At the beginning of this course, my outlook on writing was simple. Write straight through and go back and touch up the local issues. I had never taken into account that there were more ways to approach writing an academic paper.
Active reading, in particular, was never my favorite. That mentality sadly has not been changed through this class. I have, however, gained a new appreciation for what I can accomplish by having a legitimate conversation with the text. I have also found that re-reading a text can also enhance my understanding of a text’s argument.
I have never really been good at the aspect of brainstorming. When I start to write I mainly just try to rattle out as much as I can on the page as I can. I have adapted my brainstorming process starting with writing my thesis first. This has helped me better develop my idea around the claims presented in my thesis, giving me more direction.
Finally, my favorite revision strategies can be all over the place. They all revolve around one idea, verbal communication. I think that having someone either reading your essay out loud to you or having someone give you feedback on what they thought of your writing. Having different, unbiased eyes on a piece is the best thing that a writer can hope for.
