published piece available for reading, aside from my semi-monthly blog posts. 🙂

Watch Out! I just saw one of my posts disappear from this topic, and couldn’t post on another. Refreshed, and it was gone. Weird stuff, backup your posts.

Hi, I’m Eva Rose and have been a writer most of my life. I write non-fiction short stories and poems and have been published in print and on-line. My goal is to publish a collection of stories which champion the inspiring side of life. We need something to lift us up after the news media! I haven’t decided on a title for my book or who my audience might be. I’ll need to be involved in social media to accomplish my goal. I don’t need to be on the best-seller list, just to know my writing has made a difference in someone’s life.

Did you delete your last post? because it kind of just up and disappeared.

I thought you had said something about like a blank page or something… anyway, if I’m mistaken, this was to be my response:

I hate a blank page in front of me. I love a full page in front of me.

Yes, to make a difference, that is a true and noble goal.

Did not delete last post and don’t think I mentioned a blank page but thanks for your comment!.

Hi Eva Rose – will be watching for that book. I think you are going to LOVE the ways your stories touch hearts and lives….

I love that you’ve the commitment to want to make a difference Eva Rose.

Keep working on those goals and lining up the steps to get there. You’ll make it!

My name is Christy and I am a writer. I have dabbled in writing off and on since middle school and have recently started taking writing seriously. I feel very fortunate to be able to stay at home, raise my kids, tend to my family and write. I don’t take one day for granted.

I am currently working on a novel – I supposed it could be considered Adult Contemporary. I am still learning the ropes and would like to build a reader base as well as get my work out to larger audiences. Eventually I would like to see my writing in print and be able to share my stories with people.

I am still very shy about sharing my writing. My husband is the only person who has read what I am currently working on. I like to write about real-life situations and I am a sucker for a great romance story 🙂

I am stepping out of my comfort zone by signing up for some writing classes as well as sharing my writing with this community of writers. I am very glad to be a part of this group.

You will gain so much from your writing group. I am currently in a Personal Writing class and I learn so much from reading my work aloud to a supportive audience. Yay for progress!

Well I hope your writing makes it out to larger audiences. I’m actually from a skinnier audience, but I still would love to be part of your audience. 😛

Share your stories. I’d love to hear them.

Thank you so much James!!

Good to know I’m not alone. Thanks for the permission and the ways to toot my own horn – especially in getting rid of that self-critic.

Hi, my name is Leslie, and I’m a writer and tutoring business owner. I write women’s fiction. I have published one novel and am working on a short story and second novel. I also maintain a creative writing blog at my website, http://www.LeslieQuigless.com .

Hi Leslie – I just checked out your website and watched your video on how to write back story. What a great idea to do that…

Hi Margaret, thanks so much!!

Good luck! I wonder how many men read women’s fiction.

I am writing and illustrating picture books and what a learning curve that is turning out to be. I also write young adult fiction and am about to attempt Nanowrimo challenge. When I started my blog a year ago I called myself an aspiring writer. After many posts, guest post, almost finished first picture book and linking up with many other passionate writers I now tell people that is what I am doing. This is a huge thing for me and I smile every time I hear my daughter say my mum is writing a book. It is not a question of if I will get published now, just a question of when my time is right.

You’re not aspiring if you’re DOING! Congrats on all your success!

You are a writer with aspirations.

I always make the distinction that I’m a writer, not an author, because I’ve yet to make any money from it. However, I have started introducing myself as ‘an award winning writer’ since I entered two pieces of fan-fiction [which a lot of people don’t count as ‘proper’ writing but still] into an international competition for the 20th anniversary of Quantum Leap. They were both shortlisted to the final 10 and ultimately placed 6th and 3rd! I have also started writing a series of children’s picture books – 4 so far – which I’m hoping to get published once I can find an illustrator to realize my vision for the stories.

Congratulations! An award-winning writer indeed! Look forward to seeing some of your published work 😀

Hi Helen – congrats on being an award winning writer! I struggle with calling myself an author too. I have sold 2 books to publishers (first one got dropped by Random House when the economy tanked in 2008) but when I say “author” people expect me to have a NYTimes book or some notoriety and it makes us both feel uncomfortable. Writer sounds friendlier and people understand my rust bucket better when I say that…

“…when I say ‘author’ people expect me to have a NYTimes book or some notoriety and it makes us both feel uncomfortable.” – This is so true! I’m an agented author whose debut is being shopped around, so I can at least add that in when I say “I’m a writer.” But I’m still getting used to leading with that response instead of my day job.

this is such an exiting time for you, Matthew – good luck! I hope your book finds the right home…

One of these posts I’m going to write about the whole NY Times list thing! It’s a game to be played and not the spontaneous discovery of amazing work.

Much congratulations on finishing in the top ten! Two pieces in the top ten–that’s something awesome. You have a lot to be proud of so far. I wish you the best of luck in moving forward.

Keeping writing. It is always nice to meet an award-winning writer.

Hi. I’m Gill. I’m an IT consultant by day and a writer by night, currently working on becoming a writer by day and an IT consultant not at all. I don’t write fiction or novels. I write true stories that make people smile, but also think about life from a different perspective. I write in different styles, from essays to rants or tips on grammar. Once I’ve gathered more experience and learned couple of more things about writing, I would like to become a freelancer writing for a newspaper, making more people smile, but also think about life from a different perspective.

http://myblognr3.wordpress.com/

Your dreams sound great! I’ve heard of so many people giving up their day job for writing, so it’s not that difficult of a goal to achieve.

Thank you for encouragement, Alicia. I’m looking forward to see how it all works out.

Hi Gill! Yours are exactly the kind of stories I love. I just listened to Delia Ephron speak at the Twin Cities Book Festival and her newest book is just that — true stories from her life that make people smile and nod in recognition. I think it’s called Mother, Daughter, Husband, Dog — or something along those lines…

Thank you for the great tip! I’m always looking for interesting books. True stories are my favorite kinds of stories to read, too. Somehow there are only a few fiction works that really resonated with me, and all of them are the famous classics. I recently got myself a book “House of Stone” by Anthony Shadi, a journalist who was reporting from Middle East. His descriptive language is fascinating. It is as if I were there myself. I hope to pick up some tricks from his writing.

Hi Gill, love that you’re doing something by day and writing by night. It makes me feel more like a “proper” writer to know others are also doing this juggling.

Thanks 🙂 But I’m sure there are lots of people out there managing it this way, much more than one might think. I won’t be surprised if they once do a survey and find out that it’s the majority.

Programmer by day, writer by night. I know where you are coming from. Add in a couple of rowdy kids, and you’ve got a recipe for great literature!

I write both non-fiction and fiction, both both are nothing more than a medium to send the same messages.

Way ahead of you, James. Was running out of ideas for my stories, so decided to get a kid. One hears they are a great source of inspiration. Will stick with one for now to see how it goes 🙂

Hi, I’m Victoria and I’m a writer! I’m a psychologist by day, but am currently working on my first full-length novel by night – a post-apocalyptic thriller. I’ve been writing since I think I COULD write. I had a primary school teacher who encouraged me, who I’ve always said my first book would be dedicated to. I have a collection of poems, short stories and novellas that I’m written since about the age of 9-10, and hope one day that I can make writing a full time career. I’d be extremely happy if a publisher picked up my book, but if not, I’m keen to self-publish as the bits that I’ve showed to people so far seem to have garnered a lot of interest!

Nice to meet you, Victoria! Post-Apocolyptic thrillers are especially interesting to me. Send a copy my way when it’s done! I’d love to read it.

Thanks, Benjamin! I’ll keep you up to date!

Pssh! Publishers would have to be dumb not to pick up your book, and that is just based on samples. Can’t wait to read it!

Aw, thanks, James! You’re always so encouraging!

Hi Victoria! I had a teacher who encouraged me too – in fact my very first paid story was in grade 4 when I won $5 for writing an essay about what I would wish for if I had one wish – back then $5 was a king’s ransom. I still remember how it felt when she announced my name…

So you are a child prodigy. I knew it!

not! I won the $5 but she wouldn’t print it in the school paper (printed with a mimeograph machine, so dating myself) The title was The Girl Who Didn’t Feel. My wish was to not feel anything – she was a good teacher who understood broken families and was protecting me 🙂

I’m anxious to be the first to read it! Your writing is so vivid and interesting, every time I see your thumbnail I’m anxiously reading it to find the latest heart-pounding excerpt.

Hello! My name is Erin and I’ve written for a lot of different things, including my college’s (now alma mater) newspaper, website, and 2 of its magazines. I’ve also had work published in my college’s literary magazine and one of those pieces won third place in the school’s annual writing contest, so I guess I’m an award-winning writer? I’ve also written for an archdiocesan newspaper and a website called Catholics on Call. I currently write about life for my own personal blog (erinmdaly.wordpress.com). I also write about self-love and self-worth for So Worth Loving, and I write about music for The Write Teachers. Right now I don’t think my blog audience is very big; it’s mostly friends, family, and my small handful of followers who read it. I’d say the audience I aspire to reach is young adults. I once thought that writing was my vocation, but now I’m not sure. As of right now I don’t have aspirations to make writing my full-time job, but I’d still like to dedicate more time to it and to develop a solid vision for my blog and to build an audience.

Keep writing and you’ll do great! Come on here every day and do the practice. I’ve seen my writing skills get better by tenfold. And I haven’t been around all that long. You must be a quite the writer to be award winning and published in college magazines…

Based on that you said you like to write about self-love and self-worth, which are excellent topics, I felt you might enjoy two short stories (< 1000 words each) that I wrote: To Autumn Reflections of a Mirror

I would love to read more of your writing. I’m sure I’ll find much of it inspiring.

Good luck with your blog! I hope you find more success.

For some reason it wouldn’t let me post a direct reply to Erin. Sorry Benjamin!

Unfortunately I’m not very computer savvy. But I am working on it and hope to have a website soon.

Good luck, would love to see it.

Thank you Marianne for such a grand idea to allow this community to get to know each other better. I have always wondered about the members of this group and their writing journeys!

My name is Margaret Terry and I am a storyteller. Writer. Speaker. Published author. (My son says I should write award winning author, so here you go, Patrick – my book Dear Deb won Best Life Stories and Best General Market Book at the Canadian Word Awards in June 2013) Dear Deb is my first book and it’s a book that was never planned. It’s a memoir via a collections of letters I sent a friend during the last six months of her life. As she was losing her life, I gave her pieces of mine. One letter at a time. The letters grew wings and traveled to over seven countries. After a promise to publish them in a book, I negotiated a deal sans agent with Thomas Nelson who published the book Oct. 2012. I was notified recently they just sold the rights to the second largest publishers in Russia. Makes me do the Snoopy happy dance to think Deb will be in Russia, a place she always dreamed of visiting.

I am currently working on a novel called “The Year of Letting Go” about a recently widowed woman who discovers she is bankrupt and decides to sell everything in her house to try to keep her house. (my house is for sale, BTW) As she sells pieces of art, jewellery etc, a piece of her past is revealed.

I am known for writing life stories about overcoming and persevering that are inspirational and give hope. I can’t imagine a greater gift than to be able to use my life experiences to do that (other than the gift of my sons who are often the stars of my stories)

I currently get paid to speak about the importance of sharing our stories, about vulnerability and how our wild and messy lives can be used to help each other. I am surprised and grateful for this exciting work as the book business doesn’t pay the mortgage…(yet!) I also enter short story writing contests which continue to pay the upkeep on my seventeen year old car that has only one working window.

I have dreamed of being a writer since I was six years old. To hold my first book in my hands the week I turned 60 felt like a great triumph and the most humbling experience of my life. No matter how hard the work, I know I didn’t do it alone…

To me, you are one of the most important people in this community. All these things you have written and accomplished are right there under your belt, and you continue to give and give and give helpful advice and the whole time I had no idea that I was hearing from a published author, a veteran in the field, an expert, more or less. Your humbleness is heartwarming and enviable! I love that Dear Deb will be in Russia. In a way, she will travel there. Thanks for being a part of this community. I hope you continue being a wonderful person and lend your helping hands to those of us who are trying to get where you are. 🙂

Karl, if you lived close by, I’d have to make you my new best friend – such kind words! Veteran, maybe (there are days I feel I’ve been to war and back), published yes, but expert? Naaaah. I think I’ve learned more about navigating this industry called publishing than I have about the craft of writing. It’s not an industry for the feint of heart that’s for sure and once we begin to swim in its waters, it takes so much energy that the writing can become secondary… Which is why I need this community as much as anyone here. We all stretch ourselves to terrifying limits by giving pieces of our hearts in our words and this forum provides a soft place to land and hands to help us get up again to keep going. I am writing fiction for the first time and don’t know what I’m doing most days. There are writers here who are talented fiction writers who help me just by allowing me to read their work (you are included in that group) Being able to comment is the bonus. It improves my own work each time I use my editing eyes to read yours. I feel so blessed to know you, Karl. Thanks so much for your comments, each and every one.

We feel blessed to know you and we love your comments as well. I think I can speak for all of us.

thx, James. Such kindness and care here. I’ve had many jobs in highly competitive industries and this is the only job I’ve had where colleagues truly care and invest in each others success .

You write about such moving and important topics. I can only hope that my fantasy novels say half the things your amazing stories tell. I would love to read your works. Is there anywhere I can find them?

Your mention of vulnerability reminded me of a speech I listened to in the Story Cartel Course. Sounds like you do work that is similar to Brene Brown’s .

I find you to be an inspiration and, yes, very much an expert.

I LOVE Brene Brown – her TED talks, amazing, her work and mission so important. I wish I could say I was in that league! I do some speaking to much smaller audiences,(most I’ve spoken to “live” is a few hundred) But the talks are a huge gift to me. I meet so many people who step up to share their story after they have heard mine – I love that part. The connection. Being in the same boat no matter where our journey began.

That is more than I’ve ever spoken to. I’ve had about 3000 hits on one my newest short story because WordPress decided to host it. Yet, I hate public speaking for the namely. I think it is so amazing that you make such an effort to motivate and inspire others. You are awesome, Margaret.

Looks like we have a mutual fan club, James. You give tons to this community with your comments/edits and conversations. And now, hosting a practice, so grand! I wish I could send you to something I’ve written but I don’t blog. I want to write books and blogging takes too much time away from book writing for me. Alas, so does speaking but the speaking pays and I love meeting people. BTW, I just read a good article on acting that I thought translates well for writers – might make a fun practice… http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/2-mistakes-actors-make-auditions-and-how-overcome-them/

When I started my blog, it was going to simply be a dump of things I’ve written and nothing more. I get into it a little more now, but, if you let it, it can take some time. Mostly, though, all posts are things to do with practicing writing, tips, short stories, or updates on my book. You might be surprised at how optional WordPress is. Plus, I’ve made my blog look more like a website because that is what it is to me! I don’t have time to jack my jaw all day as others seem to.

I encourage you though to join the WordPress community and host some of your writing on there. It makes an excellent place to share your writing and a place to reference interested audiences.

I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only one from The Write Practice that would come to have a look-see.

If you decide to do so, let me know if you have (ANY) ANY (ANY) questions! I would LOVE the opportunity to make suggestions and help you out. Oh, and keep us posted if you decided to host your writings!

Come and Join WordPress Margaret! Share Your Story!

Great article. My self-worth might be fueled a little by success and feedback, but I’m a writer and I know it! Go all in and have a blast. Who cares what happens next! I write this story! This is MY story!

Thanks, great article. I worked for a large corporation as a writer/editor for nearly 20 years. Great pay but much of the stuff I did didn’t have a byline and even when it did I always felt inferior to those who were making “a name” for themselves. Now I’m retired and transitioning to authoring novels and it’s a struggle to overcome that inner critic, but I know I’ve got to do it if I expect to find any success in my new career. Rich Binkele

Don’t let that internal critique sabotage you! Write and write freely. Then, you might let the editor side take a peek. Then, and most importantly, share it with us!

“Hi, my name is Kim Smith. I write a blog about how nature can be a coping mechanism for sensitive people when they feel overwhelmed. I’m also working on a book on the same subject.”

