I am a Writer

This class has really developed my writing skills I think. Before, everything I wrote had to be super formal and the tone was always the same. This class has allowed me to have a variety of tones and play around with different writing styles. I think that everything throughout the semester has gotten better and better as the class continues. The reason I think the class was what helped my writing skills is because we experimented with so many different ways to write with different projects that it was hard not to get exposed to a bunch of new things. My blogs are always pretty casual and the language isn't very promising, yet, I actually kind of like these posts... gives me a chance to write about whatever I want without having to think about really anything in particular.

Revision Piece

I chose to do my piece on Thanksgiving, as I stated in my last blog. I'm really glad that I chose this topic because it was really easy to keep writing. I never had a block where I didn't know what to write. Everything flowed really nicely because it followed the order a Thanksgiving day would go. I struggled with coming up with an ending to my piece. I first had the dinner  being the ending of the paper, as well as an end to the day. Then I realized I had to add more about after the meal and the goodbyes and everything else that went on. I think that my final draft is a really substantial work and I'm actually pretty proud of it.

Thanksgiving

For my revision piece I chose to do a descriptive narrative about thanksgiving. I first got my inspiration from two in class writings I did. One was a descriptive writing about Las Vegas and the other was about my favorite meal, which I wrote about Thanksgiving. The reason I chose to combine these two writings was because I really like thanksgiving... alot, and I thought it would be really easy to make the reader feel as though they were Really there when they were reading the piece.

When we were doing peer review in class, many people wrote that it felt like they could really imagine everything I was writing and that it felt like they were there. Perfect! that is exactly what I was going for. I included details from all 5 senses which makes descriptive writing so enjoyable. I'm really happy I chose what I chose. :)

My Family

My family has always had a strong background with literacy and it has never really been talked about. It has always been a known importance with our family and has never been forced upon us ever. Every person in my large extended family has found school important and found great jobs because of it. I feel that because english and literature have always been important, we find no trouble in being able to present ourselves in a professional manor verbally and written.

Short project

I feel as though my short project, being a Billboard about non-smoking in Michigan restaurants, was shown well. It showed pictures of normal food you may eat at a restaurant but then I added real cigarettes to the food. The billboard is to be "pre smoking ban" to say vote for it in Michigan. I didn't really have much explaining to do because everyone pretty much understood how disgusting eating cigarette filled food would be. And that is exactly the point I was trying to make.

Eating Cigarettes?

How disgusting is eating a cigarette? Like actually eating it. really gross right? well that is what I am trying to portray in my billboard against smoking in restaurants. I am trying to say that eating in a restaurant filled with smoke is the same as eating a smoke filled burger or salad. It is hard to get the point across as clear as I want. i also dont know if people will be able to tell what it is by just looking at it too.

never finished

Research papers are so hard because you're never quite done all the way. There is always more to be added or taken out and redone. I am having difficulty getting everything into the paper without sounding repetitive. I also feel that as I keep researching, I tend to drift away from my research question and just start researching the main point of my paper. Then halfway through I remember that I have the question that needs to be answered. It is a long and consuming process for sure. But I feel that it is finally coming along.

Improvements

My research paper on the smoking ban is coming along nicely. I felt that I couldn't really get a good grip on the paper at first but now I have a pretty good feel about it. This kind of research paper is new to me with the abstract, the methods section, and discussing the results. It is kind of nice to be able to break the sections apart though and work through them that way. I made a lot of changes from my first draft to improve my paper and it's much better already and I'm not even close to being completely finished yet.

Struggling

It was difficult for me to narrow down my topic of Bennigans, from my Wikipedia essay, to something usable for a research paper. I did a web diagram and decided on the recent non-smoking ban that all Michigan restaurants and public places have put in place. I plan to research business declines or possible raises. I also want to see how the ban has been for places like Florida and California. I would like to see how the ban is bad at first and possibly gets better as people get used to it.

I know that personally it was hard for me to get used to as well. I work at Bennigan's so I was always asking people "smoking or non" and it is really nice to not have to think about that and there is more available seating for everyone. Also, it is really nice coming home and not smelling terribly of old smoke. I think that it will take the smokers some getting used to but the ban is a good thing.

Researching

     When I am assigned a research paper, I normally start by looking on google first just to get an idea of what I am actually looking for. It's always hard to tell what I'm really researching if I don't have a clear idea of what it really is. After that I look into books and more credible sources. When I do my first look on google, I normally don't check to make sure it is credible or anything. I'm just looking for a main idea so it's easier to narrow my search down. Then when I get deeper into the research I make sure I know that every source I use is a reliable one. 

