What I have Learned this Year as a Writer

I can confidently say that I have largely improved my writing skills this quarter. While dedicated and secure about my abilities to succeed in almost anything I put my mind to, I must admit that I was somewhat doubtful about my capabilities to produce formal writing. Insecure about my vocabulary, and constantly comparing my writing pieces to others with more experience, I almost shied away from writing all together; accepting that "It's just not my thing." In fact, that is what I did in high school. Being intelligent, and motivated to get good grades, I took the easy way out when I wrote essays, still achieving As on almost each one. I did not try hard though. I did not spend time pondering ideas and strategies. I didn't hold must trust in my ideas, nor my abilities to represent them. I believe the reason for all this uncertainty was the fact that I didn't have anything to base my writing style on. I didn't think about accomplishing anything through my writing, beside the purpose. If I were writing a persuasive essay,for example, I would stick to the point, not attempting to use any abstract thoughts, or put things into perspective. This writing class however, taught me a lot. Not only was I open to ideas, truly wanting to learn, but the class also introduced me to concepts which I could base my writing on. "Rhetoric" was a word I had been aware existed, but did not know what it meant. Now, it is constantly on my mind when I write. I can see a clear improvement in my writing from after I have been introduced to rhetorical concepts this year. So to me, rhetoric shapes my writing. It gives me a means to evaluate my own wring pieces, on my own. While I usually had people review my essays and listen to their input, I can now go through the process using myself as the editor. This makes me much more capable and certain in regards to my writing abilities.