Writing Exercise: The Literacy Narrative

My first foray into fiction writing was in fourth grade when my teacher gave us creative writing assignments. Fostered by a childhood of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia and story-centered video games, I took to creative writing. It was a constant in my life through the unpleasant times in middle-school and high school, and it prompted an interest in stories that turned me to literature and film studies and finally into English education. The decisions of my life have been shaped by that one teacher allowing a class to write creatively. Sure I could have done something else with more prestige than being a teacher, but I love what I do. I love writing, I love literature, I love composition, and I love my life.

That's a (very short) Literacy Narrative. Most people encounter writing assignments in composition and English courses like this, and they force you to evaluate your relationship with literacy, words, and reading and writing. Not everybody gets involved in the classics like Dickens, Melville, Gilman, or Derrida; but most people have some relationship with reading and writing, regardless of skill level. The Literacy Narrative is a way to get beyond the basic premise of “I love/hate/am good at/enjoy writing/reading” and explore the reasons and the history behind it: why do you have this relationship with words?

For me, it was a fourth grade teacher's assignment, a favorite author, and a small collection of video games, most of which were my brother's. The right cocktail of instruction, books, and visuals pointed me towards story. It's never as simple as “I was always good at it” nor “I’ve always hated it.” I'd rather have a student tell me their laundry list of bad experiences with English teachers or they can never seem to figure out writing than have someone say “I love to write!” and then have nothing else except a proud grin.

Ask yourself, why is writing important to you – what shaped your relationship with it? What prepubescent events led you to or away from shelves packed with books, or made your endorphins rush or your happiness fade when you find a pen in hand and a blank page before you.

If you have a negative relationship with writing, then writing can be a cathartic way to help resolve tension or anxiety and help you move forward. 

If you already have a positive relationship, have you ever felt like the oddity or wondered why other people don't feel that creative rush? Give this a try.

I'm not going to say a Literacy Narrative will turn everyone into great writers or make words their passion, but it is, if nothing else, a helpful bit of introspective and a little self-exploration.