How’s that? It felt scary just to type it. But as I recently wrote on my blog, it’s time to come out of the closet as a writer and really go for it. I’m proud to say that I attended my first writer’s conference a couple weeks ago and am preparing to participate in NaNoWriMo to explore fiction writing. I have so much I want to say about so many things that it’ll take me a while to determine what to focus on first. I’m glad to have found this community and look forward to giving and receiving support on our mutual journey.

(If you’re interested, here’s where I wrote about wanting to be a “real” writer: http://www.natureismytherapy.com .)

This sounds really interesting. It is horrifying to know that so many people are spending more and more time indoors. Work is indoors, fun is indoors. There is such wonder, inspiration, and calmness out in the woods than a city could ever offer. I’m saddened that so many take it for granted.

I followed your blog, I look forward to you sharing your fiction with us. Good luck with NaNoWriMo. I plan to attempt writing on my second fiction piece during NaNoWriMo. But, I’ll be starting a new programming job at the same time and deep into an online writing course at the Story Cartel (also hosted by Joe Bunting).

Thank you, James. I poked around on your blog a bit too, and I have to tell you that “Bystander Effect” was in my mind for days after I read it. Very powerful writing.

Thank you. It is so wonderful to hear comments like that. It never gets old, and always makes me want to go write more.

Marianne, this post brings back a very distinct memory. I was living on a sailboat in Marina del Rey, Los Angeles and working in Hollywood (on set, in camera & lighting and visual effects — lots of stories there…).

That was the very first time I told someone “I’m a writer” — one evening in the bar of the Marina del Rey Hotel, during a happy hour. I had not yet been published, but that didn’t matter. I knew it since I was six years old, and I knew it would come soon enough. And it did.

Don’t you love when specific memories are triggered? There are like long forgotten historical gems that we get to unearth!! I want to share coffee and hear all about LA…

Wouldn’t that be fun… where are you based Marianne? I don’t suppose you’re anywhere in the Bay Area (Cali)?

I wish that I was. Minneapolis for now. Hoping to make a change…

Well, how about then whichever one of us visits the other’s city first (or close enough), gives the other a heads up for coffee? 🙂

I’ve got to get around to reading some of your stuff. I’ve found you to be an excellent writer with tons of experience.

Hello there. My name is Audrey Chin and I’m a writer. The global version of my novel As the Heart Bones Break is being launched on November 2nd and you can get an advance review copy at http://www.audreychin.com for the next 2 weeks. The North Amercian version’s being marketed to publishers right now and and there’s a free giveaway now on Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18513417-as-the-heart-bones-break .

I’ve had other things published, so I know I’m a writer. But, I still feel shy about saying it. I’m not sure why. Perhaps when I was little, it wasn’t considered a proper vocation. Perhaps when I’m more widely read 😉

Interesting. I will have to read your book set in Vietnam. I’ve been thinking about writing a short story about the My Lai massacre.

Hello, Write Practice community! I’m Karl, much obliged. I write stories. My target audience is one that enjoys the darker side of things: ghosts, insanity, isolation, psychological insight ( why is this person crazy?), and generally distasteful truths. Since I’m always focused on “What comes next?” as far as my stories go, I do hope to make a living writing them. I don’t pay attention to the slim chances or the statistics. I’m going for it. I won’t stop. Writing stories and getting lost in the worlds I create is therapeutic and fun and exciting. I look at it this way: the more I write, the more people will read. And I’m tired of everybody constantly bent over a cell phone or iPad and always talking about “apps” and on the whole, literature is unappreciated by more people than ever before. I want to be able to say I contributed to the written word. I want to get so good at telling stories that somebody, someday, might read something I wrote and say, “That’s what I want to do.”

That’s what I want to do!

Mission accomplished! All is well that ends well. I can go home now. 😉

Enjoy your early retirement. You deserve it!

What the hell is an iPad anyway? OR

What the hell is literature about anyway?

Can you guess which side of the line I’m on?

Unappreciated! Write it anyway! I’d rather fail at publishing literary quality material than to become famous for publishing garbage. Put that in your Twitter and Smoke it!

I’m not sure I get what you are getting at. . .but. . .I don’t have a Twitter? And if Twitter came in a pack of twenty with a surgeon general’s warning on the box, I definitely wouldn’t smoke it!

I can’t tell if you are being completely facetious or not. I meant that classic literature and stuff is under-appreciated. I’m saying write something that you can be proud of. I wouldn’t honestly be proud to be the author of Twilight.

I think I couldn’t tell if you were being facetious, either, at first, but now I’m with you–yes, 100% The thing is, I smoke cigarettes, so what I was saying is that if Twitter was a cigarette I wouldn’t smoke it. Okay, we’re on the same team. Let’s show these kids what a good story should be. 😉

I’m an ex-smoker of ten years. Almost been a year without a cigarette. Too damn expensive!

And how. It’s on and off for me, though lately it’s been more “on.” 🙁

1. Don’t buy them. It’s hard smoke them if you don’t have them to smoke. 2, When I ran out of cigarettes, I switched to E-cigars. I had like 12 cartridges. Once they were gone, I quit.

Congratulations, too! I applaud your quitting.

wow, such a lovely goal, Karl! I believe you will get there too. “..insanity, isolation, psychological insight (why is this person crazy?)” Now I know why I am drawn to your work. I come from crazy people…writing is my therapy and one of the ways I make sense of my past.

That’s an awesome way to make sense of your past. I imagine it’s a good way for you to release some pressure so it doesn’t build up and blow out on a highway somewhere.

Hello my name is Ava Mauriello and I have just started down this career path. I do not have a blog, but I have a vlog on YouTube with a web series called Thorns and I have an independent film critique segment. Please check out my YouTube channel. I would love to hear your feedback! http://www.youtube.com/myavasavalot . My goals would be to have my channel become more successful (and higher budget haha!). Also I would love to write/direct short films and eventually independent features! I would love to be like Shane Carruth. I would like to make films independently without going the Hollywood route, so I can have more creative control.

-James how do you connect the word “blog” to your hyperlink? I would like to do that 🙂

Here is the link directly to the videos:

http://www.youtube.com/user/MyAvasavalot/videos

Sorry it took me so long to get to you on this!

Okay, it is a basic HTML anchor tag created like this (minus the brackets. The text goes in between the tags, the link goes inside of a quoted href attribute.

My YouTube Channel

I will have to check out your vlog sometime. Hope this helps.

Sorry, I’ve been so busy, I haven’t had a chance to catch up on my reading.

Creating a hyperlink like that is really easy. It is an HTML anchor tag done like so without the brackets.

What is placed between the tags becomes the visible text, what is placed in the HREF attribute is what the link is.

A link to YouTube

I’m interesting in looking at your vlog. I hope this helps.

Loved the quote, “Talent and ability are not always cash-making but are still real and worth our belief.”

I am a poet, speaker and author. I have to write, for me it’s like breathing.

Look forward to hearing more of your work!

It’s nice to see you, Anne. It has been wondrous reading your stories in the Story Cartel Course. I think it would be great to see you over here on The Write Practice is well.

Hi! My name is Anastacia Maness. I am a preacher’s wife, homeschooling mother of 6 blessings, and a writer. When I’m not busy chasing my blessings, I’m writing about them at http://rocksolidfamily.com .

My goal is to help build up and strengthen families. I’ve also written a book entitled “Don’t Quit: Build a Legacy of Commitment”. It is free to download (no email address required at least for now) at http://rocksolidfamily.com/dont-quit .

I am currently writing a 31 Day series on Building Commitment based upon my book and hope to turn it into an expanded edition.

Thanks for letting me practice. I really enjoy your posts. 🙂

Your writing sounds very informative and inspiration. I will have to check it out, especially since it is free.

Keep chasing those blessings!

I love your Rock Solid Family. Although it was a little short, it was thoughtful, truthful, and witty. I think my favorite line was do things for your wife before she asks. My wife is always asking, especially if I’m trying to write.

I’d recommend it to anyone and everyone. Good advice!

Thank you, James. I am glad you enjoyed it and got something out of it. I had a lot more I could have said but wanted it to be an easy quick read. I am planning to write a bigger book on the same subject but a little more in depth. Thanks for checking it out! 🙂

I’m a bit late, but hey there, I’m Elise White. I have loved writing and drawing all of my life. I work as a receptionist, but I enjoy do writing jobs and selling my artwork online ( http://wwww.piecesofelises.etsy.com ). I had my first book published last year, a guide on how to draw people http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009XDYHPE/ref=pe_355000_30273350_email_1p_11_ti#_ .

I am signed up for NaNoWriMo this year and my goal is to write my modern take on Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South, which will be titled On the Near North Side.

Hi Elise. Wow, I didn’t know you were so multi talented. Saw your Etsy page and really like your work – loved the initial/finger pendant, so creative.

Thanks for checking it out, Margaret!

You have amazing people-drawing skills. I can sketch anything, but I’ve always been terrible at drawing mental pictures.

Once again you’ve blessed me. By the way Jeff since I read your book I AM A WRITER!

Great timing for this post. I’ve got a couple books under my belt and working on the hard part-the sales. I often still stumble when asked what I do, but I said it without hesitation for some reason this morning in front of a group of strangers and well known author Jon Acuff. Crazy thing was it felt completely natural, not sure why it came so easily today, but I need to figure out how to duplicate it that’s for sure

Natural. It would be nice for it to sound natural. One of these days, it will.

Love this post! Making this change in how I talked about writing has been huge for me. I’m also enjoying scrolling through all the comments, such a lovely community. I’ve blogged about this same topic here: http://wp.me/p3kWXF-ci and here http://wp.me/p3kWXF-jb .

I agree Mary — what a wonderful group!!

Well, if no one else has, I would love to welcome you to this community. It is one of the best places for writers to become better writers.

Hello my name is Orlando Sanchez.I write martial arts and paranormal thrillers. My first book The Spiritual Warriors is currently available on Amazon. I’m currently working on my second book which is in beta reader stage, which I dread lol.

I have been writing for a few years now, but only over the last two years did I embrace the title-writer. It took a while, but once I did I started enjoying writing everyday and introducing myself(when asked) as a writer. Very nice meeting you all. Its great to find other writers out there who may be going through the same things I went and go through as an indie.

You can find my book at http://www.amazon.com/Orlando-SAnchez/e/B008T8MMQ0/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Orlando Some of my thoughts, rants and learning experiences are on my blog: http://www.nascentnovel.blogspot.com

It is wonderful to have advice from such a seasoned writer!

Hi, my name is Kate, and I am a writer. Though I don’t have any books published (yet) I do write on several blogs and am currently searching for a literary agent!

Hey, that wasn’t too hard. 🙂

Did she mention that she is the best darN 13-year-old writer in the world?

I think your writing is magical, Kate. I’m so inspired and moved by your youthful dedication. I wish I had had that dedication at your age.

By the way, where can I find more of your writing, Kate? I’ve been anxious to read more of your prose. What I have read has been so poetic!

Aww, thank you so much, James. 🙂

Well, there’s my blog ( http://themagicviolinist.blogspot.com/ ), but if you go to my blog and look at the sidebar as you scroll down, you can see other blogs I’ve contributed to in the past, including links to all of my posts on The Write Practice. Hope this helps! 🙂 And thanks again!

The short bio on your website is awesome! Where the heck was I when I was 13?….Oh yeah, wishing I could grow up and become a writer! I used to spend days sketching and writing poems and shorts in my hard-cover, black, unlined sketch books. I wish I had known then that people actually made a living as a writer. When I grew up (still in the process) I studied computer science and got a programming job, so I can tell you straight up that GIFs are really, REALLY boring. 😛

Your writing voice is beautiful, and I LOVE the hearts all over your blog!!

Thank you so much! 🙂

Thank you Marianne! What a sweet comment. Hope to share the book soon. Getting excited!!!

I needed this post, like, two years ago! But, better late than never. Here goes….

Hi Everyone! My name is Tanya and I’m a writer, dreamer, inter-galactic super hero, and mother of two little aliens posing as human children. Whenever I’m not shipping one of these tiny beings to school, soccer, softball, piano, or the dentist, I write short stories and novels in all genres. I’m currently editing a modern day fantasy novel and finishing up the first draft of a supernatural middle grade story. In between I search for prompts online that usually turn into short stories on my blog, http://www.tanyamiranda.com . I also post my fantastic follies, some inspirational true stories, and log my rocky trek across the land of self publishing. Stop by my blog to read, comment, share, or just to say hi!

——–

There, that wasn’t so bad. But then again, if we actually met in person, I’d probably just say, “Hi. The name’s Tanya. I’m a writer damn it! Check out my blog tanyamiranda.com. Peace!”

Not sure which one is better. 🙂

LOVED this intro!!! I will certainly check out your blog!

Yay! Hope you like what you read Marianne.

I liked the first one better, but I cannot undermine the effectiveness of the last one, either! Share your story with ATTITUDE!

I, too, am not taken to any specific genre. I love to write whatever I want.

Hi James. Thanks and enjoy the shorts!

Hi Y’all, my name is Teia Collier, and I am writer. I’ve had a long journey to get here from playing politics on the Hill to event planning, but I am honored to call myself a writer. In the near future, I plan to publish a series of romances based on the rockstar women of Biblical history told through the lens of a modern perspective. Cheers to sharing the path.

Ancieno-Modern Romance. Sounds like the grounds for a new sub-genre. I’m glad to share the path to being a writer with you!

Hello, my name is Catherine. I am a writer as well as a high school student. I’ve been working on my very first novel, which integrates fantasy into a modern day setting. I decided to give writing my first book (this same novel) a try 3 years ago in the seventh grade, when I came up with an idea for a story that I myself was dying to read. However, I was naïve and believed that all there was to writing a book was sitting down and typing away at a computer screen. To my credit, I did end up with 9 chapters during that time period, but I soon realized that my male protagonist who was meant to be a caring, wise, brave hero to support my heroine came off as mysterious, slightly off putting, stalker-like figure. I ended that draft there. Eventually, I realized there was much more to writing than that. As I continued to read, develop my ‘voice’, and learn about writing in general, I grew more confident in my abilities and decided that I would not give up on my story that I believed should be told. Last year I received second place in a national essay contest and won $500 for it. I was floored. Now, I am taking AP English Language and Composition course as one of my classes and I have joined the newly formed Writing Club that I’m very excited to be a part of. Other than that I am a Highschool student with a dream and a passion I’m trying to put into action. Now if only my teachers would understand that my sole purpose in life is not completing homework- then I’d be set. The thing I really need right now is a kick in the pants.

Get out there and kick some ass or I’ll kick it for you!

Keep chasing those dreams, Catherine, keep writing with passion. The rest will follow, I promise.

Share your stories with us, we’d love to hear them!

Thank you James. I hope you don’t mind if I quote you (hopefully I’m not misquoting you), but “That heartfelt comment was just that- felt by this heart!” Thank you for all your encouragement! Eventually, you’ll get a taste of some of my stories through the practices- don’t you worry. 😉

Hello. I write because it makes me feel better in life. I am a writer.

Hi, I am Ana Spoke. I am currently writing a comedy/satirical novel – making fun of everything from “Fifty Shades of Gray” to “Fight Club” to Hollywood movies.

I am going to publish it one chapter at a time on my blog – http://anaspoke.com/

I have a lot of fun writing – in fact I giggle most of the time while writing or proof reading, which makes the process a joy. I hope I make other people laugh as well, which in the future may mean actually seeing my books in print. Thank you very much for helping out wannabes like me!

Ana Spoke and then there was humor.

Sounds like a great novel that would be filled with laughs from cover to cover. I will have to check it out!

I introduced myself as a writer once. Scared me to death.

This made me laugh!! But look — you survived! 🙂

Then, I became one…

Ah! Ah! Scary!

James thanks for the warm words! Yes seasoned like a dose of sriracha chased by some jalapenos! I’m still starting out in this writing life but its been a fun ride so far !

