Becoming a 'Betterer' Writer

The lesson that most impacted my writing was understanding how people constantly mis-use the general and specific when getting a flow to their paper. For example in my rhetorical analysis essay I completely forgot to include an introduction before I stated my thesis. This is a jarring example of only focusing on the specific. During my revision I was able to introduce the weight of the issues and transition on how this introduction related to my thesis with the sentence “These ideas are starting to resurface with the rise of Neo-Nazis (New National Socialist) in online communities.”. Connecting the past of Germany’s history with the present of what is currently happening.

On the same note of my rhetorical analysis, that piece is the one I am the most proud of. For my thesis I was able to clearly state my main ideas which was “In the film Germany’s Neo-Nazis & The Far Right, Evan Williams uses personal stories, professional interviews, and laying out documented information and news reports to show why the threat of harmful online communities is real, and the resurgence of far-right parties, should be taken seriously and the police should be doing something to counter it.” While I was able to use these points further in my essay I am not satisfied with how my topic sentences were stated. They seem very bland and are only used to transition the point. They could be restated to better introduce the claim for that paragraph. However, with each paragraph I was very proud of the “worm chewing” I was able to do with each paragraph. I was clearly able to delve into the idea of how and why the film maker used a rhetorical technique.

The biggest challenge of this class was the writing itself. Since when I usually write something I have a full understanding of not only the topic but also what exactly I’m going to talk about and the points I will touch on throughout. The conflict for me was being able to write within the specific structure of a paper. Since I had no experience with writing an exploratory essay or rhetorical analysis the trouble for me was how to structure my ideas. I preferred to write in a stream of consciousness technique, however I understand the importance of being able to write in different styles since it better helps me to broaden my writing capabilities. I faced this challenge by reviewing how a specific paper should be written. Once I understood how I should be writing it then became easier for me to structure my ideas. It especially helped to have a thesis beforehand so that I knew what I was going to be writing. In the exploratory writing it would be the knot I am trying to untangle. For the rhetorical analysis it would be the different techniques that the filmmaker used and why they are important.

This class will be extremely beneficial for my future. Next semester I will be taking ENGL 211C and it was helpful to be able to further develop my writing competence and be able to better develop my ideas. Since a 200 level English class will involve more writing, the previous practice I had in this class will help me to pass that class. Once I graduate, being able to clearly explain my ideas in a business setting will help to avoid mis-communication and hostility between myself and others. Since in a corporate position employers are looking for exemplary employees, having a solid writing foundation will not only increase my chances of being hired but it will also avoid myself being seen as casual in a business setting.

I have many things to work on in my writing. I would first of all like to better improve my grammar since even in finished papers I sometimes miss commas when they are appropriate. Being able to have improved grammar will make future readers less likely to get lost when trying to read what I have written down. The second thing I would like to improve upon is my getting a better flow to my ideas. Without having flow in a paper it starts to become a mess to read and readers are less likely to finish the paper because they can’t follow the logic being presented. The third thing I would like to improve upon is being better able to explain complex ideas. Since a new reader might not understand the topic I am talking about, it would be crucial for myself to lay a foundation of the idea so that new readers do not get lost. While I could write about the topic and assume the readers level of understanding this would be doing me a disservice. Since in writing I would like to clarify my ideas and opinions to get a better understanding of what I think. If I can’t explain the concepts simply then I can’t justify writing the topics in a complex manner.

This class has been a major help in getting me to identify those weak points and trying to improve upon them. I look forward to my writing becoming smoother and better able to digest for the regular reader.