McKay Roberts
English 1010 3B
10-31-13
Self-Reflection Paper
As I reflect over the past term and the many assignments we have done, I can’t help but
think of how much my writing has improved. Three assignments that have helped me in specific
aspects of my writing are the Monkey Garden analysis, the +/- writing assignment, and the
Lifeboat Ethics freewrite. Each one of these assignments has taught me unique skills that have
helped me more effectively communicate through writing and also made the writing process
simpler and less stressful. The Monkey Garden analysis assignment helped me find the creative
language hiding inside me. This skill of appealing to one’s senses has made my writing much
more intriguing and full of color. The +/- writing assignment was beneficial to me because it
taught me that you can use positive and negative words to help create a certain mood in
writing. This skill is very useful in persuasive writing because you can write about seemingly
“bad” things and make them seem good by using positive words. The last assignment that
specifically helped my writing was the Lifeboat Ethics freewrite. As with all of the freewrites
we have done thus far, the Lifeboat Ethics assignment helped me to simply get my complicated
thoughts on paper. Before this year I have always struggled to translate my thoughts into
writing, however the freewriting strategy has been amazingly beneficial to me. I will never write
another paper without taking ten minutes or so to continuously write. It is my hope that I will
continue to learn more skills and strategies this next term that will help me become a better
writer.
Many of these newly acquired writing skills were put to use in my most recent response
paper. Some of the writing strategies that I used in producing my essay included making a
graphic organizer and freewriting about my topic. These were both very effective and I
particularly enjoyed the graphic organizer. This outlined my paper very well and made it easy
for me to start the writing process. I had a clear image in my mind of how I wanted my paper to
be organized.
One of the biggest problems I faced while writing my response paper was coming up
with ways to pleasantly talk about pornography. Although the blunt and straight-forward style is
good in some situations, it can distract from the desired message at other times. The overall
strength in my response paper is the clear details and information presented. The biggest fault in
my paper was that I lacked personal opinions and voice. I think I could have improved my paper
by more boldly stating my views on the topic and where I stand. By writing this paper I learned
that I can write about any topic, regardless of how awkward or clueless I may be about it.
While writing about Pornography, many awkward ideas and subjects were brought up.
Margaret Atwood talked a lot about the violent side of pornography, and also about the
involvement of males. I disagree with Atwood’s statements about how males are the only people
involved, because it is a fact that women are taking part in the industry. From writing this paper
my opinions towards pornography changed. Prior to reading Atwood’s essay I believed that
pornography of all types were horrible and should be banned. However, after reading her essay
and specifically learning of the violent porn, I now believe that “soft porn” really isn’t that big of
an issue and there should not be any sort of law banning it.
I directed my response essay about pornography to mature Americans, most likely ages
sixteen and older. Because of this mature audience, I included some graphic depictions about
pornography. I wanted to use these harsh and cruel descriptions in order to convey to the reader
that violent pornography is serious stuff. I wrote my paper with an informative voice in hopes of
encouraging the reader to form personal opinions about porn.
I was most satisfied by the logos I used in my writing. I specifically thought I was
convincing when I described Atwood’s technique of factually comparing pornography to
alcohol. I believe I took a risk in writing about the maturation nights that I attended as a child. I
am not sure if these are common among other states, but hopefully the reader is aware of what I
am talking about. I think that overall I effectively responded to Atwood’s piece and also
provided some good advice and insight.