Writing Reflection

In my 10th grade year, my writings would start off strong and begin to fade out towards the end. The ending usually summarized the whole point of the writing, but never left the reader wanting to read anything. I didn’t incorporate ‘Concerts, Not Pancakes’ into my pieces, and it was evident. In 11th grade I hadn’t really noticed, but once I started learning the concept, and other concept associated with it, the loop, ‘-ing’, etc, I noticed what I was doing.

When I entered the 11th grade, I was still writing how I had in my sophomore year. The first writing project, American Icon, shows that. I started off with: “Mad at the world because all I can think about is ‘the problems’. My parents just don’t know, and my friends don’t seem to understand. Teachers give work on top of work, and if I tell them, why would they care? It seems like everything’s gone wrong, and nothing goes my way. So sitting in my room with the door locked shut and the stereo turned loud, I tuned out the world.” It’s captivating, yes? I think so too.

I was so proud of it, so I kept writing, and writing, and writing. But my interests and motivation went down and my writing reflected that. Towards the end, I started trying to summarize to finish the writing. “Life doesn’t stay bad for too long and troubles are just obstacles I need to get over to get to where I dream if being in life. And I will get there without demeaning myself, or lowering my self-standards, to stay a strong independent female.” I mean, in a way, I did use the ‘loop’; a concept taught throughout 11th grade. But the ending was still a fail. It was boring and flat, and lacked the same ‘zing’ the beginning had.

Many lessons, projects, and writings later, I think I finally grasped the ‘Concerts, Not Pancakes’ concept. “Later that night, as she was kept awake by the sound of the red eye flights flying by and landing right next door, she thought of the many possibilities for her life… Deep in thought, her eyes finally closed, and she was off to sleep… While her busy mind slumbered, her heart made a break for it. It jumped up, and slid from…”

My Ampersand piece, ‘Follow Your Heart’ started with a punch, a quick little segment of background information, and right into the action. With description, and a chase throughout the town, the story keeps the reader interested. And when it ends, it sums up the main actions, but doesn’t finish the story. It makes the reader wanting more (a ‘Bang’). “Not shortly after, the heart saw a police officer walk past, and it left the doctor’s body. Paris stopped it, being the only one able to see it, she tried to be discreet…”

As my Junior year comes to a close, my expectations for my writing have gone to a higher level. Just like last year, I felt my writing was the best it could be once I completed it and turned it in. Now rereading that piece, and thinking about the effect it had on people, I feel my writing could have been much better. In 12th grade, and later in life, I plan to make my writings strike an emotion in people. To have the feelings, and emotions that I want presented in the story, essay, or whatever I write to be so strong that the reader can see it, feel it, live it.

I’ve read many books during this school year, and I’ve seen how the authors story can make the reader feel like they’re there, like they know the characters, or have lived the story. I want my writing to be able to do just that. The emotion/connection makes the message clearer. It’s captivating and interesting. Like the 1oth grade, I plan on making the intro attention-getting. Like 11th grade, I plan on using ‘Concerts, not Pancakes’. And like the many books I’ve read and pieces I seen, I want my future writing to be emotion filled, and breathtaking. I want it to drown the reader into every page.