Dear Tym,

In an assignment for this class, we were asked to reflect on our “writing journeys”, I

chose to discuss physical events rather than mental transformation. Looking back, I see that it

wasn’t my writing that changed, it was my attitude towards writing. Before taking Writing 2, I

was aware of how important writing was, but I think this class has done important things for my

mindset surrounding the practice of rhetoric. I have started to see writing as a tool, a skill that

takes practice, something to work on and get better at, with measurable and achievable

outcomes. Specifically this quarter I have found myself noticing practical applications for

writing more than ever, I think it is a basic skill that everyone should have and work on because

it sets the baseline for so many jobs and forms of communication and connection with others.

Good writing is essential for clear and comprehensive communication, especially with the state

of our world today, it is as important as ever to know how to clearly state your beliefs and ideas.

Writing is a tool, something that can be utilized by anyone who knows how, and there is always

room for improvement. Personally I found myself learning how to better use evidence to prove

my points and reinforce the audience’s comprehension rather than to simply meet requirements.

Furthermore, I found that the process of identifying a rhetorical situation became crucial to my

writing as I tailored what I was writing and focused more on the purpose and the audience to

make my writing more specific and applicable.

In the beginning stages of our first writing project, I had the mindset of checking boxes

rather than gleaning useful information and technique improvement. Every task was a chore

rather than an opportunity to learn, this is where I was wrong. Each opportunity to build upon

and revise what I had already written served a purpose, and the overarching theme of these

opportunities was to refine and rebuild my writing practices. I have always had trouble taking
criticism, especially when it comes to my schoolwork, something I have always excelled in.

However, upon arriving at the realization that this was how I could be even better, I approached

the revision process with enthusiasm, I was now willing to accept the constructive criticism I had

received and use it to better myself and my writing. I realized through my writing and revision

processes that nothing is perfect upon first glance, and shooting for perfection on the first try is a

waste of time that could be better spent learning techniques on how to improve in later attempts

and to eventually reach “perfection”.

In terms of the second writing project, I feel as though I had a different mindset from the

beginning than I did in the case of the first. Especially because this writing project allowed for

more creativity, I really enjoyed writing my translation and reflecting upon it. I translated an

academic article into a chain of emails, and in doing so learned that these two genres don’t

necessarily have that much in common. While some of the integrity of the original article was

definitely lost in the translation, I feel like my knowledge of identifying and shifting genre

conventions has been much improved. When first introduced to the concept of genre

conventions, I felt slightly confused and like I may never grasp what they truly represent about

different disciplines. Now I know that I am capable of not only writing about different genre

conventions, but I am also confident in my translating abilities, to make things in one genre

apply to another while keeping the intent of the initial piece intact.

Both writing projects were beneficial for my ability to reflect on my own writing as well,

and help others to improve their writing. I enjoyed the writers’ workshops that we performed,

giving and receiving so much feedback taught me how to better target my comments and specify

how others’ pieces can be improved. In terms of my reflections, I think I learned a lot about how

to effectively discuss my process and communicate that to others without sounding disconnected
or repetitive. I see reflective writing as a chance to have a conversation with myself, to ask

myself critical questions like “What did you like about this? Why did you like it? What would

you change next time?”. By proposing and answering these questions through reflection, I

automatically give myself something to think about the next time I find myself writing anything.

Even the most complex aspects of rhetoric can be applied to smaller pieces.

Coming out of Writing 2, I have gleaned important lessons about both the way that I

personally write and reflect, and writing and reflection in general. Some things that I will

continue to work on are my use of evidence and choice of sources. I think that while I use

adequate evidence, I could add more and use more poignant quotes to further illustrate the points

I make. In terms of my writing in the future, I am eager to approach things with the knowledge

and perspectives I have gained on writing style, rhetorical situation, and the fact that no one’s

first draft is perfect. I am ready to be a more enthusiastic writer and to take the lessons I learned

in this class into other aspects of my education. I firmly believe that good writers are good

communicators, and one of my goals in academia is to communicate clearly with everyone that I

interact with and not question my words. The first step towards clear communication is learning

the building blocks and fundamentals of writing, I think taking Writing 2 was the perfect first

step. Not only did this class teach me how to communicate to others what I think they can

improve, it taught me how to unlearn the bad habits of my own writing and be open to accepting

criticism in order to be better in the future. Writing is not, and never will be, easy, however it is

important and I am constantly being reminded of its importance by seeing eloquently written

speeches given at protests and on television, poems read by fellow students, and essays being

published that reflect the beauty of truly good writing. My journey towards being a better writer
does not end with Writing 2, it begins with how I apply my knowledge from this class and

continue pushing myself to improve.

Sincerely,

Sofie Gold