Skilling 1

Chaney Skilling Mrs. Rogers Honors English III 25 April 2014 Surrendering My For ula For ulas are so e!hing "e s!uden!s do no! #ues!ion...e$er. A2 % &2 "ill al"ays e#ual C2. F'ne! "ill al"ays e#ual ass ( a))elera!ion. *hey e(is!. *hey+re !rue. I! doesn+! a!!er "hy. For

!he ,irs! !"o years o, high s)hool English !he sa e rules applied. An essay "as an essay- and !here,ore )onsis!ed o, a hook- in!ro- !hree .ody paragraphs- and a shor! and s"ee! )on)lusion. *his ,i$e paragraph s!ru)!ure "as !he ,ounda!ion o, e$ery a/or "ri!ing assign en!0 !ha! is un!il

y /unior year. En!ering Honors English 1 "as- !o pu! i! .lun!ly- a .i! o, a pun)h in !he !hroa!. 2hile I had paragraphs- I la)ked s!yle. 2hile I had an opinion- I did no! pro/e)! y $oi)e. I

)ould !urn any!hing in!o a o$erly )o ple( sen!en)e ,illed "i!h i pressi$e $o)a.ulary and a .aske! ,ull o, )o as- .u! i! la)ked signi,i)an)e. My !hough!s "ere a /u .led ess ore

,o)used on ,i!!ing !he ,or ula !han )on$eying !he

essage. *his year- ho"e$er- ra!her !han i( o, analy!i)alysel, as a

"ri!ing !o ,i! !he ,or ula- I )rea!ed a uni#ue ,or ula !o ,i! e$ery pie)e. *he !i ed- and )rea!i$e3personal "orks allo"ed "ri!er )o )ri!eria. Analy!i)al essays ha$e ne$er .een gra y s!rong sui!. I!+s no! .e)ause o, e !o e(pand

y hori4ons and e(a ine

en!ing on A eri)an li!era!ure ra!her !han a s!uden! !rying !o ,ul,ill a !ea)her+s

y a$erage

ar or la)k o, ideas- .u! ra!her due !o a surplus o, ideas. 2hile a!!e p!ing !o !ie e$ery!hing y o"n "ords. For ins!an)e- in y shor!

.a)k !o one )on)re!e !he e- a 5so "ha!-6 I ge! los! in s!ory essay- 57o"n- 8o! 9u!:-6 pra)!i)ally all sho"

y analysis "as los! a ids! plo!. I !ried so hard !o y $oi)e "i!h !he s!ories. I! ore I !ried

y audien)e !he signi,i)an)e o, !he s!ories !ha! I dro"ned ou! ore I !ried !o e(pand- !he

"as like a ne$er ending )y)le0 !he

ore plo! I added- !he

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!o )oun!era)! !he plo! "i!h e(pansion. Ho"e$er- as I )on!inued "ri!ing- I .egan !o unders!and ho" )ondensing y !hough!s )an ake y 5so "ha!6 s!and ou!. In an early dra,! o, y essay on

!he The Crucible- 5Ana.oli) 7es!ru)!ion-6 I "ro!e- 5Al!hough he ;<ohn =ro)!or> )lai s !o de,end his "i,e a ids! a))usa!ions- in all a)!uali!y =ro)!or de ons!ra!es his hypo)risy "i!h his !hough!lessness o, Eli4a.e!h. 2hile supposedly s!anding up ,or her- like any good hus.and- all ,ore!hough! o, Eli4a.e!h and his ,a ily es)apes =ro)!or+s "ha! a ind6 ?5Ana.oli)6 1s! 7ra,!@. 2he"-

ou!h',ull. *he ,inal )opy read- 5Al!hough =ro)!or )lai s !o de,end his "i,e a ids! ind. *hey .e)o e a

a))usa!ions- all ,ore!hough! o, Eli4a.e!h and his ,a ily es)ape =ro)!or+s

.a)kground- insigni,i)an! !o his o"n indi)! en! and sel,'de,ense- hidden .enea!h =ro)!or+s .igger pi)!ure6 ?5Ana.oli)6@. *he se)ond $ersion is u)h ore )on)ise ye! s!ill )on$eys !he y "ri!ing

sa e poin!0 <ohn =ro)!or doesn+! )are a.ou! any.ody .u! hi sel,. I! "as !his shi,! in !ha! ,or)ed .e!"een all ,ound !ha! e !o .e)o e

ore dire)!. I ad i! I s!ill s!ruggle !o e phasi4e !he rela!ionship

y e(a ples and 5so "ha!s-6 .u! a,!er a year o, "orking on 5o$er"ri!ing-6 I+$e y pie)es ha$e .e)o e ,ar less ,o)used on !he au!hor+s plo! and ore dependen! on

y analysis. 7ire)! phrasing and a 5so "ha!6 are ,ar ,ro )heesy as !his

)o ing ou! in a ,irs! dra,!- .u!- as

ay sound- !here is a ligh! a! !he end o, !he !unnel. 8e(! year in A=- I hope !o

,ur!her !his skill in pro)essed "ri!ings and "ork !o apply i! in !i ed "ri!es. Crea!i$e "ri!ing is "here I really hi! poe y s!ride. In pre$ious years I+d da..led in a ,ound

or !"o- a poin! o, $ie" pie)e here and !here- .u! no!hing like !he Honors English 1. *he u)h

.eau!y o, )rea!i$e pie)es is !ha! !hey )an go in a !housand di,,eren! dire)!ions. I ,ound i! easier !o de$elop a $oi)e "hile "ri!ing ,ro didn+! ha$e !o ,or ally s!a!e and de,end Ins!ead o, )o i! on

a di,,eren! =9A or in a di,,eren! ,or a! .e)ause I y 5so "ha!.6 *he pie)e- i, done "ell- did i! ,or e.

en!ing on Fi!4gerald+s i agery- !he "ord'ske!)h allo"ed

e !o e(peri en! "i!h

y o"n. Ra!her !han a!!e p!ing !o

ake sense o, 7a$e Eggers ra .lings- I )ould illus!ra!e

!heir signi,i)an)e in ,our s!an4as o, a ,ound poe . And ins!ead o, !rying !o disse)! He ing"ay+s

Skilling 3

shor! s!ory 5Hills Bike 2hi!e Elephan!s-6 I "as a.le !o gi$e <ig her o"n $oi)e in

y =9A shi,!.

