Ch.

7 Journal Entry Justin Toney

p. 213 (first option) EDUC 324

I learned to write the alphabet in Kindergarten like everyone else. As a beginning writer,

though, I was much more interested in talking and drawing than in writing. Reading books I

enjoyed changed my opinion though, and allowed me to translate the spoken stories into written

narrative. My first writing projects required me to use my pre-existing talents for crafts

(illustrations, making the book itself) and narration (this time in the form of written words). After

positive reinforcement from these creative experiences, I began to replicate this activity on my

own. My passion (not my instruction) for it led me to understand the difference between the

spoken and written word—a crucial skill required for the non-narrative writing that followed.

In upper elementary school, teachers began instructing me on “good writing” or “better

writing”. This is when I was introduced to the concept of clarity and vocabulary. Now that I had

the basic skill set, I was asked to perform at a higher level and in different contexts. My first

essay was a horrible struggle, but after careful instruction and practice with teachers and my

parents I was able to learn the specific skills necessary for that genre. As I grew my development

became more independent.

My ideas for writing came primarily as mimicry of what I had seen on TV or read in

books. Later, the ideas were a unique synthesis of many different mediums and experiences.

I was not introduced to a computer until the 5th grade, and not as a writing tool until

middle school. The pen and pad have always been my means of writing—enabling me to hold

onto the crutch of illustration and creative arrangement much longer than kids today. The pad

and pen also enabled me to write at any time in any place, a habit I retain. As I began to develop

my organizational skills in writing, I made many more outlines and summaries than actual

written texts, which became a problem in so much as I did not produce many texts after I had
fully formulated the idea or story that was in my mind. My motivation was still pure expression,

not writing itself.

In school, my assignments came later and with less frequency because of my bad habit of

only outlining. However, when it came it was highly praised. This abundance of praise actually

made me afraid to keep writing, because I always felt unable to surpass the previous victory. It

was not until late high school that I overcame this fear. In college, however it resurfaced briefly.

Working one-on-one with teachers in high school to hone my language gave me an initial head-

start, but no such one-on-one was offered at college. I received less praise, and my abilities did

not develop as quickly when left to my own devices to improve them. I had depended too much

upon my instructors for growth, and had to independently learn to learn independently in this

skill set (a difficulty I struggle with still).

Also in college, I was introduced to the concept of writing workshops for the first time. I

would have much preferred this earlier on in addition to the instruction from the teachers, so that

my peers and I would have the familiarity required to learn from one another in the absence of

individual expert instruction.