Week 9

Reflect on your writing process and how it’s changed. Return to the scene of your first blog, and tell us how you write now, what you are alert to in your writing these days, and what you think might still need work on your writing. Consider this your “outgoing” letter about writing for the class. 



The aspect of my writing which has changed the most is my ability to express ideas concisely. I have a tendency of writing in an incredibly convoluted way. It often comes off as pretentious or simply confusing, and I've had to put a lot of effort into fixing this trait. I think that my main problem is the process by which I actually go about writing- I think as I write, and my ideas stem from one another during the time in which I record them. I've always had a difficult time outlining papers on account of this, and as a result my sentences are often confusing even to me. This class has brought my attention to this trait; I've been very conscientious of my diction and syntax.
A trait of my writing that I didn't quite solve over the course of this class is my ability to balance narrative voice with factual storytelling. I have an affinity for reflecting on the subtleties of a situation, and am often hard pressed to focus on the actual story at hand. This is an issue I will be focusing on addressing in my rewrite of the first essay.

Week 11

For my rewrite, I would like to fix my first paper. It was my lowest grade, and I think presents a great deal of opportunity for improvement. The paper was about mine and my sister’s relationship. The major missing piece in it was more narrative; though my voice was strong, my storyline was a bit abrupt and sporadic. I think that adding more detail about our developing relationship, as well as some specific interactions, would greatly benefit the piece.

Furthermore, I would like to include some more quotes from her and how they affected me. I don’t think that I made clear just how strong an influence she had on me. Our relationship is special to me for the reason that it shows great disparity in what once was, and what has become of it. This disparity needs to be highlighted. Perhaps a good way of going about that would be to develop a more tangible theme- a string of sorts for the story to carry along.

Blog 10

“It isn’t often that we are all able to come together. It isn’t often that I can look to the right and see my wife’s sister, and at the right see my wife’s sister’s brother in law. This day is special not simply for the holiday- it is special for the opportunity of a snapshot. Right now, I see a snapshot of this family and I can only hope for us all to remember and cherish it. Happy thanksgiving, and L’chaim!”

Thanksgiving is a relative term, is it not? Technically, the holiday is an expression of gratitude; it is a day dedicated to the appreciation of all that is fortunate in our lives. In my life, that fortune is most simply put as one word- family. 

My Thanksgiving this year was spent in Elicott City, Maryland, at my aunt’s house. Everyone was there, from every side of everyone’s families. That’s the key term here- “everyone.” No matter how bland conversation got, it was still enticing for the sheer reason that everyone was there to witness it. It’s rare for my family to get together. Between all of the extended branches and sects, we have people living in Michigan, Maryland, and Illinois. Any one of three states define most of our trips, yet they never occur simultaneously. We also managed to have three generations together in a room for an extended period of time; the rarity of this cannot be understated. And so, perhaps the key term for my thanksgiving wasn’t “everyone,” but rather- “three?” Either way, it gave me a sense of belonging I’ve forgotten existed. In my world of class, work, friends, and acquaintances, it was nice to get a break and indulge in the fortune that is family.