As the final assignment in ERH 101, our class was asked to revise one of the three essays that we have written.  I chose the first essay because I felt that it needed the most work.  I did not start from scratch, but rather, took what I already had and made changes that I felt were necessary.  I did, however, cut a short section out.  Mostly, I reorganized and rewrote what I had.  The last thing that I did was correct my works cited page.

Section 1: Personal History:

It is hard to remember a time in my life where I was not writing.  It is almost as if the doctors hand you a pen and paper right there in the hospital room.  Writing takes so long to master that it is necessary to start as early as possible.  My earliest memory of writing is from kindergarten when another kid, whom I did not like, would race me to see who could complete the warm-up the fastest.  Sometimes the warm-ups were math related, but nevertheless we were putting symbols and words on the page.

Despite writing being a significant part of my life since a young age, I have avoided it as much as possible.  As a child, I would take any opportunity to go outside and play or to distract myself with a toy instead of reading or writing.  I had a nanny growing up, who attempted to teach my twin brother and I penmanship, but all this work was to no avail.  I do not personally remember this, but I have heard many stories of how my brother and I would manage to avoid schooling.  I don’t think she was very happy about having to deal with two of us at one time. We’re both living and breathing, so I guess we weren’t that bad.

The exception to my avoidance of writing is when I asked my parents for a journal as one of my Christmas presents.  That was in early elementary school.  I tended to write about my experiences at school, and what was happening with my social life.  As you can imagine, the issues I was talking about were not worldly, but to me, they were everything.  Once I started writing, I continued because it helped me clear my mind when I was overwhelmed.  To answer your undying question, yes, I did have an entry about my crush that I was too scared to talk to on the playground.  I like to think about this moment in my life because it is one of the few times that I voluntarily decided to write.

The journal is a positive memory, but I believe it may have caused the anguish I have when writing.  The reason being is because I got ridiculed for having such a thing, a thing associated with girls.  I wrote a substantial amount before getting made fun of, but my days of writing in a journal came to an abrupt halt after being ridiculed.

I did not realize this until now, but the events that took place with the journal have affected my outlook on writing ever since.  I believe I wanted to drop out of elementary school when I learned of the existence of cursive.  I was not very fond of being forced to learn even more letters when the ones I already knew were satisfactory for my circumstances.  The only thing I enjoyed about learning cursive was that the letters were much more fun to write because of the loops (I’m being completely serious).

My negative outlook on writing only worsened as I grew older.  This is probably the result of being a male who grew up in a conservative household.  Writing was never castigated; however, masculine activities were encouraged.  Some of these activities included: riding ATVs, shooting firearms, and working on cars.  My father never forced these things on my brother and I, they are what he knows and understands, so that is what he taught us.  As far as I know, it was never his intention to steer my brother and I away from other endeavors, but this is the way I interpreted his teachings.  I am very grateful for all the knowledge that my father bestowed upon me, however, I tended to focus solely on the hobbies that he enjoys.

As I move forward into college, opportunities to explore new things, will inevitably arise, things that are outside of what my father did.  I was slightly nervous about coming to VMI because I was scared that I would not be able to enjoy/express myself, but I now realize that VMI provides so many ways to explore any kind of interest.  One that I am most curious about is the ability to pursue writing from a new perspective.  Hopefully I will be able to change my negative outlook on it.  With better knowledge of the programs and what I can explore here at VMI, I would have been much less nervous about the transition to college.

The writing that I did before college, was almost always at the request of another, it was hardly ever a manifestation of my own mind.  Because of this, I saw writing as a chore, not an important skill to have.  The ironic part is, if someone had told me that I wasn’t allowed to write, I would probably have written and published an entire novel by now.  I guess this is how a pubescent male mind works.

