Clarissa Escobar

English 1301
Frances Johnson
29 September 2022

Synthesis Project

The art of writing creates identities and ideologies. Identity are beliefs, personality traits,

and value of oneself, while an ideology is a system of ideas and beliefs that together

comprehensively constitute a worldview (Scott, 2016). Both are particularly important in writing.

The act of writing is not so much about using a particular set of skills, but it is about developing

a sense of who you are (Roozen, 2016). It is also about learning how to use your identity in your

writing.

Writers come to develop and perform identities (Roozen, 2016), through writing. Identity

is related to the interests, beliefs, and values of the writer or a certain audience. Through writing,

we state and confront our beliefs and interests. This leads us to align ourselves with communities

(Roozen, 2016), and develop identities relating to these communities. The writing process uses at

least three factors. Those factors are the individual writer, the genre being composed, and the

rhetorical situation (Yaney, 2016). This exhibits the importance of finding one's identity,

especially in your writing. Each writer is balancing individual perspectives, demands, and

constraints (Yancey, 2016). The way that a writer can do this is influenced by their individual

identities. A single person can carry many identities. But deciding on which identity to use

depends on the context, the audience, and the rhetorical task (Villanueva, 2016). The importance
of writing using identities is the theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches that

make visible the construction of oneself (Roozen, 2016).

Writing is a lot like a conversation. It can be a response to other writing, or it can be a

conversation with the writer alone. Any interaction in writing comes from the knowledge and

experience the writer has had (Lunsford, 2016). Having prior knowledge and experience is

necessary and can be helpful in some instances. When a writer knows how to identify how

elements of a writing situation are like one another (Lunsford, 2016), their prior knowledge helps

them analyze the rhetorical situation. However, when the writer relies on a strategy, genre, or

convention out of habit (Lunsford, 2016), their prior knowledge is not extremely helpful in this

situation. This shows that writing can also be a form of thinking. Communication within a

discipline plays a role in identity transformation and expansion (Estrem, 2016). Having any prior

knowledge and experience can help develop your identity in any form of writing.

Identities are complex expressions and embodiments of who someone is (Estrem, 2016).

Disciplinary identities form as writers continue to work on their writing skills. This process of

identity information relates to learning the writing conventions, practices, habits, and approaches

of their discipline (Estrem, 2016). When writing there are limits, especially when talking about

your beliefs. Because all writing is reflected by ability shaped by identities and ideologies

(Villanueva, 2016), writers must be aware of how those identities and ideologies are represented

in their writing.
 The act of writing helps the writer find their identity. Identity can be shown through

someone's beliefs, interests, and values. Writing can help you connect with others who may have

the same or different interests as you. This is known as socializing. When writing you are having

a conversation, you are either reacting to someone else or simply just writing for yourself.

Knowing your identity is a good skill to have, it can help you grow as a person and as a writer.
 References

Estrem, H. (2016). Writing is a social and rhetorical activity. In L. Adler-Kassner & E.

Wardle (Eds.), Naming what we know, classroom edition: Threshold concepts of
writing studies (p. 55-56). University Press of Colorado.
Lunsford, A. A. (2016). Writing is a social and rhetorical activity. In L. Adler-Kassner &
E. Wardle (Eds.), Naming what we know, classroom edition: Threshold concepts of
writing studies (pp. 54-55). University Press of Colorado.
Roozen, K. (2016). Writing is a social and rhetorical activity. In L. Adler-Kassner & E.
Wardle (Eds.), Naming what we know, classroom edition: Threshold concepts of
writing studies (pp. 15-16). University Press of Colorado.
Roozen, K. (2016). Writing is a social and rhetorical activity. In L. Adler-Kassner & E.
Wardle (Eds.), Naming what we know, classroom edition: Threshold concepts of
writing studies (pp. 50-52). University Press of Colorado.
Scott, T. (2016). Writing is a social and rhetorical activity. In L. Adler-Kassner & E.
Wardle (Eds.), Naming what we know, classroom edition: Threshold
concepts of writing studies (pp. 48-50). University Press of Colorado.
Villanueva, V. (2016). Writing is a social and rhetorical activity. In L. Adler-Kassner & E.
Wardle (Eds.), Naming what we know, classroom edition: Threshold concepts of
writing studies (pp. 57-58). University Press of Colorado.
Yancey, K. B. (2016). Writing is a social and rhetorical activity. In L. Adler-Kassner & E.
Wardle (Eds.), Naming what we know, classroom edition: Threshold concepts of
writing studies (pp. 52-54). University Press of Colorado.