Kalika Gross

Professor Briones

English 1301-120

November 23, 2023

Reflecting On The Year

The Writing process was fun to learn about. The biggest thing I learned was that the

writing process is easy. You just need to dig in and focus on what you are trying to accomplish.

When you are focused, the words flow onto the paper. I discovered that to make writing more

attainable, you needed to find or develop your style. Learning my style was a significant factor in

developing my writing. My writing style is to brain spill. After I have done my research, I put all

my ideas, topics, and main points onto paper. Then, I organize all the information, topics, and

main ideas into sections. Thirdly, I weed out what I don't need. The weeding-out process is a big

step. You discover what is necessary and what can be taken out. Lastly, I expand on each of the

topics. This step helps build your paper from the ground up by developing and expanding on all

the topics. Discovering my writing style and learning the steps needed helped me achieve a

well-written paper in other classes. We did not have much homework in this class, but writing

the essay helped me put everything I learned into practice. There were only three essays

assigned, but each one was unique. We practiced or tried new styles to find out what works best

for us. It took me doing a presentation with my classmate on writing style to learn that I had

already developed a writing style. When I dove into how I wrote I realized that there was

repetition. Rather than using a predefined method, I have created my own unique style.

When learning about analysis, I learned that there can always be a more significant

meaning in the little things. You can't focus on one thing and expect to get the big picture, you
have to consider all of it. You may have to look at a bunch of little things and add them all

together to acquire a picture. The most helpful activity to me was essay two, the visual text

analysis. We had to pick a movie poster, album cover, etc., to analyze. I chose the movie poster

of a movie called The Pacifier. We had to break down the different parts of the poster and explain

why and how they were used. Since I had already seen the movie, I had to look at it in a new

way. This allowed me to better explain the poster to someone who had never seen the movie.

That posed a challenge, but when you just think about it piece by piece, you don't think about the

movie as much and explain what is right in front of you. Doing this analysis essay helped me

realize that you don't have to get the big picture right away. You can dig in and look at the details

then step back, let your brain process each piece, and then put all of the details together to get the

overall picture.

The process of revising was an eye-opening experience. I've come to appreciate the

importance of diligent paper revision, which involves both self-revision and seeking input from

others. Self-revision is a valuable starting point, but it comes with its own set of challenges.

When you review your own work, you are intimately familiar with your writing style, and this

familiarity can sometimes blind you to mistakes. Your brain tends to gloss over minor errors,

subconsciously filling them in as correct. This is where someone's fresh eyes become invaluable.

Another effective approach I have found is reading my paper sentence by sentence, but in reverse

order, from bottom to top. This method may seem counterintuitive as it disrupts the usual flow,

but it has its merits. It forces you to focus on the details, making it easier to catch minor mistakes

and inconsistencies. When you read from top to bottom, the paper flows smoothly, but it's easier

to miss the finer details. Reading backward allows you to assess the information in a different

sequence, which can highlight logical gaps or errors. After carefully reviewing sentence by
sentence, it's beneficial to evaluate your paragraph structure and coherence. Making sure that

your paragraphs flow and are well-placed within the paper's overall structure is crucial.

Sometimes, rearranging paragraphs can significantly enhance the paper's clarity and logic,

making it a more effective piece of writing. In summary, revising a paper involves a multi-step

approach that combines self-revision, external input, and careful examination of details, all

aimed at refining the document into its best possible version.

The process of revising my papers has been a journey, with one of the easiest aspects

being the decision on how to approach the task. I've found that starting by reading my paper

sentence by sentence from the bottom up offers a unique perspective that has been surprisingly

effective. When you begin from the top, you already have a sense of the paper's trajectory since

you're the author, which can sometimes obscure issues that need attention. However, when you

flip the script and start from the bottom, it becomes challenging to anticipate what comes next,

making it easier to identify instances where the paper lacks a smooth flow or where sections

require reorganization. An example of the benefits of this approach happened when I was

crafting my first English essay. By reading it from the bottom to the top, I noticed that certain

paragraphs could be more effectively placed in different parts of the paper. Consequently, I

undertook the task of rearranging these paragraphs, resulting in a very improved overall flow.

Furthermore, reading the paper backward also proved invaluable in identifying instances of good

grammar and correct punctuation. It was a new discovery to me that sometimes when reading

from top to bottom, my brain tended to gloss over poor grammar and punctuation errors by

filling in the gaps automatically. However, with the reverse approach, my brain had to slow

down, which helped detect the errors and grammatical issues. Another advantage of reading

sentence by sentence from the bottom is the opportunity to focus on each individual sentence's
structure and coherence. This method allowed me to pinpoint sentences that didn't quite fit the

desired flow, making it easier to return and make small yet meaningful corrections. After the

meticulous sentence-level scrutiny, I found it beneficial to shift my focus to the paragraph level,

still working from the bottom to the top. This approach helped ensure that the sentences within

each paragraph meshed seamlessly, thereby enhancing the overall flow of the paper. In

conclusion, the unconventional approach of reading from the bottom up has not only improved

the clarity and coherence of my papers but has also honed my attention to detail. By tackling the

revision process methodically, I have been able to refine my writing effectively, creating papers

that are not only well-structured but also free from grammatical and punctuation errors. This

approach has undoubtedly made me a more meticulous and proficient writer, which will enrich

my academic journey.

