Dear Matt,

Throughout this quarter and our various projects, I have learned that writing is quite a

process and isnt simply answering a prompt. There are many steps involved before even typing

your first words, as you first need to break down the task, find sources, and develop and

argument that you can build your paper around. Even once you have produced a complete draft, I

have learned you are still not even close to done. As we learned in Shitty First Drafts, the first

version of our paper is just the flushing out of all our thoughts and ideas. From there it is

essential to receive feedback from multiple other eyes and brains that will view it from an

outside perspective and catch on to things you didnt notice yourself. Often it is so easy to get

fixed on the topic itself that you ignore the paper dynamics as a whole, and you lose sight of its

quality and overall execution.

The two WPs I revised for my portfolio were WP1 and WP2. I chose to revise these

because they were my two lowest scores out of the three projects, and the two I felt could be

better improved upon, as well as strengthened as a whole. The amount of feedback I received on

each and my overall interest in the initial prompts also contributed to my decision as it provided

more motivation for me to fix them and make them the best possible versions of themselves.

In WP1 I revised quite a lot. I began with your comments about my thesis statement,

which was more of a nave observation. I transformed it into a plainer observation, still

struggling to make it argumentative. From there I significantly reduced my wordiness by deleting

unnecessary transitions, descriptors, prepositions, and redundant sentences. I reduced my

description and analysis of each genre to reflect the following format: genre/article introduction,

key conventions, examples, purpose/audience. Overall I removed sentences (and whole

paragraphs) where I was bias, and insinuating one article was better than the other, and instead
focused on the general purpose of each without opinion. I also shortened my paragraph to make

it more concise and to the point relating to the thesis.

WP2 was also a task to revise but necessary. Again I started with your comments

regarding my thesis statement, which seems to be an area I have trouble with. I rearranged some

concepts in my introduction paragraph and shaped the thesis to better reflect an argument rather

than an observation. Throughout the body paragraphs, I reduced my wordiness and clutter, and

better organized the flow of my text. For each discipline I reduced my analysis to three

paragraphs each, the first being an introduction to the discipline and article, the second being a

description and analysis of specific conventions and supporting evidence, and finally a paragraph

regarding audience and language. I made sure to tie each section back to the thesis by ending the

main paragraphs and the conclusion with reiterations/confirmation of my argument.

The feedback I received from you on the personal Feedback Matrix forms for each

writing project was definitely the most helpful. This clued me in on specific areas I did well on,

in addition to areas I suck at, which is extremely helpful when I just need to get to the point of

what I need to fix, rather than read a lengthy and shy review. Additionally, out of all of the peer

review exercises we have tried, I most enjoyed (and got the most help out of) having a peer read

over my paper and respond to my specific questions. I can already tell which parts of my paper

are the weakest so it helped me bring those insecurities to the surface and get specified assistance

on those. I also found that it helped if I harshly reviewed someone elses paper first, because then

it would encourage them to do the same for mine.

What I like the most about my projects in this portfolio is the subject matter of each of

my papers. Each project focused on a topic that is very important to me, and therefore made it

fun to write, even if it was a rhetorical analysis or comparison of disciplines. The topic of my
WP1 was the 2016 Election (and specifically Donald Trump), WP2 was about messages in rap

music, and the third project was on emotional support animals. All of these topics have shaped

my life or who I am as a person in some way so it was fun and interesting to incorporate them

into an academic setting, and furthermore develop my skills as a writer.

As seen through all of my writing projects this quarter, I definitely still need to work on

my thesis statements. I have trouble producing a doubtable argument and tend to be more

descriptive or just make a plain observation. I have experienced this in my art history class this

quarter as well but I have seen some slight improvements through the weeks, though I still have

not yet perfected it.

The work in my portfolio greatly reflects what Ive learned this quarter as seen through

our various projects. Each project was like a building block to the next one, each increasing in

difficulty or complexity. Starting with WP1, I was able to learn about genres and conventions,

and how to identify them in a multitude of situations. WP2 helped me explore the conventions of

academic disciplines, as well as how to analyze them in a concise fashion. The third project

allowed me to take what Ive learned from WP1 and WP2, and translate an academic text into a

completely new genre with appropriate conventions. Overall I have become a stronger writer in

my opinion because of how fast all of these projects are due, so I learned to quickly produce a

draft, but then edit it multiple times to produce a coherent and concise final piece.

As I approach new writing projects in the future, I will keep in mind everything this class

has taught me. As a sociology major, I will have a lot of academic discourses coming my way, in

addition to long research papers, and studies. Our lessons on conciseness, information flow, and

the problem model will specifically aid me in those future projects, in addition to continuing to

strengthen my ability to produce arguable theses. Even if I am not writing a paper, what I have
learned from this class will help me understand future classes and subjects as I now know how to

read like a writer, and therefore can get more information out of a paper/subject I am studying.

Overall this class has been so helpful to me as a writer, and a person, as I feel even my thoughts

and communications with people are more organized and to the point. I am very grateful to have

had you as my writing professor and I know any past, present, or future student will get the most

out of this class just as I have.

Sincerely,

Erin Bealmear