Ubdasja Calixte

November 29, 2014

Reflection

Initially when I wrote my first few drafts, I noticed that I focused more on the experience
rather than how I felt about the experience or how I was impacted by the experience. A memoir
is supposed to be more reflective but my writing was like a list of things that happened. I listed
the events that I could recall, and put them together in sequential order. I did not talk about what
those events meant to me, and how it shaped me to be the person I am today. Once I realized
that, I knew I had to make many changes. I revised my first couple of drafts by focusing on
major events that resonated with me and in the end, I would describe how those events impacted
me as a person.
When revising my paper, I noticed how bad my grammar was. I used many contractions
in my writing, and I placed commas in places they did not belong. I had many run on sentences
that were not corrected properly. I also used many intensifiers which are not acceptable in formal
papers. Throughout my revision process I consistently found that I had a bad habit of using
intensifiers. From this whole revision process, I found that I would write my papers how I spoke,
which made my papers seem informal.