Even someone with a grudge towards writing can have, as Lieutenant Colonel Ticen puts it, a “writing ritual” (Ticen).  When I looked at the writing that I have done over the years, I discovered that I too have a writing ritual.  What I figured out was that I must have a drink in front of me and a snack to eat.  I concluded that I use both to give myself a mental break when I find that I am overthinking the writing process.  Also, I do not have an excuse to continually get up to get something to eat or drink if it is sitting in front of me.  Alongside having something to eat and drink when I write, I also like to have the writing prompt or the guidelines as well, so I do not get off topic.  In addition to this, I like to have space.  I feel cramped and restricted if I do not have room to spread out.  Outside of these parameters, I can work just about anywhere.  The only exception to this is my bedroom.  If I set up in my room or on my bed, I can almost guarantee that I will not be productive.  My favorite pillow will inevitably call my name, taunting and distracting me from my work.   To avoid this, I stay downstairs, away from my nagging pillow and comfy sheets.  The good thing is that it is quite easy to avoid nagging pillows and comfy sheets at VMI because the sleeping arrangements would not be described as luxurious, to put it mildly.

Section 2: The Role of Writing: What do you think writing is for?

Writing is limitless.  Stephen King said, “All the arts depend upon telepathy to some degree, but I believe that writing offers the purest distillation” (King 304).  I do not know much about telepathy, but I do know that writing gives humans the unique ability to share thoughts and ideas with whoever encounters a piece of work.  If a writer is skilled enough and willing, they can take a beautifully formulated idea and put it on paper for the world to read.  If someone understands the language and knows how to read, they can pick up that beautiful piece of literature and allow their mind to be entertained by the author.  An example of this in my own life, is when I read The Maze Runner.  By the time I read it, I had already established that I did not enjoy reading very much, but James Dashner’s sense of imagination and creativity reeled in my attention so well that I read the entire series (it was four books at the time, but he has since come out with a fifth). So, in a metaphorical sense, writing is a gateway into someone else’s head.  By reading someone’s work, you see their point of view, their struggles, and their ideas, and by writing, an author can plant ideas and opinions in their reader’s mind.  Whatever an author decides to put on the page, someone is free to interpret it, making the boundaries for writing, endless.

Writing can also be a time machine.  There was a time when computers didn’t exist (yes…I don’t remember it, but it’s out there somewhere), so people wrote instead.  If you want to better understand life during the 1500s, then you pick up a book written by someone in that time period.  If you are curious about the Ancient Egyptians, you can pick up a book and read about them.  You certainly cannot talk to anyone who was there.  Writing does not just give us a glimpse into the past.  No, the writing time machine works both ways in that records can be written about 2019 and left for future generations to read.  Writing is a big circle.  It starts with present generations for future generations.  Then, those future generations will interpret what was left for them.  Finally, they will produce new pieces of writing that will be left for distant future generations.  Writing is a cycle that will continue for centuries to come.  It may be done on different platforms via scrolls, books, or computers, but nevertheless, the process does not stop.

For me personally, writing can be a key to open the chest containing my imagination.  In seventh grade, my English teacher allowed my fellow classmates and I to write a story on whatever we wanted.  I was unusually anxious to start this assignment because my mind was not reined in by any guidelines.  I wound up writing 7 pages, which was an absurd amount for me at that time.  Writing is not my preferred method for exploring my imagination, but it certainly gets my mind thinking.

Some authors may enjoy sharing their writing with their class or a particular audience, but writing is not always for someone else to read.  Sometimes writing is only for the writer.  What I mean by that is, people need an escape or an activity in which they can focus their energy to relieve stress and anger.  Working out has been a great escape for me this past year.  During workouts, I can reflect on conflicts in my life.  This may help me come up with a solution to a problem, or simply allow me to lower my anger meter and think about the situation from a logical standpoint.  For other people, writing can help them do the same thing.  If someone is very emotional, they can write down their problem or situation, and by doing so, they can see an overview of what is happening.  This could result in a possible solution, or it could just allow the person to pry out whatever is going on in their head and leave it on the paper.  With the problem no longer in their head, the person is free to do whatever they like without it getting in the way.  So, in a sense, writing can be a trashcan for your problems.  A dumping ground for all the bullshit in your life.

