Personal Narrative essay

Your first paper in FYS 111 will allow me to get to know you a little bit and get a sense of your experiences and expectations. I would like for you to write an essay in which you reflect upon yourself as a writer. Consider how you feel about writing (and about writing classes for that matter). Do you like writing?Do you dread it?Are you pretty comfortable writing papers, or is it something that sends you into full-blown panic and hyperventilation? Why?

What are your strengths and weaknesses as a writer?When answering this question, you should consider what you personally feel are your strengths and weaknesses, but you may also talk about what you have been told about your writing.

Finally, what do you hope to get out of this class (aside from a good grade)? What do you want to work on? What do you have questions or concerns about? What strengths do you want to polish?

In addressing your feelings and thoughts about writing and about yourself as a writer, consider both your own feelings and what you have been told about your writing. To make your reflections more concrete, show me! Give examples. Tell a story. Don’t be afraid to incorporate narrative. Feel free to refer to specific instances or people. Give me a sense of the people and experiences that have impacted you and your writing (positively or negatively). You may also discuss what you expect from or hope to get from this class (HINT: Don’t say that you hope to get an A.)

This is not a fishing expedition on my part. I am not looking for a bunch of essays that talk about how much you love to write. Don’t blow smoke up my proverbial skirt. I am interested in hearing your own honest thoughts and well-considered reflections. Use this assignment as an opportunity to think back and really consider yourself as a writer and the experiences that have helped to shape you.

Since you are writing about yourself, it is my hope that this will be a relatively painless way for you to get your feet wet, so to speak, and it should make it easier (and therefore quicker, hopefully) to write. Don’t put it off to the last minute, though.

I look forward to getting to know each of you a little bit and learning how you view your writing and yourself as a writer.