Isaac Golberg

Writing 2
Professor Wilson
3 June 2016
Final Portfolio Cover Letter
Dear Matt,
I came into this course thinking of myself as a strong writer, but as the days went by I
realized that I had a far way to go to be as good as I thought myself to be. Although this
realization was a bit of a disappointment, it was not the end of the world. This course has taught
me two main lessons. The first is that whenever you think you are done with your piece of
literature; it is likely that you are not. The second is that whatever you write, you must keep in
mind who your reader is and you must do everything in your power to convey your message in
an efficient and understandable way. Essentially, there will always be some aspect that you can
improve on or restructure to better your readers experience.
For my final portfolio, I revised my first and third writing project. I chose my first
because it is the one that I did with the least amount of knowledge from this course, so I believed
I could make it significantly better. I chose my third writing project because when I originally
wrote it, I did not believe that I properly demonstrated my writing skills, so I decided to tackle it
once more. Also, I found the concept of the translation interesting because all year we had been
analyzing the conventions of many different genres and now we were given the opportunity to
write our own (that isnt solely analytical).
Revising both WPs involved structuring my thesis statement in a clearer and more
concise fashion, adding material from course readings, cutting out unnecessary words to meet the

page count, and much more. For WP1 I also had to completely change my organization.
Originally, my essay was structured in a chronological order even though it was focused on a
comparison. My revised essay takes a more organic approach which involved looking at a
convention and analyzing how each genre approached it. This method allowed for better flow
and an improved, overall experience for the reader. For WP3 I made some small adjustments to
my translation that made it less satirical and more of an actual advertisement. In regards to part
two, I had to hone in on the most important conventions of the translation due to the new page
count. I found it very difficult to pick and choose what examples were the most relevant since
each convention contributes its own element to the overall genre. Nonetheless, after cutting all
the excess material from both WPs, I can see how it flows much better and is easier to follow.
The comments on my WPs were very helpful because they guided me in the direction I needed to
go to improve my WPs. By marking which aspects met expectations and did not meet
expectations, I knew exactly what needed the most work. In addition, the Other Comments
section also provided a lot of valuable insight. By telling me what aspects of my writing
confused you as a reader, I was able to be more specific and concise. I have noticed that I, as a
writer, know what I am trying to say, but my message is not always written clearly and how I
want it to be interpreted.
The Simplicity reading has been a prevalent aspect of the course, and after completing
my portfolio I see why it is so crucial. Throughout high school, teachers said not to have fluff,
but when they graded the assignments they clearly wanted it. As a result, I became accustomed to
writing in this style. This course has taught me that at the time, I made the right choice because I
was pandering to my audience, however, the real world requires concision. My new audience
requires simplicity over fluff, so that is the style I will be writing in from now.

As a writer, I have become much more aware of choices. Whether I am reading literature
or writing it, I think about the intention of each element. Every convention relates back to the
genre and every genre is specifically tailored to an audience. This cycle is what builds any piece
of literature. Utilizing this information is essential to being an exceptional writer.
Ultimately, childhood is a stage in a humans life in which he/she is shielded from many
dark truths and the world is seen through rose-colored glasses. As you grow older, you begin to
see the world for what it really is. Similarly, a writer often begins with a style that attempts to
present everything in a fancy way, using high-level vocabulary and lengthy sentences to convey
simple messages. As your writing style matures, your literature begins to revolve around
efficiency. The goal is to effectively convey your thoughts to whoever your audience is and this
is how I will approach writing projects in the future. For this class, efficiency was key, but there
may be other times where the genre calls for less efficiency and more buzz words, like my high
school experience). Thank you for the great quarter and I appreciate everything you have taught
us!
Sincerely,
Isaac Golberg