9-29 classwork

Q: How did you write your first paper?

A: The way I went about writing this paper was a lot different than the way I wrote my papers in high school. Whenever I got the assignment I did nothing with it for a couple of days. In class we would write about stuff that I knew I could incorporate into my paper. The first assignment we had due in class was to write 600 words. That was the first time I actually sat down and started writing. Whenever I started writing those 600 words it was something totally different than what I wrote my paper about. I wrote about 300 words of that one topic and then realized it would be very hard to write 1200 words on that topic. So I started writing a couple hours later on another topic. I had 600 words on that topic in about 30 minutes, so I knew I picked a topic I could write 1200 words about. I turned those 600 words in on a Tuesday morning. I did not do anything with those 600 words until Thursday night. On thursday night I wrote 600 more words. Whenever I had 1200 words on the paper, I had no organization. I only had 3 paragraphs: a introduction and 2 body paragraphs. I went to the writing center and they helped me organize my paper so I had an introduction, a couple of body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Whenever I wrote this paper, I mostly wrote it in my dorm room. I put headphones in so I could block out all the noise, and wrote my paper. I turned it on Sunday night and Tuesday when I got to class my teacher gave the chance to edit it. I edited it Tuesday and Thursday and turned in my final copy on Thursday afternoon.

Q: Describe the environment you like or don't like when writing.

A: The best environment for me to write would be a place where I can put headphones in and listen to music. The weekend the paper was due, my boyfriend and I were hanging out. I had to ask him to leave the room so I could get the paper finished. I can not write papers while people are trying to talk to me. I get distracted very easily. Whenever I get distracted and I write a couple of sentences then talk to someone then write a couple more sentences I feel like I don't put my best effort it. I also can't sit in my bed and write or do homework for that matter. If I sit in my bed, I end up watching Netflix and falling asleep. So my environment would be somewhere quiet where I can put headphones in and think.

Q: Are there any external factors you need when you write?

A: Whenever I write, I like to have my headphones in played music. I can't play music very loud whenever I write or I will end up singing to it. Normally the kind of music I listen to whenever I write is Christian music. This is kind of weird but I also have to eat before I write. I can not write on an empty stomach. Whenever I am hungry, nothing gets done, especially homework.

Q: What are the strengths of the paper you just turned in?

A: I believe the strengths of the paper I just turned in would be how it was all of the same topic. I fee like sometimes whenever I write I start talking about other things in my paper. I don't always stay on topic, but this paper I feel like I stayed on topic. When I first started writing I just put words down on the paper, and when I went to the writing lab, they really helped me delete sentences that weren't needed.

Q: What are the weaknesses of the paper you just turned in?
A: I believe the weaknesses in my paper are the transitions. I know we talked about transitions in class a lot, but I feel like I could have done better.  A lot of time I don't know a sentence to help tie the 2 paragraphs together without the sentence being a good topic sentence. That is something I definitely need to work on during this class.

Q: How well have you lived up to the index card you wrote on in the beginning of the year?

A: I said I want to become better at writing which I think I am. I think every piece of writing I do, I become better. Whether its a blog or paper or homework assignment, I believe I become a better writer every chance I get. I said I would read 90-95 percent of the homework assignments, which I think I have done. I have read all the homework assignments I am pretty sure. Maybe I would not say read, but I have definitely skimmed over them.

pg. 531 a&e question 1

Q: Lamott obviously knows well what the weakness in her SFDs are likely to be. Are you always aware yet of any patterns in your first-draft writing-places or ways in which you simply expect that the writing will need to work once you actually have words on paper?

A: No, I do not believe I am always aware of any patterns in my writing in the very first draft. Whenever  I write my first draft I just put a bunch of sentences onto paper. I write and write and write with no structure at all.