Myself as a reader/myself as a writer
Alex is a very enthusiastic reader and has been ever since she was a child. She learned to read by the instructions of her teachers as well as her parents. They played a huge role in her learning to read not only by teaching her, but also by reading to her. She watched how enthusiastic they were about reading, and that inspired her to be a better reader herself. There are endless reasons why people read, and they vary from person to person. Alex personally likes to read because it allows her to escape the troubles of the real world and become someone else entirely. Other people may enjoy reading because it lets their imaginations run wild and increases their abilities to be creative. Not only do books give these opportunities, but they give the reader the opportunity to learn something new. Readers can learn lessons that they can apply to every day life just by reading a book! Alex believes that in order to be a good reader, one must be able to have an open mind. If someone starts reading a book, but has a closed mind, they will not be able to get anything out of it and will not enjoy it. But, if someone has an open mind, they can learn from the book and enjoy it so much more. Reading is easy for Alex when she can really escape into a book without thinking about anything going on in her life. When a book is interesting to her, she can forget anything. The hardest part of reading for Alex is when a book is so in depth that it is hard to really find the plot. If the book has a solid plot, it is much easier for her to understand. Alex goes about choosing books to read mostly by hearing good things about a certain book and by recommendations from friends. She also looks for authors of books she has read before and liked because she knows she will not be disappointed. Some qualities she looks for in a book are the uses of imagery. She loves a book that describes things so well that you can picture it easily in your mind. She also likes books that involve lots of fantasy and fiction. Alex reads very often at home, most nights she will take time to sit down and read. In general, Alex loves reading and doesn't know how some people don't.
Alex is a writer and has enjoyed making up her own stories for quite a while. Alex learned to write also by the instructions of her parents and her teachers. Practice was also a very important factor in Alex learning how to write because the more she did it, the better it became. People may write for many of the same reasons that people read. They could write because it allows them to escape their normal lives and create a whole new character for them to live through. People could write because it lets them expand their imaginations and think of ideas they have never thought of before. Writing could also be used as a way to heal people and let them get out their feelings, without actually having to speak. Alex believes that in order to write well, one must be able to translate their thoughts and feelings and ideas onto paper in a way that makes sense and is interesting. Otherwise, the words may not be easily understood on paper, even though they are in their mind. Alex particularly likes to write fantasy/fiction because it allows her to experience things that she wouldn't be able to in real life. It is also the type of books she likes to read so she is better at that type of writing. Alex doesn't really know how she decides what to write about. Sometimes she will be thinking and all of the sudden a small idea will pop into her head. That idea then grows and grows and changes and then grows some more into an even bigger idea. Alex thinks her ideas come from books that she has read or movies she has seen before. Responses to Alex's writing that help her the most are ones that tell her how to make her main idea or point more clear without going too off track. She also likes to get responses that allow her to translate her thoughts better onto paper. Alex used to write a lot more at home but not as much anymore. Generally Alex feels that what she writes is entertaining at times and makes good points. She is pretty confident in her writing skills, but could always use improvement.
Alex is a writer and has enjoyed making up her own stories for quite a while. Alex learned to write also by the instructions of her parents and her teachers. Practice was also a very important factor in Alex learning how to write because the more she did it, the better it became. People may write for many of the same reasons that people read. They could write because it allows them to escape their normal lives and create a whole new character for them to live through. People could write because it lets them expand their imaginations and think of ideas they have never thought of before. Writing could also be used as a way to heal people and let them get out their feelings, without actually having to speak. Alex believes that in order to write well, one must be able to translate their thoughts and feelings and ideas onto paper in a way that makes sense and is interesting. Otherwise, the words may not be easily understood on paper, even though they are in their mind. Alex particularly likes to write fantasy/fiction because it allows her to experience things that she wouldn't be able to in real life. It is also the type of books she likes to read so she is better at that type of writing. Alex doesn't really know how she decides what to write about. Sometimes she will be thinking and all of the sudden a small idea will pop into her head. That idea then grows and grows and changes and then grows some more into an even bigger idea. Alex thinks her ideas come from books that she has read or movies she has seen before. Responses to Alex's writing that help her the most are ones that tell her how to make her main idea or point more clear without going too off track. She also likes to get responses that allow her to translate her thoughts better onto paper. Alex used to write a lot more at home but not as much anymore. Generally Alex feels that what she writes is entertaining at times and makes good points. She is pretty confident in her writing skills, but could always use improvement.