Beginning

*Written for a college writing course

A Literary Self-Analysis

I come from a family of writers. We all write for different purposes and often in very different styles, but in the end, we love to write. My father is one of the most humorous, witty individuals I know, and that is made evident in his writing. While writing is not his profession by any means, he has managed to utilize his skills effectively though his infamous tongue-in-cheek Christmas letters and eternal “work-in-progress” children’s book. On the other hand, my mother is of a more practical, sensible nature; through years of homeschooling her six children and organizing numerous academic contests, her writing has taken a more serious and precise note. My remaining four sisters and brother are all gifted writers, although their interests vary from crime novels to research papers.

The question that naturally follows is this: what kind of writer am I? I have always yearned for the humorous, flowing style of my father, but I believe I possess writing tendencies similar to my mother. My older sister Meredith has always exemplified my greatest writing aspirations; she writes with effortless wit and intelligence, garnering praise from all who read her work. However, as much as I might try to imitate her style, I fear I would simply fall flat on my face. In short, I really do not have an answer to the above question. Instead, it is my theory that the more I write, the better understanding I will gain of my own writing and of myself.

In conclusion, I will revisit the thought that I began with: we are a family of writers because we love the process and product of writing. For most of my writing career, I have sought to imitate and reproduce the skillsets of those around me; however, recently I have learned that being different is okay. From hereon out, it is my goal to hone the skills that I naturally possess, and to embrace my own individuality.