Julia Krueger

Professor Williams

English 111

November 24, 2019

A Reader Learns to Write

“One must always be careful of books and what’s inside of them, for words have the

power to change us.” (Clare). Cassandra Clare, author of several young adult fantasy series, put

this quote in one of my favorite books she wrote. I cannot remember

a time in which I did not read, and although I have always preferred

reading or writing, my love of reading has helped improve my

writing skills. One of the first events that tied both my love of books

and writing together took place in third grade. I participated in a

group led by one of my favorite teachers, Mrs. Greene, who took a

select few students out of class a couple of times a week. One week,

she helped us write letters to our favorite authors at the time, and I

remember the excitement of sending off the letter and later, the

surprise of being one of the only ones to receive a response. I have had many people and events

like Mrs. Greene that have pushed my literacy skills to where they are now.

Like most people, my mom was a huge influence throughout my life. Being an avid

reader herself and a pre-school teacher, she knows the importance of introducing kids to the

foundations of reading and writing at a young age ​(​The Power of Reading​). From taking me to

the library as a child to giving me recommendations as I grew up, she has always encouraged my

thirst for books. I have her to thank for putting me ahead in my reading comprehension abilities,

and without her, I would have struggled significantly more in school.

a happy place for me with its soothing atmosphere and silence. The library gave me access to so

many styles and types of writings and continued feeding what

feels like an endless want to read more. Being exposed to new

things ensured I never got bored. Reading was a quick and

efficient way for me to expand my vocabulary and challenge

how I thought in just about any situation or subject. It also

taught me to appreciate the complexity and genius behind creating a story and characters.

Unfortunately, this amazement did not encourage me to write. Instead of opening a creative

outlet, I felt overwhelmed and never knew where to begin whenever I tried to write. I brought

this feeling from creative writing to writing in school.

At school, teachers had personal libraries in each of their rooms to borrow from, and I did

not realize what a gift they were (​Promoting your school library​). I can recall searching through

buckets and shelves daily for the next new book from kindergarten to seventh grade. Half the

time I would browse through the collections without checking a book out to read, but the

knowledge that they were there and the teachers wanted kids to read was comforting. Looking

back, I can truly thank and appreciate my teachers for the parts they played in my reading

experience, which later gave me an advantage in writing.

And while the majority of my life had almost entirely been taken up by reading all the

books that struck my fancy, I did not even consider writing on my own. But I started to enjoy

writing in sixth grade. Mrs. Amos and Mrs. Thomas, the English language arts teachers, would

have a prompt on the board for the class to write about at the beginning of each class. This
warm-up became one of my favorite times of the day when I could let my creativity flow in a

structured way. I have never been creative enough to

whip up something out of nothing. I have always

needed a starting place, so these stress-free writing

prompts were perfect. And at the end of the year when

each student compiled their writings into a book of

their own, I was proud of what I had accomplished

(​What is Creativity and How to Encourage Creative Thinking​). Although, I still was not

comfortable sharing my work.

As much as I enjoyed English in sixth grade, it never became my favorite subject and I

went back to only writing when required. The last weeks of summer before junior year consisted

of me regretting the classes I chose to take. When I signed up for each class that spring, my

mindset was to get the classes out of the way. Taking what amounts to four English classes in

one year terrified me. I wanted the results and to become a better writer, but I was dreading all

the effort I knew I had to put in. Fortunately, I found that the teachers were far better than I

thought, and I am glad to be learning and improving at the same time--no matter how frustrating

it gets.

Reading has been a consistent hobby, and I could go on about my favorite reads but

constantly reading also helped develop my writing skills. From my mom to the local library to

elementary and middle school, each took a crucial role in teaching me the importance of

literature. Having access to a good education and instructors also makes writing less

overwhelming and gives me confidence in what I can achieve.