How I learned to write (well).

Summary

In this personal reflection, the speaker shares their journey from feeling self-conscious about writing to becoming a writing tutor in college. They recall the challenges faced by freshman writers and how reading work aloud can help untangle thoughts and improve writing. The speaker also reflects on their own growth, overcoming fears, and realizing that fiction wasn’t their strength, but personal storytelling was. They encourage others to revise their self-perceptions and share their experiences, while offering writing advice and inviting viewers to ask questions for future videos.

Takeaways

• 🏫 The narrator found a sense of home working as a writing tutor during their junior year in college.
• 🥨 Most of their time as a tutor was spent eating snacks and drawing, except for one busy week each month.
• ✍️ Freshman students frequently felt anxious about reading their writing out loud, thinking they were bad writers.
• 📚 The narrator once feared sharing their own writing due to negative gossip, despite winning a writing contest.
• 😨 They initially dreaded studying English due to the fear of sharing their writing in class.
• 💡 Over time, feedback from peers helped the narrator improve their writing, leading them to switch to a writing major.
• 🧶 Tutoring involves guiding students to articulate their ideas and unravel their thoughts like untangling yarn.
• 🔄 Reading work out loud helps writers see where their original ideas might not hold up, encouraging revision.
• 🔍 The narrator realized fiction wasn’t their strength, but they enjoyed introspection and telling true stories.
• ❓ The narrator asks viewers to share a belief about themselves they’ve revised and invites questions about writing for future videos.

Q & A

What was the speaker's initial job in the library?

The speaker's initial job in the library was a writing tutor.

What did the speaker do during the non-peak weeks in the library?

During the non-peak weeks, the speaker mostly ate pretzel sticks and drew otters on the library whiteboard.

How did the speaker feel when they had to read their work out loud to others?

The speaker felt terrified and uncomfortable when they had to read their work out loud to others.

What was the speaker's initial reaction to winning the writing contest in high school?

Despite winning the contest, the speaker started hearing negative gossip and stopped showing their writing to anyone who wasn't grading it for years.

Why was the speaker scared to switch to an English major?

The speaker was scared to switch to an English major because of the amount of writing involved.

What was the turning point for the speaker in their advanced composition class?

The turning point was when the speaker realized that by taking advice on how to revise their work, they could produce decent writing.

What is the main benefit the speaker found in reading their work out loud?

Reading their work out loud helped the speaker untangle their thoughts and see where their original thesis didn't hold up.

How does the speaker describe the process of tutoring writing?

The speaker describes the tutoring process as guiding the writer to articulate their thoughts out loud, unraveling and untangling their ideas until they find clarity.

What did the speaker discover about themselves through the process of reading out loud and revising?

The speaker discovered that they were not suited for fiction writing but enjoyed introspection and telling true stories.

What advice does the speaker give to writers who feel stuck?

The speaker advises writers who feel stuck to read their work out loud to help untangle their thoughts and find clarity in their writing.

How does the speaker invite viewers to engage with them further?

The speaker invites viewers to share something they once believed about themselves that they had to revise and to ask questions about writing for future videos.