Recommended: Refelction about academic writing
In Bad Ideas about Writing, Ronald Clark Brooks writes that everyone can be a writer because he believes that everyone’s experiences and perspectives are worth writing about. He expresses his belief that a good writer is not necessarily defined by their credentials or publishings. However, he acknowledges that there is a sort of stigma around writing that may discourage novice writers and offend veteran writers. In Brooks’ essay, he attempts to take an empowering and supportive approach in explaining how anyone can be a writer. He also says that even in writing classes, where there may be more structure and rules to follow for writing, optimism and a positive outlook make all the difference.
A good writer isn't just born; there's a need in nature to perfect that skill with persistence, with persistence both previously bad and good writers keep improving and they both can reach the same level of literary success. The path to becoming a good writer is outdated, the consistent type of assignment students receive to improve their writing is monotonous, making writers lose interest. “Writing experiences that broaden the writer’s audience or provide real contexts such as blogs or service learning placements in the community can help new writers see themselves as real authors with real audiences and see the act of writing as a socially located activity”
In his essay, “Becoming a Writer,” Russell Baker explains how something you love can turn into a daunting task. Baker explains that while he loved writing, and even considered himself a writer, he still dreaded his English classes in High School. He felt the assignments were dull and procrastinated to complete most of the assignments. This continued until almost all the way through his third year of High School, towards the end of the year Baker was assigned to write an informal essay based on a list of topics. The night before the assignment was due Baker finally pulled out the homework sheet and started perusing the list of topics.
I hope to someday be a writer and inspire others with my writing. The only way I believe I can do that is if I learn useful writing techniques. Not only do I want to gain more literary skills, but I also want to learn and have experiences in the core classes. In the core classes, I hope to
Throughout some point in our education, every student has gone through this dreaded moment. That moment where the screen is blank and there is nothing. When it is impossible to think of anything to put done. I, myself, have gone through writer’s block dozens of times. I think it was at its worst during my younger years.
Writing is great until you have to sit down and do it. The sentences never seem to flow into the brilliant paragraphs I had planned for them, and descriptions never build the picture the way it was drawn up in my head. I have never been entirely confident in my ability, probably for good reason. That said, I have always had a love hate relationship with writing; I can sit down and crank out a report on my high school’s basketball team in a half an hour, on the other hand I had to write limericks in my seventh grade English class and I am still working on them.
My Literacy Journey “Sponsors, as I have come to think of them, are any agents, local or distant, concrete or abstract, who enable, support, teach, model, as well as recruit, regulate, suppress, or withhold literacy-and gain advantage by it in some way” (Brandt 166). While staring at a blank Word document, re-reading the articles that we discussed in class, and brainstorming for countless hours, I asked myself, what or who was my literary sponsor? In her article, she goes on to state that “sponsors seemed a fitting term for the figures who turned up most typically in people's memories of literacy learning: older relatives, teachers, priests, supervisors, military officers, editors, officers, editors, influential authors” (Brandt 167). From
After reading Stephen King's essay "Reading to Write" (72) it opened my eyes for writing. Although being a professional novelist isn't a goal I want to pursue in my life, writing is something I will need to learn how to do with good form. When it comes to the writing department, it's not one of my best skills. King says, "Good writing, teaches the learning writer about style, graceful narration, plot development, the creation of believable characters, and truth-telling" (73). I will try my best to become a good writer.
In my case I had to prove to myself that I really could become a good writer all I had to do was find the writing style that works best for
This semester I completed Composition 2. During the course I wrote three essays. Like Composition 1, I had the option to rewrite my papers after seeing the grade. Having the chance to rewrite my papers was very beneficial because I could improve my grade, and more importantly, learn what I was doing wrong. Amongst my writings, three major flaws stood out.
During my college career I have been doing a wide variety of writing. All of which have assisted shaping as well as molding me into an effective writer. Some of the classes that helped improve my limits to excel as a writer are my English 280 class, intro to Computer Science class, and lastly Juvenile Justice Class. I have done a few segments of writing in the three semesters of law enforcement class that I have taken here at WIU. Never would I have thought that the three major writing assignments that would shape and influence me into the writer I am today would come from of my LEJA classes, but they have.
My writing is never perfect but what can be done is writing effectively. I have been practicing writing for three-fourth of my life and still today my writing is not even perfect. I went to school to read and write. Everyday I am still learning to write effectively. One time in high school my teacher told me to change out of her english class because she thinks it's too hard for me.
I am now able to see the areas in which I lack in but I also recognize my strengths as well. To become a precise writer, you have to take the initiatives that will help you do so. These initiatives consist of working on different academic genres, planning and organizing material, identifying purpose and audience and for revising intentionally. It is also includes reading different types of texts and learning how to understand a writer’s argument and respond to the ideas of others.
Before taking writing skills two I 've had a positive mindset towards writing because I see it as a way to express my thoughts. For example, whenever I feel a bit melancholy writing a short story or just free writing always makes me feel a bit better. On the other hand, I don’t believe I’m the best writer because like every other student I make mistakes in my writing. Although, I don’t take the editing negatively I always look back at my past essay and try to reflect on them to see how I can always improve my writing skills. Overall, I have a pretty good mindset towards writing even though I have my mistakes I know if I study harder I can become a better writer over time.
My Writing Struggles After taking AP English III, I became better at organizing my papers, but realizing I need to improve my grammar skills and staying focused on my supporting points. All throughout my writing career, I was always thought to be an outstanding writer, especially using vocabulary above my grade range. Naturally, I would see myself as an excellent writer as well until I took Mrs. Bingham’s AP English II course. Mrs. Bingham always gave pointers, tips, and work to improve my class’s writing skills as a whole.
