Trying to Hold It Together

[yonkyu]

Erin, you did a good job of covering the topics of the prompt. Some of your sentence structures are awkward. Try reading your paper out loud to see if the sentences are formed in a way that you would speak. Sometimes this is a good test of the “readability” of our writing. This is a good way to find sentences that don’t “flow” the way that we want them to. Let me know if you have any questions about the comments in your paper. TD

This was my professor's comment about my recent paper I wrote that I spent 5 and a half hours on.

Grammar is going to be the death of me - it really is.

I try to stay strong and keep my emotions under control but its hard. Now I need to spend MORE time on my homework that I just don't have. It is so frustrating.

I'm never going to get it. I just want to cry and give up. I want to give up so much and I push myself so hard because I have a 4.0 GPA. I have NEVER achieved an A in any of my classes growing up. I am proud of these accomplishments I have made through my Master's Program. Now I know what I will be doing after I complete my Master's. I will be taking a GRAMMAR class. I don't know why I get overly emotional about it but I do. So now I have to be even more aware of what I write and HOW I write it. It's still a good grade, a 3.5 out of a 4.0 but its more about the grammar and comments about my writing. I know stuipd right!!

Someday I will get it!! I hope.

Comments

[majestic-duxk.livejournal.com]

it's a good comment though!

You addressed the prompt and they gave you feedback about what to work on. (true story: I'm trying to write something at the moment, and it always sounds stupid reading it outloud, but I did, because I am having a real problem with flow, and like your prof said. reading can help that).

I am happy to have a read over something and highlight things a teacher might pick up on? Sometimes it's not about spending more time on it, because (for me) the more stressed I get about something, the harder it is to do.

*hugs* you're doing awesome. A teacher's job is to help us improve, and you know what to look for in the next paper!

[yonkyu.livejournal.com]

Now you are going to make me cry. hugz!!

Thanks for the support and encouragement. It means so much to me. I should try simple sentences.

I'm trying real hard and I really want my writing to improve. I wish it was not so hard. I will have to start the assignment earlier to be able to read it out loud. I will have to do it for the rest of my assignments.

I know teachers are suppose to help us improve and I'm grateful for it. It just means I have to put in the extra effort and make it happen.

I know I sound negative and I'm sorry. It is a good comment and I'm being rational about the whole situation. It's all on me and I need to fix it. I need to keep going and try harder and put in the extra work. If I don't nothing will change.

I'm so sorry for being so down and negative.I'm sorry for crying and being a baby about it.

Thanks for your kind words and being an amazing friend!!!

[majestic-duxk.livejournal.com]

*hugs* it's ok to feel down! I should have said that first. It's really hard to put your heart into something and get the feedback "this needs work."

I should have said that first, because it doesn't matter how constructive a comment, it's still something you did your best on.

So yeah - it's absolutely ok and common and resonable to feel like that.

You're not being a baby at all. I cry too when I get negative feedback, no matter how nicely stated.

[yonkyu.livejournal.com]

Hugz!!! Its completely okay. Trust me. I work hard on everything I write and I guess I hate hearing the same old feedback on constant repeat.

What you said was perfectly fine!!! Its constructive feedback and I need to stop having HIGH expectations of myself when it comes to writing.

It is something that I will have to add into my routine for writing. Take it in stride and know its for the better. :)

[angels3.livejournal.com]

Okay first off I think you're trying to be perfect and that's just not ever going to happen. It's great to want to get better, but overstressing about it is going to slow that improvement down.

There's also no shame in admitting you can't be good at everything. I hate grammar with a passion, spelling in particular. Math hates me as much as I hate it, there's nothing I can do about that except try to do better, but not putting so much pressure on yourself will help a lot.

[yonkyu.livejournal.com]

Thank you!!! I needed to laugh. Not that your comment is funny, but yeah. In a way I am trying to be prefect and its not realistic no matter what way you look at it. I hate GRAMMAR. I love writing but I HATE grammar with a passion. I know what I want to say it just does not come out the way I want it to. I need to stop having high expectations of myself in writing and grammar.

Give me numbers and I will answer the equation!! LOL. I love math and numbers.

I have always tried so hard when it came to writing and I have never stopped. I need to take a moment and BREATH!!!

[angels3.livejournal.com]

I understand, I'm a Virgo and we tend to be perfectionists. I've learned (and it took me years) that some things you just have to let the idea of being perfect go. Once you determine to do the best you can, and continue to improve without berating yourself to get it right all the time it helps a lot.

[yonkyu.livejournal.com]

I'm working on this!!!!! You said it perfectly! I will never be perfect in writing and I have to know and realize that its completely okay. But the most important part is to do it without berating and putting myself down every time I get constructive feedback. Whether its positive or negative. Hugz.

[saltandburnboys.livejournal.com]

Awww, hon, that's not stupid at all; I'd have been just as upset as you. My advice - do some research. I learned so much about grammar and story writing just from reading up on some grammar sites, and I still use them now, if I don't know how to handle something. You don't need to take a class - it's all there on the Internet for you and you can do it now to improve your skills a little.

Although...saying that, your teacher doesn't have the best writing style herself. Holy simple sentences, Batman; does she know what a complex sentence is? Maybe she needs to take a writing course herself. O_o

And you should be proud of yourself, hon; we all have weaknesses. No one is good at everything. Just focus on all the things you are good at, and the things that you're doing well at right now. :-)

xx

[yonkyu.livejournal.com]

Thank you hun!!! I will work on it. May be the more I work on my writing skills and I will improve. I will try the reading out loud thing, but I feel so uncomfortable about it. I will have to look up grammar and see how it will support my writing skills. Any suggestions on the sites?

I was thinking that myself about the professors writing style. Though at the time I was more upset about the comment than anything else.

I am proud of myself; it makes me stride to continue the hard work I put into my assignments. I will continue to work on my writing and hopefully my skills will improve. It takes time and practice!!! Thanks for the encouragement and support!!

HUGZ!!

[saltandburnboys.livejournal.com]

Definitely - the more you write, the more you'll improve.  Honestly, I just read my sentences over in my head a couple of times.  It's not quite so cringe worthy that way, and you still get a feel for the flow, IMO.

I often use this one for help on commas - 

http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/commas.asp
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm

Commas are my main issue, but I think the second site also has pages for other aspects of grammar here -

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/index.htm

Hope that helps.  I'm always here if you want any advice/help. :-)

xx

[yonkyu.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for the websites. I am totally going to check them out.

The advice so far is to keep on writing. Including yourself :)

And maybe I could send you something to see if its on the right track.

hugz!!