Preface

Each assignment I have carried out over these past six weeks has helped me grow as a writer. I use to write all the time. I have loved writing classes over literature classes, most of my life. In fact I have a foot locker filled with copious amounts of composition notebooks, exploding with expository essays and poetry. Yet, as I took a break from school and began a career, the writing became less until it was finally diminished. While taking this course, my brain struggled with, once again finding the phrases that could best capture what I was trying to say. I did not want to sound like I have not written a paper in six years, and that was a constant challenge. This English class also consisted of a type if writing I do not have much practice with. Definitions of types of Rhetorical Analysis were new to me and I had to spend extra time learning and understanding these concepts.
As we have progressed through the assignments I feel I have progressed in my writing. With each essay I became more confident. In this final essay my writer's block, which has held me back for so long, finally opened up. Maybe a little too open as my final essay is very long...but it just happened, as though the writing flood gates were opened. It was a fun and adventurous process.
The method which works best for my own writing is definitely brain storming, or free- writing. I make a list of all the things I want to write about and then just let whatever comes out of my head, be put on paper. I force myself not to correct anything as I write, just to keep going until I feel there is nothing left. What starts as a paragraph about one thing might turn into 2 pages pertaining to something completely different. After an hour or so of this, I go back to find what I wrote the most about. I consider whatever idea I produce the most well written substance for, is the showcasing of what my brain finds most inspirational. If it turns out that it works for the type of essay I am writing, I will choose that to be included in my final work.
Most of my writing I feel, is private. Sharing my writing is always difficult for me. I would prefer sharing a finalized draft over a rough draft. I almost feel more exposed if the essay is too new and unedited. I loved work shopping, peer’s essay. In becoming a teacher, it resembled grading papers, which I enjoyed. Sadly with it being the last week I felt like my own paper to be work shopped was not given proper attention. I would have loved to have had it done sooner. As a result, I do not feel like it helped me all the much.