Moises Molina

Zack De Piero, Writing 2

6 December 2015
I Want To Be a Beautiful Butterfly
My experience in Writing 2 was a little like the Cowboys season. Yes, I know its
not very usual to compare football teams to writing classes and I understand that it might
be a little difficult to have a class experience live up to the such an accomplished and
highly regarded football team. However, this as an example of how this class has helped
me learn that this would be what writing would call the misuse of conventions to
effectively communicate a message to the proper audience. In other words, I learned that
it is important to consider the audience, you, a Philadelphia Eagles fan, to properly use
moves and conventions; therefore comparing my class experience to the accomplished
Dallas Cowboys was the wrong move.
Writing 2 has taught me a lot, and that is because it was the first class that I found
applicable instantly. This began with two words that I will never forget; partly because
once you learn these two words there is no more going back. Conventions and genre. At
the time, I could easily give examples that would show I knew the meaning of these
almighty words; however, I simply could not put the definition into words.
So as Writing 2 came along, I was determined to try and do that exact thing
write an essay showing my comprehension of those two words through examples without
having to define them in words. This, in fact worked, and I was able to show how the
post game reviews articles of the Ravens vs. Browns game were effective because they
used many of the former used and successful conventions as a guide to creating their

articles. This thesis statement was sufficient enough to pass the arguebility test and
allowed me to study the very basic conventions of an article title, diction, tone, outside
sources, and evidence. I then would explain the effect the convention had on the audience
or purpose and why it would be deemed effective or ineffective. The result of my WP1
was satisfactory; however, I knew I would need to get more complex in my next WP.
As we prepared for WP2 we began studying moves, a piece of the writing that
could be justified, and why writers make these moves. The goal of this was for us to
become better writers, read like a writer and understand their moves.
For my WP2 I wanted to focus on getting more complex and focusing on moves
and conventions that were beyond the obvious. Because I have read a lot of articles on
meat and its dangers I decided to write about how consumption of some meats correlate
to cancer or diseases for my WP2. So, in my essay, I began to really focus on small
details of the article, for example the p-value of a study. However, I was so focused on
getting complex and analyzing such specific moves that I failed to see that this p-value
was pointless since my thesis failed to include a writing-based argument and only
focused on the articles with no real connection back to Writing 2.
After completely re-doing my WP2, I learned that throughout the essay there were
arguments in my paragraphs that focused on the credibility of each article and so for my
new thesis I decided to strike a more writing-based argument, this being it:
The academic and nonacademic articles appeal to different audiences
leading to their use of different conventions such as diction and presentation
to communicate their messages effectively. If such convention or action used by
the author can be deemed justifiable it is also referred to as a move. Since both

types of articles can be deemed credible, due to their use of reputable scientific
research, they both accomplish the purpose of explaining the dangers of
consuming processed meat.
Here my main argument would be that both the academic and non-academic articles I
found could be found credible because they use reputable scientific research to back their
points. I made this my central argument because I knew from my original WP2 that my
thesis statement would need to use moves, conventions, and genre as part of its
argument and by studying the credibility of the articles I would be able to hit all three of
those writing terms. However, as I learned more about moves and conventions I learned
that it would definitely be important to define both because each can easily be mistaken
for the other. The first time I wrote my WP2 I hardly knew the difference between the
two, but now, in my new argument, I clearly define the two in order for my argument to
be effective.
WP3 differed from WP1 and WP2 in that it needed no argument and instead
required to translate an article from one genre to two different genres, one for an older
audience and one for a younger, a deed harder than it sounds. Trying to have fun with this
I decided to choose the change in sexual attitudes and activity as my topic. Dedicating a
YouTube video to younger children on 3 things to Remember from the Sex Talk I
realized soon after I had finished the video that I had done it completely wrong. Rather
then using the article - picking from the methods, conclusion, and other aspects of the
article to guide my translation I made and edited a YouTube Video that I had nothing to
reflect on.

Starting all over I realized that what I had created in my previous video was a
video filled with the conventions of the article, still an important feature to keep, but I
began searching for the important parts of the article that I wanted to translate. Focusing
more on what the prompt was asking I was able to successfully use the abstract, methods,
and conclusion as the main translations for the Youtube video, a video a was satisfied
with.
At the end of the WP3, it was not the translation lesson that I learned but instead
not playing close attention to the prompts seemed to be the much larger problem. When
creating most of my WPs I failed to always go back to the prompt and make sure I hit
every point. However, learning this after my WP3 gave me still enough time to change
my WPs and explain it in my portfolio.
As I reflect on this class I can see the major improvements I have made. This class
definitely has allowed me to see the world in a new light and I do not mean that in a
cheesy way but man how have conventions, genres, and moves changed me. These
applications I learned I find myself using in emails, text messages, tweets, and sure
academic stuff too I guess. The largest improvement as a writer I would say, however,
exists in that I now leave a more conscious reader and writer. Before, I would write
without knowing what the teacher really expects in other words what conventions would
best fit in the following essay but by simply using a word like conventions and moves to
describe the processs that authors make has given a new light to my writing.
And Writing 2, I leave you with one final message I wasnt ready for most my
pictures so reunion in 10 years!