2504 Short Street
Chillicothe, MO 64601
December 14, 2015
Dr. Jill Watkins
Adjunct Professor
North Central Missouri College
1301 Main Street
Trenton, MO 64683
Dear Dr. Watkins:
Lord Acton once said, “Learn as much by writing as by reading.” Over the last semester, I have learned more than I would have ever expected writing. I have had many strong points, and had weak points, and my understanding of the process of writing an essay has improved significantly.
My first attempt at a prewrite was very pitiful. I put as little information as possible and did not answer the questions ‘why’ or ‘because’ at all. Once I started putting together my first rough draft though, I went back to my prewrite assignment and vamped it up. Putting together the pieces from the prewrite into my paper helped keep my paper organized and keep my thoughts clear. Once I had the main ideas from my prewrite down I could easily focus on making effective transitions to connect my points. Slowly my organization has became one of my strongest points in my writing. Another strong point I have is writing informational essays. I found it easier to say things about stuff I have learned about than personal
The problem I struggle with the most is identifying my audience. When I write my papers sometimes I forget I am writing for someone to read. I started to go through my papers and pretend I was different people in attempt to see if my writing made sense in each scenario. It is sometimes hard for me to decide who even should be my audience. I also struggle with creative writing. It is easier for me to have a set topic and structure. When I have to tell a personal story It is harder for me than telling information I found by researching. During the writing process, the hardest part for me is an effective attention getter. I typically wait till after I have finished writing my body paragraphs before I decide.
I personally enjoy the process prewriting. I think it helps me organize out the ideas in my brain so I can smoothly process each of them. Before I can even start writing, I must have a thesis statement and a general idea of what I will say within my body paragraphs. Although I like prewriting I found it was a lot harder to prewrite for essays like the narrative essay. Since I am a typically visual learner, I enjoyed the triangle and boxes analogy when learning the structure of an essay. When writing I also find the assignment sheet and peer-editing sheet very helpful. Sometimes when I get stuck writing I look at those papers to help myself. With the peer-editing sheet, I double check to make sure I have everything I need before sharing my essay with someone else. Dr. Watkins was very helpful in providing the necessary resources for me to succeed at writing. She was also very good about answering my questions when I got confused or did not completely understand something.
My goals next semester are to do make sure to try just as hard on the rough draft as I do on the final copy. I need to give myself the time to do so and to not procrastinate. Lord Acton's quote definitely rings true. I have had many strong points, and had weak points, and my understanding of the process of writing an essay has improved significantly.
Sincerely,
Madison Gregory
2504 Short Street
Chillicothe, MO 64601
December 14, 2015
Dr. Jill Watkins
Adjunct Professor
North Central Missouri College
1301 Main Street
Trenton, MO 64683
Dear Dr. Watkins:
Lord Acton once said, “Learn as much by writing as by reading.” Over the last semester, I have learned more than I would have ever expected writing. I have had many strong points, and had weak points, and my understanding of the process of writing an essay has improved significantly.
My first attempt at a prewrite was very pitiful. I put as little information as possible and did not answer the questions ‘why’ or ‘because’ at all. Once I started putting together my first rough draft though, I went back to my prewrite assignment and vamped it up. Putting together the pieces from the prewrite into my paper helped keep my paper organized and keep my thoughts clear. Once I had the main ideas from my prewrite down I could easily focus on making effective transitions to connect my points. Slowly my organization has became one of my strongest points in my writing. Another strong point I have is writing informational essays. I found it easier to say things about stuff I have learned about than personal
The problem I struggle with the most is identifying my audience. When I write my papers sometimes I forget I am writing for someone to read. I started to go through my papers and pretend I was different people in attempt to see if my writing made sense in each scenario. It is sometimes hard for me to decide who even should be my audience. I also struggle with creative writing. It is easier for me to have a set topic and structure. When I have to tell a personal story It is harder for me than telling information I found by researching. During the writing process, the hardest part for me is an effective attention getter. I typically wait till after I have finished writing my body paragraphs before I decide.
I personally enjoy the process prewriting. I think it helps me organize out the ideas in my brain so I can smoothly process each of them. Before I can even start writing, I must have a thesis statement and a general idea of what I will say within my body paragraphs. Although I like prewriting I found it was a lot harder to prewrite for essays like the narrative essay. Since I am a typically visual learner, I enjoyed the triangle and boxes analogy when learning the structure of an essay. When writing I also find the assignment sheet and peer-editing sheet very helpful. Sometimes when I get stuck writing I look at those papers to help myself. With the peer-editing sheet, I double check to make sure I have everything I need before sharing my essay with someone else. Dr. Watkins was very helpful in providing the necessary resources for me to succeed at writing. She was also very good about answering my questions when I got confused or did not completely understand something.
My goals next semester are to do make sure to try just as hard on the rough draft as I do on the final copy. I need to give myself the time to do so and to not procrastinate. Lord Acton's quote definitely rings true. I have had many strong points, and had weak points, and my understanding of the process of writing an essay has improved significantly.
Sincerely,
Madison Gregory