The Power of Writing

As the semester comes to a close I look back on this class and see that it required a great amount of research and revisions to find the words to convey my ideas perfectly. Every assignment done in this class is a testament to the writing process and upon reflection I can thoroughly say I achieved core values one, three, five, and seven.

Core Value  One states that writing is a multi-stage, recursive, and social process. After reflecting upon this course i can say that I experienced the multi-stage aspect of writing over and over again throughout this course. Repeatedly Drafts were posted, feedback was received, and revisions were made. With every long and almost intimidating feedback post I received I learned what mistakes had been made and improved each time. Every student experienced this same process and being able to view early postings greatly helped the revisions of my own paper which shows how much of a social process writing also is. With each assignment employing us to use a different way of thinking and writing, I can confidently say I used the writing techniques I’ve learned repeatedly in this course.

Core Value Three states that we understand how texts represent meaning and how the processes of writing and reading create and interpret meaning. My understanding  of this core value is that, the interpretation of meaning in text is dependent on the words chosen, and can be interpreted differently depending on the context of which you which to use it. Throughout the research process I found that I was able to use parts of  articles opposing my argument to actually support my side through my understanding of it.

Core Value Five states the ability to understand the role and use of information in writing. The research paper is the perfect example of writing that uses information as a pivotal part of its structure. At first I searched only for articles and journals relating directly to my thesis which was  that protein supplements are bad for us ,which has actually changed to protein powders are beneficial for us. As the research process went on I started to explore more sources that where not directly related to my thesis but were helpful in supporting or explaining my argument. I was able to use both information for and against my thesis to define the subject and rebut any views opposing my argument. Without these sources papers would be empty arguments and assumptions that can not be proven.

Core Value Seven states that we understand the power and ethical responsibility that comes with the creation of written discourse. This core value ties into the change of thesis that I had for my research paper quite well. The research argument thesis was supposed to be a counterintuitive topic, and I chose to prove that protein supplements are harmful. Through researching, I found that there was a lack of accurate evidence to support this side and changed my thesis. I support the use of protein supplements and there is a lot more evidence to support this argument. I rather write a paper that i believe in with accurate information to support it. If a passage of writing has enough accurate support you have to respect the author’s argument as a valid one despite your view.