Allen’s Portfolio

Retrace Inward

Writing is one of the most powerful things that humans have access to. It’s a way of expression, as well as a way of understanding how to express. From a young age, we’re taught how to read, and in each book, there’s a storyline. The emotions that these stories come with teach us how to express feelings, and how these fictional characters overcome boundaries. With that being said, I don’t think my writing is up to par with these stories. However, I know that if there’s a will, then there’s a way. There’s potential in my writing, and I know that over time, I’ll be able to express myself through it. When I read the writing of my peers, I always feel like I fell short of the expectations. I feel unsatisfied with my work, and I really do want to improve. Even though this is my thought process, I’m still understanding and respectful to myself. I know that the way I grew up and the way my peers grew up are completely different from one another. The resources that other people had access to aren’t the same as those that I had access to. I know that compared to others, my writing might not be the best, but to me, it’s the best that I can do. Every time I write, whether it’s for class, or for myself, I put all of my efforts into it, and oftentimes, it shows.

 

There are still things that I’m aware that I can improve on. If I try to use more bold and striking words, I know that my writing begins to take shape. If someone were to read the way that I write, they probably wouldn’t think much of it. It’d probably be a quick read that they wouldn’t think twice about. I’m not saying that my writing is terrible, but it definitely wouldn’t leave a lasting impression on them. There are so many stories out there like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson that leave a life-long impression on me. That’s what I want my readers to feel when they’re faced with my writing. With that being said, from now on, I’ll have to expand my vocabulary and my storytelling to captivate my audience. When my peers review my work, I hope that they’ll be able to learn something from me just like how I learn from them. Even while writing this assignment, I can see my flaws. The repetition in my writing has become a sort of second nature to me. I tend to repeat the same points over and over again, and it’s something I have to work on. Usually, when I’m writing, I tend to focus on the completion of the assignment, and not on the completion of my writing. A lot of the time, this leaves an incomplete feeling to my writing.

 

From now on, there are a few things that I’m going to improve. Like I’ve been repeating time and time again, I have to work on repetition (Ironic). Expanding my vocabulary is one of my biggest priorities to improve my writing, and it’ll allow me to use words that are filled with more emotion. Although I feel unsatisfied with my work when I compare it with others, I’m going to continue to improve, and it’ll only get better. “The pen is mightier than the sword,” author Edward Bulwer-Lytton once said. This statement, which was said over 10 decades ago, somehow still stays relevant today. The words that I write on the paper unconsciously are the words that I need to consider.s