Hello! My name is Alani Keiser and I’m a writer. When I was a kid I wanted to be a fireman. Kidding! I really wanted to be a journalist. After leaving school I, unfortunately, could not get into University so I had to take to an office chair and do insurance (it was for the money). During the years I kept my passion going by writing poetry and songs… which I have won awards for. Fast forward to 15 years later… I resigned at my insurance job and started as a freelance writer. To date I have written articles, web content, press releases, poetry for children and I am now about to start writing my first novel (there’s just too much in my head and my dreams to keep on a leash). Much love xxx

Hi, I’m Olivia. I’m a writer. I publish a successful wellness newsletter every week with practices, affirmations, and journal prompts. I’m currently writing a guided journal and a children’s book. I aspire to become a self-help author.

I am looking for publications to continue publishing blogs and articles centering health and wellness. This was a lovely and helpful practice, I hate that I stumble when asked “what I do.” Honestly, I find it to be such a trivializing and demoralizing question!

oliviatokunbo,com

Greetings and salutations.I’m Jake, and I’m a prolific writer of six different series, I am also character designer.I’m currently preparing to write the next draft of the third book in my Dark Dayz saga. I hope to have it published early next year, then have the narrator for the series complete the audiobook version and have that published by March.I’ve published multiple books and audiobooks, but I am ready to find my cartel and market them, and future releases.

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Identifying Yourself as a Writer

Do you think of yourself as a writer? Graduate students write a great deal but rarely think of themselves as writers. Maybe this is analogous to how we think of other activities; I love to bake, for instance, but would never describe myself as a baker. A baker is someone who has training as such or who, at the very least, is paid to do so. Since neither of those is true for me, I am just someone who spends way too much time baking. Similarly, since we aren’t generally trained as writers or paid to write, we don’t call ourselves writers. But there are implications of being a writer–that is, someone who has to write frequently in order to meet key professional goals–who nonetheless shies away from that label. What would you say if asked to finish the following sentences?

‘As a writer, I am…’

‘As a writer, I wish to be…’

Many of us will come up with sentences like these:

‘As a writer, I am not very good (or skilled or competent or efficient or happy or effective or confident).’

‘As a writer, I wish to be finished, so I don’t have to write any more!’

In my experience, people rarely think of themselves as writers , but they frequently think of themselves as bad writers . Adopting that sort of critical stance towards our own writing could be beneficial if it was part of a broader project of developing our writing skills. But novice writers often treat bad writer as an ontological category, as a condition that will afflict them forever and always. Needless to say, it can be hard to improve your writing if you are more or less resigned to never improving. If you are inclined to think of yourself as a bad writer, try lopping off the ‘bad’. Doing so may leave you with a more hopeful construction: ‘I am a writer who needs to improve in such-and-such ways. These improvements will come from such-and-such strategies.’

I recently came across an interesting article that discusses a range of strategies designed to improve the writing process:

[W]e have identified strategies that can help novices understand more about academic writing and their relationship with writing. One strategy is to confront and talk about rather than ignore the difficult emotions that writing stirs up . This can result in two potentially enabling insights for beginning academic writers. They learn that their feelings are not extraordinary but commonplace, and therefore not something to be anxious about. And by finding that their feelings are shared by more experienced writers, novices learn that difficult emotions need not get in the way of writing, can be managed rather than erased and might even be productive in the writing process. The second strategy is to explicitly address procedural know-how and expose what goes on in the writing process. This provides novices with information about strategies for productive writing, and assures them that what they currently perceive as failings (such as having to write and rewrite multiple times) are the very means for producing good writing. Novices learn that they are not deficient or lacking in skills but doing exactly what experienced writers do. Related to this, the third strategy is to…hail novices as academic writers —to use social settings, such as writing workshops, where novices, in the presence of others, take on tasks as if they were already experienced writers (for example, to read the work of an admired author not as a student seeking wisdom, but as a one writer inquiring into how another writer writes) (Cameron, Nairn, and Higgins, 2009; emphasis mine).

These strategies are expressed as ways that instructors can help students, and they are indeed all strategies that I find useful in my teaching. But they are also approaches that you can use yourself: you can talk honestly with your peers about your writing difficulties; you can accept that writing doesn’t come automatically and seek out the support that you need; and you can consciously adopt the role of academic writer as you approach the texts that you read. Even if writing support is hard to find, I urge you to continue to look for resources to help you implement these strategies in your own writing life. The blogroll is full of excellent resources, and I will return to these issues in future blog posts. For today, I will close with a post from the Hook & Eye blog that offers one writer’s reflections on the role of identification and acceptance in the writing process.

Source : Cameron, J., Nairn, K., & Higgins, J. (2009). Demystifying academic writing: Reflections on emotions, know-how and academic identity. Journal of Geography in Higher Education 33 (2), 269-284.

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11 responses to “ Identifying Yourself as a Writer ”

Great article. Thanks for writing this!

Hi, Rachel, Thanks for posting this text. I wonder if there is any specific advice for second language writers. Thanks Paola

This is an interesting question, Paola. My simple answer is that, in this particular area, there is no need to make a distinction between first and second language speakers. I am sure you have heard me say that academic English is nobody’s first langauge. What that means is that everyone (regardless of their language background) needs to learn how to be an academic writer. The advice in this post–embracing the label of writer, in all its complexity–is suitable for all academic writers. But the actual practice of learning more about how to write is often, as you know, more difficult for second language writers.

Hi Rachel, I loved reading your article today. When I was reading through, I felt as I were describing myself, dscribing how I should edit my own writing strategies. It was a great posting, indeed. It should not be a surprise as I do agree with you on a lot of issues, especially when you mentioned that we do think of ourselves as “bad writers”. The novice writer that I am is always reading her own research articles and papers. In the past, I thought that the best way to write is to read a lot, such as novels, and other publications related to the writing skill as such. However, I was mistaken. I discovered that the best way to write is to go first through his/her own writing and see what it lacks, how to address a grammatical issue( sentence pattern, for instance), etc… Needless to say that the three strategies sound very “COOL”. However, I have one reserve about one of them. As I am teaching in an EFL environment, I have noticed that we are too shy to talk about our weaknesses in writing, and I think this is typical of Mediterranean cultures. The workshop writing you referred to has proved to be of great help in my classes. My students understood that writing in groups is a way to motivate them to better write in English. Everyone is bringing in an idea and in whatever language it might be. This is a way to contribute to the writing task. Great posting, Katia

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While Caffarella and Barnett (2000) indicate that critique is the most influential element in helping learners produce a better writing product, critique can be an emotional event. I first started accepting verbal criticism and learning how to deal with it, at the age of 18 when I was at boot camp, basic training in the U.S. Air Force in Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX. Written criticism carried over when I started learning how to use APA format writing. All doctoral learners must develop appropriate voice in writing in order to make the transition from student to scholar since readers of written works will perceive the narrative as an authoritative discourse that demands respect. Tone is an essential ingredient to communicate scholarship in a way that is clear and concise. Wade (1995) provides eight writing exercises/assignments that can contribute to critical and creative thinking. To conclude, learning how to accept written criticism and adapting to receiving written criticism in writing is necessary, when learning how to make the transition from student to becoming a scholar.

Reference: Wade, C. (1995). Using writing to develop and assess critical thinking. Teaching of Psychology, 22(1), 24-28. doi: 10.1207/s15328023top2201_8. The path to a successful doctoral experience. Phoenix, AZ: Grand Canyon University. Retrieved from http://lc.gcumedia.com/res811/find-your-purpose-the-path-to-a-successful-doctoral-experience/v1.1

As a writer and speaker I wish to be effective in changing the thinking and actions of others on particular topics. I wish I knew the skill sets to do this, in addition to facts and figures as all decisions are ultimately emotional. As a writer and speaker I am okay on the facts and figures but not the other stuff.

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TWO WRITING TEACHERS

A meeting place for a world of reflective writers.

Reflecting: What kind of writer am I?

In march, terje äkke asked “what kind of writer are you” i took some time to ponder her question. after all, this is not a simple question. while some people might be able to answer it in 140 characters or less, i am not one of those people (see the bullet point about being long-winded below)., i finally crafted a response to terje’s question. some of my assertions came easily (e.g., i am disciplined.) while some took me by surprise (i wish i wrote more like maureen dowd.) regardless of how i came upon my responses, thinking deeply about myself as a writer was important work since it allowed me to think about the type of effort i would want a student to provide if they were answering terje’s question on an end-of-year writing workshop reflection., who i am as a writer, i am the kind of writer who is disciplined. i know how to put my tush in a chair and keep it there. i close-down my browsers and silence my phone when i need to get writing done. i meet deadlines., i am the kind of writer who is never satisfied. i can return to something i wrote a month, a year, or a decade later and still find ways to improve upon it. my writing is never finished., i am the kind of writer who loves finding the perfect word to describe something. i always have a thesaurus on hand when i’m writing. it’s not that i want to use bigger words, i want to use the most precise one., i am a rollerball pen writer. i’ve tried a jot script stylus , as well as 53’s pencil , on my ipad’s digital notebook apps. nothing compares to the precision and the feel of rollerball ink gliding atop a spiral-spine notebook., i am the kind of writer who thinks faster than she can type, which is about 90 wpm, thank you very much ..

In an effort not to put on another six pounds, I've curtailed my chocolate consumption to these.

I am the kind of writer who requires a lot of chocolate while working on a deadline. Now that I’m in the final two months of working on the manuscript for Craft Moves , I’ve been consuming more chocolate than I should. (I’m carrying a few extra pounds on my frame to prove that the chocolate one eats while writing does, in fact, contain calories.)

I am the kind of writer who uses two spaces after every period, despite the fact some consider that passé. in fact, when i send something to my publisher , i “find and replace” all of the two spaces after a period with one because i just can’t get out of the two-spaces-after-a-period habit when i type., i am the kind of writer who needs her own personal editor. why because i do my best proofreading after i hit “publish” or “send.”, i am the kind of writer who wishes she wrote more like maureen dowd when engaging in argument-based writing about education policy. i know what i want to say and have all the right words in my head, but i don’t have the adroitness or the courage (or the platform) to write like dowd., i am the kind of writer who tends to be long-winded. i struggle with brevity. twitter has been a 3.5 year exercise in learning to be concise., i am the kind of writer who does some of her best thinking in the shower or while driving. this is problematic since i never have the chance to write down the amazing ideas i think of when that happens , want to give your students self-assessments that will get them thinking about the kind of writers they are (and more), but don’t know where to start here are some older posts i’ve written about self-assessments and end-of-year reflections., reluctant writers’ self reflections, self-assessing their notebooks, updated end-of-year letter guidelines, weekend check-ins, also, check out aimee buckner’s notebook know-how: strategies for the writer’s notebook . it is an excellent resource for all things relating to writer’s notebooks and for creating mid-year and end-of-year self-assessments for students., so now i ask you this: what kind of writer are you , share this:.

Published by Stacey Shubitz

I am a literacy consultant who focuses on writing workshop. I've been working with K-6 teachers and students since 2009. Prior to that, I was a fourth and fifth-grade teacher in New York City and Rhode Island. I'm the author of Craft Moves (Stenhouse Publishers, 2016) and the co-author of Jump Into Writing (Zaner-Bloser, 2021), Welcome to Writing Workshop (Stenhouse Publishers, 2019), and Day By Day (Stenhouse, 2010). I live in Central Pennsylvania with my husband and children. In my free time, I enjoy swimming, doing Pilates, cooking, baking, making ice cream, and reading novels. View all posts by Stacey Shubitz

22 thoughts on “ Reflecting: What kind of writer am I? ”

Love this post and will plan a future post on this important topic. I’m still a 2 space after the period writer. I am the kind of writer who is undisciplined. Thank goodness for my commitments to TWT, Poetry Friday, and Celebrate this Week that keep me writing.

You’re doing great, Ramona!

This says so much. Recognizing who we are in life is necessary if we choose to grow. You’ve inspired me and so many others in this post. Thank you.

Stacie, When I first read your question I felt myself slouch, just a bit. Not from poor posture, but because I too find myself doing my best editing AFTER I hit publish, and returning to my writing a day, a week or even a month later and thinking how did I miss this? I also find myself going on and on and on and pausing to decide one or two spaces after a period and comma or shorter sentence because I am not sure about the comma. All these thing make me a shy writer with MUCH to say. As you can imagine being a shy writer with many messages to share is a challenge. So as I read on in your post I found my head nodding, my jaw dropping, my posture improving and my writing confidence growing! If Stacey Shubitz experiences these same challenges then maybe I should (continue to) shove my writing demons in the closet and share my message because in my heart I am a writer who is also best friends with the (three finger tap on the Mac for the) thesaurus and who works best with pressure and deadlines. So maybe these are the demons of many writers. Whatever writing demon we face we need to push on past and let our voices be heard. Thanks Stacy for making me sit taller and push past my insecurities to let my thoughts find me as I write, because one thing I know for sure is my words always surprise me, and I am glad they do!

Your post has me thinking about myself as a writer. This year has been a challenging one for myself as a writer and I’m looking forward to some changes that will help me get back to the writing life that I miss so much. I’m putting your idea into my writer’s notebook and am going to spend some time thinking about it. I think I’ll add “What kind of writer do I want to be” to help me set some goals to work on this summer. BTW, chocolate is a must for any kind of writing to get done. 🙂

I also love this post and appreciate how thinking of what kind of writer you are validates that you are a writer in the first place. For those of us who are not “published” authors in the sense of having a published book, it is important that we think of ourselves as writers and help our students step into that identity, too. When I taught kindergarten, I think it was easier for the little ones to accept they are writers. After all, they readily see themselves as princesses, a Power a Rangers, firefighters, etc. As students get older, they embrace the identity less and think of writers as only those who have published books. Many teachers I know would balk at the idea of calling themselves writers. The very premise of this post starts with: You are a writer… Just what kind are you? Love that. I just ordered Aimee’s book today on your recommendation and I’m excited to read it and check out the self reflection links.

What kind of writer am I? I am the kind of writer who looks to make connections. I am the kind of writer who finds understanding from connecting all pieces of my life, past and present. I like to write about the people, places and ideas that matter most to me. I love incorporating song lyrics, quotes, and pictures into my writing. I can be too wordy. I struggle to write fiction and stick mostly to personal narrative. Feedback from readers means so much to me and I wilt with criticism but I am working on that!

Stacey, just want to echo how impressed I am with you, your vision, your writing and how you’ve grown this community with the TWT team. I wish I found this site earlier but so happy to have found it now. The daily posts leave me with new ideas each day. This was another great one!

Stacey, you got me thinking. Thank you. I wish everyone who read this would share their answers.

http://rdgtchr.blogspot.com/2015/05/what-kind-of-writer-am-i.html

I love that you know yourself so well as a writer — especially the part about discipline! You are my model for what it looks like to be a disciplined writer! You’re always looking weeks, months ahead and sticking to the plan. I’m more of a day-or-two-ahead-kick-it-into-high-gear kind of a writer. You are amazing and inspiring!

I remember that someone else who writes for this blog (I can’t remember who) wrote about writing tics (that may not be the word she used- can’t remember) and habits and encouraged us to reflect on our own. I love that you have asked this question and am excited to reflect and write about what kind of writer I am. Writing has definitely helped me teach writers. Knowing myself as a writer is helping. Thanks for encouraging us to continue to reflect.

I just recently read something about only using one space after a period and I thought it was madness! I tried it and just couldn’t do it. I will forever use two spaces.

I tweeted the following in response… Inspired by @raisealithuman https://goo.gl/pnpezA I tend to get to the point. I prefer to write in the am. I struggle to rewrite. You?

What a great question! And I enjoyed reading your answer and getting to know the writer you even better. Chocolate is me de-stresser. It’s been helpful these last few days of school. I want to ponder this question and answer in an SOL post. I am also going to post on my kidblog site in case any of my students check in over the summer. I also want to comment about the bolder print. So much easier to read early in the morning.

I am also a writer who likes two spaces after a period. I dislike the Oxford comma. I learned both of these things very young.

