McKayla Wheeler REH 101-04 M.

Weaver 5 December 2013 Reflection When I look back on my writing from this semester, I dont see much change. I have not improved on spelling or grammar or form. Yet at the same time, there is a certain sleekness and flow to my essays that seemed to be lacking in those from high school. They read more smoothly and seem to have more actual elaboration than repetition and rambling. Other readers may not be able to notice the ever so slight difference, because it is less something that can be seen in my writing and more of a feeling that I get as Im reading it back to myself. Its a feeling difficult to describe but one seemingly of contentment and ease. It comes from the smooth flow of the essay and the completeness of elaboration. This subtle improvement, I believe, is the result of three changes not in my writing, but around it. This class was an English class the likes of which Ive never experienced before. Rather than a rigid focus on following the proper structure of the English language and stiff, formal essays, this class has taught me that English is a flowing language that cant be conformed to a stiff structure. This relaxed and somewhat abstract approach allowed my writing to relax as well and taught me to broaden my definitions of many other terms. I was also introduced to a more laid back process of writing that relieved even more essay pressures. This was the first class Ive had that was focused on the English language since seventh grade. All of my other English courses have been literature focused. As a result, this class changed my writing by changing how I think. I was introduced to things that Id

always had a solid, defined view of in a more open abstract manner. I was forced to think outside of the box and change my thinking on a base level. It caused me to begin rethinking many things Id been taught as a child inside and outside of class. It made me question how easy it is to define anything. The time we spent analyzing texts had a major effect on me. If it was so easy to take something as large and easily defined as a library and turn it into something totally different that was essentially the same thing in a modified form, how can we place a strict definition on anything? This broadened, nearly mind-boggling kind of thinking applied to everything in the class. Everything Id originally thought was so easily defined suddenly couldnt be put into a box, because it could be applied to countless things. I was thrown into a massive sea of grey where nothing was rigid or straightforward. The looseness of this class reminded me of my favorite trait of literature analysis: no one can say your opinion is flat out wrong as long as you have good supporting arguments. I was also forced to rethink the writing process. It had, once again, been quite a while since Id written drafts. Id never really been a fan of drafts before. I didnt like having to go back and change my papers after they were completed. I felt like Id said what I wanted to in my first draft and never understood why I had to go back and change things, but what twelve year old wants to have to write something more than once? Through high school, there would always be one turn in date and thats the grade you were stuck with. That process caused me to write my paper, quickly proof read for spelling and grammar, and then turn it in. There was usually very little planning and all my content editing was done in the midst of composition. I felt pressured to get a perfect grade on my first draft, because I felt like I only had time to write it once, and there was only one chance to turn it in. This pressure

stressed me out and made formal pieces a nightmare that I dreaded each time. The drafting process never even entered my mind. This class reintroduced me to drafting and has left me with a much better opinion of it. Im not sure if one of the purposes of the cover letters was to help me with my own work, but I think it did. It helped me to find and focus on some things that I needed to improve for my next draft. The first draft of each of my papers really allowed me to figure out what my final paper would illustrate. These drafts essentially ended up as extensive plans for what my real essay needed to look like and include. The peer workshops didnt seem to help me much. Im usually pretty good at fixing my own spelling and grammar and, I feel like that was the only kind of editing I received from my classmates. There were never really any suggestions about improving the content or structure of my essays. The second drafts were much more helpful, because I received notes that helped me with improvements that would substantially affect the completeness and clarity of my work. They helped me figure out how closely I was addressing and fulfilling every aspect of the prompt. It was very reassuring to know that I would have another chance to improve my grade after good instruction if I wasnt very confident on the first attempt. This eased my writing process and in turn eased my writing. It also made me dread the essays less, because I knew I didnt have to get them perfect in one try. The writing criteria in this course also made me dread formal pieces less. Because we focused on English as a flowing language, I wasnt as worried about conforming to strict grammar and essay structure. This helped with the uninhibited tone of my work, and it also allowed me to be a little more creative. I was used to composing formal writing that was expected to be exactly that: formal. The essays I wrote for this class still had structure, but I could ad stylistic details to them. Weaving in humor is something Ive never tried before,

but I really enjoyed making it part of my text essay and, I was very happy with the outcome. I also appreciated having the freedom to choose how to present our literacy narrative. I got to use a storyline style that Im comfortable with rather than a traditional essay with three body paragraphs, an intro, and a conclusion. This allowed me to break up and explain my literary identity in, what I believe, to be a more effective manor. Getting to add my own flourishes and be creative made writing these pieces much more enjoyable. Ive never been a big fan of writing formal pieces, because I felt that the stringent guidelines smothered my creativity and in turn snuffed out any chance of their composition being fun. Because I was so focused on not making structural mistakes, my content also suffered. Instead of filling the gaps with fun phases or devises, I felt that I would ramble or repeat myself. The content of the essays I have written this semester have a much fuller feeling, because I was able to look away from structure and improve on points and supporting detail. Few things in my writing have changed over the semester, but the one subtle change has made all the difference in my essays. The open-minded view of the English language has taught me that things I once accepted to be definite are capable of so much more. The formal essays I once accepted to be choppy and forced are capable of being full and smooth. The more relaxed writing process and creativity friendly guidelines allowed for a more stress free writing experience. Because I was not up tight while I was writing, the easygoing flow was reflected in my work. This course taught me that writing formal pieces doesnt have to be a stressful experience, and when I am able to enjoy writing, I am capable of writing worthy pieces.