Lauron Raker

LnVRT 1l0l-070

Ingram

14 October 2014

listen to music to get a good rhythm to writo to,

In high school, I was tho kind of writer ihat always had witer's blook. I was givon

prompts that sometimes i couldn't relate to; Xherefore, writet's block consumed me. I would sit

at ry desk watohing the hands on the clook tick just thinking how I 0ould put my spin on a topic p Q-

that I really didn't know aqthing about. I wasn'l ellowed to listen tc mwic when I wroto papers 1- C G n -)

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during school hour*, so I couldn't really evor get into my groove ofl papor, When I wrote papers 11'h'l '

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in olass, there war always a timo limit. Fol me to write a solid paper, I need ample timo. I need b.. Sl}'tobeabletotwrseandeditmyworkasmanytimesaslfeelnocessary. Incollege, Iconsider g0Od ., r,

mysolf a freedom writcr b€cause I have more freedom ag a writer. Yes, i am given topios, but 4 t S Wl {* S { t'''

the topics assigned are broad. I can put my own sprn on the topic and iilterpret it howover I

want, In college, I have notrced that I am a more relaxed writu. Writing a paper is aotually funl

Raker 2

I love reading other writers' work. I appreciate that other writers have different

perspectivee. ln rehrn, other writers' perspeotives give me a different outlook on my papers and

what I've written about. Il gives me brand new ideas that I can use il my own work. It also

rerninds m6 to bs more open minded, It rcminds me that I can be a rirk taker wilh my writing

that said, I am a strong writer when I write about my hobbies and part memories, Grammar is

also a stongth of mine. i had a really amszmg teaoher my freshman yoar ofhigh school. Her

name was Nls, Sirrunofls, and Ms. Simmons taught me nothing but gramrnar. Evory single day, I

would oomo into her class, room numbfl 133, and oonect all the sentenoes that ghe had written

on tho board, That is how I bocame an expert in grammar.

Ar 0 writer, I guoss my biggest challengo ie writing about mysslf. So far, this essay has

been a strusgle. I tend o *rink so r:gggltivg39"I ;rrrj.# t-i U;rcan

t iver

rhink of anything

goodtosay,orinthiscasegoodtourito. Writings6'outmystrengtlB'wasabitofaohallenge.

I've never had vory good oonfidenoe in anything I do whether it's wrrtrng or riding a bioycle.

Elaborating on a specific point I bring up is also a ohallange for me, Sometimes, I just say what i

want to say but never actually go into detail about a specifio point. This tends to make my

wro@r,b.wnEa .nd oo@@r,nh dnrrh uq. -'te ratlds rM€ ' is /ePel lrtue he,er h.r my.hd6 .',m d,ry cdp' e6..d br.em, n imd,u@r id.{ h ,,,,c,d,o,r/ A.cdins b *Xf *I''#Jg "Hf "fulhe'

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Ra ker 3

pspsr8 unflterslting to readers. I need to practioo more with writing so I can hook the readers

andmskethemwanttoreadmoroofmywork. - L hGUe 4he 15|fy,1- pf Obleftn

Vy'hon I wrile, I want to moke the roader foel what I folt when I wae writing. I ty to lvrite

with a lot ofemotion in my papem to ruike tho readsrs more ongaged. I [ry to make my poirtB

oloar and ooncise and easy to follow aloog. I want my paperc to havo a good flow and rhythm to

thrm. I want tho roaders of my pape$ to be ofl tho edge of thoir seats and drivsn to road

paragraph alier paragraph of my pupers.

Ithinkwritingisagoodwaytoexprossyourselfwhotheryou'romad,sadorhappy. I

know whon I am mad I whip out my diary and write about all the terriblo ttrings that happonod

that day until it's all out of my syBtsm. That makes me feol & lot bettBr bgsause I can "mrfdsr"

tho p6ge with ruy words of hatrEd, I also write when I'm roally happy. Whon I'm happy, I write

about how Ereat my day was and everything that lmppened because I want t/o romomber overy

little dotail about how awesomo my day had been. I may ev0n doodle or draw flowers on tho

pago,

1Vhefl I talk about writing, I mostly talk about grammar ond punctuatioa. When I was in

highsohool,that'swhattheBnglishteacherspushtheirstudon8todo. Idon'twanttosaythat

tho English teaohor didn't oars about ths oontont beoause thoy did, but they roally onforeed

grammar and punctuation. I have noticod thnt when we do poor observations in Ms. Ingram's

olass i havs looked at otror things like the flow of tho paper, Whon we wrote the two differ€nt

drafis for our Lituaoy Nanativo, Geena, Olivia, and I discussed how to combine both drafts

togethor. We helped each othu figure out which paragraphs wo needed to take out and the order

thot the rest ofthe paragraphs needed to go in to make each other's paper flow better.

My favorite genre to wnte m would probably be romance. Most of my diary is about my

I boyfriend and I and the dates we have been on, the plaoes we have been together, and how I feel

about him. I love romance. Romanoe is my favorite genre in general. I love to romantic TV

shows,movies,walksinthepark,younameit \) y ou shou ld g I ue h ,

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You, > is *lae h*os-i r ltar , g,ar,ayvar .{roe.Becau )e y Ou, bar ety had an\ @t a wra@ ylrstaes, i+ tLas

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Lauren Raker

LJWRT l 101 -070

In$am

l4 Ootober 2014

Who am I the Writer?

