Portrait of a Writer
As I have mentioned in previous essays, I much prefer reading to writing. However, once I get my flow going, I am able to write some well thought out essays. I think the main thing that I see when I look at myself as a writer is why I write. As far back as I can remember, I have never written anything for fun, never had a journal or anything like that. Basically, I only write when I have to. Even though I get good grades and can write a good essay, it is not my thing at all. It is almost painful for me to start writing a paper. I am almost always a procrastinator, but nothing comes close to how long I will put off writing a paper. I always tell myself, this time I’m going to start early, and this time I won’t wait until …show more content…
Throughout my schooling, I have had to write a multitude of technical papers, from high school to college. I have learned what bosses and teachers will expect in a paper, and use this to my advantage. The key to writing a technical paper is to get across all the key and necessary information, without fluff and otherwise unnecessary information. When I try to think about the writing rules that block me, the main one that jumps out to me is a length requirement. The good news about this is that to a certain degree, length requirements become less frequent the higher in education you go. The reason I am not a fan of length requirements can be summed up in one word: fluff. Often, I will feel that I have made my point, only to find that I still have a page left to write. When this happens, I have no choice but to resort to fluff. Now fluff has its place in some pieces, but I generally try to avoid …show more content…
In the piece, Osborne compares himself as a writer to a “senile old man.” This struck me because I, like Osborne, think of myself as a senile old man, in life and writing. He talks of focusing on the details, and how he had to admit to himself that his first draft was bad. Being able to admit that your writing is bad is a key skill to have. It is so key because it allows you to accept that your paper still needs work, and it also transitions into everyday life. Another piece, Joining the Engineering Community was also very fitting. It is fitting because this summer, I started an internship at Magna Powertrain in Muncie. The reason this essay was so fitting is because while I had written technical papers for classes and similar things, I had never done it in a true engineering setting. In this essay, the two main ways to learn how to write like an engineer is by studying the models that are already in use in the community, and getting feedback from supervisors. Speaking from experience, both of these methods are very effective. However, in my opinion, I would have to say that getting feedback from my supervisors was the more effective method. By running my completed work by my boss, I was able to get it checked and also able to gain an idea of what was expected in reports. By using this method, I was quickly able to gain a
As I have mentioned in previous essays, I much prefer reading to writing. However, once I get my flow going, I am able to write some well thought out essays. I think the main thing that I see when I look at myself as a writer is why I write. As far back as I can remember, I have never written anything for fun, never had a journal or anything like that. Basically, I only write when I have to. Even though I get good grades and can write a good essay, it is not my thing at all. It is almost painful for me to start writing a paper. I am almost always a procrastinator, but nothing comes close to how long I will put off writing a paper. I always tell myself, this time I’m going to start early, and this time I won’t wait until …show more content…
Throughout my schooling, I have had to write a multitude of technical papers, from high school to college. I have learned what bosses and teachers will expect in a paper, and use this to my advantage. The key to writing a technical paper is to get across all the key and necessary information, without fluff and otherwise unnecessary information. When I try to think about the writing rules that block me, the main one that jumps out to me is a length requirement. The good news about this is that to a certain degree, length requirements become less frequent the higher in education you go. The reason I am not a fan of length requirements can be summed up in one word: fluff. Often, I will feel that I have made my point, only to find that I still have a page left to write. When this happens, I have no choice but to resort to fluff. Now fluff has its place in some pieces, but I generally try to avoid …show more content…
In the piece, Osborne compares himself as a writer to a “senile old man.” This struck me because I, like Osborne, think of myself as a senile old man, in life and writing. He talks of focusing on the details, and how he had to admit to himself that his first draft was bad. Being able to admit that your writing is bad is a key skill to have. It is so key because it allows you to accept that your paper still needs work, and it also transitions into everyday life. Another piece, Joining the Engineering Community was also very fitting. It is fitting because this summer, I started an internship at Magna Powertrain in Muncie. The reason this essay was so fitting is because while I had written technical papers for classes and similar things, I had never done it in a true engineering setting. In this essay, the two main ways to learn how to write like an engineer is by studying the models that are already in use in the community, and getting feedback from supervisors. Speaking from experience, both of these methods are very effective. However, in my opinion, I would have to say that getting feedback from my supervisors was the more effective method. By running my completed work by my boss, I was able to get it checked and also able to gain an idea of what was expected in reports. By using this method, I was quickly able to gain a