     When I do simple research in order to find random things out, I never really make sure it is credible first. I just google the topic I'm curious about and usually read the first thing that come up about it. I know that the information I find first may not be the most reliable, but I am just doing it fast to find a small fact out rather than writing a paper on the topic in greater detail. 

A "Final" draft

     I find it hard to quit revising a paper. There is always something to be done to make it better. I added a lot of things to my paper to make it a "final" copy. I was happy with how well I tied my tone, audience and quotes all together. We were suppose to write a letter to someone of our choice about an article on Wikipedia of our choice. We were also suppose to talk about Wikipedia in general and how accountable it is. I felt that my tone was strong and related well with how terrible the article I chose was. Which led to me also believing that Wikipedia in general is not a good source to go to.  
    I addressed my audience effectively throughout the entire letter. I felt that it never lost its sense of being a letter rather than an essay. I made sure to keep mentioning small hints that it was directed towards who i wanted it directed to. It was hard at first to keep it going as a letter while you are quoting specific things in the text but in the end I feel I did a good job keeping to the tone and audience.
   I feel as though I deserve at least a B+. I worked really hard on improving my paper from first draft to the final. Hopefully I will receive an A on this assignment because I feel really good about it.

Revision Revision Revision

I always feel like I am never done revising a paper. There is something always to be done to make it better and better. That is why it is hard for me to really be done with a paper and turn in a final copy. Right now we are working on our SECOND rough draft, and I'm glad. I hate just having one rough draft and then having to rush into a final draft. 

When I begin my revisions, I start by looking at all the comments the person the edited it said. They are so helpful because they are things I don't always pick up on. Then I begin completely just rewriting the entire thing. Not opening the existing draft but having it out in front of me on the desk. I think that starting on a blank document allows more room for change. Whereas if you start from your existing draft, you are just changing certain sentences and adding this or deleting that. Its just easier to get the main points from your first draft and really putting some meat on the bones of the draft the was already existing. That's how a final draft really gets good. by changing and revising and revising and changing. 

Wikipedia??

     Since I have been writing papers, I have never once used Wikipedia as a source. My teachers always told me that it wasn't reliable and the information was normally incorrect. I have never even gone to Wikipedia to search for something. I go to google and type in whatever I'm searching for and normally when I see Wikipedia pop up as one of the options I normally don't chose that one. I just never trust it.

     Because I never went to the site before I didn't know whether my teachers had always been right or not. Now that I have a project about wikipedia and it's accuracy I see that my teachers were right. I am doing my writing project on a Bennigan's article because I work there. Because I already know alot about the subject I thought it would be easy. As I was reading through it there were errors and a negative vibe throughout. They dwelled on certain things for far too long that were not nearly as important as others. I was not pleased with the things I found because of how they were organized and the way they were said.

     I just wish that there was an online encyclopedia that was actually accurate, up to date, and reliable. It would be so much more helpful than pulling out an actual printed encyclopedia; plus it could include more current events and pop culture.

Thank You's

    Thank you notes are something that I feel are going by the wayside. I grew up writing thank you's to everyone for almost everything. My mom always told me that it is always appreciated and shows that you really were thankful. The only time I feel that thank you notes get to be too much is when you start thanking people for thanking you and there is this never ending cycle of thank you's.

    One time in particular when I had to write A LOT of thank you letters was for my graduation party. We had around 300 people show up to it and I had to write that many thank you's. Most people when having to write that many letters write something like "Thanks for coming to my party and thank you for the gift of money". How boring. I switched it up and made each thank you personal and made sure everyone's said something different. After I sent them out, I had so many people telling me what a great job I did with them and how special they felt after reading it and knowing I actually was truly thankful for everything they had done. This is one time that really popped into my head when I thought of a time I was really proud of something I wrote that wasn't school related.

It's Complicated

          I've never really thought of my relationship with my grades being complicated. But I guess it kind of is. I always have paid attention in class and finished my homework on time and just assumed great grades would be handed to me. This happened all through high school for the most part because attendance and homework were a large portion of the grade, plus, doing the homework helped tremendously with the tests. It was sort of a one sided relationship where only one person is putting forth any effort to get what they want. That was me. Until I hit college I always thought achieving good grades was a fairly simple task. Now I have to study more hours than I am in class and actually try to make time for my work.

          Now I know that I need to work hard in order to get what I want and my grades and I are pretty much on the same page for the most part. I try much harder than I did in high school and I feel so much more accomplished. The grades are worked for not just handed to me and it feels good. I know now that grades link to so many other aspects in life other than just the grades themselves. Confidence, parental support, financial support, furthering education, and career paths. It gives my a weird and almost powerful feeling knowing that I hold that much just with how much effort I wish to put forward.