Portfolio: Reflective Letter

Before I came to PSEC, I did not think of myself as a good writer. I never had a good idea of how I was being asked to write my essays. From that, I tend to overstress about essays and I know that is a big part of the problem. During this first quarter of school, my writing has grown, but there are also still some weaker points in my writing as well. Some of my strengths are finding good quotes to back up my points through research and creating outlines. I know that my weaknesses are writing introductions and conclusions, and writing good transition sentences. Overall, I believe my writing skills have improved since the beginning of this quarter.

A strength I think I have is finding quotes that fit with my topic. In my Bacon’s Rebellion essay, I chose to write about how Nathaniel Bacon cared more about getting back at the Natives than actually helping the Virginians. I found a quote in A Young People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn that stated my thoughts perfectly. “Bacon owned a good bit of land. He probably cared more about fighting Indians than about helping the poor. Still, the common people of Virginia felt that he was on their side.” Books are a good way to find quotes, but online research is a faster way of finding information. Looking through JSTOR I have found quotes such as “including cultivating cotton for household use and for manufacture into cloth.” which fit my essay from essay 2 when I was discussing the crops found in Georgia. This quarter has taught me how to research online and in books. I understand much better what I’m supposed to be looking for when researching for essays.

Creating outlines is another strength I find in my writing. Even though outlines are not in the final draft or the essay, they help get there. I used to only know how to make webs or lists before writing essays. This quarter I was taught a new way to write my ideas in an outline. I love the idea of an outline more than a web because in an outline once it’s done, the essay is done as well! I know I slacked on the second essay’s outline, but I know I’m good at them because of the first one I did. I learned a new way of organizing my thoughts and I know I’ll keep using this style of outline.

Unfortunately, one of my weakest points in my writing is probably my introductions and conclusions. Since elementary, I have had this same problem. I am not very good at stating my ideas in a creative way that catches the reader’s attention. It is hard for me to make my conclusion sound different than my introduction. Both of them just turn into a list of the things I talk about in my essay. Nobody has ever “taught” me how to write an introduction or a conclusion, at least in a way that I understood. I would like to know how to write good introductions and conclusions because they are supposed to either catch the readers attention, or leave them with the feeling that they understand what I was talking about in my essay.

Another weak point in my writing is transition sentences. All It feels like I know how to do is use words like “clearly” and “unfortunately” to start a paragraph. But I know that isn’t right because I have read many professional essay’s and none of theirs only use “ly” words to transition. Even after my “ly” word, I don’t know how to use it in a good sentence that makes people understand what I’m going to be saying in my essay. I wish I had creative flare that would tell me whether or not what I am writing about is actually interesting or just dull and repetitive.

Closing out this quarter, I have begun to feel myself approach my goals of becoming a good writer. Though I feel like my skills as a writer are improving tremendously, I still do not feel that I am up to par on my overall writing skills. My conclusions and introductions are poor, and my transitions are just as bad but I’m making improvements. I have improved my researching skills this quarter, as well as writing outlines. I am really glad I was in this class because I improved greatly and now have a much better understanding of what an essay should look like.