Writing has never been my strong point. I've always been more of a math girl. I feel that mathematics comes easier to me, because in mathematics there is a solution to a problem. It would be less frustrating for me if there was a clear formula for writing a perfect essay. I feel like when I'm assigned an essay I go crazy about how to make it sound smart enough and polish it up enough to at least get a "B" essay because I know getting that "A" is a stretch. The most frustrating aspects of writing for me are writing the summary, the thesis statement, and being my own worst critic. Attracting the reader's attention is not as easy as I thought. In the past, I've never put much on the hook. I actually thought there were other more important aspects, but in the back of my mind I was never happy with just an ok opening. What attracts attention must be intriguing and entice the reader to continue reading. Early in high school and middle school, I was told that your hook should be a question. I later learned that it didn't have to be a question, it could have been an interesting fact or clear image to tell. I didn't know there were many other ways to write the hook and grab the reader's attention. Remembering myself in high school and seeing how my classmates held the reader's attention, I knew my hook needed work. My classmates' homework always turned out better than mine because they knew what to fit where. They knew what was a good hook for the topic at hand. For a persuasive essay, should you start with a reliable fact, a detailed definition, or a story? I guess this is my problem. I'm not sure what will be more effective or intriguing to keep the reader going. Having to choose which one it is... middle of paper... that's why I put so much pressure on myself to get it right. My biggest downfall is that I put down what I write and feel like it's never good enough. I think since I'm a math person, my writing can't be as good as it would be, if I could just follow a formula, I think the solution to this would be an outline. I feel that having these key characteristics corrected and not being so hard on my work can improve a "C" essay up to a "B" essay. In all my English classes, I was told how influential your thesis and summary can be, to the reader and to your essay. I just feel like mine needs a lot of work, but I'm going to need to take a different look at how my writing comes out to really improve. I think if I took steps like going to a tutor, asking questions to help me fix my paragraphs, consulting others, or spending more time on my essays, it would help me adjust my writing to my high standards.