Binh Ho

Professor Connelly
English 20
21Febuary2016
My Legendary Writing Process
The writing process is a complex method of writing that is more than simply combining
sentences to paragraphs. Its more about making sure that each word used supports the thesis of a
paper. My readings in the past 2 weeks have been helpful writing tips from the writing experts
themselves. These writing experts already know what is going on in a students writing process.
Many examples of bad writing were brought up in these readings and are often, a representation
of my writing process. These writing process readings have improved my writing in a variety of
ways.
At the very beginning of my English career, I was ashamed to talk about reading or
writing. It was a strange sensation as writing was unnatural for me. Ive always felt like a
sentence or two was more than enough to prove a point. Thats the case for science classes but
not in an English paper. I thought, perhaps if I used words Ive never used before, I could show
that I kind of tried to write. My perspective of an English paper was a lab report with all the
elaborate words in it (Ho 2). I narrowly passed English with a C throughout high school and I
knew it would come back to haunt me into college. It was soul shattering for me since I was an
As and Bs student in all my other subjects. However, that all changed once I entered college.
This time, I was more determined and genuine than I was before. After taking an English 5 class
here in Sacramento State, my writing went from rotten berries to bittersweet chocolate. Writing
really isnt as bad as I thought.

One of the ways my writing has improved is through proper revision. More specifically,
peer reviewing. In Richard Straubs Responding-Really Responding- to other students writing,
Try to imitate the teacher. Mark what hed mark and sound like hed sound (Straub 162). He
really hit the bulls eye on my peer reviewing skill as I honestly thought thats all its about. The
problem I had was my hesitation of changing the paper. I know what Id put there instead of that
word. I know what I would talk about next instead of whatever the writer wrote. After reading
the Straubs passage, there was one line that stood out. He writes in his paper, He is careful,
though, not to get presumptuous and make decisions for the writer. Instead, he offers options and
points to possibilities (Straub 170). I just need to remember that my input is my opinion. The
writer always has the choice to change or not and it is up to his/her to make that choice. Being
able to take criticism is a part of becoming a better writer. Not only does peer reviewing affect
the writer but the readers as well. By allowing myself to be the reader, I am able to gain another
perspective of an essay.
Another way that my writing has improved is through the law of delay. I like to be ahead
of my studies so I would start things ahead of time so I wouldnt have to stress about it in the
future. I actually planned to write this paper last week but instead, I decided to start it today.
Instead of stuffing my ideas into a paper, I just let my thoughts cook subconsciously in my head.
As Murray would say in write before writing, There must be time for the seed of the idea to be
nurtured in the mind (Murray 375). Instead of stuffing immature words into a paper, I have
used half-baked ideas instead. Not only does it affect my motivation but the voice of the paper.
It would be like starting with a strong foundation instead of a weak one. As a result of that, my
peers had difficulty criticizing my paper.

The biggest improvement I saw in my writing process is to write without a doubt. Many
students are guilty of being extremely broad and trying to appeal the mass of people. In
Schmidts Rhetoric passage, Too many of our students think they can produce good essays by
trying to write safe ones; they try to develop positions that everyone will agree with (Schmidt 6)
I am a firm believer in this sentence as I experienced it from my peers during my freshman year.
One of the flaws of this thought process is that it doesnt express anything about the opinion of
the writer. Writing is an answer to a question. It is an expression of how the writer answers that
question. To lean between the line of yes and no, leaves the writer thin on both positions
especially when they felt strongly about one of them. A thinned out writing not only lacks
content but the voice driving the paper. One of the ways that it is expressed is through word
choice. In the textbook, One of the tips talks about cutting empty phrases, such as There are, it
is, I feel that, I know that, you will understand that, I think, in todays society, and so on (Smith
45). These words sound doubtful and honestly, weak. In a nutshell, writing is picking a side and
going crazy at it.
Upon rereading a past text that I wrote during my 1st year here at sac state is about my
own writing process. As I was reading it, I remembered how much fun I had with this paper as I
recalled how easy it was for me to write it. In my past writing, Writing Reforged, it was the most
casual paper I have ever written. I dont think I ever seen anyone wrote like that except for
Shitty First Drafts by Anne Lamott. Then again, I dont leisurely read so it kind of narrows it
down.
The one of the strengths of this paper was the voice that was used in the paper. I am quite
a science nerd and Ive made numerous science references. In my paper of Writing Reforged, I
was trying to write a lab report and threw in all the elaborate words I could think of (Ho 2).

With so many references to science, it pretty much tells how much of a science nerd the writer is.
It gave the reader a chance to be in the writers shoes, thus further strengthening the voice of the
paper. Not only did it made my paper better, but it made it easier to write since I was simply
expressing myself.
The weak part of the paper was the overwhelming feeling of informality of the paper. I
think I went overboard on the imagery and overloaded the reader (myself including). The
excessive number of imagery which has left the reader bored of redundant ideas. It is strange to
be bored of my own paper. I can only imagine the poor professor that had to read it. Now since it
was my paper, it kind of difficult to judge as I am the best writer in the world. That was the
mindset I keep that helps me drive forward in any paper.
In the end, I have learned important tips on how to write even better than before. Ive
read the manuscript of the writing experts and concluded these are most essential to improving
my writing process. Whats interesting is how much more I can personalize a piece of writing. I
am a blunt person and perhaps thats all I need to include into my writing to make it the best
ever. Writing with confidence definitely makes a difference that distinguishes my paper to others,
making my paper the best writing I can write. English may not be as boring and bland as I
thought.

Works Cited
Ho, Binh. Writing Reforged. 2014. TS.
Murray, Donald M.. Write Before Writing. College Composition and Communication 29.4
(1978): 375381. Print.
Schmidt, Gary D., and Vande Kopple, William J.. Rhetoric. Communities of Discourse: The
Rhetoric of Disciplines Eaglewood Cliffs, NJ:Prentice Hall, 1993. Print.
Smith, Trixie G., and Smith, Allison D.. Building Bridges through Writing. Southlake, Texas:
Fountain Press, 2014. Print.
Straub, Richard. Responding-Really Responding-to Other Students Writing. The Subject Is
Writing: Essays by Teachers and Students. Ed. Wendy Bishop. 3rd ed. Portsmouth, NH:
Boyton/Cook-Heinemann, 2003. 162-172. Print.