Always More to Learn...

Despite the multitudes of individuals all over the world who utilize the internet for all sorts of awesome writing...

It turns out writing, like so many other things, is an art if you want to write well. And by well I mean for a theological education program. We had to take a check-up break and right our impressions on what we're doing well and where we need improvement. These were my observations:


I'm very grateful for the opportunity to take this course. Writing has always been something I've enjoyed, but not something I've received intricate instruction in. This course has enabled me to start looking at my writing from a functional perspective--something I can definitely appreciate, but also something that is difficult.

1) I believe my top strengths lie in my personality and my use of words. To expand on that a bit, I like to believe (perhaps incorrectly?) that my personality comes across in my writing fairly well depending on the occasion. I realize that journaling and other forms of free-writing will allow for greater levels of personal expression than academic writing, but I still try to maintain a certain level of "personality" in all of my writing. Also, my time in the military has made it necessary for me to become familiar with many different ways to say the same thing. One of the particulars of performance reports requires a certain level of creativity with words that I also hope carries over into my writing.

2) As much as I love writing, I have never been particularly strong in the mechanics of grammar department. My writing style is more free-flowing and I tend to go with what sounds or feels right rather than knowing the actual grammar rules. This has gotten several points marked off of my assignments in this course so far and tells me it is an area I need to work on. I also realize despite my best intentions I am not as organized as I want to be and this is also affecting my work quality.

3) Before taking this course I never realized how much writing is a necessary part of a theological education. My previous degree programs focused on writing, but never delved into the mechanics or focused on improving the quality of student work. I think in order to be successful I will need to tailor and polish my writing skills and I will need to focus on ideas revolving around writing much more than I anticipated. Additionally, I feel like I'm at a personal disadvantage for never having a formal theological education, so I will need to be more vigilant in my studies.

I'm comparing this process to baking a cake. Almost anyone can bake a cake in their own home, but only the best bakers learn how to make truly impressive edible works of art. I'm hoping one day my written works of art are that impressive, but for now I will continue to learn what I can.

-Denora