Even before this class, you were a writer. In fact, you are a writer. It’s best to just embrace this identity right out of the gate. The definition of “writer” is someone who writes, so you qualify. But what kind of a writer are you? How do you write? What are your attitudes toward writing? In this opening Blog Posting, you’ll explore your previous experiences as a writer. Some questions to consider: How diverse are your writing experiences? Have you written lots of different things or do you feel like you’ve mostly done variations of the same thing? Which sounds more true to you: “I am a good/bad writer” or “I am good/bad at writing”? Why would you choose one over the other? How much (if any) of your attitudes about writing is linked to what happened in school and/or grades? What about other kinds of feedback you’ve received on your writing? When have you most enjoyed writing? When have you least enjoyed it? What is the difference between those experiences?

· Labor Specifications: Postings should be developed responses (if you need a target, shoot for 500-800 words) and may contain text, video, images, links, etc. You are considered the composer of your blog, so there is no limit to the creativity you may use!

· Audience: You’re writing for someone who is curious to know about you and your experiences as a writer: what you’ve done, how you feel, what you hope to do. They know nothing about you or your past experiences writing but want to get an idea of what you’ve done and where you’re coming from.

· Process:

1. Consider your past . Before writing this blog posting, spend some time thinking about your experiences as a writer: what you’ve done, where you’ve done it, why you’ve done it. Consider your attitudes toward these things you’ve done. How do you see yourself? What shaped your views? Consider making a timeline (here is a free timeline maker in case you want to share your timeline with us! — https://www.tiki-toki.com/ ) that charts the kind of writing you’ve done at different times in your life.

2. Draft . Remembering that your audience knows nothing about you, draft a communication to them that fulfills their needs. You’ll write directly to your audience.

3. Revise . Review your draft blog posting for coherence and structure. Are you telling the audience what they need to know in an order that helps them understand your message? Think of it like a game of show-and-tell. Saying “I like writing” makes your experience vague and abstract to your audience. They’re likely to wonder why you like writing or what sorts of things you like to write or when you like to write. Instead, show your audience your message through examples that illustrate what you’re telling them.

4. Edit and polish . You’re making your first impression on someone with whom you’ll be working. Try to make the kind of impression you desire.

· Reflect: In the process of considering the audience as you were writing, hopefully you learned something about yourself. You won’t be surprised to hear me say that declaring you are good or bad at writing, as though this is a fixed and immutable state, is not a great way to improve a skill. Even saying you are good or bad at writing probably isn’t that helpful. Remember that there is no finish line for writers. Worry less about how good you are, and think more about how practicing writing will make you better.

· Remix: Considering your reflections, design your ideal writing situation. What kind of writing would you be doing? How would you be doing it? Who would be reading it? Who would be judging it? Where would you be writing? What would you be writing about? Put this into a brief statement on its own, something that could fit on a four-by-six index card. Keep this nearby when you’re writing as a way to reflect on what you’re doing in the moment and to see if there are ways to bridge any gaps between the actual and the ideal by changing your point of view.