Dear Reader

Dear Reader,
       84 days. 120,960 minutes. 7,257,600 seconds. In this period of time I have strengthened friendships, had a lot of laughs, and got to know a teacher I'd never had before, but most importantly, i learned about myself as a writer and began to do the things I never thought I was capable of. College Composition has taught me a lot of different things, it what can only be seen as a short amount of time. For example, I never thought I'd be able to write a two page paper in 20 minutes. Turns out, I was wrong, and I got pretty good at it. Of course, that was just my rough draft, don't judge me for turning in a rushed, disorganized piece, for that was what I learned to do. Writer's block and i have always had a tumultuous relationship, but now I like to consider us as friends.
       One of the most major areas that I have improved on is my introductions. For the character description we wrote a few months ago I started the paragraph out like this, "My mom is tall." Really? Yes, it's a fact, and yes, the paper gets more interesting from there but the fact that I thought that was okay astounds me a bit. In this course I learned a lot about how different introductions can interest different types of readers, and how you should always show someone a thing you're trying to describe, never tell them directly. For example, this blog starts in a way that I've never tried before. The aspect of time can be a remarkable thing when you stop and think about it. My introduction to this entry makes the reader think about a class as more than just a place you go everyday, but it seems as though you can truly understand just how much work and time was put into learning by the first sentence.
       Another area I improved in was my use of writing techniques. I realized that humor can bring life to any subject, no matter what it may be, that dialogue can not only help your paper get to its two page requirement, but can also tell a reader more about a character than with just description, and that comparisons can bring whole new perspectives on a topic that you had never thought about before. For example, in my description paper, I compared the color of my mom's coat to a forest. Now, I had never even thought of the dark green in such a way before, but it certainly helped me to get the point across in which I was trying to make. My paper on Red, White, and Beer highlighted the clever use of humor that all advertising agencies yern for. The responses to funny commercials are far more profound than any other tactic. But most drastically I have improved on the level of description on which I can now write. The description paper about my mom is so detailed and explanitory, it made me realize new things about her. For example her finger nails. "Her nails are always the same length, as if they don't have the ability to grow, just over the edge of her finger tips. The smooth surface is never painted, always slightly dulled with work."
        College Composition has helped me in practicing my writing techniques that I know I'll be able to perfect in college. Thankfully, this class also gave me a chance to realize that a two page paper isn't as bad as it used to be. Grinding out sentence after sentence the past three years had been a hard task up until now. I am thankful that I got so much out of this class, and was able to see myself improve in ways that I had never thought I would before. Who knew that a descriptive sentence could turn a boring topic into the most dramatic, interesting, meaningful thing you've ever read? The power of words is much stronger than I had realized. Thankfully, I realized that now and not in 5 years at my college graduation. Thanks for reading, Dear Reader, I hoped you learned as much as I did.
                                                Sincerely,
                                                      Megan Malloy