Yeo Eun Ki/Week 2 assignment/Tuesday 1 pm

  To my recollection, my earliest writing assignment was in second grade. My teacher stood by the whiteboard, drew a black circle, and labelled it "My favorite memory" in the middle. Then, to my fascination, the circle grew legs, and branched off with more circles which my teacher promptly labelled "details". Thus, I was introduced to what was called "the brainstorm web" and it was to be the format I use when starting any writing assignment for the next 7 years. I remember I couldn't think of a particularly fond memory and lied about the night my younger brother was born.
  For me, writing always always had structure and particular steps I must take before turning in a finished work. I started with the brainstorm web and collected details about the main idea. I would then hand it over to a peer, who would edit my work with a red ballpoint pen, and after getting my paper marked all over by two different peers, finally I would take it to the teacher for a final approval. These steps were exhausting and humiliating at times, so I grew up believing writing to be tedious and boring.
  It wasn't until high school that I understood the freedom writing brought me. And I realized when writing for my own amusement, I could apply some of the techniques I learned throughout elementary and middle school but also write without the rigid structure. But it wasn't until a friend pointed out my writing was very long-winded that I saw the problem with writing for myself. Because I had distanced myself from editing my writing, my writing lacked impact and a main idea. My goal this semester is to learn how to enjoy writing but with a more polished style. Because I will be spending my college years writing essays and term papers, I feel that I should learn to combine the skills necessary for a good paper with my interest in writing.