Writer's Viewpoint (in part from Axelrad, Cooper, The St. Martin's Guide to Writing 7th ed.)

Though profiles may seem impartial and objective, they inevitably reflect the views of their writers. The choice of subject, the details observed, the questions asked, the ultimate focus and presentation--all are influenced by the writer's interests and values, gender and ethnicity, and assumptions about social and political issues. For example, we would expect a vegetarian to write a very different profile of a cattle ranch than a beef lover would. Consequently, profiles should be read critically, because the writer's values are likely to be unstated.

1. Consider your profile essay in terms of your attitudes, values, and views. Identify at least one of these that is informing your essay  Are your attitudes obvious or hidden? If obvious, how did you make them so, (quote from your draft or explain techniques) and did you feel as though you were taking a risk? If hidden, why did you think it best to keep your personal views out of sight?

2. Write a  paragraph or two about how your viewpoint influenced your writing.  How have your own assumptions, values, gender, ethnicity, or other characteristics influenced your choice of a subject to profile, your approach to learning about it, and your attitudes toward it? (Be honest. If you started out looking for a familiar topic because you are too shy, busy, lazy, whatever to step outside of your immediate world right now, say so. Then continue with values, gender, etc.)

3. Explain the point of view you give of your topic, as you intend your reader to get it, in one or two sentences. It will probably be structured something like  "(My topic) can be seen as a (adjective person, place, or process) because _______________."  This would be your thesis statement, although it does not have to appear in your essay.  However, this should be the clear focus of your essay.

4. How is your essay organized...chronologically, by place, or maybe by interspersing scenes and quotes with information given by time/place? If the answer is that first you describe the setting and then you quote the interviewee, or vice versa, you probably need to reorganize.