Summary

Here are three writing pieces I have done so far in my first college English course. They are each introduced with a short write-up about my thoughts on the piece itself. It is oddly enjoyable picking apart my own writing for once and pin pointing any problem areas. Below is a list of the writing pieces and their intros:

1. Picking Apart My Breakdown
2. Post-War Zone of Homework
3. Thoughts On The Radar Beauty
4. Radar Beauty
5. My Two Major Habits
6. Silver Lining of Disinterest 

Picking Apart My Breakdown

The topic of this writing piece was to capture a vivid memory from over a year ago where were not going through the best of times. The version posted is a very slightly altered version of what I wrote in class. I chose to go with the night I had a pile of homework up to my ears due at the end of the week. I had to complete all of the work while also having to be a manager at my job. I found this writing piece quite difficult because I’m not one to be open about any personal incidents. Even with feeling free to write what I wish, I was still vague with my feelings from that night. I have no issue explaining the scene or how others felt around me but talking about myself is something I’m not used too. To some this may not be seen as an issue but I feel that you should be connected with your writing. While I do strive to be interested in my writings, I rarely become emotionally attached. In my opinion, when a connection is made, the piece becomes more genuine and honest for the readers. This problem of mine is similar to how vague my writing can be which is explained in more depth with my final writing piece. Also, I have the tendency to be choppy with my writing. In the piece I jump from one situation from the other. For example, I go from briefly explaining my general problem to quickly jumping to everyone’s thoughts about me. It is difficult for me to blend ideas together to provide an easy transition. Although I wish I could open up more about exactly what I felt that night, I do not mind how my overall description of the night came out. 

Post-War Zone of Homework

                Notebooks opened to lengthy notes. Packets of paper scattered with random highlighted lines. Empty bottles of water here are there. A large plate with half eaten snacks laid on top of the piles of paper. My hair was in a knotty, unmanageable top bun. I was still in my froyo stained and bleach smelling work clothes. I had completely made my dining room a post-war zone of homework. Tonight I had to manage the store and lock up causing me to not get home till close to 12 on a school night. The pressure of being in high school and being a manager had finally hit. Everyone was impressed by how I was able to cope with having a part time job and still keep up my grades in school. All of the praise had gave me a false sense of having to continue the good work and not take a break for myself. The stress hit me like a ton of bricks which led to me having a small breakdown. I have always been a strong person with the ability to keep myself together so it hurt my family when they saw me crying and freaking out. My mother couldn’t handle seeing me in that state which caused her to also become upset. She told me that I needed a break but I knew I had to get my work done. That night I stayed up till the early hours of the morning and still went to school the next day with dark circles and bags under my eyes. Even with this incident, I’m still a workaholic. 

Thoughts On The Radar Beauty

For this writing piece, all that was given was a black and white picture of woman with a constant blinking radar for a face. While this was a free writing assignment for a few minutes in class, what is posted is a slightly revised version. I made the decision to continue with my thoughts because I still found myself having more ideas. While I know I could resume on with the same topic, I felt that I would quickly begin to ramble. Situations like these are rare for me because my brain typically becomes blank when I start to write.

                The reason behind choosing this writing piece is to showcase my abilities when it comes to creative writing. I enjoy these types of writing assignments because being able to creatively write allows for some of my best ideas to come out. Doing pieces of this kind remind me of picture narratives from elementary school which were my favorite. Although this writing piece is not particularly a decent one, I am proud of what I was able to come up with. For me, it is quite simple to create an imaginative idea in a limited amount of time. If a visual aspect is provided, I find myself with countless ideas. My problem is with properly writing down my thoughts fluently. After I exhaust myself of my thoughts, I begin to repeat myself. Towards the end of this writing piece, I became tangential on the fact that the woman in the picture is “searching”. Although it is the overall aspect of the piece, I got wrapped up in the idea and repeated it twice just in different words. I have noticed this habit of mine countless times, including while revising this piece. I chose to leave it as is to showcase that I still struggle with this problem.  

Radar Beauty

In the picture, a woman has both of her hands clasped to the side of her face. Her body language almost resembles an expression of someone swooning. Although, instead of a face, she has a constant blinking radar. The first thing that comes to mind is that she is searching for something or someone. Given her gesture, I get more of a sense that she is looking for a special someone or a significant other. Even with her face covered up, I am given a sense that she is a beautiful woman. She may have been hurt by past friendships and relationships but she is not phased. Still, she continues her search for her dream.

My Two Major Habits

Here it is, the first essay I have written as a college student and the way I feel about my writing has not changed. For this essay, I chose to talk about how finding a subject you care about is key for me when writing and for life in general. When it comes to essays, I could revise them countless times and still not feel confident in the finish product. Since writing is not my strong suit, I’m typically the first to criticize anything I write even if I am proud of the work I put into it. This piece has a large amount of revisions yet I feel that I have not really changed anything. Considering this is the biggest piece I have written in class so far, it has to be picked apart because it holds so many of my poor writing habits.