But this is my favorite, because I am also this writer: “I am the kind of writer who does some of her best thinking in the shower or while driving. This is problematic since I never have the chance to write down the amazing ideas I think of when that happens!”

What a great post! It had me nodding along, enjoying your words and the insight into your writing. I can relate to so many of your reflections. I, too, am an eternal editor and love to push for the perfect word. I also want to know when the double space after a period was eliminated–Apparently I missed that news bulletin! I can’t wait to reflect more on my own writing strengths, weaknesses, quirks, etc. I’ve been writing much more this year and the more I write, the more I discover about my writing self. It’s a journey of discovery! Thanks so much for sharing–I love it when I finish reading a post and am inspired and impatient to write!

Here’s one of many articles about the 2 spaces after the period that I’ve read: http://www.cultofpedagogy.com/two-spaces-after-period/ . Makes me feel so passe!

I have used the “find & replace” technique to rid my writing of 2 spaces after a period as well!

I think you’ll enjoy this, Shari. http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/how-many-spaces-after-a-period

I love the depth of self-reflection (transparency) in this post! Now I know that chocolate is the secret weapon!

I find these exercises so good for me personally, but also so good for me as a teacher. When I think about where I am or who I am, I notice how hard it can be to figure that out. It helps me remember to give more TIME to think and write. I nodded along with so much of your post and when we differed, I was like “huh. interesting.”

So interesting to read your response. It shows how different the writers can be and still get writing done, plus enjoy it. The chocolate comment made me chuckle. Looking forward to reading Craft Moves. Including other reflection tips makes the post very useful for end-of-year reflections. Thank you so much.

The chocolate part was written yesterday… Because I felt the need for transparency!

I love everything about this post! Thank you for the push to think about myself as a writer and to have my students do the same. I see this happening next week in class. Look for my post on it, once I’ve reflected too. Thanks Stacey for the thought-provoking post!

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Who I Am as a Writer Essay Example

Who am I as a writer? This is a question I could not wrap my head around until I talked it out with my mother. I do not personally consider myself a writer, though I am the daughter of one. According to her, she is a speaker who writes, not a writer who speaks. She has been a bigger help to my writing than all my years of schooling. She is my go-to for writing advice.

In all actuality, I prefer editing to writing and I am drawn more toward non-fiction than fiction writing. There have been times when my mom has given me the opportunity to offer edits to her work in the past and I thoroughly enjoyed that experience. No matter how hard I try, I can not help but edit in my head when reading just about anything. Being diagnosed with ADHD means my brain has a hard time focusing on one task at a time. One way I can explain would be that it is like having a primary and secondary mind. When my primary focus is reading, my secondary mind needs something to do in the background. I have recently found out that if I walk around whilst reading I can stay focused and engaged in a book. When I edit while reading, it keeps me focused, but I have also noticed that it limits my ability to enjoy the story. My experience in writing could be simply put as none. There have been multiple years where I have never even been required to write an essay. One year I had a teacher who made us only write and rewrite on the same essay all year long. This left a bad impression of what writing would feel like.

I suppose I am a good writer considering how little teaching I have had in it. I usually get good grades on my essays because I have mastered doing exactly what my teachers want to see. School has taught me to regurgitate information, so over time I have gained the skill of rewording things well. Creativity is not often found in my peers' work as well, since we have all been taught to write for standardized tests.

I believe a good writer is someone who can take criticism. Someone whose self-worth is not wrapped up in their writing. Someone who understands who their audience is. Whereas a bad writer might be an author who has poor grammar or does not research their topic. For example, I recently read a fiction book that tackled the topic of sexual assault and the way the author went about it was completely wrong. He had her physically unhurt and emotionally and mentally ready to talk about what happened within seconds of her attack. It was very clear throughout his book he had done absolutely no research or consulting of any women on a topic he knows nothing about. Bad writing can ruin a good story.

My typing skills are leisurely at best, which means I can not think and type at the same speed. I have to slow my brain down to be able to type what I am thinking or wait until I have a sentence completed in my head before typing it out. Overall...it is a slow process even when my brain is racing with ideas. As of yet, I have not been motivated to write on my own without an assigned reason. Basically, I do not want to write until I am good at it. And yes, I do realize that is not a helpful quality about myself. I have a hard time attempting things I do not already do well….perhaps it is my fatal flaw. The learning process of trying and failing is difficult for me.

If I am being completely honest I am taking this class primarily for the college credit and to raise my GPA. My sister recommended this class to me because of the teacher she had two years ago at Clay. I was concerned when there was a different teacher listed on my schedule, but now that we are a month in, I have really enjoyed the conversations in this class and glad I signed up for it. I need to get more confident in my writing skills before going to college and this class will help bridge that gap. This is not meant in an “annoying student” way, but more of an “I want to be confident in the writing work I turn in” way and I am usually not. My typical attitude towards writing is that it is boring and it hurts my head. Usually writing is just a means to an end for me (i.e. a grade). I want to be able to communicate my thoughts onto paper and gain skills that will help me in the future. Communication classes are something that I am interested in taking once I get to college and I do not want to go in there as the most under qualified student. Again hinting at my fear of failure being a driving force in my life.

Delving deeper into my writing approach, I have realized that what I have been doing is overthinking before typing anything. School has not provided the opportunity to write freely. Instead, requiring us to always stick to the format. Some of the things I suffer from include: analysis paralysis, format paralysis, idea paralysis… etc. Another thing I do is procrastinate (like every good writer according to my mom). I do this every time. I am the person who writes their essay the day before it is due. I revise my work while typing, which creates difficulty because I am always deleting sentences then forgetting what I am thinking or where I was going. The only papers I have ever been proud of were the three papers I wrote in 5th grade. They were brutally honest about my own life. They were almost like therapy for me to write, and I was proud that I actually did it. Looking forward to the end of this year, I am hopeful that I will have more writing work that will leave me proud.

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How to Write a “Who Am I” Essay: Free Tips With Examples

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Essay writing is an exciting and challenging academic activity that helps students to develop essential writing skills, such as creative thinking, reflective, and analytical skills. When writing an essay on the topic “Who Am I,” students should understand what is required of them before writing a paper. Ideally, educational departments and tutors provide instructions that dictate the approach that students should take when writing academic texts. In principle, a “Who Am I” essay should reflect the first-person language because this prompt requires learners to tell the audience about themselves. In this respect, writers can use narrative, philosophical, college application, or autobiographical approaches in writing a paper. Hence, learners need to understand how to write a “Who Am I” essay to provide high-quality papers and achieve desired outcomes.

General Guidelines for Writing a “Who I Am” Essay

Essay writing is an academic activity that exposes students to conventions of formal writing and enhances their critical thinking, analytical, and reflective skills. Although there are different types of essays , there are no significant differences in essay structure, essay outline, and applicable academic writing rules. Basically, the only areas where essays seem to be different are essay topics and their content. For example, an argumentative essay advances the writer’s perspective on an issue, while a narrative essay provides the author’s life story. In the former, students intend to persuade the audience by considering specific arguments, and, in the latter, they inform readers about personal experiences with life lessons. Therefore, in writing an essay on the topic “Who Am I,” writers should first understand what is required of them. Ideally, this type of essay asks authors to talk about themselves.

Differences Between a “Who Am I” Essay and Other Papers

In principle, essays that ask writers to talk about themselves tend to be different from standard formal papers. Basically, one point of difference is that students have to use the first-person language, which is discouraged in formal writing. By considering that a “Who Am I” essay requires learners to talk about themselves, such a paper takes several forms. For example, these structures include formats of narrative, philosophical, college application, and autobiographical papers. Although an essay topic is in a question form, it does not necessarily mean that writers are unsure about themself. In turn, such a format means that they intend to answer this question in a paper by following a particular way to the audience’s benefit.

1. Narrative Format

A narrative essay is one where the writer’s focus is to provide the audience with a life story. Basically, this life story can take many forms, including personal or family experiences. In short, a “Who Am I” essay in a narrative format utilizes personal anecdotes as a means of communication. Moreover, one of the strategies for writing these essays is adopting a “show, not tell” strategy, which means using vivid descriptions rather than informative statements. Therefore, a narrative essay on the topic “Who Am I” should focus on the writer’s personal experiences that help the audience to understand an author. Since a topic is a question, one expectation is that students use personal anecdotes to provide an answer that benefits the audience more than them. When it comes to grading, what matters the most is whether writers have used narratives to educate the audience about who they are.

2. Philosophical Format

Philosophy is a discipline that focuses on unraveling the mysteries of life and nature. As such, a philosophical essay is one in which students engage the audience in a topic of discovery. In this case, one can argue that the essay’s type is informative. Since the topic “Who Am I” denotes an aspect of an investigation, learners who use a philosophical approach focus on telling the audience things about themselves that advance an understanding of human nature. On expectations, the essay’s content should not dwell on the writer’s demographical background or personal experiences but on who an author is in the context of human nature and its strengths and weaknesses. When it comes to grading, what matters is whether writers have applied a philosophical lens to describe themselves. In turn, a good example is unraveling what makes them strong, vulnerable, or weak.

3. College Application Format

College or university application is a type of essay that potential students write to the admissions board or committee of their choice institution. Basically, a “Who Am I” essay for colleges aims to convince and persuade the board or committee that applicants have all that it takes to be a student. To achieve this goal, learners provide essential details that are likely to advance their courses. For example, these details include personal attributes, academic performance (grades), work experiences, and future aspirations. Therefore, the expectation of a college application essay on the topic “Who Am I” is that it should inform the audience what makes writers outstanding and appropriate students for a higher learning admission. When it comes to grading, what matters the most is whether writers have emphatically made a case to college boards of why they are the best candidates for admission.

4. Autobiographical Format

By definition, an autobiography is a life story that captures the subject’s entire life. However, since it is hardly possible to write an individual’s life story – every detail about themselves since they were born – writers focus on what is relevant at any one given time. Therefore, when writing an autobiographical essay on the topic “Who Am I,” the expectation is that students provide details about themselves that help the audience to understand them better. For example, such details include their family lineage, demographical (race, ethnicity, gender, language, and nationality) background, academic credentials, and professional accomplishments. In this case, indicating one’s marital status and life’s philosophy are also crucial details in such an essay. On grading, the thing that matters the most is whether authors have offered a wholesome picture of who they are, from childhood to a present moment.

Essay Structures for “Who Am I” Papers

Academic writing standards require students and researchers to adopt a structure and an outline appropriate for their text when writing any academic paper. Typically, essays assume a three-component structure of introduction, main text (body), and conclusion. Also, when writing an essay on the topic “Who Am I” in narrative, philosophical, college application, or autobiographical forms, a student must use a structure that is appropriate for that paper. Besides a structure and an outline, there are other features that students must consider when writing a “Who Am I” essay in one of the formats.

1. Narrative Outline Format for a “Who Am I” Essay

When writing a narrative essay on the theme “Who Am I,” a student must follow an outline below:

I. Introduction

Topic introduction (Significance of a topic).
Thesis statement.

II. Body Paragraph(s)

Setting or background of an event.
People involved.
Short anecdote.

III. Conclusion

Lesson learned

Essential features. Students must address all the critical features in a “Who Am I” essay as applicable in these three sections. In the introduction, learners must briefly introduce themselves and clearly state a thesis of their papers. In the paper’s body, writers must use several paragraphs to tell the audience about themselves. Since the communication should be in a story form, authors can use each paragraph to tell a personal anecdote that enables the audience to understand them better. Besides, one of the features that writers must capture in the paper’s body is a “show, not tell” method, being an aspect of providing vivid details or descriptions. In turn, the most significant features that students should capture in the conclusion section are a restatement of a thesis sentence and a lesson learned. Also, the audience must see this lesson as a moral of a narrative story.

2. Philosophical Outline Format for a “Who Am I” Essay

When writing a philosophical essay on the theme “Who Am I,” students should follow an outline format below:

Thesis statement (The question that a writer intends to answer).
Clarification of this question.
A reason why this question is critical.
Answer a question through a topic sentence in one or several paragraphs.
Qualify and defend a thesis in one or several paragraphs.
Thesis restatement
Summary of the main point(s) in the body paragraph(s)

Essential features. In each of the three sections, learners must address crucial elements. Firstly, the introduction must be opened with a thesis statement that introduces a question that an author seeks to answer. Basically, learners should make the audience understand a question and explain its importance to them (writers) and the audience. Then, students can use one or more paragraphs in the body section, depending on their paper’s length. In the case of a one-page paper, there should be only one paragraph that opens with a topic sentence. In turn, this sentence should answer a question that forms the essay’s theme. Moreover, learners need to qualify and defend their thesis. In the conclusion section, writers must restate a thesis and summarize the main points.

3. College Application Outline Format for a “Who Am I” Essay

When writing a college application essay on the theme “Who Am I,” students must follow an outline that helps accomplish their objective- convince the admission committee that they are the best candidates among many applicants. Hence, such an outline should be as follows:

First supporting idea.
Second supporting idea.
Third supporting idea.
Restate a thesis.
Reflect on the main ideas.
Closing remark.

Essential features. When writing the introduction for a “Who Am I” essay in a college application format, students should provide a hook to grab the attention of the audience. For example, this aspect should be an interesting fact or a quote from a famous personality. Then, another essential feature is contextualizing an essay by stating the purpose of writing concisely. Basically, this statement is what should be a thesis of such a paper. In the main body, learners should use body paragraphs, each introducing a critical idea. However, if a “Who Am I” essay is a one-page document, authors should write specific ideas in a single body paragraph. Also, these ideas are what help writers to strengthen their cases before the admission committee. In turn, such elements can be personal attributes, academic performance, or work experiences. In the conclusion section, learners need to restate a thesis and reflect on the main ideas, closing with a remark that impresses the audience.

4. Autobiographical Outline Format for a “Who Am I” Essay

When writing an autobiographical essay on the theme “Who Am I,” students should follow an outline below:

Introduce yourself to the audience.
Early years.
Future plans.
Restate a thesis statement.
Tie up all the experiences.

Essential features. Essential elements that students must address in the introduction of a “Who Am I” essay by following an autobiographical format are a hook that grabs the readers’ attention, a brief self-introduction, and a thesis statement. In this case, writers should use several body paragraphs in such a paper. However, if an essay is a one-page document, authors should use one body paragraph. Moreover, components of a body paragraph should be details about the writer’s life, such as childhood, early education, cultural orientation, and aspirations. In the conclusion section, learners need to restate a thesis and tie up all the details about their life addressed in the main text.

Effective Writing Strategies

When writing a “Who Am I” essay in different formats, students should use strategies that guarantee a high-quality product. For example, the first strategy is utilizing transitions to create a natural and logical flow from one paragraph to the next or section to section. In this case, common transitions are “therefore,” “additionally,” “put differently,” “hence,” “thus,” and “however.” Then, another strategy is subjecting an essay to a peer review. Here, writers give the first draft to a friend, tutor, or mentor to read and identify errors and mistakes. Also, if there are any mistakes, students revise and edit their papers to eliminate them. In turn, another strategy is proofreading the final draft to ensure that mistakes are not made during typing, or writers must revise and edit it accordingly.

Example of a Narrative Essay: Who Am I?

I. introduction sample.

Adults say that adolescence is a period of development full of dramatic episodes. For me, it is a stage that saw my childhood friends become a significant influence on my worldview. The topic “Who Am I” focuses on investigating aspects of my life that define how I see myself and how others see me. As such, I can say that I am an individual who loathes social gatherings but is always willing to let my friends push me out of my comfort zone.

II. Example of a Body

For me, friendships are not only social relationships but concepts that define how I view and relate to the world. Since when I was a child, I have never been a person who loves social gatherings. I get irritated quickly when people try to dictate what I should be doing or saying at any particular moment. For example, on one occasion, I caused a violent commotion when a friend tried to make me dance with a stranger in a nightclub. However, life is not that easy. We cannot avoid social interactions. For this reason, I have a few friends who are also introverts but who are willing to push themselves to the edge. As a result, they always come up with plans to take themselves outdoors to, at least, interact with others as human beings.

