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Kendall Smith
Prof. Gary Vaughn
English 2089
5 December 2016
Breaking The Mold: Writing in New Styles
As a writer, I find that I have a set formula that I know works, and have never really
pushed the boundaries of my style. That changed in this class, English Composition 2089, when I
wrote in formats that I have never written in before, or even thought of as legitimate. I feel that
my growth as a writer was strong this semester, as I learned a lot about what works best in
writing different types of essays, and that not every essay needs to follow the same rules.
Because of the types of essays written in the class, as well as the readings for the course, and the
active research that needed to be done, I feel that my writing and critical analysis took large steps
in a more professional and advanced direction.
In past composition courses, both in high school and at UC, I did a lot of rhetorical
analysis. This turned out to be extremely helpful to me as a writer, but I found that when I came
into this English Composition course, I needed help with critical thinking and harnessing that
method of thought into a well-rounded essay. In high school I wrote a fifteen-page research paper
about animal rights and animal cruelty, but when I look back at it as an improved writer, I find
that it lacks balance between critical thinking and simple rhetorical appeal. Similarly, in a course
I took at UC about how urban legends and lore spread, we often discussed how writers used fear
as a rhetorical method to appeal to their audience. However, from this courses beginning, I
realized our focus would not only be on rhetoric, but how to analyze actual content instead of
mostly language and tone.

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For the first essay of this course, I wrote about my literacy as a poet. Reading literacy
essays by authors like Malcolm X and Richard Rodriguez helped me learn how I could write
personal anecdotes about myself, but still have them all building toward one common
culmination. One of the caveats Professor Vaughn gave to us about this essay was the danger of
telling a life story, rather than short, poignant, and detailed instances which better demonstrated
personal literacy in a topic. I had trouble at first, because, as he cautioned, I first wrote an
uninteresting synopsis of my poetic life. I learned that less description sometimes got the point
across better, when I wrote a small story about the first time I wrote a poem, then another about
when I heard a spoken-word poem, and one more years later about translating my first Latin
poem. This was my first experience as a writer using the less is more philosophy, and I was
really pleased with my final product.
The second essay for the class was something I had a greater familiarity with: a rhetorical
analysis essay. However, it had more depth than any other rhetorical analysis Id ever done in
another class. The essay was about comparing three pieces written for three different audiences,
but about the same topic. I feel that this essay helped me develop good comparative skills. I
chose the topic of rape culture, using a Time article, a Victorias Secret PINK ad, and an
academic paper about the context of rape transculturally. At first, my inclination was to write
about all the rhetoric in one source, then move on to the next. It was difficult for me, but I curbed
this desire and replaced it with a better strategy, once again led by the examples we read in class.
It was to organize the essay by rhetorical choice, therefore having the topic lead which sources I
was discussing at the time. Again, it was a test of breaking which form naturally made more
sense, ultimately leading me to a better and more pointed, purposeful essay.

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Our third essay in the class introduced my first ever active research paper. I have done
writing in the past wherein I gathered information from secondary sources, but gathering the
research myself was a first for my writing. I gained a lot of knowledge about discourse
communities from our class readings, and I think studying them and what makes a successful
community is something I will carry with me when I want to lead or participate in some sort of
group in the future. I am able to recognize what makes a group successful. For the essay about
discourse communities, I wrote about the UC Classics Club. Writing a research paper was a new
style of writing for me, and I think this is the essay which I learned the most from. I took surveys
of club members and sat in on meetings with the intent of observing like a researcher. It made me
appreciate the hard work that goes in to making sure a study is fair and well-researched, and
made me grow exponentially as a writer to completely remove my biases from a paper and write
objectively. Though I have a deep love for the Classics Club, I think it was an exercise in selfcontrol to write about where the club had failed in its communication without getting
emotionally involved.
I feel that this composition course really prepared me for future writing. I am minoring in
English currently, and hope to have a career using my writing skills to promote activism
somehow. I think in particular, using the skills I gained while writing the research essay, will
help me construct concrete facts which can be used to prove that change is necessary in whatever
issue I happen to write about.
As the course ends, I feel all the more prepared to write more in the future. After facing
personal challenges in changing my preferred writing style, I feel more confident in breaking my
traditional mold for essays, such as not writing in chronological order. As a reader, writer, and

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researcher, I know that in a short semester I have gained a lot of strength, and am more excited to
use my newfound skills in other classes and a future career.