Keegan

=**Keegan Jiles - English 103 Portfolio**=

** My Nightmare in Paradise: **
Cover Letter Zero Draft

Draft Commentary

This assignment turned out to be a very fun one to write. For the memoir I wanted to pick a story that would not be too personal, but I did not know of anything else that would be interesting to write about. When Dr. Hartman suggested adventure stories, I tried to think of any "adventures" in my life. It finally came to me, and I chose to write about myself getting into trouble in Cancun. The story was very easy to write about, because it was all about me. My finished product was something I was very proud of. The paper was seven pages long, but I did not feel like I spent that much time on it. The zero draft was extremely important for this paper, because it laid out a map for a very long paper. The hardest part for me was knowing when to add details for the betterment of the story. In the end, I think it turned out great, and it was an awesome way to start the year!

**An Open Letter to My Father:**
Cover Letter Zero Draft

The open letter was the paper that I gained the most out of from this course. During the weeks we spent discussing this assignment, we learned a lot about the writer's tone and its effect on the audience. For this assignment I chose to write an open letter to my father about his drinking habits. This paper was very personal for me, because it was a lot of bottled-up emotion. In writing this paper, my biggest focus was to think about the tone I was using. I wanted this letter to hit home for my father, and also gain sympathy from a larger audience that may read this. I think it is an effective //open// letter, because it can appeal to other drinkers and make them reconsider how their problem may effect others. In the end, I was content with the final product. I don't think my paper was organized very well, but I think i still conveyed a powerful message.

** Should Marijuana be Legalized?: **
Cover Letter Zero Draft "Outline"

This paper is one that I believe //could have// gone very well. My paper was an academic answer to the question about the legalization of marijuana. For this assignment I had many great ideas and arguments. It was an awkward situation for me, because I was supporting something that I am personally against. I still feel, however, that it makes little sense to outlaw marijuana, so that was the side I took. In my paper I used three key points in my argument, and I had lots of ideas to go with them. However, I wrote the rough draft for this assignment one hour before it was due. Then a week later, I wrote the final copy an hour before class by editing the rough draft. I did not spend any more time on the paper aside from those instances. With that said, I turned in a fairly short and hurried paper. Overall I am disappointed with my effort, because I feel that I did not sufficiently convey my ideas for this argument.

** College VS High School: **
Cover Letter Zero Draft

The multi genre was, of course, the most fun for me to write. I actually got excited thinking about all the ideas I had for my final product. The topic for this paper was a comparison between high school and college. This paper was the perfect chance for me to incorporate all of my creativity and personality. I absolutely loved the fact that this paper was not required to be written in an academic tone. I am very proud of the final product, but have concerns about the paper aspect. I feel that I may have lost site of the assignment, and that my //paper// may have become more of a website. I also think I swamped myself with ideas, as opposed to making fewer, strong components. If I could redo this paper, I would maintain the idea of "quality over quantity".

Blog
The blogs were a pain for me to remember to write. As a weekly assignment, I often would forget to write them, or simply put them off until the last minute possible. Many of the blog posts were very short, but they were centered around any thoughts or concerns that were deep on my mind at the time. Looking back, I really appreciate the idea of weekly blogs. When incorporating them into my multi genre, I had a lot of memories refreshed by reading them over again. The blog is certainly something I could consider adding on to - at least for a college journal purpose.

Extras
A couple of extra pieces that wrap up my summary as a writer this first semester.

** Introduction to the Class **
This is the profile that we created for our Wikis at the beginning of class.

Letter to the Professor
Thanks for everything!