Essay Reflection

1. What is your essay about?
My essay is about religion and belief, and questioning that belief. It explores the idea that something very simple and unrelated can set off a massive chain of thoughts in your mind and end up changing your basic beliefs on who you are and the purpose/meaning of life.

2. What was the most challenging aspect of writing & rewriting this essay?
I found it very difficult to find a central point to focus on. In my rough draft, I had lots of vague ideas and concepts floating around without any concrete ties to each other. But my problem was, I wasn't all that invested in any of those ideas/questions. Once I really figured out what I was adressing, the writing wasn't all that difficult.

3. If you could go back and make changes additions, what would you do? Why?
A major problem with my essay was that I changed everything the night before it was due. I changed the point of view, the concrete device, and the major conceptual question I was adressing, all within 24 hours of the due date. This resulted in some of the writing not being as tight as it could have been. If I could do it again, I would have really made sure I was 100% positive that I was writing about the right thing a bit earlier than 5 o'clock the night before.

4. What was the most unexpected - or unexpectedly fun - about writing this essay?
I really enjoyed writing in the second person, a style of writing I didn't even know existed until we read the subjunctive tense essay in class. It was a great way to write a very personal essay without using "I" and really including the reader in the experience. I felt like the reader would feel engaged and would almost be able to experience my story for themselves. Also, it felt less self-centered, because I wasn't directly talking about myself, and I liked that alot.