Brandon Sohn

UWRT
Mitchell
12/10/17
Writing Theory Reflection

At the start of the year, I wrote that I consider myself to be a writer, not because of my
skill level of writing but because of my ability to transfer and express ideas and thoughts in my
head onto words on paper (Journal #1: Writing Theory August 22 2017). It takes a lot of time
to be able to think of ideas and be able to transfer those ideas into words and put them onto a
piece of paper. In some cases, one must go through a lot of thinking, planning, drafting,
reviewing, etc. in order for the work to be perfected. In other cases, one can simply scribble his
or her thoughts, feelings, and ideas onto paper with no meaning behind it at all. This process of
transferring ideas onto a canvas, in my opinion, makes anyone eligible to be a writer. This does
not mean that I think that anyone who can write their ideas can be the next Shakespeare, but the
attempt and the process itself can make one a writer.
I would say that my strategy as a writer is to do the best I can to display thought into
whatever I am writing and use strategies that would be most helpful in me conveying my ideas
whether I am writing a persuasive essay, a research paper, etc. If I am writing an essay or a
research paper, etc. I have a composing process that I feel that will help me best be able to write
my best. According to Studio 7; composing processes are strategies used to help develop and
finalize projects (Studio 7: Reflection, Writer Identity, and E-Portfolio December 3 2017).
I jot out my ideas on a piece of paper than write a rough draft conveying those ideas.
After my draft, I review it a few times fixing any grammatical or any other errors I may have,
then I show it to a friend or peer for peer review. Peer reviews are important because they give
another set of eyes to your writing. If I am just writing a short paragraph or something of the
sort, I usually write the ideas that I have in my head and edit as I go along.
As a reader, I feel that my skills have definitely improved over the course of the year. In a
way, I feel that the improvements in my writing this semester has in turn had a positive effect on
my skills as a reader. The composing process used in my writing as well as the attention to detail
such as knowledge of conventions, rhetorical knowledge, etc. has helped me better be able to
understand and comprehend my texts. My definition of rhetorical knowledge aligns with
Aristotles, as described in a journal entry for Module 2: Rhetoric is the faculty of discovering
in any particular case all of the available means of persuasion (Module #2 Step #2: Rhetorical
and Analytical Moves September 6 2017). It helps with the understanding of how to use tone,
mechanics, structure, etc in order to convey your message to the audience more efficiently. I am
able to better comprehend and understand the writer's message in a book or passage because of
my knowledge of these methods.
I think this semester has helped me improve on my weaknesses, polish my strengths, and
also gain new strengths as a writer and a reader. I still think my weaknesses as a writer is simply
the struggle to begin writing. Thinking of what to write leads to impatience and annoyance, and
that causes me to move onto other things such as going on my phone, watching tv, etc. However
I feel that my strength as a writer is that once I am able to get started, I find no problem in
pouring out my ideas and putting together a solid paper. When I start writing I find myself
always getting into a groove and am able to efficiently convey what I am trying to express.