Writing [my meaning]

It is still difficult for me to say what my strengths and weaknesses are when it comes to writing. At the beginning of the semester, I thought my only *major* weaknesses were needing to keep my essay within the page limit and my inability to edit my work. I found out there were far more problems I would be confronted with this year....

These include but are not limited to style (too colloquial, too much passive voice, phrases are repeated all too often, etc) and form/format (paragraphs out of order, not cohesive, too many thoughts for so little space). Finding out these weaknesses actually forced me to fix one my original one about editing. By the end of the semester, I have formed a new method of editing. I write the paper and let it sit. Then re-read it and take out all colloquial language and passive voice. Once again, I let it sit. I repeat this a few more times making sure all spelling errors and such are gone as well. After all of that, I re-read it for cohesiveness - is there anything I can remove or that doesn't fit? - making sure the paper flows well. With all of this editing, I manage to fix the page length as well (majority of the time....) After all of this work is complete, I submit the paper (with shaking hands... no matter how much work I put in to the paper, there are always many other things that are wrong...)

So now, looking back over this long semester, I have found a few new strengths I hadn't been able to see. I have been able to mold my writing process, form, and style to fit with what is expected. Instead of being stuck in my ways, I am willing to change and have worked extremely hard over the semester to try and be exactly what I am expected to be. My form has even begun transforming into a strength! I have improved my transitions and stopped including every random thing that pops in my mind. This semester has helped me immensely. I know my style and all are still things I can improve. I will be working in the future to improve these weaknesses and maybe someday they will become strengths.

Over this semester I have gone from pleased with my writing to absolutely hating everything I did to once again pleased with my work. I know I have improved and know that I will continue improving. I will take this experience and grow from it.

Rereading my metaphor on my very first blog post made me laugh. I glanced back at it while writing this post to make sure I mentioned the right weaknesses and such. I had forgotten all about my metaphor. It seems so true. Writing as a battle. Still seems to be like that. I have to fight myself and convince myself to reread my paper just one more time in order to make it just that much better. It gets so very frustrating! I am happy I am improving and I hope someday I can find more joy in the writing process. I guess we'll find out soon enough....

Writerly Identity

When it comes to writing, it is difficult to say what my strengths or weaknesses are.

I have a fairly good vocabulary, but sometimes using elaborate sentences can sound like a ploy... A simple and failing attempt to get by with only a limited knowledge of a subject. I'm not saying I'd EVER use it for that, but I guess I can see how you may think it is all just baloney.

Expressing my honest opinions is usually not very difficult for me to do. I greatly enjoy writing analyses of books or historical events or politics... Pretty much anything really... But my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE kind of writing is, strangely enough, research papers.... While most kids enjoyed their lovely summer afternoons in middle school, I sat at home writing a 3+ page research paper on humming birds. Why? I have no clue. But I still remember some of the crazy facts I learned. I know, I must be insane or something, I am not denying it.

There are many ways I can improve my writing. I need to get better at reading my writing with a critical eye so that I don't always hand them in at least 200 words over the limit. I also need to get better at correcting errors. I am usually so excited to be done when I finally finish writing that I print and call it complete. The whole "editing" thing never really crosses my mind until I find someone to read it for me... I am hoping to work on both of these this semester in my writing class...

For me, writing is like a box of chocolates. Just kidding. Really though, for me writing is like a mini battle against myself. I have to force myself to stop contemplating what to write and just start! I tend to spend WAY too much time analyzing the question and looking at it from a million perspectives to try and find what I like best. Then I sit retyping the first sentence over and over again. Once that's down though, I am literally ready to go and I keep typing until my fingers are numb... Things come easily for a while. When I finish typing and need to read it over, the battle starts right back up. I hate reading my papers over like I said earlier because it is so gosh darn frustrating. I mean really, I just finished writing, why the heck do I need to read it? That's usually when I pass it on for peer(or parental)-editing... The next day I will force myself to try and sit down and read it again, usually finding various silly spelling or grammar mistakes... Handing it in is like the final signing of the peace treaty with myself. Sounds fun, doesn't it?