Writing is limited. I only write essays about things that
come from books. Ever since high school all
my English teachers have spent one week or so reading the book with the entire
class. After completing the book, writing that big essay that is supposed to
make the teacher so excited to have you in the class, is next. You look down the prompt and it is about
nothing you have ever heard about. Great.
The paper is written and I ask the teacher to read it for advice….. That
night I spend hours trying to fix the “horrible” essay I wrote. This process
didn’t happen just once but many times to me. I don’t like the fact that I have to rewrite
the entire essay the entire essay the night it is due but I know that I am
truly becoming a better writer. Free writing
to me was discovered recently but I love that I can express my taught on a page
without thinking hard.
Lindsey, you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. I’m sure none of your essays were nearly horrible as you make them out to be. Your writing will improve over time. The key is to let the words flow out of you instead of forcing them to come out. There’s no doubt in my mind that you will eventually pick up on writing styles that appeal to you throughout the rest of your high school and/or college career.
ReplyDeleteThey are probably not that bad of essays! You can problem-solve not having to rewrite the entirety of the essay by having your teacher, a peer, trusted adult, or a parent take look at it one paragraph at a time, so you only edit one paragraph at a time instead of the entire essay. Free writing is a very liberating exercise, I agree! You should take that and do a "free-write" for each paragraph. And then take the advice I gave you above and edit it one paragraph at a time. Over time, you can figure out how to get it right the first time- but that will only happen if you practice all the time. Writing essays on topics you enjoy on your own time are an excellent way to practice for real grades, and as you get better, writing essays become less stressful.
ReplyDeleteYou probably don't want to hear this, but the process you're describing is exactly what should be happening. Revision is an important part of the process.
ReplyDelete