III. Conclusion Sample

When I look at my life, I can confidently say that I rarely interact with people. However, I always let my friends push me from my comfort zone. In turn, what I have learned so far in life is that close friends fundamentally and significantly influence how individuals see the world around them.

Example of a Philosophical Essay: Who Am I?

Although I am an insignificant player in the theatre of life, I hope to become an influential person one day. Basically, the question “Who Am I” underscores the fact that human nature is complicated, and it takes an entire lifetime for individuals to understand themselves fully. In particular, the essence of this question is that, despite sharing humanity’s title, people from all walks of life express themselves in diverse ways.

On the question “Who Am I,” I can confidently say that I am an individual in the process of “becoming.” For example, when it comes to talking about human beings and the world, the discourse that attracts a significant audience is a discussion about men and women who have made a mark in the world. Moreover, these aspects include war heroes, successful businesspersons, influential political leaders, and controversial personalities. In this case, my contribution to the world stage can only be defined as insignificant. Nonetheless, I do not allow this reality to define my self-concept. I believe that “human life is a journey of a thousand miles,” and even those that we celebrate today are once insignificant personalities. Besides, I believe that a secret is to remain focused on what one desires to be in the coming future. In turn, I have a habit of volunteering in healthcare settings because I would love to become a nurse after college.

Life is like a river that can carry an individual to familiar or strange destinations. In my case, I am hopeful that it will relocate me from a place of insignificance to a place of significance. For this reason, I always remain cheerful, optimistic, and hopeful, and, one day, I will be influential like those we celebrate today.

Example of a College Application Essay: Who Am I?

Ever since I was a child, I have always loved to visit hospitals and other healthcare settings. Also, I believe this is why I love sciences and why I have always performed remarkably well in these subjects. In turn, my present application is an effort toward a realization of my dream to become a healthcare professional.

My healthcare career journey started when I was a child, and all along, I have maintained this pursuit. When you look at my GPA, I have performed remarkably well in sciences, which, I believe, makes a perfect case for a healthcare career. Besides education, I have had opportunities to work closely with medical personnel in diverse settings, including first-aid simulations in community healthcare centers. Moreover, I have volunteered in local hospitals, experiences that I consider to have shaped my perspectives on patient care significantly. In this case, I believe that you should consider my application because I am a self-driven individual who always looks for opportunities in challenges. Hence, my admission into a Bachelor of Nursing Degree will orient me to nuisances of healthcare delivery. With such knowledge, my dream to become a healthcare professional would be within reach.

Applying for a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing is an effort to realize my lifelong dream of becoming a healthcare professional. As you consider my application, I implore you to consider the far I have come in preparation for this career. Thus, given an opportunity to study a program in your college, I will learn to become an effective healthcare professional.

Example of an Autobiographical Essay: Who Am I?

People say that the only way to know an individual is to know a personal heritage. As an African American, I take pride in being part of a race, being so rich in culture, and one that leans on traditions. Talking about “Who Am I,” I can confidently say that I am a child of a world that takes pride in cultural heritage.

I was born about three decades ago in a town famous for its natural beauty. As a whole, the State of Virginia is more rural than urban. Basically, this characteristic has played a significant role in defining my naturalist tendencies. Also, I am a lover of nature. For example, I habitually take walks every evening just to see nature – trees, birds, and butterflies. About education and career, I attended an Ivy League college and have built a career as a legal practitioner. In my family, I have three siblings – one sister and two brothers. In turn, I am yet to marry as my career seems to take all of my time. What I prize the most is the fact that I am an African American young adult with a promising career in a world that seems intolerant to successful individuals of African heritage.

Being a successful African American in a world that seems to prejudice successful people of African heritage is a blessing to me. When I look at my life journey, I can only say that my cultural heritage is among the things I prize the most.

Defining Characteristics of a “Who Am I” Essay

A thesis statement appears in the introduction section of a “Who Am I” essay, thus setting the entire paper’s tone and theme. What follows is a body paragraph that opens with a topic sentence. Moreover, the body paragraph’s content revolves around a topic sentence that advances the essay’s central idea. Then, one of the defining characteristics of examples of “Who Am I” essays for different formats is the use of the first-person language. Basically, this aspect helps writers to “show, not tell.” Also, this aspect is evident in the body paragraph. In a narrative essay, it is an example of the nightclub commotion, and, in a philosophical essay, it is the habit of volunteering in healthcare settings. In a college application essay, the feature is evident in a story about working with medical personnel in first-aid simulations. In an autobiographical essay, it is about evening walks to appreciate nature.

Summing Up on How to Write a “Who Am I” Essay

Essay writing is an exciting and challenging academic exercise for students across all levels of education. Although there are different types of essays, structure and outline formats remain the same: introduction, body, and conclusion. In essence, what students need to understand is the essential features that enrich the content in the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. When writing an essay on “Who Am I” students need to know that such a paper is different from a standard format. Moreover, the central point of difference is that such an essay requires students to use the first-person language in a paper, which can take formats of narrative, philosophical, college application, or autobiographical essays. In writing such an essay, students must master the following tips:

use the first-person language;
make use of personal anecdotes;
“show, not tell” by providing vivid descriptions;
develop a thesis in the introduction;
use topic sentences to introduce ideas in a paragraph;
observe a maximum length requirement and a minimum length requirement of a “Who Am I” essay by considering a word count.

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Who Am I Essay: Writing Tips and Sample

Your “Who am I?” essay is a paper where you describe yourself as a person. Mention what inspires and motivates you, what you love and don’t love, your goals and wishes, etc.

In this article, you’ll learn how to write this personal essay. (And please don’t miss a ready-made example to understand what to describe in your work!)

How to Write a “Who Am I” Essay

You’re that person who knows you best, but writing about yourself is still challenging:

You read a writing prompt for a college application or scholarship , and you aren’t sure if you understand it in detail. How do you know what exactly to mention in your essay? You can’t find words to describe your nature and skills. How do you know if that particular accomplishment or story from your life is worth including?

Stick with us here for practical tips on writing a “Who Am I” essay, with a free template to follow.

How to start?

Ask any writer, and they will tell you that the hardest part of the writing process is to start it. It’s a kind of writer’s block when you stare at a blank screen and don’t know what to write. Below are several ideas that can help you craft a compelling essay about yourself:

Think about one sentence that would describe you best. (A technique some authors use for inspiration: Answer the question, “What would friends write on your grave?” or “What do you want the world to remember about you?” You can start an essay with that phrase.
In the introduction, describe yourself in general . (Be truthful and honest.)
Discuss one or two of your hobbies. (Choose those you’re most passionate about, those influencing your mood — and maybe your skills — most.)
Highlight your achievements but don’t boast. ( Be reflective by analyzing and evaluating what you’ve achieved.)
Add some personality to the essay. (Tell anecdotes, include examples, and be creative to keep readers engaged with your story.)

Short Essay About “Who I Am” Sample

You’re welcome to use the below template from our professional writer for crafting your future “Who am I” essays. Here it goes:

Actionable Tips to Improve Your Paper

Ready to start writing? Consider these helpful tips on crafting a person essay about who I am:

1) Understand your audience

Who will read your essay? Is it a college admission officer who knows nothing about you? Or, maybe it’s your school teacher with some background of who you are? Do you plan to publish your reflection for your social media followers or blog readers?

Depending on the audience, your story may change. Add details about what interests your readers: What would they want to know? Understanding your readers will make your essay more compelling (1). It will be easier for you to engage them and make them emotionally connected to your story.

2) Don’t be afraid to look vulnerable

Allow the readers to see your inner feelings. Sincerity and reflection are the new black, you know. It’s okay to speak about your strengths, weaknesses, or worries to the audience. That’s what differentiates you from other people, thus making you an individual.

Here’s the big secret:

Admission committees appreciate students’ understanding of their weaknesses and areas to grow. Communicate the willingness to change and grow. You’re just a human, after all.

Write about what you want to develop in yourself. Or, tell about life experiences that have changed or influenced you most.

3) Proofread and edit your essay

Once your essay is ready, it’s time to proofread and edit it. Here’s a short checklist of the details to fix if any:

Grammar and punctuation mistakes (verb tenses, sentence structure)
Spelling errors and inconsistencies in names or terms
Incorrect capitalization
No logical flow or transitions between paragraphs
Excessive wordiness and repetition
Biased language
Too much passive voice and redundant adverbs
Too sophisticated words and phrases that have simpler alternatives

That’s It: Your “Who Am I” Essay Is Ready

In this blog post, we tried to cover all the core details of personal essay writing. Now you know how to start it, what elements to include, and how to craft it for better readability and emotional connection with the audience.

We hope our 500-word essay example will help you write your perfect story about yourself. If you still have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask our professional writers for help.

References:

https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/12-strategies-to-writing-the-perfect-college-essay/
Essay samples
Essay writing
Writing tips

Personal Essay Example: Who Am I As A Writer

For most people, writing is an exercise in creativity. It is a way to express what one has to say about the world or share their story. This was not true for me for most of my life. In fact, it was not until recently that I started to have an inkling of who I am as a writer. I’m still figuring it out. What I am certain of is that I am constantly striving to improve as a writer.

Growing up, education was not my strongest point and my parents did little to encourage me to study. They did not offer guidance in relation to my education. They did not force me to read or write much when I was younger, unlike other parents. Instead, they let me play or watch TV to my heart’s content. Had my parents been more encouraging or disciplined when I was younger, perhaps I may not be in the predicament that I am in as of late. I passed my classes in my old school but my grades are not that good. Furthermore, my reading and writing abilities are not appropriate for my grade level. Unfortunately, I did not realize this until my family moved to Washington. I attended Holy Rosary because my parents thought that my grades would improve there. They were right, but for all the wrong reasons. My grades did improve significantly, but it was not because I learned a great deal, rather it was because getting a good grade was much easier at Holy Rosary. I didn’t have to work hard to get a good grade, so the grades I received did not reflect my level of learning. To say the least, my prior education reflects the big room for improvement needed in the US education system .

Things changed, and I must say for the better when I transferred to Bellarmine. Bellarmine’s curriculum forced me to challenge myself into becoming a better student overall. The first time I wrote any composition at Bellarmine—the first time I had written anything throughout my educational years—the deficiencies in my education showed. One of my first papers was for Mrs. Hannigan’s class. It was about my time in Japan. Although I had written it as a high schooler, it read like a sixth grader’s writing at best. The papers I wrote that year were weak and lacking direction, to say the least. Reading them in my Junior year made me realize how far behind I was in a school where true education took place, but it also made me realize how much I have improved. I, or my writing, took tremendous steps in the two years that followed. My writing abilities were pushed to the limit by Mr. Dudas. Mr. Dudas assigned more challenging papers than Mrs. Hannigan. However, this led me to improve my writing process. Instead of writing whatever came to mind, I started using outlines first. I also edit and proofread my papers before submitting them. As a result of this, my compositions became more refined. In junior year, my confidence in my writing declined as I seem to be unable to meet Mrs. Campbell’s expectations. I could not get the grade that I wanted, and could not figure out what it takes to get a good grade . Though my grades suffered in Mrs. Campbell’s class, it drove me to strive harder to improve my writing.

My education at Bellarmine awakened my writing spirit and made me the writer I am today. I consider myself a new writer so I am still trying out different writing processes. So far, I have been using outlines to help me write well. Although the process seems methodical and contrary to the image of writing as an unorganized activity, I find it to be quite helpful in inspiring my creativity. Starting with an outline helps me articulate my ideas easily and clearly. I found that articulating my ideas has been an obstacle to my creativity, so by removing that obstacle, I’m able to write with more freedom.

As of late, I’m still working on expanding my vocabulary as I believe that will help me write more creatively and clearly . As such, I believe that as a writer I am very methodical, someone who is specific about their goals and ways to attain them. At first, I was uncomfortable about my process as a writer, but learning that a lot of great American writers have a methodical approach to writing as well made me feel better about myself. Right now, people may find my writing as lacking in numerous ways but I know in myself that it has improved a lot in the last few years. I have a lot more to improve, but I have a plan on how to improve my writing .

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College Essays

If you grow up to be a professional writer, everything you write will first go through an editor before being published. This is because the process of writing is really a process of re-writing —of rethinking and reexamining your work, usually with the help of someone else. So what does this mean for your student writing? And in particular, what does it mean for very important, but nonprofessional writing like your college essay? Should you ask your parents to look at your essay? Pay for an essay service?

If you are wondering what kind of help you can, and should, get with your personal statement, you've come to the right place! In this article, I'll talk about what kind of writing help is useful, ethical, and even expected for your college admission essay . I'll also point out who would make a good editor, what the differences between editing and proofreading are, what to expect from a good editor, and how to spot and stay away from a bad one.

What Kind of Help for Your Essay Can You Get?

What's Good Editing?

What should an editor do for you, what kind of editing should you avoid, proofreading, what's good proofreading, what kind of proofreading should you avoid.

What Do Colleges Think Of You Getting Help With Your Essay?

Who Can/Should Help You?

Advice for editors.

Should You Pay Money For Essay Editing?

The Bottom Line

What's next, what kind of help with your essay can you get.

Rather than talking in general terms about "help," let's first clarify the two different ways that someone else can improve your writing . There is editing, which is the more intensive kind of assistance that you can use throughout the whole process. And then there's proofreading, which is the last step of really polishing your final product.

Let me go into some more detail about editing and proofreading, and then explain how good editors and proofreaders can help you."

Editing is helping the author (in this case, you) go from a rough draft to a finished work . Editing is the process of asking questions about what you're saying, how you're saying it, and how you're organizing your ideas. But not all editing is good editing . In fact, it's very easy for an editor to cross the line from supportive to overbearing and over-involved.

Ability to clarify assignments. A good editor is usually a good writer, and certainly has to be a good reader. For example, in this case, a good editor should make sure you understand the actual essay prompt you're supposed to be answering.

Open-endedness. Good editing is all about asking questions about your ideas and work, but without providing answers. It's about letting you stick to your story and message, and doesn't alter your point of view.

Think of an editor as a great travel guide. It can show you the many different places your trip could take you. It should explain any parts of the trip that could derail your trip or confuse the traveler. But it never dictates your path, never forces you to go somewhere you don't want to go, and never ignores your interests so that the trip no longer seems like it's your own. So what should good editors do?

Help Brainstorm Topics

Sometimes it's easier to bounce thoughts off of someone else. This doesn't mean that your editor gets to come up with ideas, but they can certainly respond to the various topic options you've come up with. This way, you're less likely to write about the most boring of your ideas, or to write about something that isn't actually important to you.

If you're wondering how to come up with options for your editor to consider, check out our guide to brainstorming topics for your college essay .

Help Revise Your Drafts

Here, your editor can't upset the delicate balance of not intervening too much or too little. It's tricky, but a great way to think about it is to remember: editing is about asking questions, not giving answers .

Revision questions should point out:

Places where more detail or more description would help the reader connect with your essay
Places where structure and logic don't flow, losing the reader's attention
Places where there aren't transitions between paragraphs, confusing the reader
Moments where your narrative or the arguments you're making are unclear

But pointing to potential problems is not the same as actually rewriting—editors let authors fix the problems themselves.

Want to write the perfect college application essay? We can help. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will help you craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay to proudly submit to colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

Bad editing is usually very heavy-handed editing. Instead of helping you find your best voice and ideas, a bad editor changes your writing into their own vision.

You may be dealing with a bad editor if they:

Add material (examples, descriptions) that doesn't come from you
Use a thesaurus to make your college essay sound "more mature"
Add meaning or insight to the essay that doesn't come from you
Tell you what to say and how to say it
Write sentences, phrases, and paragraphs for you
Change your voice in the essay so it no longer sounds like it was written by a teenager

Colleges can tell the difference between a 17-year-old's writing and a 50-year-old's writing. Not only that, they have access to your SAT or ACT Writing section, so they can compare your essay to something else you wrote. Writing that's a little more polished is great and expected. But a totally different voice and style will raise questions.

Where's the Line Between Helpful Editing and Unethical Over-Editing?

