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Alisandra Perez

Wesso

Writing 2

18 March 2023

Reflective Letter

In this portfolio, I have included two writing projects that have different purposes which

involve showing the translation of genres and the other portrays several authors conversing on a

generational writing. The first project includes a podcast where I go into detail about how a

bipolar disorder treatment worked on a group of test subjects. The next project consists of a

cartoon that conveys a conversation between authors discussing generational writing at a

convention. These are two unique ways to express a message while keeping the reader interested.

I personally enjoy these types of genres and knew that they would capture the attention of others

as the written component was very minimal. Looking back at these papers made me realize there

were a lot more revisions to be made than I had originally anticipated but once I made those

revisions I was satisfied once again with my projects. This portfolio includes staples of my

writing and how it has evolved throughout the course. I want to show others how fluid writing is

and how it does not always have to be tied to an essay format.

After taking this writing class, I realized there was a lot about writing that I had very little

knowledge of. The last time I had gone this in depth with my writing was in high school almost

two years ago. I have grown as a writer because I learned more about several techniques I can

use and how there are many genres you can use to voice your opinion through writing. It is not

only limited to words on paper. Before taking this course, I thought of writing as words on paper

but now I can see there's more to it. As a writer, I learned how to express myself through a
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podcast and cartoon. For instance, we can also see this through the formatting of, “A Feminist

Take on a Three Course Meal” by Eva Reyman, where she expressed her thoughts through a

recipe. I would have never thought of this as a way to express my writing. I also learned how to

make my writing better through syntax and mechanics because the way you formulate your

sentences can make a difference in your writing. I also learned more after reading how different

authors write which also helped me incorporate these techniques into my writing. As Mike Bunn

once said in, “How to Read Like a Writer,” “[t]he goal as you read like a writer is to locate what

you believe are the most important writerly choices represented in the text” emphasizing how

writing can help convey a message(72). Everyone’s writing has a purpose where it be writing

down their thoughts or completing an assignment. I realized that a lot of the material I write

about is mainly focused on my opinions of a matter which gives it purpose. I also learned that

becoming a better writer is not only based on language but also using a tone that is appropriate

for your audience. It is important to set a tone because if the piece is meant for a more formal

setting there would be more professionalism. However, if it is meant to be read by other students

or friends it may be more informal. Kerry Dirk recalls in, “Navigating Genres,” he “noticed that

the writer did not talk as an authoritative figure but as a coach”(250). This reflective letter is an

example of this because I am looking back to how I feel my writing has changed after taking this

course. If the reading feels connected to the written piece they will be more intrigued therefore

causing them to be engaged. If I had more time, I would continue to work on my vocabulary and

formulate better sentences. Recently, we learned about the importance of nominalization and

how switching out words and phrases can enhance your writing. I began incorporating

nominalization during my revisions to help get rid of unnecessary words and to avoid a passive
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tone. Using the advice from other authors and as well as from lessons in the class has overall

helped me gain confidence in my writing.

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Works Cited

Bunn, Mike. “How to Read Like a Writer.” 2011.

https://gauchospace.ucsb.edu/courses/pluginfile.php/10674429/mod_resource/content/4/

Bunn%20%282011%29.pdf

Dirk, Kerry. Navigating Genres - WAC Clearinghouse. 2010,

https://wac.colostate.edu/books/writingspaces1/dirk--navigating-genres.pdf.

Reyman, Eva. “A Feminist Take on a Three Course Meal.” Translating Genres, 2022,

https://gauchospace.ucsb.edu/courses/pluginfile.php/10674478/mod_resource/content/3/

Reyman%20%282022%29.pdf.