Portfolio Reflection

 I have looked over all my writing pieces I have written and published and I have to say that I feel that I have done a good job on all of my pieces.

I feel that, as a writer, I should state what I have and what I lack. Some of my better parts of my writings - my strengths – are that I can relate to different people in different ways through my writing. I have tried different styles of writing – poems such as limericks and haikus, as well as full stories, short stories, and memoirs. I can put my ideas into different formats so that they will relate easier to people. I can also look at an idea from more than one angle.

But as for weaknesses, I do have them too. I sometimes get ahead of myself when I'm writing. I have too many ideas in my head at one time and then I get them mixed up and out of order. I also get off task sometimes and then forget where I am at in a piece.

I do have good and bad pieces as well. I think my best piece is probably my memoir piece - The Farm because it has a very good storyline for a short story and it sounds very nice along with other things like it having good flow as well as different styles of sentences and have a good explosion in it with a lot of details. It also describes my feelings well and goes on to actually kind of talk to the reader in a way.

Now, as for my acrostic piece, it is not my greatest piece I've ever written. It sounds really good and has a good meaning with it all, but I think, personally, that it sort of rambles on to the topic. Usually I like to state my topic and then elaborate but in this poem, it seems to kind of just go back and forth on the subject.

When I was writing these pieces though, my thought process was very clear and organized. I tried to figure out right away what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it. I brainstormed and then started to elaborate on my ideas. As I started to get deeper into my writing, I started editing it and revising it and making sure it sounded right and looked right too.

After using my own method for a few years now, I have realized a few things like what works for me and what does not. I usually work better in an environment where it is quiet and I won't be disturbed or distracted easily. That helps me write both more and also helps me write better with things like details.

Like many writers though, I do always have encounter a case of writer's block. Usually, if I come upon this, I try to step back and relax for a minute. I get my mind off of it and everything and open up. After that then I can usually focus back on the piece and start to write better. Sometimes I'll listen to music to help calm me and focus me.

As I do continue to write, I feel like I want to get to know the reader and their side more. I will probably try to open up feelings from both sides in my pieces and hopefully I will make an impact on people in the future.

"Best” Piece Reflection

 For my best piece of writing, I choose my memoir-The Farm. I think that it has all the elements of a good writing piece.

I choose this piece because I think I incorporated all that I could into it. I made sure I had good details, I kept a good order and structure to it and also tried different styles to help understand it better for the reader. I made sure that my details were very fine and had a good description to visualize to. I also tried to use different sentence structures like simple sentences and compound-complex sentences too. It was a different experience and it helped to make me a better writer and also for the reader to understand and learn.

When I first started writing this piece, I wanted to write something that had happened to me and was very personal to me. I had always loved that big pine tree and the picture that I had in my pocket that I was talking about in the story really was one of my favorite pictures because it had a lot of memories behind it. I wanted the reader to understand that I had gone through some hard times and that I could always find the courage to overcome them. I just had to stay strong.

When I first started writing, I started out by describing the old pine tree that used to be my favorite place on the farm. I wrote about me climbing up in the tree and finding the best spot to sit out and look at the farm.

I had a long time to think about putting my picture into my story though. I wanted to put in the part about the picture I had but I didn't know exactly how to put it in the story. I started thinking about how I always used to put gloves in my pockets because it was cold so I decided to write that I had put the picture in my pocket.

For the ending, I decided to talk about my struggles and how I had the courage to get through it and be strong. I wanted to have the reader see this and be inspired and go out and be ready for the world and know how to take it head on.

My overall view on this piece is good and I think I did a very good job on it. I expressed what I wanted to say and hopefully inspired other people with this piece.

8) Write compositions with a variety of sentence structures and lengths

I tried many different styles for my writing pieces. I put different types of sentences into my papers along with other things as well such as complex sentences and complex-compound sentences.

Examples--
Simple: This simple picture brought back memories that I had forgotten about until just now.
Compound: Swinging my legs closer and closer to the trunk, I found a foot-hold - a perfect little pocket in the trunk of the tree.
Complex: Pulling it out of my pocket, I realized what it was - a picture.
Compound-complex: Reaching out for the next branch, I spotted the perfect branch. I started toward that golden branch, extending my arm as far as my muscles could reach, straining.

7) Demonstrate correct grammar and sentence structure.

Reviewed: I had always had a special place for him-my grandpa. He was one of my closest relatives. I could talk to him about anything. He was caring and thoughtful of everyone else before himself. He had been through a lot in his time-wars, family and recessions. He was my dad's father but he was not his real father. My father was adopted by my grandparents but it still feels like we were all blood related as we went through the years together. 

