Haven Thomas

COMM-Journalism and Sports Admin Major

[hrthomas]

What are you most proud of with your writing process?

The part of my writing process I am most proud of is my ability to use creative images, colors, and titles within my writing. I am a disciplined and detail-oriented individual, and that shows in my writing style. I am straightforward and efficient, and do not try to challenge established writing conventions. However, when doing the content analysis project, I found myself with more creative freedom. Initially, I did not take advantage of that freedom because I viewed the assignment as a formal essay. After submitting a couple of drafts, Dr. P. encouraged me to make my title page more fun and include more creative elements in my essay. In my final draft, I had an image as a background on my title page and color-coded graphs. This showed me that I can write a formal essay and use colorful creative elements simultaneously, and is a significant development in my writing process.

[hrthomas]

What do you like most about your learning?

What I like most about my learning is that it made me more aware of how I write in different digital situations. While I tend to write formally and pay close attention to grammar and punctuation in every situation, there are some differences in how I communicate through discussion posts, emails, and Tumblr. My discussion posts in some of my other classes are short, upbeat, and I use a lot of exclamation points. When writing emails, I include a subject line, a greeting, and a sign-off. This is part of proper email etiquette, and something I only have to worry about when communicating using email. When I create Tumblr posts, I include a title, hashtags, and sometimes images. I do not include hashtags or images in much of my other writing, but they are relevant to many of my posts on Tumblr.

[braileyfloren]

OCW - WEEK 15 #2

What do you like most about your learning?

What I like most about my learning is realizing how much thought and strategy goes into social media content. By analyzing posts, captions, and community interactions, I learned that successful content is not just visually appealing, it’s interactive, authentic, and tailored to the audience. I also discovered how to balance quantitative and qualitative analysis, which helped me see patterns I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. This project really helped me understand how data informs writing and content creation.

[hrthomas]

Hey Bailey!

Before taking this class, I also did not realize how much thought and attention to detail is involved in posting content online. Content creators have to consider so many things, many of which you mention in your post. It is great that you have learned how to utilize quantitative and qualitative analysis to understand the content strategy of different creators on social media!

[kymheg]

Original Content #2

What are you most proud of in your writing process?

I’m most proud of how patient I’ve become with my writing process. Earlier in the semester, I used to rush drafts just to get them done, but now I actually give myself time to think, revise, and rethink my ideas. I’m proud that I no longer panic when something feels unclear—I’ve learned to trust that rewriting and reworking a paragraph will eventually make it stronger. I’ve also started using feedback more effectively, which has helped me produce writing that feels more polished and intentional.

[hrthomas]

Hey there!

I really enjoyed reading your perspective on your writing process. I like that you have become more patient with your drafts and are confident in your ability to revise portions of your writing. I also like that you mention your improved ability to use feedback. I improved in the same area. In the past, I struggled to accept feedback because I took it too personally, but now I understand its significance in improving my writing.

[hrthomas]

What do you like the most about your responses to the interview questions?

The thing I like most about my responses to the interview questions is the fact that I discuss how my experiences in Web Writing have made me a better collaborator, a better critical thinker, and a more creative writer. This shows me that I have learned a lot in this course and that the things I have learned and skills I have developed will help me in future college courses and beyond. This is what I am looking to get out of every class I take, but rarely is it actually the case. My responses to the interview questions revealed to me how important this much I have learned in the 15 weeks of this course, and I can confidently say I am glad I took it.

[hrthomas]

What questions do you have about web writing that will help you after you finish this course?

@npfannen

This course has taught me a lot not only about digital writing, but about content creation as a whole. As this class comes to a close, I have a few questions that will inform my own web writing and my evaluation of other's web writing after I finish this course.

Do culture and language influence content strategy? For example, would a creator who has an arts and crafts YouTube channel in France be able to deploy the same content strategy as someone who makes similar content in the United States? Or would language and cultural differences mean that the content strategies of these two creators would be different?

Do diminishing returns exist in content creation? Can one wear out their audience with too much content?

[hrthomas]

Peer Review Request #3

In my feedback on Content Analysis Draft #3, Dr. P. said I needed to include posts created by the content creators to show the details I was discussing. In this excerpt, I am explaining that when there are no league matches going on, the soccer leagues in my analysis post different types of videos, like player profiles and team profiles. I include an image of 12 posts from LALIGA that illustrate my point. In a period where there are no league matches, the league posts six player profile videos and one team profile video. Because I added this after receiving feedback on Content Analysis Draft #3, I would like to know if I sufficiently explain my point and if the image shows the point I am making.

[jacortez]

Original Content Writing #3

Do my graphs feel well-placed within the analysis? Is there a figure that still feels disconnected from the paragraph discussing it?

[hrthomas]

Hey there!

Your graphs are well-placed for sure! I like that you include the graph first (with a title below it) and then explain what the graph shows. While I cannot see all of your text and do not know all you have written, make sure to remember to connect your analysis back to your research question and hypothesis. This is something Dr. P. said I needed more of in her feedback on draft #3, so I am passing that information onto you.

[eggmiosi]

Feedback Requested

• Are these conclusions ROBUST? Or are they obvious?

• Does it make sense to talk about the discrepancies in the data?

•Does it need to connect more to content strategy?

You can ignore the "expand" note, that's for myself so I can keep track of my revision process. I feel like this is the weakest section of my data. I'm having trouble connecting everything back to content strategy.