2ri!ing so e!hing o!her !han 5...illus!ra!ing !he las!ing e,,e)! o,...6 .rough! ou! a di,,eren!- "i!!y side o, y $oi)e. *hey say you+$e really learned so e!hing i, you )an apply i!- and !ha!+s /us! e do. Re$ie"ing and re$ising ,or !his I=- I+$e ,ound !ha! "orking or e a deeper insigh! in!o !he !he es and uni#ue #uali!ies o, a e !o unders!and !he 5"hy6 and learn ho" y audien)e. *here+s no dou.! y

"ha! )rea!i$e pie)es le!

re"orking an au!hor+s "ork gi$es

pie)e. &ran)hing o,, o, ano!her+s "ork or idea ,or)es !o anipula!e language !o )on$ey y in!erpre!a!ion !o

)rea!i$e pie)es need "ork- espe)ially "i!h syn!a( and "ord )hoi)e- .u! Honors English 1 )rea!i$e assign en!s ha$e helped e()i!e en! .a)k in!o e pra)!i)e skills in a di,,eren! a! osphere and sparked so e y .rain o$er an analy!i)al essay or !i ed "ri!e- I y

y "ri!ing. A,!er ,rying

kno" !here is so e!hing ,un !o look ,or"ard !o la!er in !he se es!er. In A=- I hope !o e(pand reper!oire o, )rea!i$e pie)es and i pro$e y language anipula!ion !o ake

y pie)es s!ronger.

*he Me oir Cni!+s personal essay is "ha! pulled all pie)e o, !he year "here I "ro!e as

y "ri!ing !oge!her. I! "as !he ,irs! y )hoosing.

ysel, a.ou! a su./e)! )o ple!ely o,

Coin)iden!ly- I )hose !o ans"er !he #ues!ion- 52ho A I+

ID6 and I !hink i! !urned ou! pre!!y "ell. y "i!!y $oi)e-

#ui!e proud o, i!. In !he span o, one paper I "as a.le !o sho" o,, y lo$e o, si ple gra

de ons!ra!e

ar- and add a .i! o, hu or. I! "as "hile edi!ing !his pie)e ysel, in !he personal essay or e. I

!ha! I dis)o$ered !he pa!!ern in Hu)k Finn and <i

y "ri!ing. 2he!her "ri!ing a.ou!

in an argu en!a!i$e essay- I+$e ,ound !he sur,a)e doesn+! )u! i! ,or ore. In

al"ays look ,or so e!hing My

y edi!s I !ried !o highligh! !his sear)h ,or so e!hing deeper.

ain goal "as !o ge! rid o, !he dis!ra)!ers and sho" !he audien)e "ha! "as under !he sur,a)e. y ru.ri)s and "orked ,ro !here. In os! pie)es- !his

I s!ar!ed .y addressing !he ou!liers o, in$ol$ed )lari,ying

y key poin!s sen!en)es- re o$ing unne)essary phrases or dis!ra)!ing y Ea!s.y !i ed "ri!e re"ri!ing !he a/ori!y o, !he paper. =lusore sa!is,ying

sen!en)es- and in !he )ase o,

sin)e !here "as no "ord li i! I "as a.le !o ,inish

y )rea!i$e pie)es "i!h

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endings. 9u! o,

y ,our sele)!ionsu)h

y personal essay re ains !he

os! un!ou)hed- .u! !ha!+s

.e)ause I didn+! ,eel !here "as

ore !o add. I pu! in so e !ransi!ions- ,i(ed !he on!hs la!er

pun)!ua!ion- added a ,e" lines- .u! o!her !han !ha! I didn+! !ou)h a !hing. E$en !"o y personal essay re ains /us! !ha!F personal. I !hink i! en)o passes "ho I see !his poin! in y li,e. I! e(plains y origin- illus!ra!es !he side o, e people

ysel, !o .e a!

igh! no! see ysel,.

e$eryday- and displays

y .elie, in !here 5.eing

ore6 !o e$ery!hing- e$en

Sin)e Augus! 2011- I+$e seen

y "ri!ing gro" signi,i)an!ly- e$en i, !ha! gro"!h )a e gi$en .e)ause I+ y ideas #uie!. I

"i!h a de)rease in "ord )oun!. I+$e ,ound I )an+! li$e "i!h "ha! I+ )on$in)ed !here+s al"ays ore. *his is "ha! dri$es y gra

e !o "ri!e. I )an+! keep

ha$e !o share !he . And al!hough

ar- syn!a(- "ord )hoi)e- and !ransi!ions )ould use y high s)hool "ri!ing )areery !hough!s in !he

so e "ork- Honors English 1 has .een !he !urning poin! o, leading e a"ay ,ro !he ,or ula and e#uipping

e "i!h !he !ools !o e(press

real "orld. ?Gikes:@ Eoing ou! !here- I kno" no!hing i! "ha! i! see s- .u! I "on+! s!op un!il I !ake a )loser look.