The Quick Response/ Open Prompt Reflective Piece
I wrote a quick reflection on a passage from the book Haroun and the Sea of Stories, IRJ-QR#11, and I quote, “’So it’s murder he plans,’ cried Prince Bolo, putting his hand upon the hilt of his sword. ‘Well, he won’t have it all his own way I promise that…’” I spoke of Prince Bolo’s false sense of authority and how it ruined his reputation. He tried to appear courageous so that he could impress his lover, Princess Batcheat, and his kingdom, but he only ridiculed himself more and more.
I wanted to complete this project in twenty minutes to help prepare myself for my midterm exams, and even though I did not so too well on this quick response, I learned to write better responses more quickly. This was the first step of achieving my twenty-minute goal, and I learned a lot from my mistakes in this essay. I did not go beyond the text to explore the idea, therefore, leaving little close analysis, and I did not bring in any outside examples. Outside examples provide strong support, and without them, and the reader has a harder time relating the essay to their lives. However, I demonstrated that I understood the text well. Even though I included little analysis, the reader could understand what was going on in the story.
I had a difficult time trying to complete the essay in the twenty minutes I had allotted myself. I usually wrote slowly and meticulously, and changing this habit proved to be extremely hard. I sat down in front of my computer determined to achieve my goal, and made sure there was nothing in the room that could distract me. I began to work diligently, and to my surprise, I finished in time. I would not consider this essay satisfactory, but it was the beginning of a huge step in the development of my writing.
From most of my writing assignments, I learn that I can do anything if I give it my all. But from this assignment, I learned that if I work industriously without any distractions, I am capable of writing quickly. When I received my graded assignment from the teacher I knew that if I continued working like I did that day, the content and expression of my writing would improve also.
