One of the initial tasks for our blog post is creating three goals regarding our writing.  When reading my favorite authors like John Steinbeck, F Scott Fitzgerald, or Nathaniel Hawthorne, I realize how far my writing needs to improve to reach the quality they produce.  From the hidden subliminal symbolism to the descriptive vocabulary, I understand that an immense amount of work will be required to even graze the genius exhibited through their works.  However, for this class, I have three goals that I wish to accomplish on my writing journey.

1. Improve my vocabulary!  I remember when I was in middle school, I was constantly told to memorize new words from the dictionary.  At that time, it felt unnecessary and foolish.  After all, why should I purposely learn vocabulary words just to sound smart when writing?  However, after reading American classics, I realize that by having a plethora of words in your writing arsenal, you can send the message to the reader in a more clear and precise fashion.  For example, if I wanted to describe a piece of cake that I just ate, should I say (1) It was tasty! or (2)It was utterly delectable!  This is a trivial example, but it helps highlight the point of how writers need a strong familiarity with the English language.
2. Learn to be concise but detailed. I noticed with my writing that I could be too extreme on certain occasions by either writing too much by including minor details OR being too concise and thus not providing enough examples.  I hope to find that balance this semester so the reader will have an in depth understanding of my points, but not be bored in the process.
3. Prepare to write, don’t write to prepare.  Outlines and preparations for essays has always been my kryptonite.  My writing style has always been based on passion with me reaching a euphoric moment and sitting at a computer for hours typing away the ideas from my head.  However, that is not the best way to write essays because it could lead to disorganization and chaos.  This will be by far the most challenging goal for me this semester, since despite years of efforts to plan, I have either not used the outline I created or wrote my essays without them.  This semester, I want to work towards accomplishing this goal and hopefully see improvements in the consistency of my writing.

Now these goals I have listed above are not New Years Resolutions that will be abandoned in a few weeks (or for me, days).  To prove my seriousness, I decided to put these goals on my wall to encourage me when I am progressing or shame me if I am stagnant.  Let the writing begin!

Signing off,

Delectable Danielle