Strengths and Weaknesses

        As an essay writer, I have both strengths and weaknesses. Although I prefer writing structured essays rather than creative writing, I have flaws in my writing. I often find it difficult to complete outlines until after I’ve written the essay because my thoughts tend to change and evolve in the process. I find this to be beneficial at the time but when looking in retrospect on my essay writing process, I realize the importance of having organized thoughts. I also tend to struggle when forming transitioning sentences, especially when introducing sources. This may contribute to the difficulty I have coming up with concluding paragraphs that go beyond just restating the thesis. In addition, I struggle with diction as I tend to write more than expected but I have been learning to limit my use of flowery language without diminishing the intellect of my writing.

      Though I do have flaws as an essay writer, I also have strengths. I have been told by teachers in the past that I have a knack for forming complex sentences structures which is especially important in essay writing. I always look at both sides of the spectrum making thesis writing something I’ve recently excelled at because I have the ability to look at all angles of a topic without ignoring contradictory evidence. Because of my strength writing theses, this makes the structure of the introductory paragraph a strong point of mine. In addition, I have the ability to find and elaborate on sources that strengthen the credibility of my essay as a whole.

     As an essay writer I would like to set a goal to become more organized in my work, and do this thoroughly. I plan to do this by completing essay outlines before I start writing my essay, and ensuring I have found all sources and cited them before hand. This will make writing the essay considerably easier to write and will allow me to finish in a timely manner.