Writers Notebook p.18

Most of my college writing experiences have delivered a certain amount of torment. This torment has been fueled by poor writing topics, the instructor, and my own lack of writing skills. However, there is one piece of writing that still haunts me to this day.  Dr. John Morris, my English Composition professor in 1989 at Cameron University, has the privilege of being the creator of my writing anguish.

I have always heard the term weed out class used in the college vernacular. After taking Dr. Morris’ class, I fully understand what that means. I could not and, in the end, did not write a paper that eclipsed a C. I was not making mechanical errors or writing poor sentences and I was attending every class. Finally, after more subpar performances, I subjected myself to a thirty minute conference with Dr. Morris.

According to him, my assignments had no focus, direction, or purpose. He surmised I was writing just to fill the space requirements and not giving any real thought to what I was writing about. He recommended I go back and learn the basics of writing to gain a better understanding for what I was doing. The problem was I had no idea what the basics for writing were. Clearly, I was not going to be successful in this class or gain any satisfaction from my writing. My poor experience can be attributed to my general lack of knowledge when it came to knowing what the purpose of my writing was, who the audience was, and how to construct a solid thesis.   

In the end, I was awarded a very generous C and left that class not ever wanting to take an English class again. Upon reflection, I realize I never truly gained a writing knowledge in my elementary or secondary education. My knowledge, however small it may be, was not gained until I met Dr. Ruth McAdams at Tarrant County College. She gave me the writing tools I most needed and guided me through the particulars of thesis, body, and conclusion. She gave me a direction and explained to me the intricacies of the audience and the purpose for writing. Although there still remains a certain amount of torment when writing, I now have the necessary skills that allow me to take some enjoyment in the process.