What I Have Learned About My Writing

The first thing I have learned about my writing is that my approach to the process is just fine. There are many approaches to writing. I now am aware of the different phases in the writing process and have additional resources to draw from if my approach should no longer suffice. While there are many styles, I need to be comfortable and adopt the one that works for me.

Another thing I have learned about my writing is that I can include a personal narrative without sacrificing content. Prior to this class, I believed it to be improper to use first person in most papers. I now see that the use of first person with a personal narrative can actually make the remainder of my paper stronger by capturing the interest of the reader.

At the beginning of this class I was very concerned about the simplicity of my writing. Throughout the class I have learned that clarity is paramount. Effectively communicating any complicated topic takes a great deal of time and energy on the part of the writer. Big words included for the sake of sounding smart only tends to make any paper more unclear.

Another thing I have learned about my writing is that it is not lard free. Or should I say, my writing is not lard free (LF 63%). I can see how much clearer a paragraph can read when the lard is removed, even though I find it quite difficult to reduce the lard factor when I am using first person.

One final thing I have learned about my writing is that I am not that different from several of my classmates in the process. On the other hand, I am quite different from several of them. Regardless, we all tend to communicate and function well together. I am very appreciative of their encourage and support.