Sometimes it's hard to tell whether your college essay editor is doing the right thing. Here are some guidelines for staying on the ethical side of the line.

An editor should say that the opening paragraph is kind of boring, and explain what exactly is making it drag. But it's overstepping for an editor to tell you exactly how to change it.
An editor should point out where your prose is unclear or vague. But it's completely inappropriate for the editor to rewrite that section of your essay.
An editor should let you know that a section is light on detail or description. But giving you similes and metaphors to beef up that description is a no-go.

Proofreading (also called copy-editing) is checking for errors in the last draft of a written work. It happens at the end of the process and is meant as the final polishing touch. Proofreading is meticulous and detail-oriented, focusing on small corrections. It sands off all the surface rough spots that could alienate the reader.

Because proofreading is usually concerned with making fixes on the word or sentence level, this is the only process where someone else can actually add to or take away things from your essay . This is because what they are adding or taking away tends to be one or two misplaced letters.

Laser focus. Proofreading is all about the tiny details, so the ability to really concentrate on finding small slip-ups is a must.

Excellent grammar and spelling skills. Proofreaders need to dot every "i" and cross every "t." Good proofreaders should correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. They should put foreign words in italics and surround quotations with quotation marks. They should check that you used the correct college's name, and that you adhered to any formatting requirements (name and date at the top of the page, uniform font and size, uniform spacing).

Limited interference. A proofreader needs to make sure that you followed any word limits. But if cuts need to be made to shorten the essay, that's your job and not the proofreader's.

A bad proofreader either tries to turn into an editor, or just lacks the skills and knowledge necessary to do the job.

Some signs that you're working with a bad proofreader are:

If they suggest making major changes to the final draft of your essay. Proofreading happens when editing is already finished.
If they aren't particularly good at spelling, or don't know grammar, or aren't detail-oriented enough to find someone else's small mistakes.
If they start swapping out your words for fancier-sounding synonyms, or changing the voice and sound of your essay in other ways. A proofreader is there to check for errors, not to take the 17-year-old out of your writing.

What Do Colleges Think of Your Getting Help With Your Essay?

Admissions officers agree: light editing and proofreading are good—even required ! But they also want to make sure you're the one doing the work on your essay. They want essays with stories, voice, and themes that come from you. They want to see work that reflects your actual writing ability, and that focuses on what you find important.

On the Importance of Editing

Get feedback. Have a fresh pair of eyes give you some feedback. Don't allow someone else to rewrite your essay, but do take advantage of others' edits and opinions when they seem helpful. ( Bates College )

Read your essay aloud to someone. Reading the essay out loud offers a chance to hear how your essay sounds outside your head. This exercise reveals flaws in the essay's flow, highlights grammatical errors and helps you ensure that you are communicating the exact message you intended. ( Dickinson College )

On the Value of Proofreading

Share your essays with at least one or two people who know you well—such as a parent, teacher, counselor, or friend—and ask for feedback. Remember that you ultimately have control over your essays, and your essays should retain your own voice, but others may be able to catch mistakes that you missed and help suggest areas to cut if you are over the word limit. ( Yale University )

Proofread and then ask someone else to proofread for you. Although we want substance, we also want to be able to see that you can write a paper for our professors and avoid careless mistakes that would drive them crazy. ( Oberlin College )

On Watching Out for Too Much Outside Influence

Limit the number of people who review your essay. Too much input usually means your voice is lost in the writing style. ( Carleton College )

Ask for input (but not too much). Your parents, friends, guidance counselors, coaches, and teachers are great people to bounce ideas off of for your essay. They know how unique and spectacular you are, and they can help you decide how to articulate it. Keep in mind, however, that a 45-year-old lawyer writes quite differently from an 18-year-old student, so if your dad ends up writing the bulk of your essay, we're probably going to notice. ( Vanderbilt University )

Now let's talk about some potential people to approach for your college essay editing and proofreading needs. It's best to start close to home and slowly expand outward. Not only are your family and friends more invested in your success than strangers, but they also have a better handle on your interests and personality. This knowledge is key for judging whether your essay is expressing your true self.

Parents or Close Relatives

Your family may be full of potentially excellent editors! Parents are deeply committed to your well-being, and family members know you and your life well enough to offer details or incidents that can be included in your essay. On the other hand, the rewriting process necessarily involves criticism, which is sometimes hard to hear from someone very close to you.

A parent or close family member is a great choice for an editor if you can answer "yes" to the following questions. Is your parent or close relative a good writer or reader? Do you have a relationship where editing your essay won't create conflict? Are you able to constructively listen to criticism and suggestion from the parent?

One suggestion for defusing face-to-face discussions is to try working on the essay over email. Send your parent a draft, have them write you back some comments, and then you can pick which of their suggestions you want to use and which to discard.

Teachers or Tutors

A humanities teacher that you have a good relationship with is a great choice. I am purposefully saying humanities, and not just English, because teachers of Philosophy, History, Anthropology, and any other classes where you do a lot of writing, are all used to reviewing student work.

Moreover, any teacher or tutor that has been working with you for some time, knows you very well and can vet the essay to make sure it "sounds like you."

If your teacher or tutor has some experience with what college essays are supposed to be like, ask them to be your editor. If not, then ask whether they have time to proofread your final draft.

Guidance or College Counselor at Your School

The best thing about asking your counselor to edit your work is that this is their job. This means that they have a very good sense of what colleges are looking for in an application essay.

At the same time, school counselors tend to have relationships with admissions officers in many colleges, which again gives them insight into what works and which college is focused on what aspect of the application.

Unfortunately, in many schools the guidance counselor tends to be way overextended. If your ratio is 300 students to 1 college counselor, you're unlikely to get that person's undivided attention and focus. It is still useful to ask them for general advice about your potential topics, but don't expect them to be able to stay with your essay from first draft to final version.

Friends, Siblings, or Classmates

Although they most likely don't have much experience with what colleges are hoping to see, your peers are excellent sources for checking that your essay is you .

Friends and siblings are perfect for the read-aloud edit. Read your essay to them so they can listen for words and phrases that are stilted, pompous, or phrases that just don't sound like you.

You can even trade essays and give helpful advice on each other's work.

If your editor hasn't worked with college admissions essays very much, no worries! Any astute and attentive reader can still greatly help with your process. But, as in all things, beginners do better with some preparation.

First, your editor should read our advice about how to write a college essay introduction , how to spot and fix a bad college essay , and get a sense of what other students have written by going through some admissions essays that worked .

Then, as they read your essay, they can work through the following series of questions that will help them to guide you.

Introduction Questions

Is the first sentence a killer opening line? Why or why not?
Does the introduction hook the reader? Does it have a colorful, detailed, and interesting narrative? Or does it propose a compelling or surprising idea?
Can you feel the author's voice in the introduction, or is the tone dry, dull, or overly formal? Show the places where the voice comes through.

Essay Body Questions

Does the essay have a through-line? Is it built around a central argument, thought, idea, or focus? Can you put this idea into your own words?
How is the essay organized? By logical progression? Chronologically? Do you feel order when you read it, or are there moments where you are confused or lose the thread of the essay?
Does the essay have both narratives about the author's life and explanations and insight into what these stories reveal about the author's character, personality, goals, or dreams? If not, which is missing?
Does the essay flow? Are there smooth transitions/clever links between paragraphs? Between the narrative and moments of insight?

Reader Response Questions

Does the writer's personality come through? Do we know what the speaker cares about? Do we get a sense of "who he or she is"?
Where did you feel most connected to the essay? Which parts of the essay gave you a "you are there" sensation by invoking your senses? What moments could you picture in your head well?
Where are the details and examples vague and not specific enough?
Did you get an "a-ha!" feeling anywhere in the essay? Is there a moment of insight that connected all the dots for you? Is there a good reveal or "twist" anywhere in the essay?
What are the strengths of this essay? What needs the most improvement?

Should You Pay Money for Essay Editing?

One alternative to asking someone you know to help you with your college essay is the paid editor route. There are two different ways to pay for essay help: a private essay coach or a less personal editing service , like the many proliferating on the internet.

My advice is to think of these options as a last resort rather than your go-to first choice. I'll first go through the reasons why. Then, if you do decide to go with a paid editor, I'll help you decide between a coach and a service.

When to Consider a Paid Editor

In general, I think hiring someone to work on your essay makes a lot of sense if none of the people I discussed above are a possibility for you.

If you can't ask your parents. For example, if your parents aren't good writers, or if English isn't their first language. Or if you think getting your parents to help is going create unnecessary extra conflict in your relationship with them (applying to college is stressful as it is!)

If you can't ask your teacher or tutor. Maybe you don't have a trusted teacher or tutor that has time to look over your essay with focus. Or, for instance, your favorite humanities teacher has very limited experience with college essays and so won't know what admissions officers want to see.

If you can't ask your guidance counselor. This could be because your guidance counselor is way overwhelmed with other students.

If you can't share your essay with those who know you. It might be that your essay is on a very personal topic that you're unwilling to share with parents, teachers, or peers. Just make sure it doesn't fall into one of the bad-idea topics in our article on bad college essays .

If the cost isn't a consideration. Many of these services are quite expensive, and private coaches even more so. If you have finite resources, I'd say that hiring an SAT or ACT tutor (whether it's PrepScholar or someone else) is better way to spend your money . This is because there's no guarantee that a slightly better essay will sufficiently elevate the rest of your application, but a significantly higher SAT score will definitely raise your applicant profile much more.

Should You Hire an Essay Coach?

On the plus side, essay coaches have read dozens or even hundreds of college essays, so they have experience with the format. Also, because you'll be working closely with a specific person, it's more personal than sending your essay to a service, which will know even less about you.

But, on the minus side, you'll still be bouncing ideas off of someone who doesn't know that much about you . In general, if you can adequately get the help from someone you know, there is no advantage to paying someone to help you.

If you do decide to hire a coach, ask your school counselor, or older students that have used the service for recommendations. If you can't afford the coach's fees, ask whether they can work on a sliding scale —many do. And finally, beware those who guarantee admission to your school of choice—essay coaches don't have any special magic that can back up those promises.

Should You Send Your Essay to a Service?

On the plus side, essay editing services provide a similar product to essay coaches, and they cost significantly less . If you have some assurance that you'll be working with a good editor, the lack of face-to-face interaction won't prevent great results.

On the minus side, however, it can be difficult to gauge the quality of the service before working with them . If they are churning through many application essays without getting to know the students they are helping, you could end up with an over-edited essay that sounds just like everyone else's. In the worst case scenario, an unscrupulous service could send you back a plagiarized essay.

Getting recommendations from friends or a school counselor for reputable services is key to avoiding heavy-handed editing that writes essays for you or does too much to change your essay. Including a badly-edited essay like this in your application could cause problems if there are inconsistencies. For example, in interviews it might be clear you didn't write the essay, or the skill of the essay might not be reflected in your schoolwork and test scores.

Should You Buy an Essay Written by Someone Else?

Let me elaborate. There are super sketchy places on the internet where you can simply buy a pre-written essay. Don't do this!

For one thing, you'll be lying on an official, signed document. All college applications make you sign a statement saying something like this:

I certify that all information submitted in the admission process—including the application, the personal essay, any supplements, and any other supporting materials—is my own work, factually true, and honestly presented... I understand that I may be subject to a range of possible disciplinary actions, including admission revocation, expulsion, or revocation of course credit, grades, and degree, should the information I have certified be false. (From the Common Application )

For another thing, if your academic record doesn't match the essay's quality, the admissions officer will start thinking your whole application is riddled with lies.

Admission officers have full access to your writing portion of the SAT or ACT so that they can compare work that was done in proctored conditions with that done at home. They can tell if these were written by different people. Not only that, but there are now a number of search engines that faculty and admission officers can use to see if an essay contains strings of words that have appeared in other essays—you have no guarantee that the essay you bought wasn't also bought by 50 other students.

You should get college essay help with both editing and proofreading
A good editor will ask questions about your idea, logic, and structure, and will point out places where clarity is needed
A good editor will absolutely not answer these questions, give you their own ideas, or write the essay or parts of the essay for you
A good proofreader will find typos and check your formatting
All of them agree that getting light editing and proofreading is necessary
Parents, teachers, guidance or college counselor, and peers or siblings
If you can't ask any of those, you can pay for college essay help, but watch out for services or coaches who over-edit you work
Don't buy a pre-written essay! Colleges can tell, and it'll make your whole application sound false.

Ready to start working on your essay? Check out our explanation of the point of the personal essay and the role it plays on your applications and then explore our step-by-step guide to writing a great college essay .

Using the Common Application for your college applications? We have an excellent guide to the Common App essay prompts and useful advice on how to pick the Common App prompt that's right for you . Wondering how other people tackled these prompts? Then work through our roundup of over 130 real college essay examples published by colleges .

Stressed about whether to take the SAT again before submitting your application? Let us help you decide how many times to take this test . If you choose to go for it, we have the ultimate guide to studying for the SAT to give you the ins and outs of the best ways to study.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download them for free now:

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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Sample Essays on “Who Am I?” How to guide, with Outlines

Published by gudwriter on November 23, 2017 November 23, 2017

How to Write an Essay About Yourself

Many students, from high school to college level, do not know how to describe themselves. They mix up ideas as they do not really know what they need to include in their writing. The main aim of a who am I essay is to make the reader understand who you are and what you believe in. Remember, the essay doesn’t have to be always about the positive side- you can include your weak points as well in a creative way. You can also write about what makes you unique (unique skills, character, etc). If you need help, college admission essay writing services is available to assist you.

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Striking the balance makes your essay realistic and convincing.

Character : What are your character traits? Which habits define you?

Values : What is your value system? Here, you need to include things that inspire you. It is here that you state your beliefs, motivations, principles, and inspirations. The reader expects you to have either staunch stands on certain things and this is the part where you make them know. Do not highlight radical points, though.

Skills : What aptitudes do you have? And, what is the level in each skill? This may include communication, computer, education, languages, leadership, or anything else you find worthy.

Achievements :

Life experiences that influenced your life

Perhaps you would like to read an essay sample on what makes you unique ?

Who Am I Essay Example 1 Outline

Below is a layout you should follow when writing a personal essay to impress your professor.

Hook – The Question – who am I?
Brief summary: Well, I know quite much about myself: I am a social, kind, respectful, and principled young man.
Thesis : I am a kind, friendly, respectful, and principled young person.
Point : Social
Illustration : Meeting new friends
Logic : Makes me dynamic
Thesis relation: A cheerful, social and accommodative person is how many people know me.
Point : Respectful and law abiding
Illustration : Want to get along with everyone- both juniors and seniors. Car seats, polite character
Explanation : I know the limits
Thesis relation : Every day, I want to be known as a person who is respectful even to those who least deserve it.
Point : Hobbies
Illustrations : Sports, chess, music
Explanation : Clear my mind, get healthier.
Thesis relation : Sportsmanship has taught me to be fair other people, diligent and focused.
Point : I am not perfect- when I don’t hit my targets, obvious opposition from people who don’t love progress. My love for novelty makes me uncomfortable with normal rules.
Illustrations : My mum says I am selfish and that I always want everything to go my way. Yet, I’m still the person you will find in doing voluntary community work to help people.
Explanation : I guess my self-esteem is too high for people to put down. This rubs feathers with people who stand my path to success.
Thesis relation : I’d be a liar to say I am a genius, flawless or immortal- and that’s who I am.
Restatement of thesis
Summary of essay
Signing out

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Who Am I Essay Example 1

Who am I? Describing oneself is one of the most complicated tasks. In most cases, we always define ourselves using institutions, other people, or activities. Well, I know quite much about myself: I am a kind, friendly, respectful, and principled young person.

First, I am a sociable person. I love to meet people and make new friends. It’s not that I am an extrovert. However, I always work towards getting along with people. Of course, there are times I enjoy being alone for meditation . However, being around people makes me feel comfortable. I like to utilize every chance I get to make new friends. Interacting with people from different parts of the world makes me a diverse person. I am one of those people who believe that there is richness in human diversity. I am not quite selective of who I socialize with. A cheerful, cordial, and accommodative person is how many people know me.

