Process Writing

     I think the biggest structuring element for all of my bigger writing assignments was my notes. They were really what I relied upon to provide the meat and potatoes of my pieces. Without some good note-taking and observation, I would have had a much harder time both structuring and completing my pieces. I think that some of that desire for good note-taking comes from the journalism class I took last quarter. It really taught me to look for details and write down everything that's happening in a situation.

     I think that I was frustrated at first with the review assignment. It just seemed really silly for me to be able to write a thousand words about a place I had never been to before, with no background knowledge about the place and with only Sam Sifton's articles to work from. I guess the scariest thing was sitting down and starting to write from an a position of authority. I certainly didn't feel like one. Once I sat down and started though, the process became much easier. It just took me a little to get in the right writing mindset. Avoiding certain pronouns and abstract words just took a little practice and getting used to.

     I thought that aspects of workshopping were very useful and some other parts weren't as beneficial. Getting comments from other people about my writing was great but I think that having the discussions in smaller groups would have been more beneficial to me and my style or learning and workshopping. Having everyone reiterate exactly what they said on the blog comments seemed redundant to me. I think that getting in a group with three to five other people and going really in depth with whatever we are workshopping would be more effective than doing it with the entire class. It would also take up less class time if we spent four fifteen minute time slots instead of seven.

     I think that through learning and writing about the American industrial food system I also learned a lot about myself. I have always had an inkling that there's something wrong with supermarkets and McDonald's, but until this class I hadn't been exposed to any kind of direct investigative journalism about either of them. I think seeing how processed and homogenized nearly everything in supermarket food is has shown me how easily I can distance myself from what I'm eating. After reading “The Omnivore's Dilemma” and watching Food Inc., I did swear off Kraft Mac and Cheese for a while and am still going strong in my bid to not eat Poptarts. The problem is chicken. I use it for so many delicious meals that are tasty and easy to make. Instead of totally eschewing it and becoming a locavore, I haven't really changed my approach toward it. I still buy it regularly and don't feel bad about it. Is it because I can conveniently forget about all the horrible things that go into Meijer chicken? I guess so. This writing about my own relationship to food and the American industrial food system is making me reflect closely and critically on the place I want certain aspects of food to have in my life. I don't think that I'm a person who changes their lifestyle on a whim or quickly in any sense at all. I do think that thinking critically about our readings by writing about them has influenced the way I think about the world, but I think that any large lifestyle changes will have to come after college when I have a more stable lifestyle. And if I'm making enough money.

     Keeping a blog was an interesting experience for me. I've never really considered putting myself out there on the internet in the form of a blog but my experience keeping one in class made it seem easier or simpler than I had thought it to be. I liked having people talk about things I had written, I felt validated in some way. Of course they had to for the class, but all the same, it was a rewarding feeling to have others talk about my writing. I think that validation is something I need in my writing. I felt more accomplished or better about myself if I saw that lots of other people had commented on my blog. Something feels pretentious about a blog though. I guess there's an assumption that what you're putting out there is good enough to make it on the internet. Or maybe its just the stress of putting your work out there for others to talk about and judge. I'm not sure. I think that overall, keeping a blog for this class was beneficial and exciting.