Essay Reflection #1

My Previous Writing Philosophy

To me, writing is a form of communication, expression, and discovery. When I write, I usually use my writing as a means to communicate my thoughts and ideas. Other times, I simply write to express myself. Whether I'm mad, glad, or sad, I can always write something to express my feelings. Even if no one ever reads my writing, there is still some sense of emotional fulfillment when I am able to express myself on paper. And in expressing myself, I can sometimes understand myself more than I did before. And that's where the discovery aspect comes in. When I'm writing to communicate with someone, my objectives are to clearly and effectively compose my thoughts, theories, and ultimately my message on paper. And hopefully the reader will understand what I'm trying to say, possibly learn something new, and obtain a clear view of my perspective

The aspects of my first writing philosophy still remain true. Over the past several weeks, however, I've learned and experienced some things that have augmented my customary approach to writing. I've learned that when you're trying to make a point in your writing, you've got to be able to back it up with evidence and be persuasive. At the same time, you should remain truthful and try not to be too bias. I think that you should try to represent the truth properly and accordingly, and then represent your opinion properly.

In the past, I've usually BSed most of my papers. I usually didn't care much about the topic, but I just wanted to write enough filler to get at least a decent grade. This meant coming up with a random and easy thesis, and then finding some data/research/info to support it. Then, pour out a whole bunch of academic crapola and turn it into the teacher. And, obviously, writing like that never worked out too well. With the Bacon's Rebellion essay, Craig really challenged the class to approach the project a bit differently. He encouraged us to do most of the research first, and then come up with a thesis based on your interpretation and response to the research. This process really opened up new horizons in the way I approach writing academically. This essay made me actually care about what I was writing and think about the subject. And when I was actually interested in what I was writing, I was able to tap into my writing zone and started to enjoy the writing. 

All in all, the completion of this essay was a big accomplishement for me. It was a daunting task, but finishing it was so fulfilling. Lately, my confidence in my writing has been dangerously low. But after completing this essay, my confidence has really been boosted. Now I must admit that I did procrastinate sometimes. I was way overly stressed about the assignment and got it done at the last minute. In the future I hope to break any bad habits of procrastination so I can be stress-free and put forth my best work.