Michael Young Deena Varner ENGL 10600 8 December 2013 Cover Letter Learning is by far one of the most

iterative processes that occurs during life. Information is absorbed, studied, put to practice through homework and projects, forgotten, reviewed, retaught, and expanded upon. In this way, students continually build upon the concepts they have already learned and improve their knowledge of the subject. Writing especially, is a skill that has to be developed and practiced numerous times in order to refine it and really hone in on all the aspects of good writing. Throughout English 10600, I have learned and practiced several aspects of the writing process that I never have before. However, after a few times of implementing them into my own writing, I have noticed large improvements in the style and overall effectiveness of my writing. By recognizing the context of my writing, the audience that I am trying to reach, and using document design and different media, my writing has become more effective, interesting, more diverse and applicable to more situations. The context in which you are writing your essays is very important in that it frames up your entire work and allows the audience to connect to the essay and know where you are coming from in your argument. In my Rhetorical Analysis, I reviewed the effectiveness of a 1943 advertisement for Baby Ruth Candy Bars. In order to fully understand the nuances and subtleties of the ad, it is necessary to learn the historical context in which it was printed. The World War II era is so different than any other time because the war consumed and dictated all activity in the States. All citizens supported the war and actively joined the effort by working and buying war bonds. This is essential to know to evaluate the ad because is plays on the mindsets of the citizens during that time. This context portion may not have been included in my future works without this class and I am glad to say that I have added it to my writing process. Additionally, I had never realized the importance of audience recognition in rhetorical work. If you do not directly identify the audience you are trying to address and analyze them before you start writing you can very easily appeal to the wrong audience and your paper becomes ineffective because the readers feel no connection to your argument. The Rhetorical Analysis allowed to me to dive into the heads of the citizens on the Home Front working day in and day out to further the war effort and help push us to victory. These people value family and the work of the military highly, and share great respect for the men that protect the freedom of the United States and the freedom of all others. This fact is integral to the ad because the marketers play on the social view of the military to convince others to buy their product. Taking the step to analyze your audience and determine their values and beliefs really benefits the quality of your writing, pushes it to the next scholarly level, and makes your argument and appeals more successful.

Finally, I learned how beneficial document design could be to the writing process and how it adds another element to the paper and makes it a lot more interesting. Adding images, different fonts, quote boxes, colors, and borders can really enhance the aesthetics of an essay and visually draw attention to it. In my revisions of the Rhetorical Analysis, I decided to add to the design of the essay, but also take on a theme that went with the topic of the essay. I chose to make the document red, white, and blue in the spirit of the U.S. and its military, and also because they are the colors of Baby Ruth bars. I also added clever headings for each paragraph that relate to their purpose, but also military paraphernalia. Alternating colors and adding relevant pictures keeps the document interesting and also holds the attention of the audience. In addition to document design, the skill of working in several different mediums this semester has greatly benefitted my skill set as a writer. By producing, traditional essays of several genres, podcasts, and websites, I learned many different types of tools that I can use to address the diverse projects I am going to encounter throughout my college education and career. From Reviews, to Narrative Arguments, to Proposals and Research Projects, I acquired the tools necessary to express and argue my ideas in different scenarios. These in combination have allowed me to diversify my writing and has prepared to me be successful in numerous types of projects. To conclude, I feel that my experience in English 10600 has greatly added to and polished my writing. The lessons and skills presented in this course have raised the level of my writing to something much more complete and conscious to the factors outside my thoughts that should have an impact on the scope, style, and design of my writing. By including the cultural and historical context of the problem, the audience and their thoughts, and the genre you wish to write in into your planning, you are really addressing the complexity that surrounds your topic and you will create much more effective work. These lessons have helped me develop these skills and I have honestly seen the results in my work this semester. This process of learning, practicing, and refining can help me in all classes and allow me to be successful and see results in my collegiate scholarly endeavors and career my goals.