The Writing Assignment that Changed My Life
February 11, 2025
Jamie Kuhn | Writing Center Graduate Assistant
It’s ironic that a writing assignment that required me to mimic someone else’s voice was the first time I found my own. I remember sitting in Mr. Claus’s room junior year on presentation day in AP Language and Composition, feeling proud of something I had written for the first time. And not just because I had gotten a good grade, but because I was actually intrinsically proud of the paper I was getting ready to share.
Mr. Claus had assigned us to study the work of another writer and then write an editorial in their style. I chose the journalist Anna Quindlen. I can’t remember what initially drew me to her, but her direct, accessible writing and how clearly she connected the personal and political made me hungry to read more. Our editorial could be on any topic we wanted, and I emulated Quindlen in choosing a current event that was both political and personal to me.
Studying Quindlen’s sentence structure, use of repetition, and variation in tone changed what I thought my writing could be. I had a Drew Carey-style epiphany: “everything is made up and the points don’t matter.” Who cares about following the writing “rules” if you have a better way to communicate it? As I wrote my editorial, I was finally able to break free from the “hamburger” and “CER” and “four-to-seven-sentence” paragraph formulas that had been drilled and killed as early as second grade—I could finally explore what I wanted to say in a format that served the writing, instead of the other way around. My passion for the topic transformed into a passion for writing about it, for telling the story that I felt deserved to be heard by my classmates. I realized I finally had something to say and the skills to say it convincingly.
Once I realized writing wasn’t just about meeting whatever boring requirements my teacher established, my world opened up. My voice helped me win scholarships, write cover letters that earned interviews, and find joy in writing for myself. It even broadened my reading taste, as I discovered how much I loved personal essays and memoirs where I could relish the writer’s unique tone and way of seeing the world. Reading a compelling memoir feels like talking to a friend, and I discovered that I can write that way, too.
As an English education major and then teacher, I was constantly asked to reflect on assignments and papers that made an impact on me. Every single time, I thought of Mr. Claus, Anna Quindlen, and my editorial with gratitude. I hope that everyone is fortunate enough to experience the magic of finding their unique voice in writing, however you might come across it. Your voice is the one thing no one can take from you, and it’s increasingly important that we feel confident in harnessing it and using it for good. So, take the leap and break some rules—I bet your writing will be better for it.
