Reflection: My Experience In My Writing Class

My experience in this class has been great and it has helped me see how far my writing skills can go. I don’t expect myself to do superb in the field on writing since that’s not my interest. In the past, I’ve only expected myself to do average and accomplish only what is needed to pass. However, this class pushed me even further with my writing which I’m thankful for because it broadened my view on how to write an essay that’s not just average. I still have a lot to learn since my essays are still flawed in several areas. I believe that I need more practice on basics such as punctuation, grammar, vocabulary, making sure I write in literary present tense, and developing a strong thesis. I’m more comfortable with organizing topics, developing …show more content…
In class, I’ve learned that the thesis doesn’t always necessarily have to be the last sentence of the introduction paragraph. Whenever I write my thesis, it doesn’t have the impact I thought it had. I accomplished the goal of getting my point across, but it doesn’t make have the emphasis which declares my position on the subject matter. My research paper thesis was “Through the use of elements such as symbolism, characterization, and conflict, Steinbeck portrays matriarchy as one of the many prominent themes in his novel.” Comparing that with my Frederick Douglass essay thesis, it is better since it plans out the paper for the audience and me. The thesis from the essay was “He implements a bitter tone in order to portray his thoughts to the readers that slavery can disorder someone’s feelings, making them go from hopeful to hopeless in only a matter of seconds.” In this case, rather than a guideline for the rest of my essay, it’s just a flat statement that’s like signaling the end of the essay. However, I do admit that my thesis for my research paper could still be improved through better …show more content…
I think of myself as a perfectionist sometimes so I like to plan out everything about a particular issue before I delve into the writing of it. I know exactly what to write for each paragraph, how I’m going to fit supporting quotes in it, and where to place each paragraph within a paper so the topics transitions well. A prime example is the Grapes of Wrath research paper in which I followed the chronological order of an existing patriarchal society, the fall of that society, and then the rise of matriarchy. After matriarchy is introduced, I go more in detail about Ma Joad as a character. With the audience familiar with both societies after that, I was able to express the conflicts between them. The topic statements found within each section helped guide me through the paper and transition the readers logically throughout the paper. With everything planned out, the paper no longer seemed as