WP1

Part 1: Zoom Out

Upon my journey of scouring through past Google Docs to find the perfect combination of writing pieces I have created since entering college, I have arrived at a ratio of two college essays, two personal reflection academic essays, and two extracurricular essays. As I revisited these essays, I found myself often cringing at the screen. However, there were occasional moments where I had to pat myself on the back. After meticulously re-reading these essays, which spanned various stages and periods of my life, I embarked on an analysis of their differences in style, purpose, and diction. In this essay, I aim to categorize my findings into two distinct categories: "Why/who did I write for?" and "How did my writing process change?" 

Why/Who Did I Write it For?

 First and foremost, most of the pieces I've included in this discussion were involuntary scholarly essays. Even the ones that weren’t technically “required,” like my USC club applications, were regrettably not born out of my free will. Nevertheless, this doesn’t imply that I didn't find enjoyment in writing them—at least not all of them. I used to believe that having the freedom to write about personal topics, without rigid formatting guidelines, would lead to better writing. Surprisingly, some of my best writing, in my opinion, came from these involuntary school essays. For instance, there's an essay called "The Girl on Fire," which I penned as a freshman. I was excited to discuss one of my favorite books, "The Hunger Games," and the embedded quotes and examples from the franchise tied everything together brilliantly. Unfortunately, such instances were rare because, for the most part, my school writing ranged from adequate to subpar. Take, for instance, another analytical essay I wrote for a Psychology class about the controversy of vaccines and autism, a similar prompt to my Hunger Games essay. However, the voice in this essay was vastly different due to my limited interest in the topic. In the "vaccines essay," I felt like I was writing what my Professor wanted to hear, regurgitating the lectures to impress them by demonstrating I had paid attention. In contrast, in the Hunger Games essay, I felt like I was finally saying what I truly wanted to express, and my genuine opinions came through. I distinctly remember reading it over repeatedly, not to meet the professor's expectations, but to ensure I had conveyed everything I wanted to say. Now, let's transition to one of my worst essays—a piece from just a year ago, for one of my General Education (GE) classes. I can't say whether it was because I hadn't written an essay in a while, but I found myself struggling immensely. At one point, I began rewriting the same words with different phrasing simply because I couldn't summon any valuable insights or perspectives, even though it was a forced task. Ultimately, I turned it in a few hours late after emailing the Teaching Assistant (TA) because I physically couldn't proceed. The other two essays I mentioned followed a very clear essay structure—thesis, three supporting pieces of evidence, topic sentences, and conclusion—a structure I believed I had mastered during my freshman year of college. However, this essay departed from that structure, and I found the prompt itself to be challenging and vague. Additionally, it focused on Colonialism under European rule, a topic I had no genuine interest in. Instead of constructing a thesis and providing supporting arguments and evidence, this essay required my personal insights drawn from the readings and class lectures. Unfortunately, I hadn't paid much attention to the course, and the readings I was supposed to draw from didn't seem to require any interpretation. Writing it felt like an exercise in redundancy as I regurgitated information my professor already knew. Another aspect of my writing journey involves reflection pieces I had to complete at the end of each semester. This is intriguing because it blends involuntary assignments with the freedom to explore various topics. These reflection pieces didn't require a specific format or thesis; instead, they asked what I had learned and how I had grown throughout the courses. Although I had the liberty to discuss anything, the writing didn't necessarily reflect my true opinions. Instead, I was often focused on completing the task rather than delving into genuinely insightful reflective moments. Finally, I want to shed light on my last type of writing—my club applications at USC. I applied to two entrepreneurial clubs on campus, both highly competitive. I was eager to gain entry as I had recently ventured into the business world from a pre med track and was actively seeking a community for growth. While these supplements were entirely by choice, I felt compelled to undertake them to secure an internship and experience. Each club posed 4-5 questions, each requiring around 100-150 words per response. The questions resembled college supplement essays, with inquiries like "What was your biggest failure?" and "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" While these questions were more forgiving than some of the school essays I had written, they still didn't entirely sound like me. I found myself tailoring my responses to appeal to the students who would be reviewing my application. To win their favor, I attempted to sound interesting and fun while explaining my accomplishments without appearing conceited. It was essentially an exaggerated version of my own voice and an amplification of my passion for entrepreneurship at the time. 

How Did My Writing Process Change?

