Letter to You

Dear Reader,

Throughout my college composition class, I have learned quite a bit about writing that I didn't know before I started this class.  In the beginning of this class, I knew that I wasn't a very strong writer.  I have always had a pretty hard time with my writing skills, but I feel as if this class helped me a lot.  I feel as if I am a little bit more prepared for when I enter into college and have to write a bunch a papers for different classes.

The college composition class has taught me a little bit about the four main different types of paper and all the sub categories within each.  I have gotten a chance to write a piece on each of the four different types which strengthened my understanding of each of them.  Not only did I learn about the different types, but I also learned a few tips on how to make a paper stronger.  I have learned that in writing a paper, it is better to show instead of tell.  You can show by using dialogue instead of just of just typing what is going on.

 I also have learned that titles, introductions, and conclusions are a huge part of a good paper.  With titles, you need to make them memorable.  A title shouldn't completely give away what the paper is going to be about.  It should draw the reader in and make them think that this would be an interesting.  During class, we spent some time talking about introductions and all the different ways you can start an essay.  Introductions need to draw in the reader and catch their interest.  Some of the ways that I started my introductions were with facts/statistics, questions, and anecdotes.  For my conclusions, i usually just sum up what the main parts of the paper were, which is a pretty good way to end it, but there are other ways too.  Some other ways that you can write a conclusion is by making a recommendation of something you can do or a prediction of something that can happen too.

For my blog, I have written eight different entries about four of my pieces that i have written this year.  The blog is about how I can make each of my papers stronger.  I reflect on each of the four papers mentioning what i felt i did well on the draft and also on what i can improve.

My first two blogs dealt with my Chocolate paper.  The first one titled How to Make Chocolate Better was the first draft of my food paper.  I explained how I could make the paper better along with what I felt like I did well on writing it. The food paper a mix of different sub categories of an Expository paper.  I used definition and compare and contrast to write this paper.

 In the second entry, Three Chocolate Starters, I revised the paper and came up with three new introductions of the paper.  I used three different techniques to write my paper.  I used a quote, a question, and an anecdote as different introductions.  I feel as if each introduction could give the paper a little something different.

The next three entries had to do with my seven deadly sins paper.  The first one Seven Deadly Sins Take 1 is my first draft and my reflections while the second is Seven Deadly Sins Take 2 is my revision to the draft.  I want you guys to see the differences between the two drafts and how I added a little bit more detail to the second draft.

The third seven deadly sins entry is two new conclusions that could be the end of the paper.  With the entry, Two New Endings, I want you to see the two new techniques that I used.  I made a prediction and a recommendation, along with my original that summed up the main points in my paper.

The next entry had to do with my How to Text in Class paper.  This was a process analysis paper, which is a form of an expository paper.  I did not do the actual revisions to this paper, but I reflected on what I could do to make it stronger, which is to add some definitions along with make the conclusion a little bit stronger.

The last two entries, Like Mother Like Daughter and Like Mother Like Daughter Take 2, is a piece that I chose to get feedback on from my teacher.  It is a paper that I had the most fun writing.  With these two entries I would like you to look how I revised the paper.

I worked hard on my portfolio, and I hope that you can tell while looking through it and reading the four different pieces and the reflections in each of the eight entries to this blog.

Sincerely,

Morgan