About Me
Hello, and Welcome!
This website was created to display my writing as a student in the course: The Journalistic Essay.
My name is Rebecca Gagne. I am in my fourth year at Bridgewater State University where I am majoring in English, Writing and Writing Studies Concentration and minoring in Special Education. I began my educational journey in pursuit of a degree in English for Secondary Education in hopes of teaching upon graduation. I enrolled in this course to gain experience in journalistic writing, because as a student writer I have not had much experience with that style.
I believe that the portfolio is a great way to grow as a writer and a student. The portfolio allowed for me to reflect upon my writing from the first essay to the last and see my improvement over the course of the semester. The portfolio allows for me to become a stronger writer through the process of revision. To be honest, if there was no portfolio, the likelihood of further editing these pieces would not happen and I would never think of them again.
For the portfolio to be effective, the criticism I received from peers, instructors, and readers has been helpful for me during the revision process. The editing process allows for me to make my writing more appealing to potential readers using their comments and feedback. Writing is a process and can undergo many drafts before creating the perfect piece. Although writing can always be revised, the perfect piece may take many drafts before it is completed. Before constructing the first drafts of my work within this course, I was lost for a beginning but as I began to write, it became easier. After creating a draft, feedback was great for me to see what I can do to revise and make the piece better.
At the point of mid-semester I feel that my writing had begun to create a voice of my own. Writers struggle with creating a voice within their writing and their voice is what develops their writing style and creates a unique feel with the reader. At that point in my career as a student my writing has improved because I am being introduced to different styles of writing that I would normally not write. I am used to writing structured essays on books and writing prompts, but this course has allowed for me to write in different styles that pertain to actual stories which hold a greater interest to me as a writer.
The mid-term portfolio journal selections are from my blog. They were written on the article Mrs. Kelly’s Monster by Jon Franklin. I included this journal I found the reading to be interesting, and helpful in learning to write a profile style essay. I also found it helpful in developing a story and style while capturing the reader by pulling on their emotions. As a reader I am able to connect with the material best when I am able to connect with it on a personal level. The development of characters and a situation allow for me to connect with the scenario and the characters so I can become interested with the story and want to read and feel like it is real. The second journal entry is from class readings that focused on character and voice. I choose this piece of writing because reflecting on my profile essay; it is great to review the writing on these topics because it will assist me in editing my profile essay. Developing character and voice on someone who already has their own style is a difficult task to do as a writer. Being able to describe someone and an aspect of their life is difficult within itself. As a writer it is hard to take a step back and allow for someone else to tell their story but through my writing.
The two in class writing components I choose to include focus on drafting and keeping a notebook. Keeping a notebook is a great way to start the writing process. Any small observation or event of a day can contribute to a piece of writing. The notebook page I composed was from a list of ten ways to draft from Writing True: the Art and Craft of Creative Nonfiction by Sondra Perl and Mimi Schwartz. My writing was based on “small moments” where I wrote about a small moment as part of my day at work. Working as a CNA is a tough job and it is often difficult to find time in a shift to do the ‘extra’. The second writing was about a free write on travel where I wrote about my trip to Bermuda. My writing was timed so based on a time limit I was quickly able to write a piece on the sites of a Bermuda beach. Both of these writings reflect elements that writers use to create greater pieces of writing based upon small free writes or short prompts.
When editing and revising my profile essay, it was difficult to try to revise the paper because I wanted to keep my voice but needed to let the voice of the subject be able to tell her story through my writing. This was difficult but I used the feedback from my instructor to craft scenes where Lauren could tell her story in my writing. It was difficult because it would be a lot easier for me to write a bibliography on her. In editing my Talk of the Campus essay it was difficult to create a tone of the essay and again develop that voice while capturing the attention of readers from beginning to end. I received feedback about adding more detail like including a discussion of the BSU mobile app and break up the interview sections from to the end to moving them more towards the beginning/middle of the paper as a way to support claims. Within these two essays I believe that the revisions did improve the essays because the revisions allowed for me to improve the quality of my writing and the overall success of the paper.
