Warren Israel
Professor Wilson Ding
English 2150
September 12 2023
Writing Exercise Reflections
Writing Mimesis: After I finished writing a passage from one of my favorite books, We Stand Divided by Daniel Gordis, I was more focused on the words I was using, and wanted to sound as professional as possible. This is most likely because this is a nonfiction book, which makes me feel very intelligent. Therefore, I most likely wanted to reflect that sentiment in my writing by using very sophisticated language. I remember on several occasions googling synonyms for words to sound as intellectual as possible, like a classical author. I wouldn’t necessarily want to implement this method into my writing style because I did think it was a waste of time, and instead of writing down a passage, I would simply rather read something academic or intellectual to get the creative juices flowing.
Writing following Hormesis: For this stress exercise, I decided to go on a run, something I usually never do because I have terrible stamina. When I returned home, I had no intention of writing more because I was exhausted, but I wrote anyway, simply because I wanted an A. I definitely think that rushed, inconsiderate style was prominent in my writing style for this activity because I was just writing for the sake of writing. When looking back on what I wrote, it sounds very amateurish, and in certain instances, incoherent. I definitely do not prefer this style because when I write, I like to be comfortable, and I simply felt very out of my comfort zone. I would say however that when I was on my run, I thought of some ideas for what I wanted to write about. When I am alone, in the shower, walking home, etc, I have time to think, and oftentimes, some of my best ideas have come from these sessions. So, in that aspect, it was somewhat helpful.