Second, I am kind and respectful. Well, I appreciate that there is a thin line between being social and respectful. I want to treat everyone – junior or senior- with utmost reverence. In this regard, I am quite a listener. This didn’t start yesterday- I have always loved to give up my seats to elders in the train since I was young. Again, I am firm and at the same time polite. I love to make my points in a way that won’t hurt those around me. I always desire to be respectful even to those who least deserve it. Being respectful does not subtract anything from me after all.

Third, I have a great affection to team play. Well, I probably got this trait from my life as a sportsperson. I have been a school captain in Team Handball and Badminton. Today, I still participate in these games as a coach. I’m adherent to chess and I could become a grandmaster in the next few months. Sports and competitions have trained me to be fair, diligent, hardworking, and focused. As my hobby, chess clears my mind while athletics make me healthy. I’d definitely not tell who I am without mentioning sportsmanship. Actually, sports largely define me.

I am not perfect, though. I can be moody when I don’t hit my targets. My love for novelty makes me uncomfortable with normal rules. My mum says I am selfish and that I always want everything to go my way. Yet, I’m still the person you will find doing voluntary community work to help people. I guess my self-esteem is too high for people to put down. This rubs feathers with anyone who stands on the path to success. I’d be a liar if I said that I am a genius, flawless or immortal- and that’s who I am.

Anyway, it may be a little difficult to explain who I am. However, there are qualities that are an outright depiction of me. Respect, principles, sportsmanship, and leadership are some of them. As a quick learner, I love to change every behavior that doesn’t make me a better person. The desire to be good to everybody has made me who I am today and I intend to keep it that way.

Personal Essay Example 2 Outline

Introduction.

I give a description of myself in relation to my family background, personality, and how I view life.

Paragraph 1:

Family background

Revolves around strong Christian faith since my parents are staunch Roman Catholic faithful
I was born in Chicago, Illinois 21 years ago and I am the third born in a family of four children.
I am a female of African American origin and I am very proud of my cultural background and family values

Paragraph 2:

My personality

I am outspoken and like socializing and making new friends
I value respect and believe it is two way
I am hard working

Paragraph 3:

My view of life

All humans are equal regardless of their cultural, racial and religious backgrounds as well as gender
I am liberal in that I am open to learning new things such as new cultures, religions, and even languages
Divergent views should be tolerated

I can summarize myself as someone who is respectful, accommodating, and open minded. I appreciate that as a human, I need others for my life to be complete. I believe my personality and world views are matching and thus I find life more sociable and interesting.

Personal Essay Example 2

My family background revolves around strong Christian faith since my parents are staunch Roman Catholic faithful. I was born in Chicago, Illinois 21 years ago and I am the third born in a family of four children. I am a female of African-American origin and I am very proud of my cultural background and family values. Like my parents, I have developed the habit and routine of going to church every Sunday in line with Christian doctrines. As a matter of fact, all the members of my family value attending Sunday masses wherever they may find themselves. I grew up in a working-parents family and I have grown to live in harmony with my siblings.

Regarding my personality, I am one person who is outspoken and likes socializing and making new friends. The number of friends I have in college is uncountable because I have no boundaries when it comes to building relationships. That notwithstanding, I value respect and believe it is two way. I expect that anybody I interact with should show me the same level of respect I show them irrespective of their background or status in the society. I am hard working because my parents taught me to loathe laziness since it is the beginning of poverty and miserable life. To me, respect and hard work go hand in hand. Working hard respectfully has opened many doors for me so far in my life.

My view of life is that all humans are equal regardless of their cultural, racial, and religious backgrounds as well as gender. This is why I have friends whose cultural and other backgrounds are diverse. I am also liberal in that I am open to learning new things such as new cultures, religions, and even languages. For instance, I can speak fluent French and Spanish yet I am American. I also believe that divergent views should be tolerated because this is part of enhancing human diversity. My parents had once tried to stop me from being too open minded but I persisted with it. Being open to new things, in my view, amounts to being accommodative to human diversity.

In conclusion, I can summarize myself as someone who is respectful, accommodative, and open minded. I appreciate that as a human, I need others for my life to be complete. When I show that I care for and accommodate different views, I find it easy working with others. I have thus managed to evade suffering any form of racial or cultural profiling because people find me easy to deal with. I believe my personality and world views are matching and thus I find life more sociable and interesting. It is my intention to continue leading this fulfilling life.

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Personal Essay Sample 3 Outline

I am a faithful Christian who is open-minded, friendly, and action-oriented.

Paragraph1:

In spite of being a staunch Christian, I am open to other people’s ways of worship and generally to other people’s way of life and opinions.

I can listen to and understand what other people say and treat it as their opinion to which they are entitled whether or not I agree with it.
I am able to live amongst people of various cultures.
However, I do not let other people’s views or cultures affect my own.

I am a friendly person who highly values friendship.

I have the habit of forming strong friendships both in our neighborhood and at school.
I have quite a number of friends from various backgrounds because I do not choose friends based on their cultural backgrounds.
I believe in genuine friendship and as soon as I detect that one is not a true friend, I drop them.

I follow my decisions and promises with actions as I believe that it is through actions that one can solve their problems and meet their life goals.

I keep to my decisions once I make them.
I have been able to accomplish many of my life’s endeavors especially in my academic life.
I also know that keeping promises is one of the best ways of keeping relationships alive and healthy.
I normally do all it takes to keep a promise irrespective of who I make it to.

Personal Essay Sample 3

As a person, I feel growing over the years has significantly changed who I am. I have had to see and experience many things that I did not get to see in my childhood. I have also met many different people and visited many places. Some of the perspectives I held about people and certain things have certainly changed. In addition, I have undergone significant personal growth which has seen my personality transform as well. I have also become more decisive in my actions and in my relationships with others. I am a faithful Christian who is open-minded, friendly, and action-oriented.

In spite of being a staunch Christian, I am open to other people’s ways of worship and generally to other people’s way of life and opinions. I can listen to and understand what other people say and treat it as their opinion to which they are entitled whether or not I agree with it. This way, I have been able to learn a lot from others and widen my view of life and humanity. I am also able to live amongst people of various cultures. However, I do not let other people’s views or cultures affect my own as much as I may be accommodative to them. This is because I believe that the world has enough space for everyone to practice their own cultures and share their opinions without interfering with others.

I am also a friendly person who highly values friendship. From my childhood, I developed the habit of forming strong friendships both in our neighborhood and at school. I have carried this habit to my adulthood and I have quite a number of friends from various backgrounds because I do not choose friends based on their cultural backgrounds. However, I believe in genuine friendship and as soon as I detect that one is not a true friend, I drop them. To me, a friend should be like family that is always there for one in their better and tough days and moments. Out of this belief, I have helped a number of friends both in and out of school and shared with them some of my innermost secrets. I too have benefited from the loyalty of these friendships.

Further, I follow my decisions and promises with actions as I believe that it is through actions that one can solve their problems and meet their life goals. This virtue has helped me accomplish many of my life’s endeavors especially in my academic life. For example, since my middle school level, I decided that I would not consume television content during examination periods but maximally concentrate on the exams. I have kept to this decision and have thus posted good grades all through because I always have enough time to prepare for exams. I also know that keeping promises is one of the best ways of keeping relationships alive and healthy. I normally do all it takes to keep a promise irrespective of who I make it to. I do keep even as simple a promise as that of sharpening my younger sister’s drawing pencil every morning before she goes to school.

I am an open-minded Christian who values relationships and I act on my decisions and promises. I am accommodative to diverse views and opinions even when they sharply contrast with mine. I pursue my life goals and keep relationships through action. I also have many friends since I believe that genuine friendship is highly beneficial to humans. This personality and values enable me to live a fulfilling life as I am capable of accomplishing my goals and at the same time live harmoniously with others.

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Your Best College Essay

Maybe you love to write, or maybe you don’t. Either way, there’s a chance that the thought of writing your college essay is making you sweat. No need for nerves! We’re here to give you the important details on how to make the process as anxiety-free as possible.

student's hands typing on a laptop in class

What's the College Essay?

When we say “The College Essay” (capitalization for emphasis – say it out loud with the capitals and you’ll know what we mean) we’re talking about the 550-650 word essay required by most colleges and universities. Prompts for this essay can be found on the college’s website, the Common Application, or the Coalition Application. We’re not talking about the many smaller supplemental essays you might need to write in order to apply to college. Not all institutions require the essay, but most colleges and universities that are at least semi-selective do.

How do I get started?

Look for the prompts on whatever application you’re using to apply to schools (almost all of the time – with a few notable exceptions – this is the Common Application). If one of them calls out to you, awesome! You can jump right in and start to brainstorm. If none of them are giving you the right vibes, don’t worry. They’re so broad that almost anything you write can fit into one of the prompts after you’re done. Working backwards like this is totally fine and can be really useful!

What if I have writer's block?

You aren’t alone. Staring at a blank Google Doc and thinking about how this is the one chance to tell an admissions officer your story can make you freeze. Thinking about some of these questions might help you find the right topic:

What is something about you that people have pointed out as distinctive?
If you had to pick three words to describe yourself, what would they be? What are things you’ve done that demonstrate these qualities?
What’s something about you that has changed over your years in high school? How or why did it change?
What’s something you like most about yourself?
What’s something you love so much that you lose track of the rest of the world while you do it?

If you’re still stuck on a topic, ask your family members, friends, or other trusted adults: what’s something they always think about when they think about you? What’s something they think you should be proud of? They might help you find something about yourself that you wouldn’t have surfaced on your own.

How do I grab my reader's attention?

It’s no secret that admissions officers are reading dozens – and sometimes hundreds – of essays every day. That can feel like a lot of pressure to stand out. But if you try to write the most unique essay in the world, it might end up seeming forced if it’s not genuinely you. So, what’s there to do? Our advice: start your essay with a story. Tell the reader about something you’ve done, complete with sensory details, and maybe even dialogue. Then, in the second paragraph, back up and tell us why this story is important and what it tells them about you and the theme of the essay.

THE WORD LIMIT IS SO LIMITING. HOW DO I TELL A COLLEGE MY WHOLE LIFE STORY IN 650 WORDS?

Don’t! Don’t try to tell an admissions officer about everything you’ve loved and done since you were a child. Instead, pick one or two things about yourself that you’re hoping to get across and stick to those. They’ll see the rest on the activities section of your application.

I'M STUCK ON THE CONCLUSION. HELP?

If you can’t think of another way to end the essay, talk about how the qualities you’ve discussed in your essays have prepared you for college. Try to wrap up with a sentence that refers back to the story you told in your first paragraph, if you took that route.

SHOULD I PROOFREAD MY ESSAY?

YES, proofread the essay, and have a trusted adult proofread it as well. Know that any suggestions they give you are coming from a good place, but make sure they aren’t writing your essay for you or putting it into their own voice. Admissions officers want to hear the voice of you, the applicant. Before you submit your essay anywhere, our number one advice is to read it out loud to yourself. When you read out loud you’ll catch small errors you may not have noticed before, and hear sentences that aren’t quite right.

ANY OTHER ADVICE?

Be yourself. If you’re not a naturally serious person, don’t force formality. If you’re the comedian in your friend group, go ahead and be funny. But ultimately, write as your authentic (and grammatically correct) self and trust the process.

And remember, thousands of other students your age are faced with this same essay writing task, right now. You can do it!

Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) charts his process — as a writer, reader and for living life

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Book Review

And Then? And Then? What Else?

By Daniel Handler Liveright: 240 pages, $26.99 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission form Bookshop.org , whose fees support independent bookstores.

To begin, a confession: I’ve never read much Lemony Snicket, neither the 13-book sequence “A Series of Unfortunate Events” nor the four-volume follow-up, “All the Wrong Questions.” This is not a matter of aesthetics but pragmatics. When my kids were young, their tastes ran in other directions: Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, “Twilight.” Although we read “The Bad Beginning” and perhaps part of “The Reptile Room” — I can’t remember — they never warmed to the author’s gothic sensibilities or allusive style.

This, I fully accept, represents a parental failing on my part.

Let me admit, too, that I had a little difficulty at first with “And Then? And Then? What Else?” by Daniel Handler, the writer behind the Snicket franchise — “aka Lemony Snicket,” he identifies himself on the cover. This has to do with the nature of the writing, which can feel diffuse before it grows into one of the enduring charms of the book. The reason? “And Then? And Then? What Else?” is a bit of a grab bag, starting in the middle and ending in the middle, while telling a series of stories that both connect and overlap.

That something similar might be said of the Lemony Snicket novels is the whole idea. Handler is skilled and nuanced as a writer, with a developed voice and point of view. He has never fit the categories, so why would we expect him to start here?

Book cover for "And Then? And Then? What Else?"

As an example, there’s the question of form or genre. “And Then? And Then? What Else?” comes positioned as a memoir, but that’s not quite accurate. Neither is “craft book,” although there are a lot of notes on craft. More accurately, it’s what I want to label a process book, walking us through the author’s process as writer and reader. It is also a book that means to tell us how to make a life.

Handler gets at this from the outset: “What am I doing?” the book begins. It’s not a rhetorical question but a reflective one, and it opens a line of free association, of opinions and observations, that push back against our expectations. Yes, the author recognizes, we will have preconceptions; how, after all, could we not? Regardless of whether we’ve read the saga of the orphaned Baudelaire children, Handler’s reputation, the work he’s produced, carries its own cultural weight.

"Never live your life in such a way that you have to regret anything," Daniel Handler, a.k.a. Lemony Snicket, told the audience at Sunday's Festival of Books. "That's sound."

Lemony Snicket: ‘a strange writer in whom nobody took any interest’?

April 14, 2014

“I’m hunched over, headphoned,” he explains, describing himself writing on a legal pad in a cafe not far from his San Francisco home, “I look like a lunatic, which is likely the wrong word. It feels right, though.”

There it is, right from the get-go, a conditionality that might feel like a gimmick were it not also true to life. Likely the wrong word but it feels right? Here we get a glimpse of how Handler works. Throughout “And Then? And Then? What Else?” he highlights the tension between thought and feeling, the way we can infer something without fully knowing it. That’s a sensation familiar to every kid who reads “A Series of Unfortunate Events”: What adults are saying and what they’re doing are very different things.

For Handler, such suspicions didn’t disappear with childhood. Early in “And Then? And Then? What Else?” he recalls a party he attended where “real estate and traffic were the mandatory conversation topics,” all the boredom of the grown-up world. Eventually, he met a 6-year-old “and asked him what was up, in the hopes of a better conversation.” The child answered: “Last night I dreamed I was a horse.”

A large eye peeks out an open door just as a figure dashes into the shadows. A single streetlamp shines in the background.

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It’s an instructive anecdote, Handler insists, because children “generally have a firmer grasp on what is interesting to say.” By way of elaboration, he continues: “If you had to sum up lasting literature in a single sentence, you could do worse than ‘I dreamed I was a horse’ — prophetic dreams and animal transformation appear much more frequently in the old epics than, say, which neighborhoods have the best schools.” A perception of the world, in other words, as magical, as inexplicable, as full of wonder, fear and awe. Isn’t this the reason so many of us started reading? Isn’t that what we look for most when we pick up a book?

In “And Then? And Then? What Else?” (the title, fittingly, comes from Baudelaire), Handler returns repeatedly to this notion, whether he’s discussing his books or the details of his life. He is frank without being overly revealing and always seeks out some larger integration, a place where thought and feeling might intersect. As an undergraduate, he suffered from recurring nightmares, populated by ghost-like figures, “naked, bald, painted or powdered white.” The resulting sleep deprivation led to seizures, as well as hallucinations in which these characters began to appear in the waking world.

Or perhaps, Handler conjectures, “hallucinations” is not the proper word. “Nabokov,” he writes, “famously said that reality was ‘one of the few words which means nothing without quotes,’ and this was an idea that kept visiting, bringing me comfort and bliss.”

