Angelina Maldonado­­

Instructor Skylar Couch

ENG 170-33 Writing & Rhetoric

11 May 2023

 

Writing has always been a very important part of my life. It’s been the outlet I could have whenever I needed it and the best way I have been able to express any knowledge I wanted to share with someone else. When I initially began this course, I was optimistic about the new things Id learn to make me a strong writer but it also meant being able to take any criticism. It’s one thing to write for yourself but when you are writing to an audience, you want always to make sure that there is clarity in your piece and that you can teach your readers something they might not know or encourage them to think deeper about any topic you are writing about. I usually chose to write personal pieces and share my own experience, opinions, emotions, and passions. Meaning I did steer away from any research based writing because it seems too repetitive and I would have to force myself to engage in topics I didn’t necessarily have an interest in. But to be a good writer, you have to leave your comfort zone and truly explore the power of writing can have. 

As mentioned before criticism is a very valuable part of writing. Completely disregarding it would only hurt you as a writer because you can’t become stronger if you don’t know what would make it better for your audience. When creating papers in this class I learned about being more clear and direct. It is easy to start saying unnecessary information or fluff when you’re running out of things to say but with the feedback ive received, ive learned more about focusing on the point of my pieces; not just rambling. It’s still something I struggle with a little and I’m pretty sure any writing tends to have so much to say that it all jumbles together. But with the use of different writing tools, I can point out where I can be more effective when editing my pieces. 

The many different kinds of pieces we have written in this course, utilizing peer revision, drafting/outlining, and brainstorming, it’s allowed me to see my strengths and weaknesses. I initially always think my pieces can be better but when making edits, I sometimes don’t want to change anything because I think it is all good to keep. But a major benefit Ive gotten from using these tools is I allow myself to see how another person would see my work and what they suggest would make my words much stronger. Drafting and outlining is a great tool to use because it makes your final piece so much easier to create. All the information is already laid out for you and the feedback you get from your draft will expand your perspective. When writing any formal or informal piece, assists you in expanding your thoughts and going deeper into any analysis you are making.

In my Zine project specifically, I had many ideas to share with my audience and I had to thoughtfully lay out all the information or advice I wanted to share. With that, I had to continuously make sure I was saying the right and clear information for them to understand. Especially using outside sources and my own experiences, I had to make sure to use the right references so it wasnt confusing or chaotic. Another example where I utilized the things Ive learned during this course is in my minor assignment one presentation. I had to use a lot of research material to explain my thesis and even during that piece, I struggled to show more direct claims. With research that can have so many layers of understanding it is very valuable to know how to be very effective and allow the audience to comprehend any statements being made. This can be applied to so many if not all forms of writing because it makes it easier for anyone to gain anything from reading your piece. These kinds of mental notes are very beneficial for any form of writing, not only in this class but in any professional pieces you create. Especially in college, being able to write at a college level allows your professors to see that you have a level of understanding in any topic you are writing about. 

If anything I feel that this course has allowed me to appreciate the power of writing even more.  Reading other writers and understanding the depth behind someone’s words is very influential. This course has made me grow my writing skills and styles especially getting older and sharing my thoughts with an older and maybe more knowledgeable audience. Everything that I have learned in this class has been very beneficial to my college experience and I will carry on the techniques for any future pieces I create.