Personal Narrative Reflection

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Shuttleworth 1

James Shuttleworth
Dr. E
Writing and Rhetoric
Thursday September 10, 2015
Personal Narrative Reflection
This writing process went surprisingly well. In this essay, I felt that I actually
grew as a non-analytic writer unlike some of my other essays that I have written.
Thinking back on the project as a whole, I think that this essay was more helpful because
I had a better idea of my topic from the beginning. Before we did the class
brainstorming/writing exercise I was set on writing about my tree house but was
struggling to turn it into a full story with a meaning and humor. But during class I
discovered what to write about. I could not believe that my experience at Neils house
had not come to me before.
What did I think about this essay topic and execution? Well let me tell you. I
enjoyed this essay despite the fact that it was not an analytical essay. I liked it because it
was easy to write as I said before but also because I came away from the essay with a
sense of pride. I am proud of this essay because I actually feel like I wrote something
with meaning that is intriguing to the reader. I describe essays like this as a piece of art
such as a painting. In all my previous paintings, I would have to pay people to take it. But
this essay, I might be able to at least give out for free.
I also liked the delivery method of this essay. It really enables me to put my voice
into the essay without having to focus on the words. I dont have to focus on the words
because my voice comes out naturally due to the conversational tone of the essay. Instead

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of having to think about my choice of words, I could focus on the content of the essay
and therefore create a more meaningful essay.
The recording process was also interesting. I recorded at Hesburgh Library. The
studio was very nice and perfect for what I needed. I have never seen a studio like that so
it was an interesting experience. The recording did not run completely smoothly. I used
my full thirty-minute session because I kept making mistakes when reading my essay. In
the end, I produced a recording with good inflection. Even though I struggled with the
recording of this essay, I was happy that it was a voice recording.
The final reflective aspect of my writing process actually occurred after the essay
was entirely complete. Writing the essay gave me a way to reflect on my relationships in
high school, and the friendships that I have now been separated from for my academic
pursuits at Notre Dame. As a reflective result of the writing process, I decided to text a
group of my close friends from high school and talk to them about their own collegiate
pursuits and how they relate to my own. In this regard, the essay served as a benefit in my
social-relational life.
So what do I think of this reflection on my essay? I like it because it is very
conversational and I feel as though I am talking. I hope that this is the appropriate tone
for this reflection. We had to do reflections for my AP English classes in high school and
this was the tone that was expected in the reflection.

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