Writing Projects
Retrospective Essay
A reflection on my growth as both a writer and a thinker along the journey of the W131 course in terms of my writing projects.
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by Valerie Eikenberry | Published December 20, 2020
Screenshot of the film review rough drafts section
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My ePorftolio showcases two revised pieces including writing projects two and three. Through these projects, my journey as a writer is well documented. The W131 course has challenged me to work through the writing process in its entirety, look at my writing from a different point of view, and use strategies consciously within the context of the writing as a whole. My successes in these areas can be measured by my achievement of various course goals.
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"This is where the most growth took place and I met three course goals "
Examining these course goals highlights my growth in the ownership of my writing when looking at writing project two. While my final draft was edited with the intent of being showcased, I find it important to note the differences between my first two drafts as well. This is where the most growth took place and I met the three course goals of reflecting on my writing practices to improve them, participating productively in discussions about writing, and working to discover, explore, and analyze ideas in order to write with a strong sense of ownership.
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The initial draft detailed my entire immersion experience without intentional exclusion or inclusion of information. The introduction was written as follows:
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“My experience began with a burning passion in my heart, first and foremost. I had just finished my final project for my interior design class in college. Essentially the project took me through the entire design process as if I were working in the field with a client. Wrapping up this project made louder the voice in the back of my mind that whispers “entrepreneurship” each and every day,” (Eikenberry).
Rereading this introduction, I understood that my intent was to communicate to the reader what my interests and inspiration for my immersion experience were. However, this text lacked the use of writing strategies that would allow me to communicate such info more concisely and visually.
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Screenshot of the Jennifer Percy article I modeled my writing project two introduction after
"Not only was I exposed to writing strategies in the context of my own experience, but I also gained insight into how my writing came across to another individual. Both increased my rhetorical awareness."
I later discussed this point with professor Oesch-Minor. Not only was I exposed to writing strategies in the context of my own experience, but I also gained insight into how my writing came across to another individual. Both increased my rhetorical awareness. My specific takeaways from this discussion were that I needed to begin my writing with an issue such as how the article "My Terrifying Night With Afghanistan's Only Female Warlord" begins (Percy). In addition, I learned to keep the reader grounded through visual details. As a result, the new introduction opened with the following:
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Sitting on the gray two-seater couch in my 700 square foot apartment, I looked up at the TV above the fireplace and realized I was only on day 4 of quarantine,” (Eikenberry).
Screenshot of writing project three
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Moving forward from writing project two, writing project three allowed me to exercise my reflection skills. In addition to considering my writing content, I met the course goal of shaping, revising, and editing your writing to meet the concerns of purpose and audience. This skill was described previously in my revisions but in writing project three this course goal was exercised in the context of the ePortfolio design as well.
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My first draft reflecting on my use of multimodal discourse by creating an ePortoflio took on the tone that my second writing project had. It was descriptive in the style of my website rather than discussing the strategies used in the design. For instance, the rough draft stated,
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“The homepage now features a translucent photo of a dog lying on a cozy couch full of warm colors. Meanwhile, the entire website includes a black and white theme to draw attention to the photos included on each web page,” (Eikenberry).
This same section changed to the following in my revisions:
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“Its use of large photos and minimal buttons would allow me to showcase the visual nature of my topic. I changed the colors of the font and buttons to black and white to draw attention to the photos included on each page. This contrast helps the viewer navigate the website without distraction,” (Eikenberry).
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The revision was shaped to address an educational audience rather than an audience of an informal narrative. This was accomplished by stating the most important design choices and emphasizing the intent behind them. Additionally, the website itself was altered as part of the revision process. A welcome section was added to the homepage and hyperlinks were scattered throughout each page to visually engage an audience that would be reading a great amount of content ("What is Multimodal?").
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W131 caused me to view my writing as malleable. The course goals were simply aspects of the writing process and they showed me that the end result is a conversation piece not a statement piece.
W131 caused me to view my writing as malleable. The course goals were simply aspects of the writing process and they showed me that the end result is a conversation piece not a statement piece. My experiences have made me more flexible in adapting writing strategies and more aware of my audience. The revisions on my ePortfolio are great examples to see this full continuum of growth.
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Works Cited
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Eikenberry, Valerie. Naptown Interiors, Wix, Dec. 2020, www.valeiken.wixsite.com/eportfolio.
Percy, Jennifer. "My Terrifying Night With Afghanistan's Only Female Warlord." The New Republic, 13 Oct. 2014, newrepublic.com/article/119772/my-night-afghanistans-only-female-warlord-commander-pigeon.
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"What is Multimodal?" Center for Academic Success, University of Illinois Springfield, www.uis.edu/cas/thelearninghub/writing/handouts/rhetorical-concepts/what-is-multimodal/.
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