Editor's Note
Our journey creating The Set of the Sails, though completed over the course of a few weeks, feels like it took much longer than that. This is not to say that our experience was boring; rather, for the short amount of time spent creating our magazine, we have learned an incredible amount regarding the research and writing process, as well as how to successfully work together as a group.
WHY DID WE INCLUDE CERTAIN PAPERS?
Constructing our magazine was difficult at times; the process of creating and perfecting a paper is not easy, but we have learned the value in each step of this process. Over the course of the semester, we each wrote three main papers and numerous small essays, so picking which papers we would revise was a challenge.
Our biggest consideration was which papers would benefit our magazine’s goal the greatest. We had to decide which of our works had the most potential to send a message to our audience. Individually, however, our reasons differed from person to person.
Our biggest consideration was which papers would benefit our magazine’s goal the greatest. We had to decide which of our works had the most potential to send a message to our audience. Individually, however, our reasons differed from person to person.
Whitney, who wrote about child abuse, focused on her memoir and report. She felt that the different genres conveyed different perspectives on her topic: her memoir tells a personal story that intrigues the audience, and her report supplies facts, offering an objective look at the issue.
Alex felt that her revisions, specifically her profile of Eve Ensler and proposal to eliminate human trafficking, both concerning violence against women, needed the most revisions. She knew that by improving them, she could effectively contribute to the magazine’s goal. Similarly, Nino included his memoir and argument, both of which specifically deal with the issue of rape, because he felt that these papers reflected his social justice issue the best. Like Whitney’s works, they represent different perspectives regarding his issue and offer a great contribution. |
Dani chose to revise her profile of Malala Yousafzai and her evaluation of the documentary, Half the Sky, both of which center around gender inequality. She enjoyed writing these papers and felt that the stories told in each paper should be shared with others.
WHY DID WE REVISE THE WAY WE DID?
We revised the way that we did to demonstrate the progress that we’ve made regarding this process. Through examples of revised works or ones that need revising, peer reviews, and our teacher’s wonderful constructive criticism, we have learned how to apply different elements of revision to our own papers, as well as our critiques.
Nino’s high school English teacher would always say, “The essence of writing is rewriting.” Over the past four months, we have all discovered the “essence of writing.” Because we have spent so much time learning how to properly revise, we trust each other’s judgment when it comes to criticism. Our peer’s input is valued and we know to take their suggestions seriously.
Nino’s high school English teacher would always say, “The essence of writing is rewriting.” Over the past four months, we have all discovered the “essence of writing.” Because we have spent so much time learning how to properly revise, we trust each other’s judgment when it comes to criticism. Our peer’s input is valued and we know to take their suggestions seriously.
WHY WERE SPECIFIC PROJECTS EXCLUDED?
As mentioned previously, we had to determine which projects to include in our magazine through the process of elimination. The general consensus is that our excluded works were not as effective in supporting our goals. We didn’t want to include papers that were weak or unorganized in their arguments. Surely, people wouldn’t listen to us if we can’t support our own assertions.
Our aim was to create an effective method in which to convey a message. If, in the end, a mediocre paper would inhibit our goals, then we decided it was best not to include it in our final product.
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED ABOUT THE WRITING PROCESS?
To put it simply, our writing at the beginning of the semester pales in comparison to the quality of our current writing abilities.
We know now that it’s so important to start researching early. It takes a lot of time to find the facts. Sometimes, you have to dig to find the information that really counts. The ability to recognize reliable sources from unreliable ones is vital in this process. We must have our facts straight to write effectively! Additionally, it’s important to know all of the perspectives of an issue in order to fully understand it. |
Writing effectively requires a lot more attention than we had previously thought. Understanding the writing strategies, pathos, ethos, and logos, helps write a well-rounded paper. They are great elements on their own, but it is when all three are combined that credibility is born. Whitney's report on child abuse is a great example of this balance, as is Alex's proposal.
Using different mediums and genres have also proven their value. We must sometimes change our writing style in order to appeal to our audience. Perhaps our topic is better conveyed through a different genre. Maybe the message that Dani tries to convey in her profile of Malala Yousafzai is more powerful than any personal experiences she could have written in a memoir. Likewise, Nino’s memoir regarding a family member’s rape is more effective than writing a profile of a stranger since it is a personal response to his issue.
