When they think about writing, people don't often think about the technical details behind it. When they think about what they want to write, they think about few things; what they write about and who they address. Genre and audience are one of the most important things an author can think about. Rhetorical situations are something a writer doesn't have to worry too much about because it's simply about how people communicate. It gets even trickier when you're writing about yourself. Sometimes it can be difficult to talk about things about yourself. Other times, it's simply difficult to talk about, or even think about, a person's past. As a writer, you need to be able to distance yourself from yourself and have a clear mind when you do so. One of the most important things every person must have when writing is a clear mind. Leena Sen, author of a book on communication skills, says: “Behind good writing lies the power of clear thinking. Writing becomes cluttered and lacks clarity when the thought process goes awry. Clear thinking leads to clear writing” (177). Writing is not an easy skill for everyone, there are some obstacles that hinder writing. Not everyone has the natural ability to write. People have difficulty understanding technical details. This becomes especially problematic when writing about yourself. This may simply be because the individual simply cannot clear their mind enough and focus on just one thing. The individual may also not know how to write about themselves. In “Transforming into a Character,” Lopate mentions that to transform into a character in your own writing, you have to be able to look at yourself from the ceiling. In order to...... middle of paper ...... very easily to people, especially when they write about themselves. For some it's about trying to clear the mind, for others it's about trying to blend mixtures of literature and grammar to create writing. Others struggle because it's something completely new. Once a person starts writing, as long as they can keep their mind clear, nothing can stop them. Much like Hooks, I used writing as a type of therapy that backfired. Writing about your experience can easily become something that not only helps you deal with the past, but also something that begins to take some of the weight off your shoulders. Writing may not be easy for everyone, but it ultimately all comes back to fundamentals. No matter how difficult it is, anyone can become a writer. It all comes back to basics; know who the audience is and what genre you are writing about.