There is an assumption that English teachers identify as writers. This article explores the stories of three secondary preservice English teachers, their descriptions of their writing experiences and their self-perceived vulnerabilities around writing. These narratives originated in a broader research study into the writer identities of preservice English teachers. Situated with a qualitative paradigm, the research design aligned with a relativist ontological approach. An interpretivist epistemology led to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Participants completed qualitative surveys, drew 'writing rivers' and reflected on these in semistructured interviews. A story map represents participants' writing journeys over time. Findings suggest that participants associated writing with exposure from an early age. Assessment of writing made participants visible; they experienced negative feedback on their writing as personal criticism and disconnected from writing. Faced with teaching writing as preservice teachers, participants encountered the same pedagogical practices that they found challenging as students. Reflection on their writing histories led participants to explore the source of their writing vulnerabilities and how these were 'carried' with them into classroom practice. Findings illustrate how assessment-driven writing pedagogies can erode the writer identities of young people over time. The research therefore has implications for educational practice in a variety of contexts.