FINAL PORTFOLIO Post 1

Dear Professor Griffith,

In general, this class has been my favorite, especially as far as assignments go. I loved the open ended-ness, because it really allowed for me to explore the innumerable subject opportunities within each category of writing. I had so much fun developing the voice that I found by way of these assignments. It has made writing papers a really enjoyable experience. My two favorite pieces from this semester are my Balenciaga Review, and my Infamy Column. I started writing in this voice for another blog that I write, and I have increased readership by about 1.7% (I know…astounding!) according to Google Analytics.

It’s safe to say, however, that my writing started off painfully at first. My profile and my feature certainly were a testament to that. Perhaps I feel less fondly toward them because they are more sober pieces, but I really do believe that by reading more work in the Journalistas book and pieces from online media, I have taken some steps towards improvement by heeding others’ examples. Workshops and feedback from you and my peers also helped me tremendously in figuring out how to strike a balance between being entertaining and cohesively presenting information.

I had no prior experience in writing journalistically in the past, so I came to this class expecting to have a considerable bit more trouble than others. I was a little nervous by my first two pieces, but I think that my interest in writing has grown as my skills have. I think that I made considerable progress in my organization, my transitions, and avoidance of cliché, and have begun to sharpen my writing in general.

There are still a few skills that I need to work on developing further. Clarity would be an important thing that sometimes gets lost in my organization or arguments—this was a problem in my Feature. I had trouble finding the main issue, and then after isolating that, I needed to remind myself of it constantly. Additionally, I often have a hard time linking my points together in a way that reflects the bigger picture. My Op-Ed piece is a fine example of this—it took me a lot of time and effort to figure out how to edify my points and make them work for my overall argument. Finally, although I love the voice I developed, I need to realize when to use it, and when to leave myself out of the piece a bit more.

Thank you for a fun and interesting foray into a topic that I took for pure enjoyment—I didn’t need any Gen Eds or other requirements. This was a great experience. Have a wonderful summer, and good luck with your growing family!

Best,
Melissa Carron