Theory of Writting

Eberge Dumay 

Prof. Davidow 

English 21007P

May 20, 2023

     The theory of writing is something that is different from person to person, and everyone has their own theory based on how they write and their process. My theory when it comes to writing has always been to go with the flow. Just write what comes to mind then put the pieces together at the end to create a cohesive piece of literature. It has never failed me and I continue to use it to this day. Here’s how my theory of going with the flow and my process of writing have translated into my English classes and assignments.

     The writing process always starts with a prompt and an outline. Based on the prompt I’m given or the idea on which my writing will be based I create an outline. The outline allows me to visualize how my essay will look, where everything will fall, and how everything will flow together. Within the outline, I write down bullet points for each paragraph. Now these bullet points are topics that I would like to express within the paragraph. For example, for my “Technical Description” assignment, one of my bullet points for the paragraph describing how the item worked was “Components.” Now this is just a simple word, but it allows me to structure the paragraph around that topic. With this, I know that I need to list the components, their use in the item, and why they are important, or why they choose that component over another component. In just one word, there are many different branches and topics. I essentially do this with most of my writing assignments, where ill choose one word and base a paragraph around that word by creating many subtopics around the word. 

     Throughout my time in this course, my writing process has evolved by a rather large margin. Many things I never really considered when writing has become my best friends in taking my writing to the next level. One of the main resources that I’ve utilized during my time in this class is the library database. When I first used the databases, I found it difficult to find the information that I wanted, therefore I refused to use them. During my time in this class, I’ve learned many tips and tricks when it comes to using the library’s databases. Those tips and tricks have allowed me to not only used the databases in many of my writings but also as a tool of research for any topic in which I am interested whether it is in the classroom or outside the classroom. The class has also strengthened my research skills. Prior to this class most of my writings requires minimal research as they were mostly opinionated writings about common topics, but for many of the assigned works in this class, extensive research was required. Due to the amount of research I’ve had to do throughout this course, I’ve not only expanded my knowledge on how to properly research on the internet, but I’ve also picked up many tips and tricks to make researching easier and less time-consuming. 

     There are many ways in which my writing process has improved throughout this course. My process has become quicker and more efficient, but one attribute of this course I think that will go unnoticed is communication. While this communication didn’t necessarily improve my writing process or expended on my theory of writing per se, it was a valuable asset in this class. With most of our assignments being group projects, the art of proper communication became increasingly important as the class progressed. Being able to properly communicate with my group members not only kept us on track but also helps us keep things organized and efficient. While we had our issues with communicating, we have significantly improved throughout the course as a group and as individuals as well. 

     Coming into this course, my theory when it comes to writing had always been to start writing and just go with the flow. Once you start writing you’ll catch a rhythm and you just continue with that rhythm until you finish your piece. While I still write the same way more or less, I’ve added many new traits to my process. I’ve also gotten better at free thinking and writing. While that wasn’t necessarily a focus throughout the course assignments like the “Letter of Introduction” has helped me in writing with a limited prompt. Being an assignment where I’m necessarily just told to write and introduce myself, there isn’t much of an outline to follow per se. I’m essentially just writing about a topic I’m very well versed on since who knows me better than I know myself? It was essentially a free writing assignment with little to no limitations on what I wrote so long as I am introducing myself. This became a valuable skill in writing my reflections. Since my reflections are not particularly based on a topic where I needed to educate myself on, but were more opinion based. I was able to find comfort and not struggle with writing without a specific prompt or outline. 

     Overall, this course has been a positive experience for me and I’ve learned a lot when it comes to improving my writing process and theory. With the diverse amount of assignments that we’ve had, it prepared me for most of the types of writing that I would be doing throughout my field of work. Between my improvements in how I do research, how I communicate, and how I write in general, this course had been nothing but helpful in my development as a writer and has prepared me well for future assignments and work positions where wetting will be necessary.