I kick my shoes off, stare at my computer screen, alrd brainstofm a million differenl ideas

Iin rfiy head)awhat ts going to be the title of this paper? Where do I begin? What do I wite

Uabout? How do say what I need to say witlnat tt being co4fustng? How cdn I get ny dudience

-1to relatE to whm I an sayngl$l'tese kinds of thoughts seem to be nwer ondilg. I alwoys write

Jin my room that way thero are lets distraotions. I can still hear all ofthe noise, ifthere is any,

outside, but with my door closed, nobody bothers me. Sometimes, lfl cannot conc€ntrate, l

listen to music to get a good rh).thm to write to.

h high sohool, I was tho kind ofwriter that always had writer's block. 1 was givon' i, i i t

promptsthatsomqtimeslcouldn'trelateto;thorefore,writer'sblockconsumedrne. Iwouldsit

at nry desk walohing the hands on the clock tiok just thinking how 1 could put my 6pin on a topio

that I really didn't know anything about. I wasn't allowed to listen tc musio when I wrote papors

during school houro, so I couldn't really evor got into my groovs on paper. When I wrote papers

in class, there was alway$ a time limit. For me to write a scilid paper, I neod'ample time, I need

to be able to reviee and edit my work as many times As I feol fieceesary. In oo11e$e, I oonsider

mysolf a freedom writer beoause I have more freedom as a wriier. Yes, I am given topics, but

the topics assigned are broad, I can put my own spin on the topic and interpret it however I

wanl In collegg I have noticed that I am a more relaxed writer. Writing a paper is actually funl

Raker 2

I love reading othor writers' work. I appreoiate that other wriiers have differenta

p€rspegtive$. In returq other writers' perspectives givo me a drffuent outlook on my papers ald

what I'vo writton about, It gives me brand new ideas that I can uso in my own wod<, It also

reminds me to be more open mtnded lt reminds mo that I can be a risk taker with my writing

and expsrimont with difforont idoas,

What is strength? Aacording to Google, Smongth is a good or beneficial quality or

attributo of a person or thing, As writer, my strengtha va4r from papor to paper, itjust depends

on the topic. For instanoo, my Literaoy Nanatrvg was a paper that was easy to write because I

mote about $oltball and memories. I oan &,rit€ about Boftball and momones forwsr, I've played

softball for olven yoars, so 1 pretty muoh know everything there is to know about it. Memori€s

are easy tic write about if you can romember want happefl in a mornent of your lifetimo. With

that said, I am a shong writor when I write about my hobbies and past memories. Grammar is

also a stenglh of mine, I hod a really amuing teacher my froshman year of high sohool. Her

name was \,{s. Simmons, and hu1s. Simmons taughi me nothing but grammar. Every single day, I

would come into her olass, toom nurnber 133, and oonect all ths *cntences that she had written

on the board. That is how I beoame an expat in grarrnar.

As 0 witor, I guose my biggost challsnge $ writing about mysolf. So far, this essay has

beenastruggle. Itendtothinksonogativeaboutmyselflhatljustoan'!everthinkofanything

good to say, or in this oaso good to wdte, Writing [bout my strengths was a bit of a ohallenge,

I've never had vory good confidence in anythfug I do whether it's wrlting or riding a bicycle.

Elaborating on a specifio point I bring up is also a challenge for mo. Sometimes, I just say what I

want to say but never actually go into detail about 6 speciflc point. This tends to make my

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Raker 3

papers uninterosting io readers. I need to practics more with writing so I can hook the rsaders

and mak€ them want to read mor€ ofmy work.

When I worite, I want to make the rsadr feel what I lelt when I was writingfl ry to wdte

with 6 lot of emotion in my pappr! tro make the readers moro engaged. 1try to make my pointr

clear and conoise and easy to follow along]I want my papors to havo a good flow and rhythm to

them, I want the readers ofmy papors to bo on the odge oftheir ssat$ and dfivsn to read

paragraph a{ler peregraph of my papers.

I think writing is a good way to expless yoursoll'whother you'ro mad, sod or happy. It

know when I am mad I whip out my diery and wrile about all the terriblo fiings that happoned

that day until it's all out of my systenr That makes me feel a lot botter because I oan "murder"

ttre page with my words of hatred. I also writs when I'm roal$ happy. When I'm happy, I write

about how great my day was and overythtng that happened beoause I want io remembor evory

littlo detail about how awesome my day had bsen. I may oven doodle or draw flowers on fle

page,

Whon I talk about writirry, i mostly talk about grammar and punctuation. When I was inG

high sohool, thet' s what the English teachus push their studonb to do. I don't want to say thrt

the English teaoher didn't care about frE content because they did, but they roally enforood

grammar and punotuation. I have notioed that lvhen wo do poor observatiofls in L4s. kryram's

olaes I have looked ot other things like the flow of the paper. When we woto the two different

drafls for our Litsacy Narrative, Geena, Olivia, and I discugeed how io oombtns both drafts

together. We helped eaoh other figure out which paragraphs we needed to tako out ald tho order

that the rest ofthe paragraphs needed to go in to make each other's paper flow better.

Raker 4

My favorit€ genre 1o write in would probably be romance. Most of my diary is about my

boyfriend and I and the dates wB havs b€en on, the places we have been iogether, and how I feel

about him I love romance. Romanoe is my favorite genre in general. I love to romantrc TV

shows, movies, walks in the park, you name it.N,P P*${

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