I would like to leave Writing & Rhetoric I with a better understanding of grammar and punctuation. I love writing. I can write in tangents about pretty much anything. When I have a pen and paper (or laptop) at hand I can “free write”. It is a very freeing experience to me. It allows me a time when my brain can stop moving a mile a minute and focus on ONE thing. However, in this day and age you can’t just “free write” – you have to mind your “P’s & Q’s” on grammar and punctuation. You have a little guy on your shoulder criticizing you.
Now I’m not saying I want to take a stand against proper writing but it’s just annoying when it doesn’t just come easily. It’s a skill. I feel as if I have a lot of good ideas but I just don’t know how to say them properly. In the past, I’ve always struggled with my grammar and I suppose I never took the time out to really focus on just grammar. I always wanted to just write. After taking a break from an actual writing class environment, I began to wonder if my ideas would flow more freely if I had better grammar skills. Would they affect the way my ideas were approached?
I don’t consider myself a writer. However, it is a hobby of mine to convert stage musicals and plays into movie script format. I revise the book of the stage version and see how the story will translate onto the screen. Creating art is something I find myself doing and I don’t even realize I’m doing it. (Hence why I’m here at Columbia). Whether it is creating a dance piece, song, or script, I just do it. Taking this Writing & Rhetoric class will enhance the proper ways to express the writing aspects of my creativity.
Another thing I want to gain from taking this class is how to proper form thoughts and pose questions to a group that isn’t your friend. I feel like it is very easy to offend someone with the way a question is posed, especially if you’re speaking to elders or someone of a higher status in the work place. We become very comfortable with our language in our everyday lives that it isn’t second nature to change our vocabulary on the drop of a dime. This makes me think of emails and how someone can read into phrasing the wrong way.
In the long run, I’d like to continue expressing my ideas but as I get further along in the real world, I want to do it right. There are so many voices and it is very easy to get lost in this crazy world. It’s important to find your voice and be able to express it. However, knowing the fundamentals can make or break you in that real world. I want to leave this semester having a comfortable ground to work from, a stable place where my ideas can flourish from.
