One of the first things I wondered was how long to make each of the essays. Is there an emphasis on one over the other, or should one be longer? I’m also not quite sure how to quote myself, or what the thesis should look like for the first essay. I’m not sure what my claim should be – is the idea that I’m arguing that I’ve become a better writer? And if so, is that looking at syntax or feel? Am I picking out early rougher writing and presenting more polished recent writing to show that I’ve improved? And again, if so, should I show improvement in the style of my writing or the focus or something else? Am I looking for a way to show how I improved my writing skills, or should I find a moment where writing helped me learn something about the world or myself?

Also, how should we use first person/third person? Since we’re quoting ourselves, are we allowed to use “I?” And how should we interact with that? Should it be more of a rhetorical analysis or a self-reflection?