Now that the course is complete, I have learned that it is difficult for me to steer away from narrative writing. It is difficult to break away from the narrative style, as I am used to writing in that way. I feel that I have improved upon the journalistic style throughout the semester and if I was to go back and revise my profile and talk of the campus pieces, I could make them better suited for journalistic essay styles. For future journalistic essay writings, I will need to work on taking myself out of the writing and focusing on a not-so narrative account of events. It is difficult to place yourself in your writing when you need to be distanced from it. As a writer that is difficult for me because I am used to writing about myself.
The journal articles for the final portfolio are from my blog and they include the reading on the ethics of writing and a post from book club. The reading on ethics was important because it felt with an aspect that was not only useful to this course, but useful for everything. Ethics is an important aspect to keep in mind in everything one does. You never want to misinform someone about an issue and you always want to be considered credible, especially in your writing! The book club post focused on the writing style of Laura Hillenbrand. This blog was important to be including because it allowed for me to think about a writer’s style and the effect it has on readers. My best in class writings focused on topics of features and showed my beginning stages of ideas to get started with the feature pieces.
For essay #3 (newspaper feature)- I revised the essay by focusing on a specific goal: to educate others about Celiac disease. By having a specific goal for the writing I was able to specifically give my paper a focus to direct readers toward a point. I think this improved my writing because Celiac disease is becoming more common, but many do not fully understand it. It was hard to take away the person narration of the essay because I can relate to the topic and I have a story of my own to tell within it. The specific goal of education of others allowed for me to take away the narration of the essay, and inform. For essay #4 (magazine feature)- I revised the essay by making Bermuda my place. I have been there and I have experienced it and I was allowed to put myself within this essay for others to experience Bermuda through me and my experience and descriptions.
I have enjoyed learning and writing journalistic writings. I am far from an expert on this style, but I feel more confident than I was at day one and my writing can only improve from here.
Thanks for reading!
This website was created to display my writing as a student in the course: The Journalistic Essay.
My name is Rebecca Gagne. I am in my fourth year at Bridgewater State University where I am majoring in English, Writing and Writing Studies Concentration and minoring in Special Education. I began my educational journey in pursuit of a degree in English for Secondary Education in hopes of teaching upon graduation. I enrolled in this course to gain experience in journalistic writing, because as a student writer I have not had much experience with that style.
I believe that the portfolio is a great way to grow as a writer and a student. The portfolio allowed for me to reflect upon my writing from the first essay to the last and see my improvement over the course of the semester. The portfolio allows for me to become a stronger writer through the process of revision. To be honest, if there was no portfolio, the likelihood of further editing these pieces would not happen and I would never think of them again.
For the portfolio to be effective, the criticism I received from peers, instructors, and readers has been helpful for me during the revision process. The editing process allows for me to make my writing more appealing to potential readers using their comments and feedback. Writing is a process and can undergo many drafts before creating the perfect piece. Although writing can always be revised, the perfect piece may take many drafts before it is completed. Before constructing the first drafts of my work within this course, I was lost for a beginning but as I began to write, it became easier. After creating a draft, feedback was great for me to see what I can do to revise and make the piece better.
At the point of mid-semester I feel that my writing had begun to create a voice of my own. Writers struggle with creating a voice within their writing and their voice is what develops their writing style and creates a unique feel with the reader. At that point in my career as a student my writing has improved because I am being introduced to different styles of writing that I would normally not write. I am used to writing structured essays on books and writing prompts, but this course has allowed for me to write in different styles that pertain to actual stories which hold a greater interest to me as a writer.
