Taking stock of my writing

1.        How did you go about analyzing the text? What methods did you use—and which ones were most helpful?

Given there was not a lot of texts on the ads that I chose (because they are picture ads), the real methods I used were in interpreting the images, and using the texts as a baseline for that. The texts complimented the pictures in such a way that the analysis was simple. Analyzing these texts was quite easy, because most ads only have a few words to a few sentences on them. This way, they have to be pretty clear cut so anyone can understand them. 

2.       How did you go about drafting your essay?

I created a rough outline of my paper. I started by taking the 7 questions we used for the other ads and applied that to each ad. From there, I created a thesis statement, and began writing. 

3.       How well did you organize your written analysis? What, if anything, could you do to make it easier to read?

I feel as though I organized it pretty well. Each paragraph has a description and my analysis of an individual ad, and it compares to the other ads in the essay. The topics are strong, and help to back up my thesis. Perhaps to make it easier I could have three description paragraphs and then one comparing paragraph.

4.       Did you provide sufficient evidence to support your analysis?

I believe I do provide sufficient evidence. Each ad is unique in design, media and content, and they all work to prove the same point. 

5.       What did you do especially well?

I believe the strategies of the producers of these ads that I identified is my strongest point. They use big signs, small shirts, or online media, as well as humor, simplicity, and well known people to give their ads substance.

6.       What could still be improved?

My sentence flow and my transitions paragraph to paragraph could be stronger.

7.       Did you use any visuals, and if so, what did they add? Could you have shown the same thing with words?

The visuals were the whole point of the paper. Without them, the paper would be very confusing. Using just words wouldn't have been effective in proving my point at all. 

8.       How did other readers' responses influence your writing?

Other reader's responses were mostly grammatical fixes. They did not help much in changing my structure or style of my paper.

9.       What would you do differently next time?

Next time I would choose a different topic of ads to write about.

10.   Are you pleased with your analysis? What did it teach you about the text you analyzed? Did it make you want to study more works by the same writer or artist?

I am pleased with my analysis, I enjoy discovering the whit and strategies that go into making ads like these.

11.   What are the transferrable  skills you can take from this into other writing situations?

Analysis is a very important skill to use in writing, and I will use it many more times in the future.