6) Use a variety of techniques effectively to provide supportive detail in writing

In my memoir I had a very detailed explosion in my writing:

He still had that distinct aura he had had for all his years he had been in my life. Sort of calming in a way. He smelled of a very classic fragrance and just a tiny hint of nursing home. As he leaned over to murmur in my ear "We're going fishing tomorrow", I could see his somber age spots that looked like natural freckles now and the hints of crows feet around his eyes glistening blue eyes. As he stood from his crouched position next to me, I thought I heard the faint sound of crackling in his pocket. I looked up at him and he look back down at me with his shining movie-star smile as he reached into his pocket to reveal a small stash of caramels in his weathered hand. As he lowered back down to my level, he picked me up and offered me one of his delicious delicacies. I quickly thanked him as I ripped that clear layer of plastic off to smell that buttery sweet candy.

5) Write with strong organization and coherence.

Original idea of order: Pain definition and introduction paragraph
                                    Sorrow paragraph
                                    Courage paragraph
                                    Love paragraph
                                    Ending/outro paragraph

4) Use strategies for editing

Edited and done: As he stood from his crouched position next to me, I thought I heard the faint sound of crackling in his pocket. I looked up at him and he look back down at me with his shining movie-star smile as he reached into his pocket to reveal a small stash of caramels in his weathered hand. As he lowered back down to my level, he picked me up and offered me one of his delicious delicacies. I quickly thanked him as I ripped that clear layer of plastic off to smell that buttery sweet candy.

3) Use strategies for revising

Original: My grandpa passed away a few years ago but I still miss him. He would be suprised at how much I grew up.

Revised: Now, as I think back to that time, being with my grandpa, I feel a deep longing to be back there with him, smiling while he was holding me. He has already passed away years ago but I still feel like he should be here with me, seeing how I've grown up into a young woman.

2) Use strategies for drafting

Original ideas: One of my favorite things on the farm was a huge pine tree.
                        I was going through some hard times then.
                        I had a picture that I always treasured of my family.

Revised: As I look back, I can remember one of our biggest pine trees in the backyard. As you stood next to the trunk, you could barely see the scraggly branches at the top with almost no pine needles still clinging to them from many storms through the tree's years. As I reached up, I could hear the bark under-foot crackle with age, and feel the warm sap leak onto my chilled fingers.

           On that picture was a young girl – me. Sitting with my mother and father – happy, with a smile on my face. It had been taken about a year ago. Before everything started changing, splitting in two, and me in-between it all.

            Now it was my last year on the farm because soon I would be moving into town with my mother while visiting my father every chance I could get because my parents were getting a divorce. As I started to turn away from the tree, I felt my sadness overwhelm me. I stopped myself, gained control, and put a smile on my face. I would get through this. As I started walking to the farm house I still called home, I knew things would be different. Things will change and I won't have any control but to just go with it. Now it was my time to be strong and so, walking away, I was scared. But I am strong.

1) Use strategies for brainstorming

When I was thinking about writing my acrostic poem, I thought of what I was going to have for a word and what it was going to be about.

Hidden Knife

Pain - a feeling both physical and mental. Everyone has it or has experienced it but do we know exactly what it is? The dictionary defines it as “physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury or mental suffering or distress”. My opinion of this particular word is a feeling someone gets when they feel like nothings going right or when they have been hurt. It is not thought about often and is almost a "hidden knife" to most people for, it has two sides. Mental and physical. It is a very complicated subject but yet everyone seems to encounter it. But to experience pain, you must first go through sorrow, courage, and love.

One of the main sides of pain is sorrow. It is feared by most people and usually not wanted but it will always seem to come around in everyone's life at least once. I have felt it also during a sad time when my parents were getting a divorce. That is actually one of the most common stories of pain and sorrow. Many people will consider this a very sad time and will wallow in deep thought about this. Sorrow is a very deep emotion that people experience but it does go hand-in-hand with pain because it is in fact a branch of pain.

Courage is an aspect of pain. It is one of the few things that will help you get through it as well. Everyone has courage but some do not show it or cannot seem to let it out to get through things the way they should. I have heard of people taking their live because they have not had the courage to overcome their problems and I think it is very sad. It is very simple – find your courage. Having courage is just being strong in a time of pain or sorrows and finding friends to help you through it.

Love is the most important part of pain. Love is a very strong feeling of affection for others and is usually thought to be a very happy emotion but it always isn't. It can also be the cause of pain as well. It can be a very big cause in a lot of pain, for a lot of people seem to find themselves in love first – together with their significant other – and then it seems to disappear and pain moves in its place. But yet, love seems to be a double-edged knife for, love can also help in times of pain and sorrows and sadness. It can be even more effective than courage because it is such a great force. It is the most powerful force that it can help overcome pain.

When people experience pain, they will have trials of sorrow, have a taste of courage, and maybe find love. In everyone's life they will have these experiences but only the brave will find a great way to deal with them and even overcome some of this pain. I think you should always find friends and family to surround you in these times and find your love and courage to get you through.

For pain, it has many names and many sides. It is whatever you want it to be to you, for you can control it if you work your hardest. Overcome it.