Over the course of this year, we have been given multiple writing assignments with topics varying from our internship, to the books we read in class. All of these assignments were alike, because we had to complete multiple drafts for each. As the year comes to a halt, I now look back on the improvements I’ve made as a writer, as well as the new techniques I learned in class that I now apply to my writing. My writing has changed drastically over the course of the year, and although most of the writing tips were helpful, the two that stood out the most were the use of a strong thesis, as well as creating a loop.

I think that a distinct improvement I’ve made this year is the use of the loop. After discussing this method of writing in class, I started applying it to my pieces. An example of the writing tip is in my Ampersand essay, in which I explain a childhood memory at the start, only to re-visit the memory at the end of the story. After noticing the differences between my first draft and my final draft, I concurred that the most important change I made was creating the loop. Not only did it add a personal aspect to my writing, but it also gave it more flow, and because of this, I have started using this method on all essays.

Another important aspect of writing that I tried to embody in my pieces was the use of a strong thesis. Before I started putting strong thesis’ in my writing, my opening paragraphs were often weak and un-inviting to the reader. As the year progressed, I became more focused on my thesis’ and I not only learned about the importance of a strong thesis, but also about the drastic changes a thesis can make to your paper. After forming thesis’ in class, I decided to apply it to my “Into Thin Air” essay. Not only did adding a strong thesis make the opening paragraph inviting, but it also created a window for the reader to take a look at what was to come in the piece of writing.

Overall, I can say that iv changed drastically as a writer this year, from my thesis statements, to the use of the loop in my writing. Although I feel as though my writing has improved as a whole, these two stand out as the most distinct changes I'v made this year.





Goal:

This year has been full of several changes, from the quality of my work, to my will to work. Although many improvements have been made, there are still several things that I can improve, one of them being my writing. The pieces I have written this year differ much from last years pieces because of their sheer quality and amount of drafting, but I can still improve on both of these fronts greatly.

An important part of writing is drafting and revising, which I have come to know and hate. Even though the process isn't always fun, it truly is the key to creating a strong piece of writing that you can be proud of. Throughout the year, I have created multiple drafts of all my essays, and while I didn't like doing so, it ultimately changed my writing so that it was much more presentable. Although i have started to use this method more frequently, I can still improve greatly by putting more thought into revising my drafts. An example of a slow revision would be my ampersand piece, because after creating the first draft I wrote several more, but saw few changes in them. Each draft seemed to be almost identical to the last, except for minor changes. As soon as I was notified of this, I started putting more corrections in, as well as taking out whole chunks while adding more. At the end of the process, I came out with a piece that was far better and more intricate than my first draft.

Although it may seem unimportant to some, drafting and revising is one of the most crucial aspects of writing, and this year has been an important one to me writing-wise. Out of all the tips, drafting is the one I am focused most on, because i now understand the importance of it and how it will serve me later in life.