As much as I'd prefer not to admit it, I think I often left my writing until the last minute. I often convinced myself that pressure brought out the best in me as a writer. While this approach occasionally worked, it was far from foolproof. Although I attempted to improve this habit during my time in college, writing remained a task I frequently postponed. Completing other assignments for my classes was relatively straightforward because they came with clear instructions. However, writing drained me considerably, especially when I encountered writer's block. When this happened, I typically relied on my own motivation and didn't seek help from friends, roommates, or professors. I preferred to write alone, locking myself in a quiet room with instrumental music playing softly in the background. Lyrics in music disrupted my thought process, so I opted for non-lyrical tunes. I also refrained from asking others to proofread my work because once I finished an essay, I had a tendency to submit it immediately. While writing is often seen as a social activity, it was an intensely personal and individualistic pursuit for me. One interesting deviation from this pattern occurred when I was writing my club applications. It became a more social process, as I sought help from my brother for almost every question. He provided valuable tips and cautioned me against potential pitfalls. Since he was a USC alum, he had navigated this application process before, making his guidance especially comforting. I must have gone through over 10 revisions of the supplements, sending each one to my brother for his feedback. My writing process during my freshman year didn't undergo significant changes. However, I anticipate some shifts in my writing behavior as I complete WRIT 340. While working on this essay, I envisioned myself in an interview, responding to the questions outlined in the WP1 directions. This allowed me to hone my voice and express my opinions more coherently and fluently. I believe this process will prove valuable in upcoming assignments. 

Part 2: Zoom In

 Now that I have analyzed the writing I've done across different platforms and uses, I want to focus on a single essay—my lens essay that required me to compare assigned readings in class to a popular pop culture work. It tasked me with analyzing how this pop culture reference was either rejected or adhered to gender roles in society. In this instance, I chose to explore "The Hunger Games." I aimed to dissect how certain characters in the series defied societal gender norms while others adhered to them. Despite the guideline on how to use evidence to support my thesis, I felt incredibly comfortable while writing this piece. Though this essay doesn't fall under the category of free-time writing, my passion for "The Hunger Games" as a fan during my younger years had already sparked personal monologues in my head. I often annotated significant events while reading the book and watching the movies. While my goal was to earn an A on this paper and impress my professor with my writing skills, what made this essay different was that it truly felt like my own voice. I didn't feel the need to shy away from expressing my true opinions and thoughts. It felt genuine, and I thoroughly enjoyed the process. While my immediate audience was the professor, I believed this essay could be relevant to anyone interested in "The Hunger Games" or broader discussions of gender norms. The diction I employed in this essay was academic and assertive. Although it wasn't a persuasive essay, I crafted my words in a convincing manner to ensure readers would align with my thesis. This essay even inspired thoughts of creating a video essay to upload on YouTube to reach a wider audience. However, I ultimately went against it as I feared it would not be as insightful as I thought it was or that it would attract negative feedback from people who didn’t think this way about the series. Moreover, writing this essay felt refreshing because, despite my deep love for "The Hunger Games," I disliked how it was sometimes portrayed as a mere "teen movie." I wanted others to appreciate the series as I did, not as a teenage romance, but as a social commentary with a unique take on a male-dominated movie industry. A notable point to highlight is when I discussed how Katniss' actions in the movie resembled stereotypical masculine traits. I wrote, "Katniss propels her demands while getting increasingly agitated and using a louder tone, all while towering over her listeners. Contrary to female stereotypes, which communicate subordinate status and vulnerability to trespass through a message of no threat, Katniss’ movements here are abrupt and stiff, communicating force and threat rather than flexibility and cooperation, making an actor look masculine. Katniss, in this context, demonstrates her confidence by realizing the power she holds over the rebellion, refusing to compromise with Coin. Importantly, she achieves her demands without resorting to exploiting female sexuality, a tactic that women often employ to gain protection, wealth, and the vicarious benefits of power.” This was my favorite quote from the essay because I was able to find a quote from our assigned readings that mirrored exactly what I wanted to say in an academic and coherent manner. What made this essay particularly successful for me was its inherent relevance. The topic was well-known and evergreen, making it accessible to a wide audience. I combined something I genuinely liked with a topic people were familiar with. The research effort wasn't extensive because I had watched and read "The Hunger Games" series so many times that I knew exactly what I wanted to highlight and which scenes to reference. There were many times where I had to cut out some of the scenes I wanted to analyze due to word economics. Although I had to adhere to a prompt, the essay's subject was something I had begun to ponder after high school. Frankly, I hadn't considered gender roles particularly important or relevant in our society. However, as I gained more life experience and exposure to different viewpoints, I recognized their significance. Although this essay was required, it encouraged me to delve deeper into gender stereotypes and their impact on society. While writing was often a solitary pursuit for me, this class helped bring my opinions to the forefront through this prompt. Although I haven’t written anything since then out of free will, this essay definitely made me more open to personal opinion pieces or even journaling my thoughts.