Section 3: Your Writing Future: What do you imagine you will be writing in the future?

Unfortunately, whether I want writing in my life or not, it will always be a part of it.  Written communication will always be necessary.  It might be through an email or an assignment, but either way, I will have to continue writing.  Despite taking a math-oriented major, I will still be taking English, which will undoubtedly consist of writing a considerable number of essays.  Also, I am almost 100 percent positive that I will need help during my freshman year, so if that happens, I will need to email my professors to ask questions.  Considering that I am now in college, I should be able to complete an email or a writing assignment without looking like a complete buffoon.

My focus at VMI is to earn a commission into the United States Marine Crops.  More specifically, my dream is to be an aviator.  I am confident that there will be no lack of writing involved with this career choice.  As an officer, I will have to lead fellow Marines and to do so, I must be skilled at written and verbal communication.  Orders will have to be sent out in a professional and intelligent way, and instructions will have to be concise and precise.  If I am unable to write orders properly, jobs will not get done efficiently, or at all.  Even more importantly, lives depend on orders being delivered properly.  On top of this, reports will have to be written and sent through the chain of command.  I don’t want my superiors thinking I am dense, so having strong writing skills is essential.

In my mind, writing has always been a chore, but I hope to change that.  I believe I hate writing so much because almost every time I write, it is at the request of another person, and because of bad experiences that came early in life.  Instead of sitting down at the desk with a storm cloud looming over my head, I would like to approach my next writing assignment with enthusiasm.  If I can do this, my writing will surely improve.  What harm could it cause to try?  Every time I sit down to write, I should have enthusiasm because writing gives someone a chance to put a voice to their opinions (which everyone undoubtedly has).  Not only would that person be giving themselves another voice, they also would be exercising their mind at the same time, improving on their vocabulary and becoming more articulate.  To do so, a writer must keep their yellow nail moving, continually making marks on the page.

Works Cited

History.com Editors.  “The Invention of the Internet.” History.com.  Accessed 27 June 2019.

https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/invention-of-the-internet

King, Stephen. Writing About Writing: A College Reader. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011.

305-314.  Print.

Scoville, Priscila.  “Egyptian Hieroglyphs.” Ancienthistory.edu.  Accessed 27 June 2019.

https://www.ancient.eu/Egyptian_Hieroglyphs/

Ticen, Pennie Lieutenant Colonel.  ERH-101 Writing and Rhetoric.  Virginia Military Institute.

Lexington, VA, June 2019.

Helped Received:

Peer responses with Colby Tennyson + Veer Bhatt + Ty Hevener, Suggestions from LTC Ticen, class discussion, Grammarly, Thesaurus.com, Dictionary.com, Google, handouts from class

Writing Reflection

Writing is an art form that takes years to master.  At each new stage of learning (elementary, middle, and high school), students must mushfake their way through writing assignments until they are comfortable with the skills and practices required to effectively complete said assignments.  It is no different when transitioning to college.  I did not realize it at the time, but I too was mushfaking my ability to write at a college level at the beginning of STP.  I may not have been confident in my own capabilities, however, I approached ERH 101 with an open mind that was willing to learn.  Looking back over the four weeks, I think I have learned a substantial amount through the various readings; however, nothing beats good old fashion practice, which we have had plenty of.  I am quite pleased with how much I have progressed as a writer.

