My Growth as a Writer
I have never been a strong writer. I have always dreaded writing papers in high school. Every time I was handed an assignment, the prompt would hang over my head until the due date. I spent more time procrastinating my papers then actually writing them. I was never one to revise or edit my papers because I did them the night before. I didn’t think an outline or second draft was necessary. My biggest struggle with writing was my inability to articulate my ideas. I could never put my thoughts on a page in a way that made sense to the reader. Writing for me just wasn’t enjoyable. Going into my first semester of college, I was expecting more of the same torture when it came to writing.
As it turns out First Year Writing Seminar was not what I was expecting. While it had its challenges, I found myself being able to enjoy the writing process. Each class presented an idea that made the writing process clearer. I learned that the writing process is not linear. Its not supposed to be linear. A good process consists of constant developing, selecting, evaluating, collecting, arranging, generating, and refining. Through this class I learned to put my ideas on paper without worrying if it makes sense. In class free writes allowed me to divert my focus from my ideas to a simple task of continuing to write the entire time. Through these free-writes I was able to write in my authentic self. I didn’t have to dress my up writing to make it “schoolishly”. I was able to write with my own voice.
Over the semester I experienced a lot of firsts as a writer. For one I started revising my work. I created outlines before my revised drafts to create a path for my essay to follow. I wrote multiple drafts of the same essay with each one being different than the last. I was always told not to mimic another author. For the first time this semester, I used previous works of inspiration on my essays. I was able to imitate and try out different styles from different authors, some of whom were peers. I also started writing as a reader. Workshops helped me define what the project of my essays were and how I could move forward to develop that project.
Over the course of the semester I learned to love the process of writing. I learned to be proud of the work that I put out. Through this course I have realized my enjoyment for writing. I have gained confidence in expressing myself and my ideas while not being afraid of feedback. Before taking this class, I wasn’t a good writer. I didn’t appreciate the process that it took to write. I now have a solid base to improve and expand upon my writing process.
The pieces in this portfolio highlight my journey to my new found appreciation in my writing.
FWYS Portfolio 