Theory of Writing

Joyana Manisha

Professor Pawlawski

FIQWS 10111

Dear Mr. Jensen,

I really didn’t know what to do for my theory of writing and so, I decided to write a letter to the person who taught me how to write. Writing never really interested me honestly. I never knew what to look for while reading a piece of work or what to analyze at the end. Taking notes while reading would always confuse me even more. One of my weaknesses in writing is that it is difficult for me to start. I never know what to start with. And I still remember your famous words, “Every great writer starts with a hook.” I didn’t understand what would be gravitating enough for the reader to continue reading my work. The hardest assignment in your class besides all those essays was probably to come up with four different hooks that could fit into any prompt provided. I literally wanted to give up every second but didn’t because I knew I could figure it out if I continued trying. When I first found out that I was in your class, I immediately wanted to transfer out but there were no other teachers teaching AP Literature. The idea of having to actually work my way through writing in your class and putting my grades in jeopardy put a fear in my mind.

I never really understood the importance of being able to write and you helped me understand the purpose of writing. Through the many characterization charts that we were required to complete while reading “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy, I was able to understand the significance behind each action and every character. We would have to fill out these charts as we finished each section of the book and it helped me look further into the details whereas before, I would just overlook them. Being able to focus on the little details and how they could relate to a picture situation helped emphasize the importance of note taking and understanding of every line of the book.

As much as I disliked reading “War and Peace”, I would have to give it credit for helping me create a better understanding of writing. Before I entered your class, I would always choose scientific writing over literature papers. I preferred writing about scientific theories and journals. I was part of Science Research which took place from sophomore year to senior year of high school. In that class, we practiced reading peer reviewed journal articles and we would have to write summaries on the articles we read every week. I know you are not a huge fan of Science research however, it actually did end up helping me in a way. At the end of each year, we would all have to complete a proposal while executing the studies and present to the entire school. These proposals helps me create better analysis based on my results and helped me practice my writing. Through those proposals, my writing has changed significantly since I was able to understand my mistakes and make my work better as each year passed.

Other than that, I truly appreciate you for helping me learn how to express myself through writing and learn new techniques. Throughout my FIQWS class this semester, I was introduced to the idea of just to write. It doesn’t matter whether my words make sense, I just need to write. There will be time for constant peer review later on but first, I will have to write. Even though you taught me a lot, I have been also adding on new teachings as I go long. My professor and you are quite alike each other he helped emphasized the usage of rhetorical analysis which helped me express myself well throughout my writing. All of your teachings are slowly helping me become a better writer throughout my college days.

Thank you,

Joyana Manisha

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