first timed writing (Lord of the flies)
Reflection
Process: This writing had the onerous constraint of time, for it was meant to give Mrs. Boyd a sense of how one would write without aid. However, I felt, in a way, liberated by the time’s boundaries because it made me narrow down the scope of my writing to that which was important. Of course, I tried to impress Mrs. Boyd during this timed writing because it was the first time she would ever read a piece of mine. To begin, I brainstormed by writing a thesis idea and three main points of support that would become a paragraph. This was minimal because I wanted to focus on the writing rather than the planning. I chose to begin the essay with a general statement about writing so that I could hook the reader with a claim that would later be proved. Then, I narrowed down the scope of that claim to a single, arguably provable thesis. Having outlined my essay in the introduction, I began to prove my three main points with evidence from the text that I found while writing due to time limitations. I did not get to finish as the time was called before I could finish my second paragraph. This process was, essentially, a compressed version of how I would write an actual essay.
Product: Though the comments and grade from Mrs. Boyd seemed to favor this timed writing assignments, there are only a few aspects I like. I suppose the best part about my essay would be its propriety and register, for it was appropriate for the task at hand and contained few errors in terms of informality. This was accomplished because it is second-nature for me to write formally, and, even when I am writing to dear friends, I keep some form of proper English. One can also argue that the essay demonstrated a significant understanding of the topic of discussion through my ability to pull quotes so quickly from the text and tie it into my argument. This was accomplished because I marked the points in the plot line while reading that would prove significant later. Finally, this essay is noteworthy because of its organizational qualities. I organized my essay briefly before writing it, which certainly enhanced its overall appeal to a reader. Of course, organization is hard to spot in a mere two paragraphs, but, if I had the time to finish, it would undoubtedly be well organized. Be sure, this product demonstrated my writing abilities as best as can be demonstrated in a miniscule amount of time.
Growth: This essay was a marvelous opportunity for growth and the gaining of new knowledge. First, I learned the most about my teacher through writing this assignment. When Mrs. Boyd was grading my essay, she had a smile on her face, and the whole of her comments included checks and the word “beautiful.” That encouraged me as I am often insecure about my writing, but it also made me wonder how I could improve if only positive feedback is given. However, after speaking with Mrs. Boyd, she did give me a few areas to improve my writing. In terms of writing itself, I suppose I learned what not to write in a restricted writing environment. I have a propensity to write superfluously, and, as a result, I got less than half of the things I wanted to say on paper. Knowing that, I went into the next timed writing with more zeal and was able to get about two thirds of what I wanted to say down on paper (see the page on my second timed writing). Fortunately, with this practice as well as practice on my own time, I was able to demonstrate my mastery of this skill set during my two AP exams’ writing portions. Such knowledge makes me look back at this project and wish I could have known what I know now.
Improvement: According to this essay, there are boundless ways to make improvements. First, I really need to stop using so many adjectives. It makes my attempts at sophisticated diction appear to be philistine efforts. To be sure, adjectives can enhance the meaning of a sentence, but there are only so many ways to describe island life and I think I used them all. In addition, my thesis is a “duh” statement, and I should have gone deeper. Of course symbols mean something; that is the purpose of symbols. I should have defined some sort of statement about what they express about human nature. Also, I need to avoid plot summary such as that found at the beginning of the second paragraph. I was trying way too hard to include way too much information, and that made my writing seem childish and unsophisticated. Another needed improvement was my use of quotations. In the very first quote I used, I capitalized the “s” when it ought to have been lowercase. Whenever the sentence in the quotations is not a complete sentence, it does not start with a capital letter and it does not necessitate the use of commas. Such errors hinder the message of the essay because of their ability to distract the reader. Finally, there is some ineffable quality about this essay that makes it drone on and on. It is either my overuse of adjectives or my overuse of ideas, but it certainly makes me not want to read it. These are only a few areas where I can improve, and, through the rest of my writing, a few of these negative aspects are ameliorated.
Product: Though the comments and grade from Mrs. Boyd seemed to favor this timed writing assignments, there are only a few aspects I like. I suppose the best part about my essay would be its propriety and register, for it was appropriate for the task at hand and contained few errors in terms of informality. This was accomplished because it is second-nature for me to write formally, and, even when I am writing to dear friends, I keep some form of proper English. One can also argue that the essay demonstrated a significant understanding of the topic of discussion through my ability to pull quotes so quickly from the text and tie it into my argument. This was accomplished because I marked the points in the plot line while reading that would prove significant later. Finally, this essay is noteworthy because of its organizational qualities. I organized my essay briefly before writing it, which certainly enhanced its overall appeal to a reader. Of course, organization is hard to spot in a mere two paragraphs, but, if I had the time to finish, it would undoubtedly be well organized. Be sure, this product demonstrated my writing abilities as best as can be demonstrated in a miniscule amount of time.
Growth: This essay was a marvelous opportunity for growth and the gaining of new knowledge. First, I learned the most about my teacher through writing this assignment. When Mrs. Boyd was grading my essay, she had a smile on her face, and the whole of her comments included checks and the word “beautiful.” That encouraged me as I am often insecure about my writing, but it also made me wonder how I could improve if only positive feedback is given. However, after speaking with Mrs. Boyd, she did give me a few areas to improve my writing. In terms of writing itself, I suppose I learned what not to write in a restricted writing environment. I have a propensity to write superfluously, and, as a result, I got less than half of the things I wanted to say on paper. Knowing that, I went into the next timed writing with more zeal and was able to get about two thirds of what I wanted to say down on paper (see the page on my second timed writing). Fortunately, with this practice as well as practice on my own time, I was able to demonstrate my mastery of this skill set during my two AP exams’ writing portions. Such knowledge makes me look back at this project and wish I could have known what I know now.
Improvement: According to this essay, there are boundless ways to make improvements. First, I really need to stop using so many adjectives. It makes my attempts at sophisticated diction appear to be philistine efforts. To be sure, adjectives can enhance the meaning of a sentence, but there are only so many ways to describe island life and I think I used them all. In addition, my thesis is a “duh” statement, and I should have gone deeper. Of course symbols mean something; that is the purpose of symbols. I should have defined some sort of statement about what they express about human nature. Also, I need to avoid plot summary such as that found at the beginning of the second paragraph. I was trying way too hard to include way too much information, and that made my writing seem childish and unsophisticated. Another needed improvement was my use of quotations. In the very first quote I used, I capitalized the “s” when it ought to have been lowercase. Whenever the sentence in the quotations is not a complete sentence, it does not start with a capital letter and it does not necessitate the use of commas. Such errors hinder the message of the essay because of their ability to distract the reader. Finally, there is some ineffable quality about this essay that makes it drone on and on. It is either my overuse of adjectives or my overuse of ideas, but it certainly makes me not want to read it. These are only a few areas where I can improve, and, through the rest of my writing, a few of these negative aspects are ameliorated.