Writing Goals

My goal for next year is less broad than one would think, as a matter of fact it's very specific. I want to finish the six stories that I have started in the past year and a half. I feel like these stories are creating a block, and if I finish them I believe that my writing will be much more refined. It will be a difficult goal to reach.

The way that I will reach this goal is by taking a small amount of time out of my day every day to write small pieces of each story, one at a time. I also need to write a character book, describing the characters and brainstorm as to how they are going to develop over the course of the story. I'm looking forward to it.

Areas In Need of Work

One of the areas that is in need of work in my writing is the way I express my opinion. In my writing, my opinion about the subject I am writing is often pronounced and easy to identify. This can be good in several cases, however, it can also prompt the reader to stop reading due to their conflicting opinion. A writer's voice should be subtle, yet firm.

This is important because on one end of the spectrum, a strongly stated opinion could be viewed as false propaganda or hate speech, whereas on the other end your point will be lost, and the reader will not understand the purpose of your paper. If you find yourself on the firm side of the middle, you're in the right place. You're stating your point and making yourself clear, while still allowing space for controversy or the opinions of others.

Writing Strengths

The first strength that I believe I display as a writer is that I am very descriptive. I use details that others would normally overlook, and I go in depth in areas others would not. One example can be seen in the fact that I write about all the senses, not just sight or sound. I write how the night felt, the humidity in the air, the smell of dried leaves and the feeling of summer. I feel like this takes the reader into the story more wholly than it normally would.

The second strength I am going to write about is my ability to argue a point. I am excellent at arguing a point that I feel passionate about, but honestly many are. What separates me from the masses is the fact that I can argue a point that I am not passionate about. This is why I want to join speech and debate. I feel like, similar to my writing, my verbal argumentation skills will serve me well.

Writing Improvements

In my writing, I often find that I need to improve my dialogue. I often speak for my characters, and I tend to not let them speak. Also, I find that I could make my transitions more fluid. I found this especially difficult in the research paper. I really needed to improve the way that I went from one idea and one description to the other.

However, I have learned that my diction is particularly strong, and it tends to express what I'm trying to convey rather easily. I feel like that is my strongest suit. I'm also very descriptive, and I often find people telling me that I am. I love to tell stories, but I've often been told that I am too descriptive, and I draw out stories too long.

Writer Portrait

       I, typically, am a writer who despises his work. It’s interesting because I am fine with any academic papers that I write. However, as soon as it comes to anything that involves a creative idea or story line that I have come up with by myself, I am very self-conscious. I think this is because it’s as if I have created a world, a new creation that seems to live and breathe in my own mind. I want to make this creation as perfect as I can, though I know very well that I cannot remove all its flaws.

       Also, I am very opinionated when I write. I can easily go off for several paragraphs about a topic that enrages or intrigues me. I feel like this is to my own advantage, especially if I intend to go into a career in journalism, law, or media. My writing style is very open, without any deceptions or fancy words used in an attempt to confuse or mislead the reader. I feel like this is to my own benefit. 

Writing Center Experiences

       My writing center experience in the second semester was overall very positive. I went in for the research paper. I talked to a writing fellow for several minutes, reading my paper, pointing out mistakes, and correcting them. Then, after that we discussed the actual research paper for several minutes. We talked about how they were assigned prompts last year. It seems to me that it was more difficult for the previous freshman class than ours.

       The focus of this visit was to find small grammatical problems. In my opinion, at the time of the meeting I had finished the most crucial parts of the revision, and I was fully satisfied with my work. However, there were several spelling and grammar flaws due to the speed at which I typed it out. This helped me move the piece forward because at the end of the visit the reader could read it more fluently and not have to pause to figure out what I meant.