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What he means is that we never know anything, not truly, and that what we think of as the real world is just another construct, built out of our desires and preconceptions (that word again), as subjective as the angle of our minds. That’s the craft lesson here, and the life lesson also: Be curious. Accept nothing at face value. Why couldn’t the figures from his dream exist — an acceptance that ultimately frees Handler from their influence — even if most of us don’t see them?

Of course, to believe that requires a creative leap. That disposition, that openness leads Handler to an especially acute critique of the pieties of cancel culture, with its distrust of work that some might suggest is “problematic” — a word, he explains, that “describes the entire human condition, which is to say it describes nothing.” Given the subjects and scenarios of his fiction, Handler has found himself in the cross-hairs of various self-appointed cultural guardians on more than one occasion, but while he shares some of those details, that is not what interests him. Rather, it is the question of human personality, human weirdness, which is, as it has ever been, the only source of art.

“The peculiarities of individual works,” he argues, “come from the peculiarities of the individuals who make them. All these peculiarities — all of them — are problematic to somebody or other. Luckily, your own choices about preferences, dictating what you decide to read, are problematic, too.”

If that’s the case, “And Then? And Then? What Else?” counsels, why not opt for joy? This, Handler wants us to understand, is the most important component of storytelling — of reading and writing — and of living too. I keep thinking of the conversation with the 6-year-old at that stultifying party, and the unalloyed pleasure of both the teller and the listener as they discover in the moment their own shared humanity.

“ Last night I dreamed I was a horse . You don’t say. Tell me more.” That is everything and all we need to know.

David L. Ulin is a contributing writer to Opinion. He is the former book editor and book critic of The Times.

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Guest Essay

Press Pause on the Silicon Valley Hype Machine

By Julia Angwin

Ms. Angwin is a contributing Opinion writer and an investigative journalist.

It’s a little hard to believe that just over a year ago, a group of leading researchers asked for a six-month pause in the development of larger systems of artificial intelligence, fearing that the systems would become too powerful. “Should we risk loss of control of our civilization?” they asked.

There was no pause. But now, a year later, the question isn’t really whether A.I. is too smart and will take over the world. It’s whether A.I. is too stupid and unreliable to be useful. Consider this week’s announcement from OpenAI’s chief executive, Sam Altman, who promised he would unveil “new stuff” that “ feels like magic to me.” But it was just a rather routine update that makes ChatGPT cheaper and faster .

It feels like another sign that A.I. is not even close to living up to its hype. In my eyes, it’s looking less like an all-powerful being and more like a bad intern whose work is so unreliable that it’s often easier to do the task yourself. That realization has real implications for the way we, our employers and our government should deal with Silicon Valley’s latest dazzling new, new thing. Acknowledging A.I.’s flaws could help us invest our resources more efficiently and also allow us to turn our attention toward more realistic solutions.

Others voice similar concerns. “I find my feelings about A.I. are actually pretty similar to my feelings about blockchains: They do a poor job of much of what people try to do with them, they can’t do the things their creators claim they one day might, and many of the things they are well suited to do may not be altogether that beneficial,” wrote Molly White, a cryptocurrency researcher and critic , in her newsletter last month.

Let’s look at the research.

In the past 10 years, A.I. has conquered many tasks that were previously unimaginable, such as successfully identifying images, writing complete coherent sentences and transcribing audio. A.I. enabled a singer who had lost his voice to release a new song using A.I. trained with clips from his old songs.

But some of A.I.’s greatest accomplishments seem inflated. Some of you may remember that the A.I. model ChatGPT-4 aced the uniform bar exam a year ago. Turns out that it scored in the 48th percentile, not the 90th, as claimed by OpenAI , according to a re-examination by the M.I.T. researcher Eric Martínez . Or what about Google’s claim that it used A.I. to discover more than two million new chemical compounds ? A re-examination by experimental materials chemists at the University of California, Santa Barbara, found “ scant evidence for compounds that fulfill the trifecta of novelty, credibility and utility .”

Meanwhile, researchers in many fields have found that A.I. often struggles to answer even simple questions, whether about the law , medicine or voter information . Researchers have even found that A.I. does not always improve the quality of computer programming , the task it is supposed to excel at.

I don’t think we’re in cryptocurrency territory, where the hype turned out to be a cover story for a number of illegal schemes that landed a few big names in prison . But it’s also pretty clear that we’re a long way from Mr. Altman’s promise that A.I. will become “ the most powerful technology humanity has yet invented .”

Take Devin, a recently released “ A.I. software engineer ” that was breathlessly touted by the tech press. A flesh-and-bones software developer named Carl Brown decided to take on Devin . A task that took the generative A.I.-powered agent over six hours took Mr. Brown just 36 minutes. Devin also executed poorly, running a slower, outdated programming language through a complicated process. “Right now the state of the art of generative A.I. is it just does a bad, complicated, convoluted job that just makes more work for everyone else,” Mr. Brown concluded in his YouTube video .

Cognition, Devin’s maker, responded by acknowledging that Devin did not complete the output requested and added that it was eager for more feedback so it can keep improving its product. Of course, A.I. companies are always promising that an actually useful version of their technology is just around the corner. “ GPT-4 is the dumbest model any of you will ever have to use again by a lot ,” Mr. Altman said recently while talking up GPT-5 at a recent event at Stanford University.

The reality is that A.I. models can often prepare a decent first draft. But I find that when I use A.I., I have to spend almost as much time correcting and revising its output as it would have taken me to do the work myself.

And consider for a moment the possibility that perhaps A.I. isn’t going to get that much better anytime soon. After all, the A.I. companies are running out of new data on which to train their models, and they are running out of energy to fuel their power-hungry A.I. machines . Meanwhile, authors and news organizations (including The New York Times ) are contesting the legality of having their data ingested into the A.I. models without their consent, which could end up forcing quality data to be withdrawn from the models.

Given these constraints, it seems just as likely to me that generative A.I. could end up like the Roomba, the mediocre vacuum robot that does a passable job when you are home alone but not if you are expecting guests.

Companies that can get by with Roomba-quality work will, of course, still try to replace workers. But in workplaces where quality matters — and where workforces such as screenwriters and nurses are unionized — A.I. may not make significant inroads.

And if the A.I. models are relegated to producing mediocre work, they may have to compete on price rather than quality, which is never good for profit margins. In that scenario, skeptics such as Jeremy Grantham, an investor known for correctly predicting market crashes, could be right that the A.I. investment bubble is very likely to deflate soon .

The biggest question raised by a future populated by unexceptional A.I., however, is existential. Should we as a society be investing tens of billions of dollars, our precious electricity that could be used toward moving away from fossil fuels, and a generation of the brightest math and science minds on incremental improvements in mediocre email writing?

We can’t abandon work on improving A.I. The technology, however middling, is here to stay, and people are going to use it. But we should reckon with the possibility that we are investing in an ideal future that may not materialize.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , WhatsApp , X and Threads .

Julia Angwin, a contributing Opinion writer and the founder of Proof News , writes about tech policy. You can follow her on Twitter or Mastodon or her personal newsletter .

To the moms all alone on Mother's Day, I see you and you are enough.

Most of my 14 years of motherhood felt like Mother’s Day was spent alone, including some of the years I was married.

Every May, when the second Sunday in May comes around, I think of the women who are where I was in multiple places of my mother journey: scared, alone and envious of the moms with a supportive partner at home.

This year, I've written a letter to every single mother struggling to celebrate herself today, who feels inferior to the other families she sees.

When the flowers don't come, when there are no "thank yous," when there is no one posting our picture, I want us to remember where our gift truly lies.

To our kids, this is the life and this love is enough. So, we can raise our glass.

Dear, single mom on Mother's Day

Maybe you woke up a little early today to give yourself the gift of solitude. There is no one to tag in at the end of the day. It’s exhausting.

You might get a few minutes before feelings of inadequacy come flooding in. You are reminded of all the things you can't do, never seeing all that you have. You wonder how a single-parent home is affecting your kids, who will be down in a matter of moments.

Then, the day will begin just like any other day.

Maybe there were once flowers waiting for you. Maybe there were never flowers at all. You may find crumpled up Mother's Day art in your kids' backpack today, but they may not recognize that there should be anything to celebrate.

You will prepare every meal, answer every request, create every moment, wipe every tear and calm every fear. But your requests will be left unmet, your moments 60 seconds at a time, your tears wiped by your own hand and your fears, ever ponding.

Yet every day you show up and you do it, maybe with a little envy for the two-parent home down the street, because it's hard to be a full-time parent and a full-time provider. You can't possibly do either perfectly well.

If you're feeling discouraged today, seeing only your lack, look inside.

You are the creator of all the good that you see.

Tonight, when you tuck in your kids, witness your gifts.

There may have not been anything on the table this morning, you may have cleaned up the house and cooked every meal, but there is peace in the room. There is joy on their faces. There is a tangible love providing security like the blanket wrapped around their feet.

Your family is not inferior.

You are enough. Your kids know it, and some day someone else will too.

But it has to start with you.

My son was feeling left behind: What kids with autistic siblings want you to know.

Your married friend may be struggling, too

Single mothers should know that married mothers aren't necessarily better supported. Sure, they may have flowers, but just like you, they have learned how to water themselves.

There were Mother's Days when all I felt was hollow. There were flowers, photos, dinners and lots of hugs, but it obscured a darker reality. Presence doesn't equal support. Lonely doesn't equal alone.

Knowing my "enoughness" led me back into singleness and back to the mother I've always been. So, cherish where you are and never trade your peace for support. Recognize yourself and celebrate this day.

Last year, I bought myself a bouquet of wildflowers, and this year, I bought myself a few.

My gift is this home I've created and the peace I feel at night. Sure, it may be a little messy, but it is far from inferior.

When I release my kids into the world, they will take this love that they've been given and begin planting it in places of their own, definitely better than if they had grown up in our broken two-parent home.

Yet I know that you, like me, may have a desire to share your life with someone. Just make sure that they are a seer too, a seer of your worth and your "enoughness," on more than just this special day.

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Opponents say discipline is ‘Orwellian,’ ‘re-education’

New York University students who were arrested at a recent anti-Israel encampment must write “reflection” essays as part of their discipline, according to the campus Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine.

The university’s Office of Student Conduct issued the punishments last week for students who were arrested April 22 in connection with a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus, according to a news release .

The pro-Palestinian group referred to the disciplinary measures as “Orwellian” in the release.

One punishment, a five to six page “reflection paper,” must include “a clear, well-developed response that demonstrates that you have thought about all aspects of the issue/decision/behavior that resulted in your involvement with the Office of Student Conduct,” according to a university instructions sheet .

The instructions sheet states the paper “cannot serve to justify your actions, evaluate the actions of others, or challenge a conduct regulation.”

In the essay, students also must describe their personal values and consider how their actions affected other people, including the university and “society as a whole.” Additionally, the instructions tell students to consider what they need to do to “make things right.”

NYU is requiring other student protesters to write “dozens of writing assignments” through its Ethos Integrity Series Modules , according to the news release. The series is supposed to help students develop “moral reasoning” and “ethical decision-making skills.”

In addition to writing essays, some students were banned from campus and university activities, according to the group.

Middle Eastern studies Professor Sara Pursley, a member of the pro-Palestinian group, criticized the disciplinary measures in the news release.

“Since they can’t write anything justifying their action, students seem to be banned from writing about personal values that might be relevant here, such as a belief in freedom of expression, the responsibility to oppose genocide, or the duty of nonviolent civil disobedience under certain circumstances,” Pursley said. “This seems rather ironic in an essay on integrity.”

On X, conservative Princeton University law Professor Robert George said while he believes students should be disciplined for unlawful activities, NYU’s specific essay requirements are concerning.

“Students who engage in disruption, harassment, or other unlawful activities – no matter the cause they are seeking to advance – should be subject to disciplinary proceedings and appropriate sanctions, but they should not be subjected to thought reform or re-education,” George wrote .

Police in riot gear arrest dozens of NYU students and faculty who refused to leave a makeshift anti-Israel encampment in late April, The Fix reported .

Police said the protesters were arrested for “disorderly conduct” and unlawfully blocking traffic, according to the Washington Square News , NYU’s student newspaper.

MORE: Jewish NYU student kicked out of campus leadership post for opposing Hamas terrorism reinstated

IMAGE: Freedom News TV/YouTube

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Writing means getting people engaged in your piece. It means people wanting to keep reading what you wrote. The biggest thing about writing to me is expressing your thoughts and letting your mind go. Using good word choice and having a strong voice in the writing is something that makes it good.
Who am I Essay
Understanding your readers will make your essay more compelling (1). It will be easier for you to engage them and make them emotionally connected to your story. 2) Don't be afraid to look vulnerable. Allow the readers to see your inner feelings. Sincerity and reflection are the new black, you know.
Personal Essay Example: Who Am I As A Writer
This was not true for me for most of my life. In fact, it was not until recently that I started to have an inkling of who I am as a writer. I'm still figuring it out. What I am certain of is that I am constantly striving to improve as a writer. Growing up, education was not my strongest point and my parents did little to encourage me to study.
Getting College Essay Help: Important Do's and Don'ts
Keep in mind, however, that a 45-year-old lawyer writes quite differently from an 18-year-old student, so if your dad ends up writing the bulk of your essay, we're probably going to notice. (Vanderbilt University) So, basically, a big old thumbs up on the whole "get someone to look at your essay" situation, as far as colleges are concerned.
Reflective Essay: Who I Am As A Writer
If I did any of those things incorrectly like I am probably doing now, fine. I was able to express myself. My at home writing is the writing that I am passionate about, but now this brings me back to. Free Essay: To explain who I am as a writer I think we would need to step back and look at who I was as a reader.
Who Am I Essay
Who Am I Essay Example 1 Outline. Below is a layout you should follow when writing a personal essay to impress your professor. Introduction paragraph (50-75 words) Hook- The Question - who am I? Brief summary: Well, I know quite much about myself: I am a social, kind, respectful, and principled young man.
If I were a Writer Essay for Children & Students
The writer digs out the core of his soul to present it to the readers so that the reader is able to understand the message put across in an easy manner. If I were got a chance to become writer by some fortune, I would use my skills to change the world and their perseverance for literature and the writer. A writer wears his heart on his sleeves ...
I Don't Write Like Alice Munro, but I Want to Live Like Her
A fiction writer isn't someone who can write anything — movies, articles, obits! She isn't a person in service to the magazines, to the newspapers, to the publishers or even to her audience.
Your Best College Essay
Prompts for this essay can be found on the college's website, the Common Application, or the Coalition Application. We're not talking about the many smaller supplemental essays you might need to write in order to apply to college. Not all institutions require the essay, but most colleges and universities that are at least semi-selective do.
Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) charts his process
To begin, a confession: I've never read much Lemony Snicket, neither the 13-book sequence "A Series of Unfortunate Events" nor the four-volume follow-up, "All the Wrong Questions."
I am stuck and need help on writing a 4 page essay on this
I am stuck and need help on writing a 4 page essay on this outline and title will be Navigating Army retirement life and living with PTSD I. Introduction A. Setting the stage B. Introducing the topic II. The Transition Process A. Leaving the military behind B. Adjusting to civilian life III.
A.I. and the Silicon Valley Hype Machine
Julia Angwin, a contributing Opinion writer and the founder of Proof News, writes about tech policy. You can follow her on Twitter or Mastodon or her personal newsletter . 545
To the single mom on Mother's Day, I see you and you are enough
Most of my 14 years of motherhood felt like Mother's Day was spent alone, including some of the years I was married.. Every May, when the second Sunday in May comes around, I think of the women ...
NYU forces anti-Israel protesters to write essays as punishment
New York University students who were arrested at a recent anti-Israel encampment must write "reflection" essays as part of their discipline, according to the campus Faculty and Staff for ...

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Introduce Yourself AS A WRITER

How to Confidently Introduce Yourself and Your Abilities

1. State your name and your craft.

2. Tell people about your current audience.

3. Add a thought or two on how you hope to grow in your chosen area.

4. Stifle the critic in your head.

5. Revel in it.

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