Hello, I am Amy Dillon, an English major at DePaul University. I have to admit, most of my writing in school (I’ve been in college off and on for ten years) has been strictly academic-boring paper, after dull paper, after tedious paper. What I’ve learned about my writing so far is that I can mold my writing into lots of different things and still make it original and creative. I've found that what defines me as a writer is originality and creativity and my own point of view. I've found through my writing projects that as my style is reflected and shown to the audience, I see myself and my writing as something that matches my personality; not only in diction, but in the ways concepts and ideas are introduced and defined. Finding your own style may be challenging to do as you have to apply it to the many different genres, but through my work I’ve set myself apart from others, and I hope by reading through this portfolio you feel the same.
In this portfolio I will share with you, the reader, introductions to a few documents. I will portray myself as a good writer.
All good writers have their own writing style because they are individuals. I’d like to tell you a bit about my writing style. When I write it is a time when I am very unaware of my style. When I write, especially first drafts, I usually feverishly write whatever comes to mind, my only limits being my hand to the paper. It isn’t until after I’m done and I read over the finished product that I get the personal sense of style that has started to evolve ever since I have developed writing skills. Often times my first drafts are far from perfect and I have to come back to them days later so that I can start anew. One typical characteristic of my writing style, which has come from writing mostly academic papers over time, is writing in an academic tone. I often scramble words in a sentence, creating nominalizations and complex sentences, because it is hard to organize these thoughts in a way that is easy for the reader to read. When I write creatively, however, I feel no limitations. I especially love to write poetry because I don’t have to think of grammar, or even of making sense- I just take into account the aesthetic feel that the words give to the paper and the reader. Here, “whatever comes to mind” is truly valuable.
All good writers have strengths. One of my stylistic strengths is organization. Whenever I write essays or papers, before I start writing, just as I take off the cap of the pen and start a new page in my journal, I figure out what the layout of the paper will be, so that I can figure out my main ideas and have a starting point, and so that I have a lot of the work already done. Another strength in my style is detail. Whether it’s in fiction, poetry, or papers, I can use details to make things stand out or seem interesting. Also I find my use of diction to be useful in making a piece work well, to make it interesting and witty as opposed to dull and cliché.
All good writers should have goals to improve their writing because there is always room for improvement. As for specific goals I have, one goal is to make my writing clearer, to put subjects with characters and verbs with actions. Another goal, that could go with the previous, is writing with a less academic tone, especially in different genres (ones besides regular academic papers), so that my writing can be easier and more enjoyable to read.
So, as you flip (or click) through this portfolio, please take into consideration what I consider to be my strengths and weaknesses, and feel free to agree or disagree with me. Finding your writing style is a treasure, because it is yours, and no one can take it from you. If you can write and have your own style, you can write great things. Through my work in this portfolio I hope to have made a showcase of my style, and I can honestly say my writing skills have taken a step up through my work.
My blog:
amyswritingfictionandpoetry.wordpress.com