Joseph C.

Carey
English-112-07
July 6 2016
Prof. Intawiwat
Essay- Rough Draft
Reflection
Initially, the finished product that my proposal described was going to be sterile and
scientific. It sounded like it would be very informative, but not necessarily enjoyable to read. I
imagined a slew of figures and statistics with prose written in a highfalutin style with lots of high
dollar words. But thats not what I wrote. My rough draft ended up as a near-conversational
middle-of-the-road styled composition with a down-to-earth appeal. There are plenty of facts, but
instead of straight on scientific explanations and definitions there are educated opinions and
observations. Instead of mundane empirical data there are illuminating concepts and personal
reflections.
The change in my creative approach started when I began to do some real in-depth
research for my project, but it didnt fully bloom until I sat down to begin my actual writing
process. The differences between the starting point and the final outcome arent subtle, but as
they happened they were nearly imperceptible. I believe the transformation occurred because
when I first developed my idea I thought I knew more about bipolar functionality than I did.
Arrogance I suppose. Also, I became more personally involved. Strange- considering the paper I
wrote is really all about me and my struggles. However, my analysis allowed me to review a
mass of testimonials from other bipoles just like me and gain a great deal of insight I might not
have otherwise. I began my investigations with on-line databases; ProQuest Central was actually
the first one I had ever explored. Im from a time when the campus library was a students
greatest resource. Regardless, I found it very useful. A couple of my best sources came directly
from there: an invaluable dissertation on successful occupational strategies and a thoroughly
comprehensive survey that expressly paralleled my chosen subject. I also looked at a database of

medical journals and managed to discover two articles that were able to shed some additional
and much needed light on my topic. Because we were required to have general sources as well, I
ran several generic searches through Mr. Google. Digging through the resulting garbage and
repetitious nonsense was really quite taxing. I believe it was at some point during that process
that I concretely decided to narrow my focus a bit. So, in reality, that particular misadventure
was quite beneficial to the process. I determined the legitimacy and credibility of two exhaustive
mental health resource websites and collected a number of quality relevant columns from them. I
also chose a 2012 film that impeccably presents bipolar disorder in all its ugly glory. Its a well
done comedic drama and a rewarding watch. I was able to mine multiple pertinent quotations
from it. And, yes, the boy does in fact get the girl at the end. I feel a little dirty even mentioning
my final source, but Ill fess up like an adult. I used Wikipedia. I didnt set out to, and I didnt
obtain any information that wasnt readily available from other sources. Wikipedia simply had an
all-encompassing catalog of famous bipoles conveniently listed, all as one source. So I cited it.
Im not proud.
As I said, the research process helped me sharpen the focus of the piece I wound up
writing. The amount of results I came across on particular disabilities and functionalities inspired
me to pick a few of the more common and most represented ones. As a result, I was able to
collect pinpoint details and solid personal accounts to use. This in turn helped me shape the form
and format I finally arrived at. Reading the style of prose I found in those narratives prompted
me to consider my target audience and inspired me to give up the flighty intentions I had and
simply use my own everyday voice. It worked out well. The researched material also motivated
me to categorize the different approaches I intended to take, which in turn led me to create
section headers. This choice sealed the deal on exactly how my paper would look and be
organized. Considering these headers seem to be the only place where the strict MLA guidelines
allow for a bit of personality, I took full advantage and incorporated my own style into the
wording and appearance of them. From there it seemed a simple matter of constructing an outline

of what I wanted to say, whose personal anecdotes to feature, and what supporting data to
include.
Our brief critique group did actually influence my decision to write about bipolar
disorder. In my early exploration, I began to focus on the notion that I felt like an outsider and
how could I best fit in with society, rather than ditching modern culture like Chris McCandless
and heading out into the wilderness. However, I was fortunate enough to be in a group consisting
entirely of self-declared outcasts. At that point I knew I had to dig deeper. I had to be honest with
myself; I had to get real. So I began conceptualizing what is probably the longest piece of writing
I have ever composed. I realized a funny thing along the way though. Normally, Im a fairly
reserved guy. I dont talk all that much and try to say only what needs to be said. I genuinely
believe that its important for people to listen more than they speak. That being said, when it
comes to writing, I honestly cant shut the fuck up! I cant do it! I simply cannot do it. Selfediting is definitely not in my wheelhouse, as you can probably tell if youve been with me since
the outset of this paper. For all that, I have to say that I am damn proud of what Ive created here.