Reflective Letter rough draft (~70% comp)

Writing is a subject that I tend to find comparable to studying a rock in terms of joy and excitement. In other words it is not my subject of choice and I would much rather deal with numbers and equations or analyze the structure of our economy or something along those lines. However, over the course of writing 101 this quarter, I feel I have accomplished a lot as a writer. I have improved upon many of my essential skills as a writer and discovered what areas of writing I consider my strengths. Also, through completing the various assigned papers I have come to realize the areas of writing in which I am weaker and need to improve upon. The following portfolio contains two of the papers that I have written this quarter. These papers are basically exhibitions of my strengths and weaknesses as a writer I mentioned above. In addition, the editing and revisions I have made to these papers, some of which are contained in this letter, provide examples of how my writing skills have improved.

Seeing as how writing is not my favorite subject, there are some obvious areas within the necessary skills of writing that I consider to be my weaknesses. One that I particularly notice is that I need to improve on my transitions from paragraph to paragraph. For example, in my essay "From Darkness to Light, A Story of Heroism", I end my first body paragraph which suggests that a hero is someone who will do anything for their fellow man with this sentence: “If saving a fellow comrade from certain death by bullet and absorbing the blow yourself does not make someone a hero, then I don’t know what does.” The following paragraph brings up my next point that a hero must be able to make quick, smart decisions on the spot, and begins with the sentence: “A hero must also be able to make quick and smart decisions when they are thrown into extraordinary situations.” My transition is not only weak, but practically non-existent. I have since added a transitional sentence in between these two, which reads: “The quality of sacrifice found within a hero might be matched only by their need for sound, on the spot judgment.” The addition of this sentence provides a link between the two paragraphs rather than abruptly switching from one point to the next.---------------------------------------------------------------- ‘insert another weaknes here’-------------------------------------------------------------

Throughout my years of writing, I have noticed that there are certain areas in which I consistently exhibit proficiency. Varying sentence structure and length is something I feel that I do very well in my papers. A paper that drones on and on with sentences that are all the same length and structure becomes very dull and boring and results in a paper that is torture on the brain of the reader. As a writer, it is one hundred percent necessary to mix long, short, and in between length sentences within paragraphs. Along with this, varying the structure/type of sentence is also essential in creating a more readable paper. This involves using a combination of compound sentences, short powerful statements, rhetorical questions, vivid descriptions, etc. My strength in this area of writing is apparent throughout my second essay. The fifth paragraph, for example, contains sentences from a multiple of varieties. I use a sentence that describes bombs exploding and gunshots ringing through the air which is preceded by a very short and straight forward, six word sentence, yet followed by a longer, compound sentences. Shortly following I pose a question to the reader and use the next couple sentences to explain my answer to that question. It is that sort of sentence variation that creates an interesting paper to read, and one that does not become monotonous to the reader.