Before STP, I had accepted that writing is not my strong suit.  I stuck to math and science, and I was okay with that.  When I came into STP, I did not expect to become Hemmingway; I just wanted to complete the assignments.  I knew that I had a strong background in writing (only from doing it so much), however, I still felt unprepared.  Most of the writing that I had done in high school was timed, so the papers that I wrote were focused on getting the point across, not ensuring I had a well written, revised essay.  By the time assignments were due, the class was already moving on to a new topic.  Because of the lack of experience in proof reading and revision, I felt that I was behind the eight-ball.  Also, I felt that I had a very poor background in grammar.  The teachers in my elementary school had so much pressure to show progress in the students’ writing abilities, so they did not take the necessary time to make sure their students had the proper foundation they needed.  I picked up most of my experience later in high school by simply doing assignments, much like I have done in STP.  Overall, I felt unprepared for ERH 101, but I was not that nervous because I knew that I could exactly what I did in high school, which was to throw myself into the class and put the necessary effort into an assignment so that I could gain the experience needed to continue in college.

With my writing skills lacking so much, there was plenty of room for improvement at STP.  Over the four weeks here, I believe I have improved my ability to read and analyze complicated literature, the most.  This skill helped me to write the second and third essays much better than I would have otherwise.  However, this was not the only think I learned.  In high school, I grew accustomed to using a platform that created my citations for me, so as you can imagine, I was not very good at citing my sources on my own.  With the help of “Everyday Writer” and LTC Ticen, I was able to improve my citation skills.  One of the other major things that I struggled with before coming to ERH 101, was starting and continuing an essay.  I tended to ponder the topic that I am writing about, endlessly, but after reading “Shitty First Drafts,” I realized that I just needed to start writing.  After getting something on the page, I was able to figure out what my mind wanted to say.  Surprisingly, I believe I am a much better writer than I was at the start of STP.

Despite all that I have learned as a writer, I still struggle with certain elements of writing.  I think the biggest thing that I still struggle with, is structuring my essays.  I have so many ideas in my head, which tend to conflict with each other when I actually put them on the paper.  To fix this, I need to focus on one idea at a time, develop that idea, and then ensure that there is a proper transition into my next idea.  On top of having conflicting ideas, I also have major problems at the sentence level.  As I said before, I did not receive a strong foundation in grammar and sentence structure.  Every time I use a comma, I am not confident that I am using it correctly (yes…this includes this sentence).  Also, I question my word choice and flow for almost every sentence that I write.  The good thing is that all these issues are easily fixable.  I suppose that I need to take a deeper look into “Everyday Writer.”

I have thoroughly enjoyed ERH 101, but do I find writing enjoyable now? No, I still do not enjoy writing as much as math and science, however, I am very glad that I decided to take ERH 101 at STP because I have learned some valuable information that I will be able to carry with me through the rest of my life at VMI and beyond.

Helped received:

None

For my third essay in Writing and Rhetoric 101, my classmates and I were tasked with finding an exclusive group within VMI that we could research and decide whether or not it could be could be classified as a discourse community.  For my essay, I looked at John Swales’ definition of a discourse community and analyzed how well VMI’s department of Mechanical Engineering fit into that definition.

For my second essay in Writing and Rhetoric, I was tasked with choosing writing a rhetorical analysis.  I was given four pieces of literature to choose from; I picked Malcolm X’s, “Learning to Read.”  This was not the full book, but merely a short excerpt from the book, “Writing About Writing A College Reader” (3rd ed.).  The purpose of this essay was to find X’s argument and exploit his use of rhetorical devices that helped him convey his argument.

For my first essay in Writing And Rhetoric 101, I was asked to write an essay that answered three questions.  The first, “What have you done with writing up to this point in time?”  I answered this question by talking about moments from my writing past that stood out to me, my earliest memories of writing/reading, my opinion on writing, and what my writing process looks like.  The second question was, “What do you think writing is for?”  To answer this, I discussed how my personal experiences with writing helped to shape my perceptions of writing, how writing is important in society, and what our society would look like without writing.  The third and final question was, “What do you imagine you will be writing in the future?”  I answered this by talking about the kinds of writing I believe I will be doing at VMI, where writing fits into my professional goals, how I would like to change my approach to writing, and the influence that multiple authors have provided me with advice on how to approach writing.