*the links will reference to my previous works, feel free to check them out as you read!*

I’ve always enjoyed writing. Having the opportunity to practice all kinds of genres excited me in a weird, sort of dorky kind of way. Going through the process, I realized how focused one had to be in order to switch writing styles, and master each one. It took a lot of brainstorming, I am not a big outliner, so I found success in simply writing. Spewing out word vomit as much as I could in order to return and seriously fix the mesh of sentences before me. With this technique in mind, I was able to write in various genres. All the way from personal essays, poems, newspaper articles, short stories, satire, and memoirs. These styles of writing are introduced to us, and I had the chance to present many of these works in my Multi-Genre Project. After exploring many of the different types of writing, I found the next step being to dig into research writing and using a formal tone. One of these being a Literary Analysis Essay assignment.

Taking on a Literary Analysis paper took a greater strain of difficulty than initially perceived. I decided to write mine based on a Frank Peretti Novel, The Oath. The book has a great deal of overlapping themes, symbols, and motifs. However, I did not anticipate how complicated the process would be. Digging into the text meat concentrating in a way many essays are not used to. Learning how to write effectively in a formal tone means also learning how to avoid common word choice. Staying away from first person pronouns also became a challenge, as most writing is heavily focused on that type of language. However, I did finish the paper (thank the Lord) and ended up growing in my writing skills simultaneously. After I completed that milestone, next came reflective tone.

For the reflective writing, the assignment was to write an essay concerning Indigineous people with the books we read in groups. The Novel I read focused on the Osage Indian Tribe during the oil obsession in Oklahoma, set in the 1920’s. After reading the astonishing book, I came to finishing a piece of work I am particularly proud of, “In Between the Lines of History Books.”  

As I reflected for this piece, I realized how much more I enjoyed writing in a reflective tone rather than a formal one. I assume this is a shared perception. After all, I found it became much easier to convey your thoughts as you reflected on Indigineous People and how your single stories ruined the way we view our surroundings. With this essay, I was able to grasp a better understanding of what it means to show reflection yet scholarly tone, while also analyzing at the same time.

As I mentioned earlier, I am not an outline kind of person. My technique involves simply putting together a garbage rough draft, and revising from there. To have all my thoughts placed in front of me so I can efficiently revise the work. When I look back on the drafting process, I am drawn towards my narrative Essay. Friendships, Buddy Systems, and Pre-School Shenanigans. 

I ended up with three different drafts. The first draft proved to be a perfect example of what NOT to turn in as a final draft. I decided to focus on my sentence structure and I also wanted to add depth to my writing. I wanted to spread a message of the importance of buddy systems and friendships we have early on in life. I knew I could not impact the reader unless I dug even deeper to the both the implied and hidden meanings life brings. The second draft completed those goals, but I recognized I could still work harder to perfect the piece of writing. I decided I needed an informal tone as much as I needed a reflective one. In order to add credibility to my message, I needed facts to engage the reader. I researched companionship and how scientists see human connection throughout history. I found astonishing results, and even continued the research well past the assignment was due. The third draft was almost ready. I knew now that attention to detail became crucial. With this draft, I focused on the fluidity of the piece. Making sure the reader would be able to easily follow my thought pattern. I spent a lot of time on the essay. So, naturally, I wanted the reader to enjoy and engage with the writing.

Going through the drafting process led me to my final piece of work. By looking at all three drafts, you’ll be able to see the transition and changes that went into writing the essay. By checking out my final draft, you’ll be able to see where all the time and effort led to. The developmental process I have been able to practice this year, has led me with more knowledge on how to write effectively and how to work towards that final draft.