I always dreaded the thought of writing prior to this course and considered it to be a difficult task. However, with the completion of this course, I find this fear has now gone. I learnt that writing is a systematic process and the final draft is prepared only after a series of revisions and edits. Initially, I was not able to initiate my topic appropriately in my argument essays and my introduction was often weak. I now find my introduction to being better than before and not as boring as it used to be. There is improvement in my conclusions which are not repetitive. However, I find much room for improvement in creating a thesis statement. My thesis statement still continues to be weak and does not convey the exact purpose to the reader.
Initially when I joined the course, I felt nervous about the fact that my essays will be read, edited and exposed to people. However, my confidence increased when I found that this is actually a process which benefits tremendously. The course enlightened me that writing is not a one-step process in which the best draft is produced naturally; rather it is a multi-step process in which the writer begins with a rough draft of ideas and progresses continuously adding new ideas and revising existing ones. It is this process of constant improvement and change is what perfects a piece of writing. Initially we were instructed to begin with prompts and had to gradually develop an idea over a period of two or three weeks until the idea was fully developed and written as a perfect essay. This process of learning and gradual change is what I feel benefitted me the most and has changed my perception of writing.
There were a series of different assignments which we had to complete during the course and although all of them were not particularly enjoyable, I ensured that I completed them promptly. I did sometimes forget to do my homework but somehow managed to make it at the last minute. The âDear Trishaâ letters were fun to write as they were not very time consuming and enabled me to acquaint with the idea of writing to an unknown person. I learn several aspects from these letters like formal tone, letter format and the importance of getting the point across in few words.
The personal literacy narrative was initially not very easy to write due to lack of ideas. However, with the revision and re-revision of the draft the writing improved and I found myself being more expressive. Initially, I was apprehensive of the fact that my writing would be read by my classmates but found this to be an enlightening experience which contributed greatly to the shedding of my inhibitions. This particular activity made me more confident and positive since I became aware of what others felt about my writing and how it can be improved. Additionally, I too had to voice my opinion on the writing style of other classmates and got exposure to distinct writing styles. What I initially dreaded, soon became one of the most enjoyable and memorable moments of my writing course and I found myself paying heed to suggestions and actually saw a newly improved final draft of my writing. The critical analysis was a little more challenging than other assignments. However, since this too was a group activity I benefitted tremendously from the viewpoints of others.
Finally, I would like to conclude that this writing class has contributed immensely to my ability to write and has made me a more confident person. From the class I gained that writing occurs in a series of steps and one needs to revise and edit continuously before the final copy is prepared. I was able to shed my inhibitions and become more open due to the group activities, which will benefit me tremendously in life. I realized that work cannot be perfected without constantly improving on it and that any final copy should go through a series of revisions. Having work proofread by peers and friends is also an important aspect of the writing process, which has enabled me to take criticism more positively and contributed to my personal growth as well. I have worked hard paying close attention to the writing class and am confident of receiving a good grade.