Difficulty With Essays -- Writing Education Writer Essays

Difficulty With Essays Trying to write an essay is difficult. Reading a book with the very nicely written essays is great and allows me to see examples of good essays. Suggestions such as the journalist’s questions, mapping, brainstorming, and idea books give support and guidance that are supposed to be helpful. After reading all the material of what goes into an essay and the helpful suggestions to get me started in the right direction, such as ways to overcome writer’s block, it is time to begin. Still nothing; I just sit there in front of the computer. I ask myself, how can I use all of the useful information that has been given to me? I try mapping and brainstorming, but a topic or idea is needed. Frustration, irritation, and confusion are very strong emotions I have at this point. I go back to the text and reread one of the stories, and something clicks. An experience comes to me that can be related easily to one of the stories in the required text, so I begin. Ideas for the essay pop into my head. Writing begins fast at first with all the examples found, personal experiences I can write about, and the thoughts evoked by the story that was read or idea I came up with. When rereading what has been put down on paper or typed on the computer, it all of a sudden becomes unclear or out of focus as to what those written words have to do with the thesis or the story. The ideas somehow have nothing to do with what I was trying to convey. The frustration of what is in my head and what I want to put down on paper is intense. When taking my ideas to someone to run by them, again the ideas sound great and clear. I do not know how many times I have heard, â€Å"That’s great! Write it like you just told me.† How did ... ...the ideas that I am trying to express in my essay? How do I get them to come across to the reader in sentences that make sense? How do I come up with enough of them to cover the amount of pages required? The Webster’s Pocket Dictionary and Thesaurus are my only insight into the world of words and their meaning or usage. How wonderful it would be to have the ability to sit down and just write colorful and animated essays without frustration, irritation, and confusion. I can see my fingers flying across the keyboard, putting down words that make sense to the reader and me. What a thought! Someday this might happen, but until it does reality returns and I am once again asking myself if what I am writing is good enough. Work Cited Valeri-Gold, Maria, and Mary P. Deming. Making Connection Through Reading and Writing. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1994.