Kendra Green

9/7/14
WR 100 Madness and the American Conspiracy Theory
Self-Assessment Letter
Professor Najarian:
Today, I am writing to you to analyze my writing habits, so in some sense, I write to
myself. Forgive me if this letter is a little self-centered, but I hope it allows you to get to
know me a little better.
The piece that I am sending is a personal essay I submitted in my college
applications. It is not necessarily my typical writing, as it was revised numerous times and
is less argument based than most of my writing. Additionally, it is a personal essay,
something that intimidates me to no end. Fear of displaying any of what goes on in my head
makes writing any voiced piece challenging for me. However, with this piece more than any
other I have written, I felt more able to capably expound, as it was a subject I knew and
loved. As I move into college essay writing, and just about any writing I do from now on, I
know that expressing my unique viewpoint effectively will be vital. I hope that in this class,
I might overcome my fear of exposure, establishing my own voice and style in the process.
The introduction of the essay, a sort of in media res entrance to the subject, is fairly
typical of my essays, though perhaps not to the extent of this one. Narration is a form I
always enjoy writing, and I often get carried away painting a scene in the introductions of
my essays. In this case, it serves well to illustrate my thought processing. However, in most
cases it seems only to fill the space before the thesis is stated. I hope in my writing this
semester to both work a narrative cohesively into the introduction of an essay, and to cut
out my narrative crutch, standing firmly in my ability to express my ideas, without
requiring a tangential story lead-in.
In near all my writing, I tend to get carried away in writing high flown and often
convoluted ideas. Something that seems clear in my head becomes a like following the
white rabbit across my page: he may be dressed finely, but following him into the
wonderland of my mind only makes you confused. The shadows of this quality in this essay
lie in my lists of the third and fourth paragraphs, as I try to fit as many concepts into one
sentence as possible. Brevity has never been my strong point. This is not nearly the worst
example. I do not think long sentences to be bad when used with clarity, but my longer
sentences tend to ramble along my train of thought, wherever it may go. Thus, my goal in
this regard is not to eliminate long sentences, but to develop clarity of complex thought and
intention as I approach writing that will manifest itself in my work.
Finally and most importantly, I must address my weakness when it comes to
forethought. Like many a high school student, I am guilty of many late night essays the day
before the paper is due. I know that procrastination is not a habit conducive to consistent
quality writing. Ideas hashed out in a few hours are never as developed and clear as they
would be if I wrote, gave myself time to think it over, then rewrote. As such, and as ever, my
final goal is to minimize my procrastination and thus think through arguments that I make
more thoroughly.

I sincerely hope as we enter the maze of American conspiracy, that while the
unearthed plots become more and more convoluted, that my writing can do quite the
opposite. I look forward to working with you toward that goal.
Sincerely,
Kendra Green