Drabeck 1

Drabeck Benjamin

Jessica Zisa

Writing 2

11 March 2023

Reflective Letter

Academic content is not limited to lectures or textbooks. Readers can gain technical and

constructive knowledge in other engaging and informative ways. In my portfolio, I used a

satirical article and a podcast script to express these alternative methods. My first project uses

humor to introduce readers to emerging technologies and climate change, providing an initial

laugh before commenting on these critical topics. This approach allows readers to gain a basic

understanding of advanced topics without feeling overwhelmed or excluded. My second project

tackles the issue of language barriers in writing classrooms but takes a conversational tone in the

form of a podcast. This informal approach allows experienced authors from diverse backgrounds

to engage in a thought-provoking conversation in a relaxed setting without the formal constraints

of academic essays. These projects serve as a "Trojan Horse," offering a new way of presenting

academic and advanced topics to readers.

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Initially, enrolling in a writing class as a statistics major appears intimidating and dull. As

a student in a math-based major, I enjoy the lack of writing requirements and the focus on

definitive answers. My previous experiences with English classes in high school were repetitive,

consisting of reading a book and producing a standard four to five-paragraph essay in MLA

format. Despite four years of repetition, I never progressed as a writer since we were confined to

this particular structure and lacked creative freedom. Although I enjoyed some of the compulsory

readings, we only explored writing in this format, resulting in limited opportunities for creativity.

I expected the same upon registering for this course and came in with negative expectations.

However, after completing the first writing project, I was pleasantly surprised.

Since beginning the course readings about writing, my perception of writing has grown

immensely. I no longer limit my understanding of academic writing to merely MLA formatted

essays or analyzing Shakespeare. The constant learning about writing through the course

materials creates a constructive and positive feedback loop, which in turn, is applied to the next

writing project or assignment. A prime example of this occurred during week two, where we

explored the concept of the genre via Lisa Bickmore's "Genre in the Wild." Bickmore explored

how much we write outside of class, including social media platforms such as Snapchat, Twitter,

and email, before concluding her argument by expressing, "But another way to think of these

compositions is as predictable and recurring kinds of communication—in a word, genres"

(Bickmore). This fascinated me as I practice different genres in my everyday life. Mainly, I've

been composing cover letters for internship applications with fundamentals that follow a genre.

Not only was this a genre, it included the rhetorical purpose of convincing a hiring manager to
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offer me an interview for a position. All of these ideas had labels and applications to them; I just

didn't know it yet. Writing isn't just content or filling a page requirement. It all has a rhetorical

purpose that is only successful if the reader and writer have a conversation. This can be boiled

down to practicing "reading like a writer" to gain inspiration from other authors and to consider

the reader's perspective when establishing a rhetorical purpose in my writing. Although not as

apparent in my initial drafts, these rhetorical concepts were heavily emphasized in my final

drafts for both projects. For example, I had to approach my genre translation as assuming the

reader had no prior knowledge of machine learning or environmental science. Understanding my

audience was a concept I acquired from the in-class discussions and readings, specifically

"Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps toward Rhetorical Analysis" by Laura Bolin Carroll. Caroll

explains, "Another part of the rhetorical context is audience, those who are the (intended or

unintended) recipients of the rhetorical message" (Caroll 49). As a result of this, I established a

connection with my readers and made satirical decisions that resonated with them. My approach

included highlighting the excessive complexity of the original article, using clear and direct

humor, and incorporating references to current events that the reader would be familiar with.

Gaining an understanding of your audience is not always a straightforward process during

the initial draft, providing the need for peer-reviewed feedback. Giving and receiving feedback

from other students about their writing isn't about fixing mistakes. It involves translating your

experience as a reader to the writer. In "Responding–Really Responding–to Other Students'

Writing," Richard Straub says, "Look at your task as a simple one. You're there to play back to

the writer how you read the paper: what you got from it; what you found interesting; where you

were confused; where you wanted more" (Straub 137). When I received student feedback on my
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second writing project, students informed me that the podcast script seemed too robotic and

structured for the genre. This was constructive feedback, as I was too focused on cross-analyzing

my citations that I didn't meet the needs of my intended audience in that rhetorical context. On

the other hand, I was able to help my classmates with my feedback. Instead of looking for simple

mistakes to rush through the task, I provided supportive but constructive feedback on my

experience as a reader and how the conversational inquiry could be improved between us. This

feedback helped me unveil my strengths and weaknesses as a writer. Students enjoyed my

creativity but sometimes missed the rhetorical purpose as I didn't fully understand my audience

in my first draft.

Reflecting on my initial writing journal, I am surprised by how accurate my comparison

of consistent writing to regular exercise now appears. While I wasn't excited to write every time I

opened my journal or writing project, I slowly improved in each section. These minor

improvements compounded, and I completely changed my perspective on writing in one quarter.

While these applications will aid me in Writing 50 next quarter, I have this knowledge for life

and will continue to apply it in any genre or rhetorical context I find myself in. Whether it be a

job interview, a graduate school application, or a social media post, I am now more confident

than ever when initiating writing.

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Works Cited

Bickmore, Lisa. “Genre in the Wild: Understanding Genre within Rhetorical (Eco)Systems.”

Open English SLCC, Open English @ SLCC, 1 Aug. 2016,

https://pressbooks.pub/openenglishatslcc/chapter/genre-in-the-wild-understanding-genre-

within-rhetorical-ecosystems/.

Carroll, Laura Bolin. “Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps toward Rhetorical Analysis.” Writing

Spaces: Readings on Writing, vol. 1, Parlor Press, Anderson, SC, 2020.

Straub, Richard. “Responding–Really Responding–to Other Students' Writing.” A Sourcebook

for Responding to Student Writing, Hampton Press, Cresskill, NJ, 1999, pp. 136–146.