Goal #1 Citing Evidence Correctly - In my future writing I need to make sure that I am citing all of the evidence/quotes that I use to support my ideas correctly. My In-Class Essay contained errors where I hadn’t introduced the quote with the article/video title and the author’s name, and where I didn’t include the author’s last name/page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence. To fix this issue in my future writing, especially my senior thesis, I can research the correct format to cite my evidence. I will also identify if they’re different ways to cite videos versus articles. The next few writing assignments we have I will focus on using lots of evidence so that I can practice correct citations.
Goal #2 Connecting Topic Sentences Back to My Thesis - Something I need to improve on is making sure that my topic sentences connect back to my thesis/main idea. In the Sustainability In-Class Essay when I turned in my first draft Ashley gave me feedback that said that I needed to make sure that my topic sentences either directly connected back to my thesis, or the paragraph directly before. In order to improve this in my writing I can create “essay outlines” where I’ll set up my topic sentences before hand. This outline can include my topic sentence, evidence, and conclusion for each of my paragraphs. By doing this I can make sure my thesis is obviously connected to each of my paragraphs, while keeping the organization of my essay intact.
Goal #3
Using More Colorful/Vivid Language -
A goal I have for my writing this year is to use more colorful and vivid language in my writing to draw readers in, as well as provide more detailed descriptions. When I was having people critique my college essay, I had many people tell me to improve my verbs, and include more clear descriptions. Looking forward I can research synonyms to words I use often to maybe find a word that’s a better fit, as well as more engaging. I can also do some research as to how to use word choice to draw readers in. This will allow me to paint a better picture of whatever I may be describing in my essays/writing assignments.