The Reflection Of Personal Writing And The Process Of Writing

In the 2011 article “Helping Students Meet the Challenges of Academic Writing”, educators Linda Fernsten and Mary Reda offer innovative self-reflective writing exercises for post-secondary instructors to employ to help students improve writer self-image and academic writing. The authors’ developed their rationale for reflective and practical writing strategies from direct classroom experience and based it on four (4) assumptions. Their claim that self-reflective writing aids student writers in overcoming conflict (due to dominant culture, upbringing, former writing experiences, gender, and other marginalizing factors) to improve writer self-identity is plausible. However, their argument that improvement in academic writing across the curriculum occurs through self-directed, self-reflective writing requires further investigation.

The only way you can become better at doing something is simply by continuing to work on your craft. Whether it is a hobby, an interest, or a profession, if you don't keep working, then you will remain complacent. A year ago, I thought writing was one of those things where I would just be complacent in. Not because I didn’t wanted to work harder at it, but because I thought of writing as one of those skills that came natural to you, or you did not have it at all. I always wanted my writing to improve but never knew how.

I would describe the writing process I experienced through my learning years as very limited and poor in skills. I can definitely say that my writing techniques and methods are simple and basic. Since English is not my primary language I feel really pressured by this subject and I'm expecting too much from myself. I remember when I was in 8th grade at the beginning stage of learning a new language, my English teacher focused mainly on teaching her students how to spell the words correctly, show the proper grammar, and form the correct structural sentence organization. The difficulty I am experiencing in writing any essay is the language barrier and not

I approached this writing assignment like I do for every other essay I have to write; I have to have “The Writing Process.” Last year, I was introduced to this method and it definitely helped me to accomplish every other essay that I get assigned. With this method, I make sure that I brainstorm what my essay could be about, what’s an experience that I would like to share. I also think about what theme I could give out to the readers that are reading my story and what they could learn from it. After that, I start listing out specific concepts about my different stories that I’m choosing from like, if I chose to write about my dad, what would I tell about him and how he’s helped me. Or how my mom’s decision not to work to make sure she’s with her kids whenever we needed her (believe me, we needed her.) Then, I actually skip the free-writing because I don’t feel it’s necessary for me, so I chose what story to write about then start writing.

For my first semester on an actual college campus as a sixteen year old high school student, I embarked upon many new things. Making my own schedule, having more accountability for my grades and simply taking the first few steps into adulthood. As I spend more time on campus everything that seems hard and confusing will only become more adaptable with time. Everything gets better with time. I know this because throughout my experience in English Composition 1101 I have seen a proliferation in my writing process and skills.

Reading your own writing can be excruciatingly boring. Your mind already knows what's on the paper because it made the words form the piece you are looking at. I always try to make the experience an adventure. Thinking of the rereading as a deep dive. Deep diving sounds exciting, almost pirate-like. You get to look for treasure. Or in this case writing devices that keep popping up in your writing. My deep dive produced a few things I hadn’t noticed while writing my journals. I found that in my journals I tend to follow the troupe of chronologically filing the events, that I’m secretive and very emotional.

Unlike Orwell, I have not grown up with the desire to become a writer. However, I do believe that writing is an important skill. Over the years, I have learned how to combine my love for animals with writing.

Sitting in the back of the room, waiting for any sign that class was coming to an end, she stared intently at the clock, counting down as each hand moved barely a centimeter. The room started to black out. Nothing but the clock shined. Gleaming down on her and the desk. Click.click. The hands are almost at the time. She dreaded the number three like black licorice is disgusting to children. Once that bell rings, her life is about to fall down a hill. The count starts down from 3,2,1…

Sitting in the back of the room waiting for any sign that class was coming to an end. She stared intently at the clock, counting down as each hand moved barely a centimeter. The room started to black out. Nothing but the clock shined. Gleaming down on her and the desk. Click.click. The hands are almost at the time. The number three she dreads it like black licorice is disgusting to children. Once that bell rings her life is to fall down a hill. The count starts down from 3,2,1.Suspense it's used often to keep and hold readers attention with the help of imagery such as used here. It can also be used express more detail in stories. To help readers understand and feel the same as an author detail must be used.

From a young age writing helped me get my point across, or helped me in remembering important times. Through writing, I spoke my mind without a syllable leaving my mouth. This non-verbal interaction was a blessing that I was grateful for. From a young age, I loathed speaking in front of people, I still do but not to that extent. Why did I hate it so much? From around second grade to sixth grade, I took speech therapy for stuttering, combined with stage fright and you can see why I hated talking in front of people. During this time, writing was something to be appreciative for because it was an easy route that allowed my point across to my teachers and receive the credit I deserve. Today I don’t stutter, but I do have stage fright and thus am still appreciative for being able to write assignments rather than a presentation.

In my pre-course reflection, I stated that I wanted to work on strengthening my knowledge of convention, however, moving forward my mindset started to change and I quickly realized that I didn’t have as good of an understanding of the WPAs as I thought and I needed much more practice.

Reflecting upon my previous work over this past semester I have discovered some reoccurring themes that threaded throughout my weekly writing assignments. I would be the first to say that I am a “writer in progress”. As a young student, I received special education services in literacy and math. My early struggles with literacy has seeped into my writing as I have continued my academic career. Being given the opportunity to take the time to reflect upon my work from one class over a period of time and receive consistent feedback has been a first for me and something that I need to do on my own from now on to grow as a writer.

I have been a lover of reading for as long as I can remember. My mother tells me stories about how she used to come into my room at night to check on me and end up finding me with books perched on my nose. I have never found English that boring. I love reading and analyzing stories as well as a newfound love for writing. However, I have found some of the short stories in class to be quite boring and hard for me to pick apart. It has not caused me to dislike the class. It has just presented me with more of a challenge to understand and be able to write about them. I find it easier to write about and analyze stories that I can relate to or potentially relate to although that hasn’t been much of the case this semester. Despite that challenge I feel that I am doing decently well in the class.

As of late, I've been in a little bit of a funk. I haven't read or written in exactly a week, which for me is like a lifetime, and I feel guilty about it. I surmised that I would get like this following the end of my daily interactions with English, but I don't know how to get out of it. The worse part of is all is the loss of my favorite reading spot (a nice little spot outside of S211); I've tried a few new ones to replace it but they don't have the same mystique. I figured reading or writing would help the situation but I can't bring myself to either. (I've started two posts and have carried my Faulkner around religiously but neither have I had the wherewithal to really delve into.) I keep telling myself that I'm being ridiculous--which I almost certainly am--but that is not helping me whatsoever. I don't know what to write or how to write it anymore. Where have I gone? I feel entirely lost.

I sit in my room, using my laptop, trying to think of the progression that I made so far during this year in terms of writing. I can say that the journey that I have come across is not easy. I started from the bottom and I feel like I am somewhere in the middle, not quite at the top, yet. Nevertheless, I am satisfied with my current state. I believe that there is only one room for me, which is a room for improvement. Compare to the start the start of the semester, I am a lot better at writing now, especially on research papers. I have realized by looking at the feedbacks and editing my paper several times, I have become a better writer.