Jake Hamilton
3B
11/07/2013
Self­Reflection Paper
Throughout the term I have learned many valuable writing techniques and strategies that have
helped me to become a better writer. A little while ago we read an essay that discussed other countries
reliance on the more advanced and stable countries; otherwise known as the ‘lifeboat’ approach. After
reading the essay, we were supposed to do a freewrite discussing our thoughts on the essay. This was
the first time that I have really done a freewrite on a specific topic and it proved to be very effective.
Personally, I have had problems with creativity in my writing, and getting my thoughts onto paper. The
freewrite technique that I learned in response to the ‘lifeboat’ essay has tremendously helped to me to
get started on numerous writing assignment since.
Another assignment that assisted me in becoming a better creative writer was the first person
narrative. We were supposed to bring in a photo of ourselves and write a narrative on what is
happening in the photo. I brought in a photo of me at my cabin when I was about five or six years­old.
My narrative included my thoughts and actions while I played with a little Batman action figure. This
assignment pushed the limits of my creativity. Another thing that I learned from this assignment was the
ability to effectively use figurative language in my writing. In the narrative, we were told to highlight a
phrase when it used figurative language. Looking back at my piece, I was able to use a simile,
metaphor, oxymoron, and hyperbole. From the first person narrative paper, I better learned to be
creative and utilize figurative language in my writing.
The most beneficial assignment I have done up to this point was titled “Rhetorical Analysis on
“Dumpster Diving.”” So far this year in English 1010, it seem as if a point of emphasis has been
identifying and interpreting rhetorical strategies. “Dumpster Diving” was an essay that we read about a
once homeless man and some of his life experiences. Some of the requirements on the worksheet
included analyzing the author’s background, audience, purpose, and rhetorical strategies. Since
completing this assignment, I have become a better writer simply because I understand rhetorical
strategies.
In order to help me complete my response essay on Margaret Atwood’s “Pornography,” I most
effectively utilized a graphic organizer to compact possible ideas dealing with the issue. Some other
writing strategies I used were a freewrite and an outline. One challenge I found with writing this paper
was the introduction. In the end my introduction was a little bit shorter than I would have hoped, but as
a whole I believe my paper to have been a success. A lack of personal connections and anecdotes has
been a weakness evident in my writing, which was also seen in my response essay. However, I
included a clear thesis and a strong point­of­view that backed up the claims and views I presented.
From writing the response essay, I learned that the easiest and most efficient way to write is to just
write. When I began the essay, I sat at my computer for nearly thirty minutes with a blank screen
attempting to think up a catchy opening. I realized that I was wasting my time so I decided to skip the
opening and start putting my thoughts onto paper. From that point on, the paper started to flow and
before I knew it I had finished my first draft. I believe this will be a valuable lesson that will help me in
my future writing assignments.
I mentioned in my response essay that Margaret Atwood took a bold step to write on a subject
such as pornography. The pornography that Atwood described was rather gruesome and sadistic.
Prior to reading her essay, I had no knowledge whatsoever concerning the type of pornography she
discussed, and quite honestly didn’t want to know about it. The experience of writing a response essay
on such a horrid topic was interesting to say the least. On the other hand, learning what pornography
can lead to (a topic Atwood discussed in her essay) made me realize how dangerous it can be and has
made me want to stay far away from it.
As my topic was a response paper dealing with pornography, I had a more mature audience in
mind. Obviously I made an effort to write in such a way that would please my teacher/professor, but in
general I attempted to write in a formal and educated manner to suit my audience. From reading my
response essay, I intended for my audience to come away informed on the subject of pornography. I
believe one of the strong­suits I have as a writer is my ability to use voice when writing. Specifically in
the response essay, I ventured to use a strong and confident voice in order to get my point across. I
can remember a particular instance in which I exploited the rhetorical strategy ‘pathos’ in my response
paper. Striving to support the claim that Margaret Atwood’s essay was biased towards men, I threw in
a personal connection and joke. I believe ‘pathos,’ and more specifically jokes, to generally be the
most effective of the rhetorical strategies because it engages the reader and captures their interest.
Although using jokes can be seen as some sort of a risk in writing, I presume the only risk I took when
writing my response essay was the mature topic I discussed.