On my website, you can see the writing process of each draft. Readers can visually see

the progress in each of the essays. The general audience can see my mistakes and how I

improved my writing. This improvement came from both my peers and my professor. In my

explanations, I explain my process and use familiar language to communicate effectively to

someone unfamiliar with these genres. I was unfamiliar with these genres, so most of the process

was new. By explaining my process, I show others that it is okay if they are unfamiliar with it,

but they can learn a lot by going through it. Familiar language is my writing style. I have never

been a super fancy person, and I struggle with many words due to my dyslexia. By writing with

familiar language, you make unfamiliar readers more comfortable. It gives them a connection to

the author.

The most challenging part about this course was having to dig into each topic and explain

each one. I have always preferred researching, so this English course challenged me to dig into
each topic and produce a good paper. Another challenging part of this course was to take all my

research and figure out what I wanted to use in my paper and what was irrelevant. This seems

easy, but I struggled with it because I wanted to either add too much or add too little. Hitting the

word count or going over the word count was also hard for me because I either needed more

information than I wanted to use or I had too much and needed to pair it down. I wanted to be

thorough with everything. I tried to ensure I hit the word count or didn't go over it every time. I

overcame this challenge by writing everything out and organizing it into sections. By organizing

it into sections, I could see what I needed and did not. I could also see what was important and

what was not important. When choosing between what was essential and what was not, I would

look at what I had written down, the sections with a lot of information, and those that did not. I

took out the ones that did not have a lot of details because I knew there was not enough

information to make a whole paragraph or be relevant in the paper. The ones that had the most

information, I could revise them and make the paragraphs out of those, or even if they were

small, they would hit a big picture in the paper.

The least challenging aspect of this course was finding my style, a process I thoroughly

enjoyed. It allowed me to explore the boundaries of my writing abilities and understand the

intricacies of the writing process. My style, which I affectionately call "brain-spill," is

characterized by its organized approach to weeding out insufficient information and expanding

on topics. This unique approach has been instrumental in helping my brain construct papers

effectively, which became particularly evident in my philosophy class when I had to write a

daunting 10-page paper on the existence of God. Utilizing the steps of my style made tackling

this complex topic significantly easier, and it was in moments like these that I truly appreciated

the value of having a well-defined writing approach. Not only did finding my style enhance the
efficiency of my writing, but it also improved the overall structure of my documents, making

them more well-mannered and coherent. This newfound structure proved to be a game-changer,

especially when it came to the revision process. With a solid foundation in place, revising my

papers became a less daunting task, allowing me to focus more on fine-tuning the details rather

than grappling with major structural issues. In essence, discovering and embracing my writing

style has not only made me a more efficient writer but has also significantly elevated the quality

of my work, making the academic writing journey a more rewarding and fulfilling experience

overall.

This course has been instrumental in shaping my journey into the academic writing

community. Through it, I not only identified my unique writing style but also honed it further,

fostering growth as a writer. Discovering and embracing my distinct style has played a pivotal

role in my writing journey, providing me with a pathway to genuinely enjoy the process. This

newfound joy was particularly liberating because, as someone with dyslexia, I faced significant

challenges in traditional writing tasks. Dyslexia often left me feeling demoralized due to the

frequent errors I encountered while composing. However, as I unearthed my unique style, I

developed a set of structured steps that became my writing compass. These steps not only

expedited my writing process but also offered a clearer path for my dyslexic brain to navigate,

allowing me to overcome hurdles that had once seemed insurmountable. In this journey, I

realized the beauty of being able to follow my own writing path, which not only accommodated

my unique needs but also empowered me to find fulfillment in the world of academic writing.

This newfound confidence spurred me to explore various types of academic writing, allowing me

to discover which genres resonated with me the most. Additionally, I found myself becoming

more engaged with the academic writing community, seeking out opportunities to share my
insights and collaborate with others who shared my passion for writing. Furthermore, this course

introduced me to valuable resources and strategies for effective academic writing. I learned about

the importance of research, citation styles, and the significance of peer review. These skills have

not only improved the quality of my work but have also allowed me to contribute meaningfully

to the scholarly discourse. In essence, this course has been a transformative journey, equipping

me with the tools and confidence needed to thrive in the academic writing community and

pursue my passion for writing with enthusiasm and purpose.