LK
Going into this class, I had no idea what to expect. My English classes through high school consisted of reading Shakespeare and doing rhetorical analyses on Victorian literature, all while remembering the strict rules of writing. (No first person! Five paragraphs: one introduction, three body, one conclusion! Limit forms of “to be” to less than six per paper!) Coming to this class, that wasn’t the case. One of our earliest topics was on the rules of writing, and concluding that there aren’t really any definite rules at all. That was extremely refreshing to hear. Another thing I found very different from English classes before is that the rules and guidelines for prompts were much looser than I was used to. For example, our literacy narrative prompt was intentionally vague. This made writing it more intimidating and challenging because we were left with a completely blank slate and little direction, but in the end I think that freedom made for some amazing papers. The narratives of my classmates that I read were really interesting and so different from my own, that it really paralleled the subject of multiple literacies. Everyone has different literacies, and that was reflected by the wide variety of stories people used to tell about those literacies.
The Writer's Profile (Final Reflective Letter)
+ My Whatever
I must have had a dozen essays just on analyzing every part of Jane Eyre.
"Rules for Writing" from my daybook on August 21st, the second day of class.
Looking back at my first writing from the beginning of class, the sentence that sticks out to me is a goal I set: “I would like to develop as a writer in a way that helps me express myself better.” I definitely see this as an accomplished goal, and I think this entire portfolio is proving that I have accomplished it. I was able to write what I want and how I want in this class. That has made me more comfortable with narration and informal writing, as well as being able to say what I mean. I am a bit more confident in my abilities as a writer, and also as a researcher (after completing my Inquiry Blog). I am especially more aware of my process and how important it is. Until I actually looked at all the work I had done just on one paper, I did not think I really had a definite process. I was pleasantly surprised. I also am becoming more confident with the process of revision, both peer and by myself. With peer revisions in the past I have been really sensitive about criticism, even if it is constructive. I tried to let my guard down in this class and I actually enjoyed the peer revisions I had. Checking for content over correcting grammar really made a huge difference, and the comments I received were extremely useful. As a reviewer, I tried harder to compliment and suggest instead of just correct. I made myself realize that just because I would say something a different way does not mean the original writer is wrong. I definitely want to be more open-minded in reviewing papers by others in the future. The comments received in the peer review process were only half of what I gained from the process as a whole. The other half is learning how to review.
This class has created new goals for me– goals to use what I have learned in this class in future classes; goals to carry these lessons over. I can use the researching techniques (like source descriptions in Blog Post 2) in other classes, and I can use the entire revision process for other papers. The digital aspect has been very important to me, and I think using Wix and digital content in papers and projects could make a big difference in going above and beyond expectations in the future.
My first writing assignent.
This semester also redefined many of the terms and concepts I thought I knew. Literacy used to be just reading; now it is the understanding of so many different concepts. Rhetoric used to be just an argument; now it is the means by which someone moves an audience. I think college is supposed to be a new experience and we are supposed to see things in a different light. I think it is important for us not be set in our ways– it is important that we take another look at things we thought we knew, and this class has certainly lived up to that idea. This is my favorite class I have taken all semester for two reasons. First, I was able to experience creative freedom. Second, it was essentially a class where I learned about myself when I least expected it.
Putting together this portfolio has been a challenge, but a good one. I like seeing my work all together; I like feeling proud of what I have accomplished. It was so interesting to read my first writing assignment again, and see what has changed. I know my writing has changed because if I were writing that first paper over again, I would do it differently. At first I was concerned that I was just choosing pieces I liked for my portfolio, and that they may not necessarily be pieces that describe who I am as a writer and defend the choices I made. Reviewing everything I have included, I don’t think that’s the case. I like the pieces that show who I am and how I write. I don’t like them because they were fun or easy to write (although some admittedly were), I like them because they are a reflection of my thoughts but they are written in a way that I am proud to put my name on them and I am proud to show them to people, saying “here I am, here are my thoughts.”
I look at the three major assignments of the semester– the literacy narrative, the rhetorical analysis, and the inquiry blog, and I realize that they are a progression. I believe each one is better than the one before. I revised my work more and more as the semester progressed, I tried harder to back up the statements I made, and I think the confidence I grew shows. I want someone reading or viewing my e-portfolio to see who I am, and to see that I have tried extremely hard to better my writing and to make it more of a part of my self. I did not take this class or the work lightly. I love writing– that is why I chose to talk about it for the literacy narrative. I want to be a better writer. I want someone to read my work and know how much effort I put into it, and how it defines me, even if it isn’t the perfect piece yet.
I certainly did not come into this class thinking I knew everything about writing; it was the exact opposite. I thought this might be just like AP English in high school, but it has been nothing like that. The writing I was used to was detached– cold and clinical, writing without feeling. The writing we have done in this class has forced us to put ourselves in it, forced us to be vulnerable. At first, I thought that would be easy but when you put your voice behind something and make it personal, it becomes more important. It is a reflection on you, and if you don’t put in the work necessary, it shows. I have put myself in all of my writing in this portfolio. It is obvious in some cases, like the literacy narrative, that my own personal thoughts will have a presence in the paper but I have attempted to make that presence known in all of my work. For example, I wrote the rhetorical analysis in third person but I was so passionate about my topic that the paper is so strongly me, even though I never talked about myself. For the inquiry blog, I look back and realized I infused myself with my subject and my inquiry question because I was so into writing it.
The most important thing I have gained from this class is the knowledge that this is how I want to write from now on. I want to put myself into all of my papers. I don’t want to write that indifferent formulated way again. The way we wrote in this class is the way I always want to write.
More About Me & My Writing
Some Of My Favorite Books + Authors
The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay
The Handbook for Lightening Strike Survivors by Michele Young-Stone (Written and set in Chapel Hill!)
Joey & the Thesaurus
My Personal Writing
This is a segment from Friends that (sort of) relates to writing!
Also, I cannot remember if we watched this in class or not but I love this clip.
This is the cover of the binder I have had for a few years that contains many of my personal writings done by hand. Like I wrote about in my literacy narrative, I am big on creative and fictional writing, so that is mostly what I do in this binder.
My favorite quote is: ”The test of any good fiction is that you should care something for the characters; the good to succeed, the bad to fail. The trouble with most fiction is that you want them all to land in hell together, as quickly as possible.”