When reading “Writer’s Histories, Processes, and Identities Vary” written by Kathleen Blake Yancey, informed readers of the idea that everybody’s writing is unique and is developed through the different experiences and histories writers have had. Writers have been taught in different ways by different people. When this happens, it causes writers to compose in different ways than others due to what they’ve been exposed to by different people who have given them advice on writing.
Similarly to Yancey’s writing, “Writing is Informed by Prior Experience”, written by Andrea A. Lunsford, describes ideas of writer’s literacy being a product of other writings they have read in the past. A natural composition strategy of recalling previous experiences in texts one may have read leads to uniqueness in everybody’s writing due to different styles that others can implement into their own form of writing. The buildup of information from retaining other writers’ texts creates new skills for every reader and leads to variety no matter what rhetorical situation an individual may be working with.
From my personal experience, looking at other people’s work is the best way that I learn. I’m not the most creative person on the planet so looking at other ways of thinking and writing processes inspires me to try new things to keep my own writing from being repetitive and bland. My identity as a writer has evolved compared to previous generations due to the new technologies that have come about in recent times. Nowadays, people are able to express themselves through writing in many different ways than just the text they produce. Literacy can now be expressed through visuals and sounds.
This Gif produced by The Academy Awards visualizes the product of writers having their own histories and identities by being unique. Everybody is raised differently and has been taught different styles and processes by people that are close to these individuals. As people get older and have experienced the frustrations that literature can bring, their writing also becomes a new version of what is used to be as writing always evolves and processes that one picks up help advance a writer’s skill level.
Similarly to Lunsford’s text, this Gif by Reddit user DubbedGIFS accurately represents taking skills from other’s writing and applying it to your own. Using other people’s strategies can help writers add to their toolbox. Writing is very difficult, especially when writing about topics that are unfamiliar. Writing in a genre that an individual has never been exposed to can be tricky and looking at examples from other people can help ease the process of overcoming adversity.
