My First Person - Original Writing - 1144 Words

When good students turn in an essay, they dream of their instructor returning it to them in exactly the same condition, save for a single word added in the margin of the final page: â€Å"Flawless.† This dream came true for me one afternoon in the ninth grade. Of course, I’d heard that genius could show itself at an early age, so I was only slightly taken aback that I had achieved perfection at the tender age of 14. Obviously, I did what any professional writer would do; I hurried off to spread the good news. I didn’t get very far. The first person I told was my mother. My mother, who is just shy of five feet tall, is normally incredibly soft-spoken, but on the rare occasion when she got angry, she was terrifying. I’m not sure if she was more upset by my hubris or by the fact that my English teacher had let my ego get so out of hand. In any event, my mother and her red pen showed me how deeply flawed a flawless essay could be. At the time, I’m sure she thought she was teaching me about mechanics, transitions, structure, style and voice. But what I learned, and what stuck with me through my time teaching writing at Harvard, was a deeper lesson about the nature of creative criticism. First off, it hurts. Genuine criticism, the type that leaves an indelible mark on you as a writer, also leaves an existential imprint on you as a person. I’ve heard people say that a writer should never take criticism personally. I say that we should never listen to these people. Criticism, at itsShow MoreRelatedPersonal Experience: English Composition Course622 Words   |  3 Pages Focusing in self- evaluation to improve the learning process, help me to set goals and be aware of my own mistakes. When the English Composition course started, I wanted to be able to express my thoughts and my ideas in an effective way. The continuation of my education was very difficult, and I began to doubt myself when faced with the first couple of weeks. My first assignment was my most difficult assignment, and I found myself having trouble sticking to a thesis, because I had so manyRead More A Clean, Well-Lighted Place Essay1482 Words   |  6 Pageswhere the main characters are two waiters and an old man. In the story, Hemingway hardly created a background for his characters, but this was part of his minimalist writing style. He wanted to create a story that was straightforward to the reader, and in which the reader could easily understand his attitude. His purpos e for writing the story was to expose his feelings on society, politics, and the individual at the time. These feelings could be characterized by three main words: desperation, disillusionmentRead MoreFirst Quarter Reflection Paper1571 Words   |  7 Pagesme to a higher level. I’m the type of person who usually takes the stairs to get where I want to go because I like making progress gradually. After first quarter, I decided I needed to get to a higher level quicker than taking the stairs would allow. I knew that I did not meet my expectations first quarter, and I did not want to continue down that path. I made changes second quarter using what I learned first quarter. I set aside more time to write and edit my major assignments, which is somethingRead MoreHow I Am A Writer Essay1112 Words   |  5 Pageswriter. When it comes to writing or having different writing assignments, I have to write everything down on a piece of paper to get my thoughts out and just let my pen fl ow. I tend to write essays only when I am assigned, but for the most part, I write everyday. I personally like to write about me in particular but mainly I enjoy writing about overcoming different obstacles people face in life or about the future. As a writer, you will have different weaknesses and strengths. My weakness is sometimesRead MoreEnglish Composition One: To Be an Essay or Not to Be an Essay That Is the Question910 Words   |  4 Pagescaused me to break out in a sweat or my mouth instantly dries, well it does not have that kind of effect on me anymore. The key to successfully completing the essay on time is getting to research the topic at hand as soon as possible or before the process of writing begins. The next step for me would be to find the argument and take a side. Moreover, picking a thesis statement through brainstorming the information I gathered for original ideas, so I can start my outline. This outline must consist ofRead MoreAnalysis of the Poem Barbie Dol l by Marge Piercy772 Words   |  3 Pageslike I had reached my full potential as a writer. I felt that when I came into college I was at most a mediocre writer and through the help of English 1101 my writing improve greatly. I came into English 1102 thinking that there were no more challenges for me to face and 1102 would be more of the same. I quickly discovered how wrong I was with the first paper. English 1102 was a whole different story. Though I enjoyed the reading and analyzing literature writing and organizing my thoughts on paperRead MoreAnalysis Of The Character Clemencia For Never Marry A Mexican1240 Words   |  5 Pagesbecause she s not afraid of being blunt and straightforward with her actions. I remember the first time I read Never Marry A Mexican and although I laugh a lot by her surprising actions, I too also cringe. But why did I cringe? I keep question myself on why am I judging Clemencia when if a man did the same thing they will be seen in a more positive ligh t. That was when I knew this is the first time in my life where I have read something that taught me more value and confidences as a women than IRead MoreThe Challenges Of Math And Science Classes Essay1169 Words   |  5 PagesWhen I was young, I anticipated, a creative person was the one who could compose rhyming poems and stories, who could draw beautiful pictures, or who could sing and dance effortlessly. I attempted to be creative several times. They were dull and lifeless. I now recognize my creativity is in STEM fields rather than in arts and humanities. I have enjoyed the challenges problems in math and science classes. And thinking to solve a problem in various ways is also being a creative. However, the schoolRead MoreCommon Grammar Mistakes . While Speaking, People Might891 Words   |  4 Pagescapitalization, incomplete sentence. First of all, in the critique paper about Title IX, the most obvious mistake is that the author use comma to link two separate sentences. For example, â€Å"In 1972 a law was created for women s rights, the law was called Title IX†. When one sentence is closed, a period should be added at end of that sentence. What is noticeable is that this mistake is at the first sentence of whole paper and continues to show up in the rest paragraphs. According to my counting, this specificRead MoreWhat Was Ambrose s View On Free Will And Grace?1507 Words   |  7 PagesGrace and Free Will 1.10) Ambrose never wrote regarding free will and grace but one can closely analyze his writings in attempt to determine a belief. Before discussing the concepts regarding free will it is first vital to understand the meaning of the term. Free will involves the ability and potential for one to be saved by God through good works; a concept found numerous times within the writings of Ambrose. It is clear that Ambrose believes people must do good in order to experience salvation. In De