Writing has always been a passion of mine since I was a young child. I believe that my love for writing originated from my appreciation of reading books and literature. Growing up I read many books such as Charlotte’s web, Little Women, Charlie & the Chocolate factory, the Secret Garden, Matilda, Archie comics, and much more. Reading a variety of books, inspired me to write stories of my own and hone my personal craft. From reading, I picked up a bunch of skills to incorporate into my writing such as making use of vast vocabulary. Reading helped me to learn new words that can be used to substitute for unnecessary lengthy sentences; which helped to make my writing style more simple but sophisticated. I believe one aspect of my writing that needs improvement is my need for perfection.
As a writer, I am one who genuinely cares about my work and will try to find anything that needs improvement and fix them. I devote time and thought to my writing in order to create and write something to the best of my ability. However, aspiring to write something of the highest quality, has caused me to have the tendency to procrastinate. I sometimes postpone my writing until I think of the best idea, thoughts, or words that would suit it. To overcome this, I have practiced and done more free writing by writing without having no outcome or expectation other than letting myself consider multiple possibilities.
I allow myself to write whatever comes to my mind continuously without being conscious of certain writing or grammatical rules. With free writing, I do not plan what to write but write as I go. This has helped me not to procrastinate because it aids in getting me to write spontaneously and not be too critical while I am at it. Once I finish, I simply edit and revise my work. Some methods that I have used to improve my writing are peer editing and asking others to read and review or give feedback that can be used for improvement. As a writer, I find that peer editing helps me to handle constructive criticism and accept feedback whether it is positive or negative.
Peer editing aids in allowing me as a writer to see my writing from a reader’s standpoint and formulate an outline for revision; brainstorming ideas to create a stronger piece of writing. With peer editing, I can take the time to look over my paper with a clear mental frame, while honestly taking into account each suggestion that was given to me. Reading out loud also aids in improving my writing as it helps to determine whether it flows smoothly. I can evaluate if I’m stumbling over excessively long sentences and catch any typos or word duplicates. As a writer, a challenge that I face when writing is deviating from the topic, especially with essays, and avoiding using unnecessary details. However, to prevent this I like to make a clear action plan and outline. This helps to ensure that I stay in context and keep my writing well-structured. Personally, I think writing is rewarding because it serves as an outlet to express myself. Even if I’m not writing about personal topics, as a writer, I am showing myself and the way I think through words. Through writing, I am able to evoke emotion and write stories that not only I but readers can relate to.