Abstract: in this essay, I talked about the process of my writing in my writing section 10115 class throughout the fall 2020 semester. This essay includes all the things we have learned as well as my struggle with writing as well as how I have improved. While writing this self-assessment essay I was able to see and acknowledge my growth in writing.
Instructor Megan Skelly
FIQWS 10115
Fall 2020
Lissette Lucero
“My writing process”
I have achieved the course learning objectives to a certain extent because as a writer I still need to improve and become better at having a well-written essay. At the beginning of the semester, I had to explore a variety of genres and rhetorical situations from others, and my own when I had to read a short essay by James Baldwin. I then had to write a reflection on what I know of writing as well as pick a favorite piece of advice on writing that James Baldwin offers in his article. Writing the reflection made me explore and analyze someone else’s writing critically because by looking at his writing I was able to have a picture of what I will need to do in future assignments for this class. Later on, I had to explore and read Audre Lorde’s essay and take notes about theoretical terms for reference for my own theoretical analysis essay. Reading Lorde’s essay helped me develop strategies for reading, drafting, and editing because then, I had to meet with my group members to come up with a group rhetorical analysis of the essay using the same terms Lorde used. After that, I had to comment on two groups’ posts on the discussion board so then they, later on, revised and edited their work.
Then I had to practice the “systematic application of citation convention” into my summary and response essay rough draft which included a summary of and rhetorically analyzed the original text that I had chosen, including two direct quotes from the piece. I had to “recognize and practice key rhetorical terms and strategies when engaged in writing situations” when I had to do my language, literacy narrative final essay because I had to include key rhetorical terms such as author and audience, tone, purpose, genre, medium, stance, language, exigence, and constraints. At first, it was difficult for me because I was confused and concerned about how I was going to apply all of the terms into the essay as well as how well was I going to put it all together in order to be understandable. But with practice and revising I was able to write a well-developed essay. I was able to “develop and engage in the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes” when I had to revise my classmate’s rough draft essays by which I had to explain something their essay does well (a strength) and something that could be improved upon or made clearer and any questions or confusion I was left with.
On my summary and response final essay which was a creative project I had to compose texts that integrate the stance and language with appropriate sources, using strategies such as “summary, critical analysis, interpretation, synthesis, and argumentation” and also help my peers with their essays by giving them feedback on what they need to fix or change in order for their essay to be well written. I had to “locate research sources (including academic journal articles, magazine and newspaper articles) in the library’s databases or archives and on the internet and evaluate them for credibility, accuracy, timeliness, and bias” for my research essay in which I learned how to use the CCNY library as well as how to look for specific articles that will help me with my topic. I also had to understand how to use digital technologies to address a range of audiences when I did a reflection on my research paper. I had to describe my essay to an audience beyond my professor which was easy to do because I already did all the work in the research essay and now I just had to summarize the whole essay into a paragraph.
My perceptions of what writing is and does have evolved during this semester because at first, I thought the writing was all about doing an essay that will get me a good grade. But now I know that writing goes beyond just writing for a good grade. I learned that it involves time, editing, and patience because even famous writers don’t get their best book in one try. It takes time to create something not only for myself to enjoy reading but also for my audience because if they are not engaged with my writing then they won’t read it. I also learned that even when you thought your essay was done there were still minor mistakes that needed to be fixed only if you keep going back to re-read and see if your final writing has the things you wanted to address or to clarify. I also learned to have patience because it will take some time to finish and have a well-written essay.