The mid-term portfolio journal selections are from my blog. They were written on the article Mrs. Kelly’s Monster by Jon Franklin. I included this journal I found the reading to be interesting, and helpful in learning to write a profile style essay. I also found it helpful in developing a story and style while capturing the reader by pulling on their emotions. As a reader I am able to connect with the material best when I am able to connect with it on a personal level. The development of characters and a situation allow for me to connect with the scenario and the characters so I can become interested with the story and want to read and feel like it is real. The second journal entry is from class readings that focused on character and voice. I choose this piece of writing because reflecting on my profile essay; it is great to review the writing on these topics because it will assist me in editing my profile essay. Developing character and voice on someone who already has their own style is a difficult task to do as a writer. Being able to describe someone and an aspect of their life is difficult within itself. As a writer it is hard to take a step back and allow for someone else to tell their story but through my writing.
The two in class writing components I choose to include focus on drafting and keeping a notebook. Keeping a notebook is a great way to start the writing process. Any small observation or event of a day can contribute to a piece of writing. The notebook page I composed was from a list of ten ways to draft from Writing True: the Art and Craft of Creative Nonfiction by Sondra Perl and Mimi Schwartz. My writing was based on “small moments” where I wrote about a small moment as part of my day at work. Working as a CNA is a tough job and it is often difficult to find time in a shift to do the ‘extra’. The second writing was about a free write on travel where I wrote about my trip to Bermuda. My writing was timed so based on a time limit I was quickly able to write a piece on the sites of a Bermuda beach. Both of these writings reflect elements that writers use to create greater pieces of writing based upon small free writes or short prompts.
When editing and revising my profile essay, it was difficult to try to revise the paper because I wanted to keep my voice but needed to let the voice of the subject be able to tell her story through my writing. This was difficult but I used the feedback from my instructor to craft scenes where Lauren could tell her story in my writing. It was difficult because it would be a lot easier for me to write a bibliography on her. In editing my Talk of the Campus essay it was difficult to create a tone of the essay and again develop that voice while capturing the attention of readers from beginning to end. I received feedback about adding more detail like including a discussion of the BSU mobile app and break up the interview sections from to the end to moving them more towards the beginning/middle of the paper as a way to support claims. Within these two essays I believe that the revisions did improve the essays because the revisions allowed for me to improve the quality of my writing and the overall success of the paper.
Now that the course is complete, I have learned that it is difficult for me to steer away from narrative writing. It is difficult to break away from the narrative style, as I am used to writing in that way. I feel that I have improved upon the journalistic style throughout the semester and if I was to go back and revise my profile and talk of the campus pieces, I could make them better suited for journalistic essay styles. For future journalistic essay writings, I will need to work on taking myself out of the writing and focusing on a not-so narrative account of events. It is difficult to place yourself in your writing when you need to be distanced from it. As a writer that is difficult for me because I am used to writing about myself.
The journal articles for the final portfolio are from my blog and they include the reading on the ethics of writing and a post from book club. The reading on ethics was important because it felt with an aspect that was not only useful to this course, but useful for everything. Ethics is an important aspect to keep in mind in everything one does. You never want to misinform someone about an issue and you always want to be considered credible, especially in your writing! The book club post focused on the writing style of Laura Hillenbrand. This blog was important to be including because it allowed for me to think about a writer’s style and the effect it has on readers. My best in class writings focused on topics of features and showed my beginning stages of ideas to get started with the feature pieces.
For essay #3 (newspaper feature)- I revised the essay by focusing on a specific goal: to educate others about Celiac disease. By having a specific goal for the writing I was able to specifically give my paper a focus to direct readers toward a point. I think this improved my writing because Celiac disease is becoming more common, but many do not fully understand it. It was hard to take away the person narration of the essay because I can relate to the topic and I have a story of my own to tell within it. The specific goal of education of others allowed for me to take away the narration of the essay, and inform. For essay #4 (magazine feature)- I revised the essay by making Bermuda my place. I have been there and I have experienced it and I was allowed to put myself within this essay for others to experience Bermuda through me and my experience and descriptions.
I have enjoyed learning and writing journalistic writings. I am far from an expert on this style, but I feel more confident than I was at day one and my writing can only improve from here.
Thanks for reading!