Reflective Essay On My Writing Skills

Through Advanced Composition my writing skills have grown immensely. I have become a more vibrant and expressive writer while still being aware of the subtle nuances of grammar and mechanics. I learned how to view writing as a process, rather than just a goal. I wrote a personal memoir about a game of chess I once played with a friend(Benchmark #1). In this paper, I learned how the value of outlining, and listing as part of the writing process. I had to approach a mediocre story with a fresh new perspective. I learned how to analyze literature more effectively when I wrote a literary analysis (Benchmark #2). I saw the importance of analyzing literature and never seeing it at face value. I also learned from seeing the tools that the author, of the book I read, used to engage readers. There seemed to be lots of stories and allegories in the book that gave vivid picture as to what was being described.
I focused on the using the grammar skills I recently learned in class, in my paper. I learned the importance of writing syntactically sound sentences, and using the rules of grammar.

When writing the argumentative research paper (Benchmark #4), I developed a lot in my skill of research. The topic that I choose for this project was quite broad, so finding meaningful articles was challenging. I learned how to search through databases to find valid sources that aid your paper. Lastly and most importantly I learned the basics of MLA (Modern Language Association) with an open letter to the public. This letter taught me the basics of citing sources, and giving credit where credit is due.

I want to thank you for taking the time to read through my portfolio. I have learned a lot in this class and I hope my work reflects