Part 1:

Introducing Yourself as a Writer Assignment

August 27-September 12

Essay due on Canvas: Thursday, September 12 by 11:59 p.m.

In-class peer review: Thursday, September 12
Essay grade: 50 points possible
Document Design: 12 point font (Times New Roman or Calibri); 1” margins
Length: 500 words
Chapter from Choices: Chapter 1: The Writing Process
Associated tasks (12 points possible): Group Activities (1-4)

Please note: The following description will be discussed in detail in class. It is essential that you come to
class to understand the assignment completely. Be sure to ask questions as you have them.

Writing Goals for Part 1 (from Choices pg. 3):

 Learn how to read and improve your writing.
 Learn how to analyze your audience.
 Examine different purposes for writing
 Explore the steps of the writing process
 Discover several strategies for gathering ideas.

Writing Assignment Topic (from Choices pg. 4):

Your first assignment is to “compose yourself as a writer.” Think back over your life to consider when
and to whom you have written. Consider all types of writing, such as sending texts, posting to Web sites,
writing complaint letters, responding to essay exams, and filling out forms. How frequently do you
write? Who reads your writing? What are your purposes for writing? In addition, make a note of your
feelings about writing. Do certain types of writing interest you more than others? Does writing excite
you or make you anxious? Does writing come easily to you, or do you struggle to find the right words?
You might want to get your ideas flowing for a few minutes nonstop in response to the following
questions:

1. What have been some of the most important writing events in your life? Consider not only
formal writing assignments for school or work, but also emails, texts, and posts on social media
sites as Facebook and Twitter
2. What are the most common types of writing that you do? What are your purposes for writing,
and who reads your writing? What happens as a result of your writing?
3. What languages have you used for writing? Do you enjoy writing in one language more than
another, or do you prefer to go back and forth between two languages? Why?
4. Who was most influential in your development as a writer? How did this person influence you?
5. Can you recall any time when you felt inadequate as a writer? What was the event? Why did
you feel this way? What changes did you make as a result?
6. What are three words that best describe you as a writer? Discuss these three words.

Use your best ideas to write a brief essay (no longer than 500 words) explaining how you feel about
yourself as a writer. Follow the steps of the writing process described in chapter 1 of Choices. Do not
simply write out your responses to all six questions listed above; instead, use your answers to those
questions as the basis for your essay. We will be doing many in-class activities to help you narrow and
focus your ideas for writing your paper, including how to incorporate your responses into an essay.

Grading: I will use the English 080 rubric (on Canvas and attached to your syllabus) to assess your work. I
will specifically be looking for mastery of the “writing goals” listed above. We’ll review in class how to
access and address my feedback on your work. Moving forward, you will be expected to read my
comments and address these in your subsequent papers.