                Here comes my laundry list of problems and habits that showed through with this essay. While I do feel comfortable enough in the class to write freely, I will always have to write essays as formally as possible. I cannot break the five paragraph model even if I tried. I have been taught that an essay is not complete unless there is an opening and all that other stuff. Reading other works in the class made me realize that the five paragraph structure needs to be forgotten about at times. Without it, writing becomes almost unpredictable because the reader is not expecting the worn out arrangement of an essay. Another major problem I have is not being able to get my point across without sounding vague. In my head, I want to be straightforward but I feel that writing should be wordy and sophisticated. With this thought process, I tend to repeat myself in different words or just trail off without completing an idea I briefly began. I have difficulty with writing down my exact thoughts in a fluid manner that the reader will understand. Besides a few general wording revisions, I still think the point of my essay has not been properly conveyed. Sometimes I forget that the reader does not know my exact thoughts leaving them to have to decipher my writing. These are two major aspects of my writing habits that I plan on changing for the better.

Silver Lining of Disinterest

With countless amount of topics for writing, there are just as many instances where a writer will not be interested in a certain topic. If and when a subject is thought of to be uninteresting, chances are the disinterest will show through the writing piece itself. Finding a subject you care about is key. This has been a piece of writing advice I have taken into consideration the moment I came to the realization that writing is not my forte. Before starting to write an essay, I search for any aspect that I feel can capture my attention. Once my first personal task has been accomplished, writing flows easily. Therefore, the finished assignment would be something I am proud of and have invested my time into rather than sped through it. Whether it has to do with writing, reading, or life experiences, being interested in the subject at hand quickly relieves any burden felt.

 Unfortunately, as English classes became more difficult, any possible chance of gaining interest was thrown away. I began to realize that if the topic is not appealing, then completing a writing assignment thoroughly is still attainable with enough information. This is all thanks to the strict five paragraph instructions that allowed for a decent composition with little to no care. As long as an opening, three example paragraphs, and a conclusion were given, the result would be a passing grade. This will be achieved purely because it follows the appropriate format. With minimal room for creativity, I gained no interest in the topic I had to write about. If I did not enjoy writing before, at this point any chance was out the window. There were a few instances where all hope was not lost. Recounting personal events or being able to pick the topic were the few times I could write feely. When writing my college essay, I had no trouble opening up about my overwhelming interest in being able to bring music to someone whose life was changed by it. Gaining interest proved to be easy in these situations which would enable me to have ending products that I was proud of. A personal favorite will always be my paper on epilepsy in the Elizabethan times. It may sound odd for someone to be eager for a research paper, but I was genuinely enthusiastic to learn more about my topic. The endless hours of research were enjoyable so much so that I genuinely connected with my subject and cared about the research I was doing and the paper I was writing. It proved difficult to find information from the Elizabethan time period pertaining to anything health related. The troubles I faced with researching just drove me to delve in more into my topic because of its rarity. Linking the scarcity of information along with my existing strange interest in brain disorders, I was able to write what I consider a personal masterpiece.

Similarly, this advice also relates to reading material. If I had to read something that I thought of as boring, chances are that I did not retain any of the information and simply read it quickly just to complete it. Whenever I was instructed to read anything for American history I would skim through it with little to no interest, answer any questions if necessary, and then forget the information shortly after. On the other hand, if the focus of the reading is appealing, then I will take my time in order to keep hold of the material and enjoy it. Currently in college, I have had to read articles pertaining to the entertainment industry which is my dream field to work in. Given my extreme interest in my major, none of the assignments ever feel like an obligation. The business side of the entertainment world has captured my mind effortlessly. Specifically, I have recently learned about artist representation and venue management. With just the reading material I could recite the basics of both of these careers. Ask me to recall events from history classes and I would crumble apart. Although my interest in entertainment management entirely outweighs my loathing for history, even with a slight interest will allow me to remember the content.

Furthermore, finding a subject of interest has the ability to be applied beyond English related cases. It can be applied to a majority of life experiences and activities. At the age of 16, I began my job at a local frozen yogurt store. Since this was my first job, I took it seriously and became significantly more passionate because of how fun and easy it was. Between my comical coworkers, teenage acting boss, and delicious froyo flavors, I was never bored while working. I had no problem communicating with people and completing simple cleaning tasks her and there. Having customers tell me there day was made just by coming to treat themselves to froyo made me joyful. It almost came naturally to want to do well and improve. Given my high interest, I quickly climbed my way to becoming a manager a year later. On the other hand, I have had coworkers who felt working with froyo was too childish or boring leaving to put no effort into their job. By landing my idea of a pleasurable first job, I was motivated to climb up the ranks to become a manager.

Without even a slight care, it is easy to push aside any situation. Even with my lack of interest and capabilities in writing, I have been able to overcome some of the most exhausting assignments. Lack of motivation has been a grueling issue in my writing and reading thus far in my academic career. By coming to the realization with the writing advice, “find a subject you care about”, I have found myself to become interested and therefore motivated. I would like to challenge others to always search for that silver lining of interest.