[hrthomas]

Hey there!

I think your conclusions are fine because it does not matter if they are obvious. If a graph is telling you something, then that is the conclusion you make. It makes sense to talk about the discrepancies in the data, and you can talk about why you think that is. If you do this, make sure to include images to support your claims. You can connect this to content strategy by explaining why the accounts in your analysis still post photos, even though the receive less engagement. These photos are not necessarily bad, even though they receive less engagement. They are posted for a reason and are part of the creator's content strategy.

[eggmiosi]

Rabbit Hole? Feedback Request

I added a section to my paper that I'm not sure about. I am trying to explain the concept through a real-world example, but I don't know if it all connects and is appealing to read. I want to convey the idea that outside factors (things we can't control) can contribute to the success (or non-success) of our content.

• Does it feel like a rabbit trail?

• Does it make sense/You understand the story?

• Does it belong?

I appreciate your feedback!!

[hrthomas]

Hey there!

When reading the excerpt from your paper, I became invested in how the story was going to end. For me, it is not completely clear whether this is a McDonald's or Monopoly who is at fault, and what exactly they did wrong. I do not think it is a bad example, but I think it could be more clear. I also wonder if you need to cite a source or two to show the reader that this is something that actually happened in the way you describe. This is not a story many people are going to be familiar with (it is not common knowledge), so it requires a citation.

[hrthomas]

Peer Review Request #2

This is the start of my essay. I am trying to provide background information on what an official sports YouTube channel is, but I am pretty general in my explanation. Do I need to be more specific and write an excerpt about each channel in my analysis, or is my general explanation sufficient? The channels in my analysis and the other examples I provide (NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL) all occupy the same content-creating position for their league by making game/match highlights videos, player profile videos, and other league-related content, but I am not sure if people who are unfamiliar with official sports YouTube channels understand that.

[hrthomas]

What did you learn about your writing process that will help you after college?

I learned that I need to spread my work out across many days and that I should implement receiving feedback as an integral part of my writing process. When completing drafts for this project, the longer I went without starting, the more I was worried about the assignment. If I had gotten started early and spread my work out throughout the weeks when we were drafting, I probably would have worked more efficiently than I did when having to do a lot of work in one to two days. I also have learned that feedback is an incredibly important part of my writing process because it shows me what I am missing and where I can improve. I will not always have a professor giving me feedback, so I must seek feedback from coworkers and supervisors after college.

[hrthomas]

Peer Review Request #1

When I submitted Content Analysis Draft #3, my title page was in classic APA format, with black font and a white background. In my feedback on the assignment, Dr. P. said I could make my title page more fun. Since then, I have made changes, and I am wondering if my title page catches your eye? The three YouTube channels in my analysis are soccer-related, so I made the background a soccer field and included two images of soccer balls. I had also included soccer ball emojis in my title, but after I added the background and images of the soccer balls, I figured the emojis were no longer necessary. Do you think there is more I can add here or areas where I should make changes?

[hrthomas]

What did you learn about drafting across multiple weeks that will inform your writing process after college?

Through the drafting of the content analysis project, I learned that it is important to divide the work of a large project into smaller parts. While it is important to make multiple drafts and get feedback on each one, it is important to split the work into work sessions of about an hour at a time. There were times when I did not do any work on the project for three days, and then I had to do many hours of work in just one day. If I had done one to two hours of work each day, I would have gotten more work done earlier. Also, by doing small amounts of work each day, I would not have to refresh my memory before getting back to work after a few days off.

[hrthomas]

How will having a good revision process help you moving forward beyond this class?

I believe that many people do not revise (or spend very little time revising) because it feels like one more thing to do after the paper is done. They trust that what they have already written is good enough and are not bothered to spend time revising. However, when I revise, I notice so many things I can change to make my paper/article better. Having a good revision process will help me beyond this class in my career as a journalist. While journalistic writing is typically shorter than academic writing, revision is still important. I need to make sure I am accurately reporting information, accurately quoting interviewees, and utilizing my creative to entertain the audience. A perfect article is not written in one draft, so having a good revision process will help me produce great articles.

[ravenmatthews]

what does your final revision process look like? #writ318mu #week12

My final revision process focuses on reviewing my writing for clarity, flow, and purpose. I make sure to check every paragraph to ensure it connects back to my main ideas and supports my research question. I also review my headings to make sure they give a clear overview of what each paragraph will discuss. This process helps me stay organized and ensures that my final draft is clear, focused, and ready to turn in. @npfannen

[hrthomas]

Hi Raven!

Your final revision process is thorough, and I like that you say you are going to check each paragraph to make sure it connects back to your research question. This is a strategy that I am going to use when I revise as well. Also, headings are a great way to organize your paper for yourself and your reader, especially when using difference levels f headers. Happy revising!

[laurenev13]

original posts writing

How are you developing style to build your argument in the content analysis?

I am using formal and academic language in my analysis. Each of my paragraphs aims to answer my research question and to prove or disprove my hypothesis. By structuring my paragraphs with a clear explanation of my findings supported with graphs, my style helps to create a reasonable and explanatory argument.

[hrthomas]

Hi Lauren!

I like your focus on clarity in your writing. As you say, your writing should discuss how your data answers your research question and supports or does not support your hypothesis. While we want to include color and style elements in this essay, we still need to construct a strong and cohesive argument.