Literacy Narrative Assignment | Online Homework Help

I will attach the original essay that needs to be rewritten, the original assignment, and the final portfolio assignment. The original essay needs to be substantially revised according to the portfolio assignment. The original essay was graded as a B. Thank you.

Scott Parker

WRIT 101

Assignment #1—Literacy Narrative

The first writing assignment will be a personal essay of 3 – 4 pages on the topic of your reading and/or writing background. I include “or” because you may wish to focus on a portion of your background so specific that it excludes one or the other. That’s fine. The emphasis of this assignment is on the personal essay form more than the literary subject. You might rather write in depth about something small than try to fit your entire history into such a short assignment.

As you write, think about how you want to present yourself as a character and what will be the most effective techniques for such a presentation. The more you can make it about your unique self—this is part of the magic of a good personal essay—the more it will capture and hold the attention of your readers.

I am offering the extended deadline for revisions because I want to emphasize the role revision plays in writing. Writing is a process. You work at it and work at it. It takes time. Sometimes the school calendar isn’t conducive to the writing process, but as much as possible I’d like it to be.

If the grade of a revision is higher than the previous grade it will replace it. If it’s lower for some reason, I’ll leave the first grade. That should encourage you take real risks during revision.

Further revisions: accepted until Spring Break

Scott Parker

WRIT 101

Final Portfolio

The portfolio will consist of revisions of two of the three essays written after the literacy narrative and a one-page revision narrative to accompany each revised essay.

You should think of revision as substantial revision, not as a light edit. Drawing on the feedback you’ve received and the judgement you’re all the time cultivating, you should be prepared to produce a version of each essay that looks quite a bit different from the first, if that’s what it takes. As I’m fond of saying, your job as a writer remains what it has always been: to produce the best writing you’re capable of. So, beginning with the question of what you’re trying to accomplish and proceeding with the question of how you can best accomplish it, allow that everything on the page can still be improved. Don’t worry about page limits in these revisions. If it takes an extra page or two to really make the argument you want to make, then that’s what it takes. That said, longer does not equal better. While it might be necessary to go longer, you still don’t want anything on the page that doesn’t contribute to your essay.

One piece of advice: consider exchanging papers with someone in class or making an appointment at the Writing Center or coming by my office hours to discuss your writing. Or all of the above. This is what the writing process involves.

The revision narratives should address in a Big Picture sense the questions of what changes you made and why. I don’t want a list of every word you changed or comma you added. I do want to know what kinds of conceptual things you’re thinking about. You might refer to some of the concepts in They Say/I Say (e.g., naysayers, agreeing with a difference, etc.; see, in particular, Chapter 11). You might reflect on tone or structure. But fundamentally I want to read why as a writer you made the decisions you made—why you think your revised essay is better than the original.

Due finals week by email.