Slide #2: introduction

Autoethnography is the combination of biography and ethnography, the union of both key
subjects components are: the writing style, personal experiences or reflection, connection and
subjectivity. In each project we were to challenge ourselves to use our own personal experiences in the
subjectivity we are most familiar with to reflect and connect to each project in our own writing. As for
project 1 we learned the steps of reminiscing about an event or object and the connection it made to our
identity using our own writing style. In project 2 we were tasked with the similar requirement except we
were asked to choose a community we are most familiar with and connect the literacies in the community.
In this autoethnography, it will showcase my comfortability of writing and how it evolves through each
project. Along with techniques I learned along my writing 1 course and how I became a different writer at
the end of the course.

Slide: Background and Beginning (B&B)

Writing has always been a difficult subject for me to grasp, ultimately it became a insecurity of
mine. Previously with any writing assignment, the process was especially difficult along with finding
ways to incorporate my interest and voice in academic writing. Writing is based on words which also
made it difficult for me to fully express my thoughts into correct words that the audience could
understand as well. Reflecting upon highschool, I remember the hours I would spend solely on a rough
draft for 7 hours while others do it within 3 hours. I always depict my rough draft as a final draft so when
it comes to revisioning from others, there would be less “destructive” comments. During revisioning,
whether from teachers or peers, I always have this uneasy feeling as if they can see my weakness and
judge me for it. I had always assumed that growing up as a first generation was the cause of my lack of
confidence in writing as english was not my first language. Though no matter the reasoning, the overall
concept of writing was always weary to me. Other subjects where there are direct answers with no
arguments such as math, no one can argue 2+2 isn’t 4, it's straight logic. Unlike writing, there is no right
answer, instead you persuade yourself to be correct or prove in words your version or ideology along with
persuading the audience, the domain of writings is so expanded that there isn't really a direct answer.
Going into Writing 2, I was preparing for research on topics, reading a book and writing about it, or
argumentative essays. I expected research on topics that did not incorporate myself. Entering with the
same mindset I had previously on writing.

Slide : Reflection
During this course we were given the task to reflect on the articles, emotions, or work every week to help
guide this final project. In the beginning of the weekly reflection I can remember and visually how
nervous and timid I was for the Writing 1 course. In between I experience a lot of Writers block in my
journey but learn new methods to overcome it such as the freewriting we would do everyday of the
lectures. Writing blocks was a common occurrence that I showed in my reflections during each project,
this challenging part of writing always made me feel slump as a writer. As we were also given the task to
read articles and take notes, through this I found solidarity. In week 9 and 10 of the reflection, I can see
the occurring growth and how I went from being stumped when creating ideas to creating visions for this
project. The occurring themes in my reflection were the ways I overcame my emotions and the
challenges of writing, along with the way I would write how I talk, and the epiphany on transforming
that fear into growth.
Slide: Growing and connecting
In the first project of the course, project 1: memoirs, we had to reminisce a lot about who we are.
The question “who we are” is pretty easy to answer but answering the question of “what made us who we
are” involves more than just an introduction. In fact the topic wasn’t the only challenge behind it but to
me the biggest challenge was the style of writing. I have gotten so used to “academic writing” that I
believe that academic writing and personal writing are 2 components that aren’t in the same category.
Straying away from the informational writing I was used to was really challenging. Through reading the
article “Storytelling and Identity by Sara Aired” I got more insight on the key components of storytelling
and how to show my identity in writing. It is also related to one theme of my reflection on how I “write”
is how I “talk.” Originally this theme threw me off but then reflecting about the Sarah Aird Article I can
understand the meaning behind the theme. That is I was able to use writing structure and words to specify
what made me feel and allows me to use words powerful enough throughout the story. Then going back
to project 1, I was able to use my “storytelling” writing style in more ease that allowed me to not only
showcase what is my identity as a person but to also create my identity of writing. In project 2: the
concept of academic writing and personal writing was combined whereas project 1 was more of a
storytelling. In both Project 1 and 2, challenges such as writing blocks were occurring commonly and the
ideas on how to start frustrated me. In the article “How writing happens” by DePiero allowed me to
reflect upon myself and my writing process. It made me feel okay with feeling slumped out as no matter
how advanced one goes in writing, it is inevitable to feel a blockage. A common method of easing on
emotions during a writer's block was freewriting. In the article by Elbow about freewriting it explains its
benefits in which I never understood before the article. It explains how freewriting can clear one's minds
and can even help start the writing process. This allowed me to get through project 1 and 2 as some
freewriting we would do before the lecture helped remember an event or ideas for the projects. As both
projects progressed, another step was the revisioning. In Richard Straub's article it allowed me to decipher
a constructive and destructive revisioning commentary. I had always assumed any time a comment were
to be made about my writing always lead to “it's not good enough”. Though in this article it allowed me to
understand the revisioning process and how to take it. I believe my writing really grew from here as I
wasn’t insecure about any revision comments from peers or teachers as I was before. Instead for both
projects I began thinking about their vision and made plans on how to make it better. These articles and
projects truly allowed me to grow as a writer. As sara Aird article helped my writing conflict during
project 1 that allowed me to understand my style of writing, Project 2 allowed me to realize my personal
writing can be academic writing, DePiero article allowed me to feel okay with the process of writing,
freewriting by Elbow allowed methods for me to continue writing without having my emotions overcome
me, and Richard Straub articles during both project 1 & 2 allowed me to take revisioning without taking
anything to heart instead take it to writing for a better draft.

Slide #5: Conclusion

Reflecting upon who I was 10 weeks ago as a writer, I won't necessarily say I grew from a seed to a tree,
seeing that when it comes to writing, no one can not be an expert, they can be more knowledgeable on the
subject. Though every writer experiences blockage, or frustration upon an idea, it does not go away the
higher the education one reaches. Therefore, metaphorically I can say I grew into a young tree. Which is
one thing this course has taught me was in every writing journey the feeling of frustration is commonly
normal and it does not correlate to the experience the writer has, it is a universal feeling. Learning this
made me feel comfortable as a writer. To improve in writing, I believe I had to improve as a writer
before. Getting confidence in the writing process was my first step in which my roots of my tree have
gotten stronger. By gaining confidence and my own writing style allowed me to take constructive
criticism by my peers or teachers into a better draft of both projects. Learning how to revise and how to
give revision was another major step reflecting upon 10 weeks ago as taking in commentary from others
always made me feel as if my writing was simple-minded. Though during this course I was able to learn
more about revisioning and the importance of how it can evolve a writer. Little by little by engaging more
into the meaning behind every writing process and how commonly the emotions are during the process, I
began engaging more into writing myself and found a common interest and that is the universal process of
writing everyone experiences. Comforting my mind knowing that writing is all about confidence and
attempts not isolation nor making the perfect writing in one-two attempts.