When I first walked into this class, my idea of writing was mainly centered around the idea of clarity. I believed that effective writing should convey ideas clearly and inform. That’s why I always surround myself with National Geo Books or Info Books. So I guess you can say my theory of writing revolves around clear communication and storytelling. I find writing to be  a craft where you can be sitting alone thinking or brainstorming to try to map out what to say. But my writing process was pretty unstructured and kinda all over the place. 

Before this class, my thoughts on writing came from high school and early college. Ever since High School I never really gave writing the credit it deserves. I saw it as a means to communicate in clear and concise points. Honestly I mostly thought of it as a burdening task assigned by my teachers. You know when you sit and you have to look for the message behind what the writer is trying to say. Or how you can write it to effectively convey what the writer is trying to say. That’s basically what my initial theory of writing was. 

But ever since my freshman year college my writing process began to structure itself, I started to see how everything just fits together like a jigsaw puzzle. My early writing process was simple but not very organized. I’d basically start with an idea, and just write whatever came to mind. After that I would have written about 2 to 3 pages, I called it my first draft. This draft was as it seemed usually just a stream of jumbled thoughts, which just flowed without worrying so much about the structure, grammar, or even punctuation. After the first draft, I’d revise it and fix any big errors. Make sure I include all my research and data after that a quick proofread to catch any typos and grammar mistakes.

During this course, my writing process changes a lot. Each assignment and class discussion helped me develop a more organized approach to writing. When I collaborated with my group members it helped me listen to different views and think deeply about my writing in comparison to theirs. Along with each new assignment I would be tasked to try a new technique. For example the technical Innovation essay, something I was very grateful for because usually I was assigned something to write about. But this time I was given the opportunity to choose on my own. Get to experiment with blending in evidence smoothly into my writing. 

My current process is much more structured. Now I spend more time brainstorming, creating a mind map on a piece of paper to outline what I need to look for and be more informed. Which really helps me look at different angles before settling on a thesis. Speaking of thesis statements I usually had a hard time writing one’s that had to hook the reader. I learned that you don’t necessarily need to do that, as long as it’s like a road map indicating the main points then you’re all set. No need to over think about it.  For research papers, I gather my sources early on. I create annotated bibliography to keep a track of key points and how they support my thesis. I wanted to keep it as simple as possible because usually research takes a large amount of time. And I usually get distracted in the process so it helps me focus. 

Outlining is part of my writing process now. I will make a detailed outline. This helps me organize my thoughts and make my argument more logically than something out of a magic hat. My first drafts are more focused. I still allow some creative freedom so it’s not all black and white. But I pay more attention to structure and coherence from the start. 

Finally I proofread more thoroughly now. I try to get into the habit of reading my work aloud and using AI grammar tools to help not just write but teach me vocabulary. Now for formatting I just pay attention to citations and layout. I can definitely see my new and evolved Theory of writing become a process to apply on many of my writing tasks both in and out of class. 

Reflecting on my theory of writing and the writing process has been very enlightening. Starting this class, I had an arrogant sense of writing. But now my process has reached a new height that I have never thought would develop. I can see the benefits of this into the future as it prepares me for a professional career.