Using different mediums and genres have also proven their value. We must sometimes change our writing style in order to appeal to our audience. Perhaps our topic is better conveyed through a different genre. Maybe the message that Dani tries to convey in her profile of Malala Yousafzai is more powerful than any personal experiences she could have written in a memoir. Likewise, Nino’s memoir regarding a family member’s rape is more effective than writing a profile of a stranger since it is a personal response to his issue.
Finally, we think that revising is the most important part of the writing process. It’s a necessary component of all forms of writing, whether technical or creative, because this is how a mediocre paper becomes great. Nobody can magically write a perfect paper. It takes work, and lots of it, to do so.
Revision often requires eliminating sentences, or even paragraphs, that we love. Sometimes, revision sucks and that’s the plain truth. Nobody likes to see their work torn to shreds, but through the rigorous revision sessions this semester has offered, we now know to take criticism with a grain of salt. After all is said and done, it makes for a better final product. OUR ADVICE TO YOU
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We want to share what we have learned with you! Our first word of advice is to stay involved. Whether that means consistent individual revision or interacting with your peers, this serves as a method to stay updated on your group’s progress, as well as a method to expand your knowledge. It is important to recognize that you can learn a lot from your peers!
Similarly, we recommend that you have multiple people revise your works. This allows you to get different perspectives on your writing. We often look over seemingly obvious mistakes in our writing, so having an extra set of eyes is a useful tool.
Most importantly, know that the writing process takes a lot of time. To those who are about to embark on a similar journey, one of our biggest suggestions to you is don’t procrastinate! Writing a paper is easy, but making it great is something else entirely. A perfect paper doesn’t happen overnight and if you want to feel truly proud of your work, plan ahead and invest your time into every little detail. It will pay off in the end!
Similarly, we recommend that you have multiple people revise your works. This allows you to get different perspectives on your writing. We often look over seemingly obvious mistakes in our writing, so having an extra set of eyes is a useful tool.
Most importantly, know that the writing process takes a lot of time. To those who are about to embark on a similar journey, one of our biggest suggestions to you is don’t procrastinate! Writing a paper is easy, but making it great is something else entirely. A perfect paper doesn’t happen overnight and if you want to feel truly proud of your work, plan ahead and invest your time into every little detail. It will pay off in the end!
WHAT WERE OUR WEAKNESSES?
Having reached the end of our journey, we have realized what did and didn’t work. While we are satisfied with our final product, we feel we could have improved our communication. We did communicate a lot through an online forum, but it was often jumbled and unclear. Late in the semester, we finally decided to exchange phone numbers, which ultimately allowed us to stay current with each other’s progress. Had we learned this early on, we could have avoided a lot of unnecessary confusion.
We also feel that we could have improved our magazine by adding more information to the child abuse and gender inequality sections since the violence against women section is much more detailed. Throughout the site, each topic is mentioned equally, but less information is provided for child abuse and gender inequality. While the majority of our group wrote about violence against women, we still think this inconsistency could damage our credibility.
WHAT WERE OUR STRENGTHS?
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Our biggest strength was how well we worked together as a group. We have all had negative experiences working in a group atmosphere, but collectively, have proven to each other that a good group makes a world of difference. Perhaps this is because we each had certain roles to fulfill and did so efficiently, but we also think that our compatibility as a group helped make our magazine great!
In turn, working well with one another allowed us to create and respect deadlines, supply constructive criticism, help out where needed, and go above and beyond to fulfill our goals. If we hadn't collaborated so well together, our Giving Back and Get Involved tabs probably wouldn't have been created!
In turn, working well with one another allowed us to create and respect deadlines, supply constructive criticism, help out where needed, and go above and beyond to fulfill our goals. If we hadn't collaborated so well together, our Giving Back and Get Involved tabs probably wouldn't have been created!
THE BOTTOM LINE
Building our magazine was not an easy journey, but ultimately, we have come out of this experience more knowledgeable about the writing process, a skill that will definitely benefit us for the rest of our respective college careers. Our experience was very positive and we are glad that we can share it with you! We hope that our website has inspired you to get involved in your community and do what you can to create a better world for others.
In the wise words of Mahatma Gandhi, we leave you with this quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Thank you for reading!
In the wise words of Mahatma Gandhi, we leave you with this quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Thank you for reading!