Writing Identities

Three Types Writing Identities

These are the three types of writing identities mentioned in the blog poll.  Use these to help you determine what is your writing identity.  If this poll happens to be over and you would still like to share your writing identity, please leave a comment below.

1) School Writers

• Those who comply with objective school structures and write because it is required at school.  
•  They show little evidence of engagement with writing tasks, innovative techniques, or of reflexive or creative decision-making in writing. 

2) Constrained Writers

• Those who show evidence of writing identities that are not defined by school writing, yet are highly influenced by it. 
• They mediate subjective (personal) concerns and interests with objective structures and expectations. However, ultimately structures have the greater influence. 
• In this way, these students show elements of creativity and dramatic and recognizable voice, yet their writing seems unable to fulfill its potential, as they are constrained by formulaic and mechanical demands of test writing.

3) Reflexive Writers

• Those who show evidence of a well-developed sense of self as a writer.   
• They can articulate their reflexive writing strengths, including the effects that these might have on their audiences, and they produce texts that are creative, show recognizable and resonant voice and are not written from genre recipes.

Ryan, M. (2014). Writers as performers: Developing reflexive and creative writing identities. English Teaching: Practices and Critique, 13 (3), 130-148.