Reflecting on the First Quarter

My name is Scott Aaron Stine, and I am a native resident of Snohomish County. I have spent the entirety of my adult life as a semi-professional writer and artist, and have sidelined as a fairly accomplished composer and musician. As a writer, I have several books and a fair number of short stories (and even a few articles) to my credit. (Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of me; it is doubtful that you have ever stumbled across my work, considering the obscure publications in which they have seen print.) As of late 2008, I decided to finally go to college in order to obtain a degree in Literature and/or Fine Arts, as my professional life has been a real struggle these last few years. With the validation of a degree, and the additional knowledge and experience I know college has to offer, I hope to change this in the years to come.

College—and, in particular, the English 98 course—has proven to be an invaluable experience for me. Not only has it met all of my expectations so far, it has also vindicated my belief that no one is ever too old for personal growth.

Writing as a skill and an art form is—as it should be—a never-ending process. There is always room to improve upon what one already knows, as well as to broaden ones voice. The writing process itself is key in strengthening ones proficiency—it cannot be overstated the importance of exercising ones skills regularly—but other factors also contribute to a writer’s facility to mold the written word into something exceptional and unique. The act of reading, everything and anything, is inarguably beneficial. Familiarity with what past wordsmiths have already put to paper gives a writer an edge, expands ones lexicon, and exposes one to an endless variety of voices with which to explore. Just as important is life experience itself, as this grounds our knowledge with an intimate perspective of the world surrounding us. These are some of the reasons why I, as a writer, have found college to be such a boon.

Unlike a high school English class, where one primarily learns the basic rules of grammar and composition by rote, a college course such as this requires the writer to constructively apply this knowledge and expand ones creative potential. The steadfast exercises force the writer to endeavor outside of ones comfort zone, avoiding the ruts formed by such boundaries, and elude stagnation. The emphasis on group interaction allows the writer to hear firsthand how a diverse group of people views and interprets ones work. This discussion forces the writer to look at ones own output more objectively, which is vital if one wishes to hone their skills and strengthen ones voice.

Due to certain inherent demands of this avocation, writers tend to be fairly sedentary creatures. Seclusion often comes with the territory, so the synergistic atmosphere of a classroom is advantageous when one has practiced their craft alone for any considerable length of time. This particular class not only allows for some much needed feedback from peers, it also gives the student an opportunity to expand ones worldview through Service Learning. By placing the student in a position that they may never have done on their own volition, the burgeoning writer finds oneself interacting with people from other walks of life with which one may be unfamiliar. Experience like this cannot simply be obtained from books, as you are seeing it filtered through the eyes of another person’s worldview; intimacy is crucial in expanding ones grasp of the human condition. So, I am extremely thankful to have been a part of this internship, as it has had a profound impact on me as an individual, and thus had an equally significant impact on me as a writer.

For this E-Portfolio, I have included four pieces produced within this class. For a piece that represents my ability to take a piece through the writing process, I chose my first MWA, a comparison/contrast paper entitled “Halloween: John Carpenter vs. Rob Zombie.” For a piece that demonstrates my ability to write effectively, I chose my second MWA, a definition essay entitled “Snuff: The Final Cut.” For a piece that demonstrates my ability to write analytically, I chose my third MWA, an argument essay entitled “The Satanic Conspiracy: Witch Hunting in the Twentieth Century and Beyond.” For my writer’s choice entry, I chose our very first assignment, the “Inventory of Being” essay with which we used to introduce ourselves to our instructor and classmates. I have also included a short humorous piece entitled “But I Digress…” in order to lighten the mood set by the progressively darker MWAs.

So, if you have some spare time, sit back, peruse the following examples of my college writing, and feel free to drop me a line with any feedback you may have. Enjoy!