Literacy Narrative

Literacy Narrative
Delaney Kuehnel
University of Texas at El Paso
Rhetoric and Composition I/ 1301
9-19-14
Paul LaPrade

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Literacy Narrative

My earliest memory of writing began in journals that my mother brought

home for me. Theres a journal entry I once wrote as a child, about how my dogs
feet smelled of buttered popcorn. Tucker (my dog), He is really smelly, but in a
good way, also really cute. His toes smell like popcorn with butter, but thats just
the way dogs live, The End. Obviously, I didnt have any trouble finding topics to
write about. Over the years, Ive collected around 8 journals, all with countless
amounts of random drawings and journal entries. The clich Dear Diary began on
almost every page, and I usually just wrote about my day, family, friends, and my
pets. Journaling at a young age has helped me develop as a writer and aid the
creative side I have.
Starting to write
Ive always been the type of person to underestimate my writing abilities. I
find myself writing most comfortably when its casual and on my own time. As for
assignments, it depends on the situation; like the class, the topic, and the audience
Im supposed to write for. Minor achievements as a writer have assured me that
this is not the case, showing that my abilities are best exposed through creative
assignments with very few restrictions.
It all started out in elementary, practicing to write with the wide, 2-inch
spaced learning paper. I quickly picked up how to make each letter, every curve and
line, and feeling so accomplished showing the teacher my finished work. I never
practiced in the journals I had, but, over time, it was easier to see how my lettering
improved; Not only the lettering, but also the wording, how I used those words, and

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the flow from sentence to sentence. Another easy thing to spot out as I went
through my journals was the difference in my handwriting. Once cursive was taught
to me, I never ceased to incorporate it as much as possible. Im not saying it was
legible or perfect in any way, but I loved it. It felt (and still feels) like Im making
swirls all day long, and it also makes writing so much more efficient.
One assignment that opened my eyes to creative writing was in middle
school. Our assignment was to write, illustrate, and bind a mini childrens book for
class. I placed all my time and effort into that book over the course of a week, and I
couldnt have been more impressed with myself. (Looking back on it now, Im still
pretty content with the outcome). My story was about a kokopelli, named Pelliko,
who was on a journey to find a place to play his flute, finding friends along the way.
My story was about 15 pages long, but the story line was concise and rhythmic. All
of the drawings I incorporated were hand-drawn, aiding to the success of my book.
I remember going to class that day showing off my beautifully crafted childrens
book. After presenting to the class, my teacher told me how much she loved it, from
the creativity of the storyline, to the effort put into my rhymes, to my accurate and
consistent drawings. I wish I kept it, but my teacher asked to keep it as an example
for other classes. I can honestly say that Im so pleased with how I utilized my
creative streak in that story. Ive written very few things that Im proud of, but that
would have to be one of my earliest accomplishments.
Going into high school, my writing only started to improve in what I thought
was the only way it could, and that was by grammar. My sophomore year English
teacher stressed the importance of incorporating words from the SAT word list into

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our class essays, eventually the TAKS, and then our SAT. Another strategy she
taught us was to always have some sort of relation to what we are writing about
(whether it be personal or from a source), to always ensure that each sentence flows
effectively to form a composed essay. The emphasis was always on our
introduction. What scared me most about that class was how she made us write an
entire essay, but if she didnt like the introduction, she handed it back to us. It takes
a toll on my writing process now, because its this obstacle I have to cross over
before I can dive into the rest of my essay, and sometimes it takes hours. As Rose
(1980) states, some conflict, some stress, some gap in information in these
perceived aspects seems to trigger problem-solving behavior(535). From Roses
statement, I feel a sense of relief knowing that there is a reason for why Im blocked,
and how I can possibly overcome that and write with ease.

My Writing Style
The same way we all have unique, individual fingerprints that solely belong
to us, we all have our own quirks in writing. In this narrative, I still found it difficult
to write coming straight out of my mind, but I would have to say that I really try to
incorporate how I would actually speak. I usually slip in my own comments and
unnecessary details that I probably could exclude, but I feel necessary. Although I
dont feel like there is too much that sets my writing process apart from other
people, Ill share the process I undertake.
When it comes to first receiving an assignment from a teacher, I take the time
to analyze parts of it. This is when I always seem to overthink an assignment, and it

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starts to become almost intimidating. What always frustrates me is the thought of

an introduction. This part is where I have to write down every idea that comes to
mind. I can have multiple papers etched with merely just ideas to start off my
assignment. A variety of other factors tie in to how I develop my intro and thesis,
but this part is the only reason I do not like writing assignments.
After the most dreaded part of my writing process is over, I come to the body.
This is my favorite part because I can utilize any experience, book, article, quote, etc.
that I like (depending on the topic). What also makes this easier is that I tend to
think about this part before I have an introduction, so it comes to me more naturally
and I usually spend less time on this part.
As for the conclusion to a paper, tying everything together seems to be so
challenging for most, but Im so relieved to be at the end of an assignment, that I
know exactly what to put at the end. Sometimes its not rainbows and lollipops,
bringing everything to form one cohesive composition, but the process I usually take
is connecting the aspects of the body into one whole, and explaining the relationship
to the reader.

So as time progressed, I learned more about how I write and why I write the
way I do, but sometimes I wish I could go back to the days as a child, carelessly
writing about nonsense on my mind. I have such a great appreciation for reading
and writing. Its something we do every day, whether we realize it or not. Writing,
just the process of picking up a pen and writing is what appeals to me the most.
There are days where I can copy notes, either from books or slides, just because I

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want to write. I think its a weird feeling to describe, but it isnt as satisfactory to
text, type, or talk. I rather write. What Ive learned is that journaling as a child and
having my mother encourage me to write lets me utilize my abilities as a writer
better than any other outlet.

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Resources

Rose, M. (1980). Rigid Rules, Inflexible Plans, and the Stifling of Language: A
Cognitivist Analysis of Writer's Block. College Composotion and Communication
31.4 p.389-401. Writing about Writing p. 532-544