Samantha Mazariego-Chinchilla

Katya Lopatko
WRIT 2 Spring 2023
04 June 2023

End of the Quarter Reflection

Writing is a crucial skill when it comes to effectively communicating with others. Our

writing can shape our thoughts, express various ideas, and influence our thoughts and actions.

Writing 2 has allowed me to emphasize these ideas and develop a stronger skill and passion for

writing. As I reread my written pieces from this past quarter, I have noticed immense growth in

my writing. There has been progress in terms of creativity, organization/structure, and an overall

development of confidence in my writing. In this reflection, I will highlight the progress I have

made in the area of writing over the past quarter.

Organization is an essential aspect of effective writing. In the past, my writing often lacked a

clear flow, which made it challenging for readers to follow my ideas. However, over the last

quarter, that has changed. In my WP1, I had to ensure that my writing was well-organized. A

good organization in wmy writing will provide clarity and captivate my readers. Especially when

translating information about a new biotechnology study to help individuals dealing with obesity,

something that they probably had not heard about before.

Initially, my purpose in WP1 was to inform people about the study. While I was able to do this in

the original document. I realized that my writing was too lengthy and losing the focus of my

purpose. At the start, I thought I had to include a massive lot of details but after reading, “Ten

Way to Think about Writing”, Reid stated, “Occasionally, it is effective to avoid details.” I
decided to reorganize my idea by eliminating unnecessary information. I specifically reduced the

details of the study itself and focused on results instead, as they were the most urgent and

relevant to my audience. I moved the concluding results paragraph to the beginning of the blog

post. This allowed me to quickly address the main purpose. I better explained the meaning of the

results, their implications for the average person, and potential treatments. By minimizing the

details of the study, I created a more concise and well-structured blog post that was coherent.

I also continued to work hard on my organization in my structuring/organizing skills in WP2. As

a challenge to myself, I decided to write a podcast script discussing the question: Does

bilingualism affect reading? I chose a podcast script because I wanted to engage my audience

effectively. A podcast script is only effective if its well-structured and cohesive. During my

revisions, I focused on explaining any technical vocabulary. Expaling m vocabulary made the

podcast clearer and more cohesive. I placed my definitions closer to the relevant terms and added

phrases such as 'which means' to enhance the descriptions. I also reordered specific sentences

and paragraphs to improve the overall flow of the podcast, making it informative and

entertaining. These changes helped engage my audience and made them want to listen to the

podcast as if it were a friendly conversation rather than an academic discussion about linguistic

studies. These revisions helped me create a more effective, concise, and well-structured writing

pieces.

Another improvement that had a deep impact on my writing throughout the quarter, and will

likely continue to do so for the rest of my life, is the emphasis on genre awareness. During my

journey in the class, I recognized the significance of utilizing specific genres and considering
target audiences in my writing. Genre is significant when detrminning audience, and vice versa.I

have made progress in refining my writing skills by effectively understanding and engaging with

various genres and audiences. This improved the impact and relevance of my work.

Kerry Dirk stated, "Knowing what a genre is used for can help people accomplish goals, whether

that goal is getting a job by knowing how to write a stellar resume, winning a person's heart by

writing a romantic love letter, or getting into college by writing an effective personal statement."

This quote really stuck with me when writing because it focuses on the significance of genre

knowledge when achieving desired outcomes in different writings. It emphasizes how mastering

the conventions of different genres can allow writers to effectively communicate their purpose

and connect to the targeted audience. Similarly, this was my focus in both writing pieces. In both,

I thought about my audience, and what genre would fit them best. This reading helped my

understanding of the importance of genre awareness in my future writing pieces.

A notable improvement in my writing skills was evident in WP2. I noticed that I did not really

have a targeted audience. Throughout the quarter, we engaged in various exercises that focused

on determining the appropriate genre, audience, content, and purpose. This helped me a lot when

having to determine my audience. Initially, in WP2, I did not have a specific audience in mind.

However, I took the opportunity to narrow my focus and identify a specific audience who I

believed would derive the most value from my content. I created a specific disritpion that would

help in choosing a specific audience.

Throughout the quarter, I searched for a confidence in my writing. The quarter allowed me to try

different styles to boost that confidence. The lack of confidence also made giving/recieving

critiques difficult. I always wanted my first draft to be close to perfection, which made doubt my

writing abilities. However, after reading “Shitty First Drafts”, there was a quote that really made

me ponder. Lamott stated, “All good writers write them. This. is how they end up with good

second drafts and terrific third drafts.”(21). I realized that the only way to improve my writing

was to start from the basics. The use of EliReview and participating in writing workshops opened

me up to receiving criticism. I discovered that the feedback I received from my classmates was

intended to be helpful and not meant to make me feel bad.

The last quarter I have seen a transformation in my writing skills. Through practice I noticed a

significant growth in various aspects of my writing. From enhancing organization, developing a

new confidence, and genre awareness, my writing has improved. I can't wait to use my writing

skills in the future, whether academically or socially.

 Work Cited

Dirk, Kerry. “Navigating Genres.” Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Volume 1, edited by
Charles Lowe and Pavel Zemlianksky, Parlor Press, 2010

Lamott, Anne. “Shitty First Drafts.” Language Awareness: Readings for College Writers. Ed. by
Paul Eschholz, Alred Rosa, and Virginia Clark. 9th Ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2005:
93-96

Reid, E. Shelley. “Ten Ways to Think About Writing” Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing
Volume 2, edited by Charles Lowe and Pavel Zemlianksky, Parlor Press, 2011