Reflective Writing

Common thoughts you should not believe.

First: It’s the easiest form. Not really. Any form of writing can be challenging. Contrary to common belief, a narrative is among the most difficult of all. It is complicated. Can you imagine writing The Hunger Games? Your readers will have expectations. When those expectations are not met, the armchair-critic comes out, “I could have written a better ending than that!”
Next: It doesn’t exist in the real world. Excuse me? Any person who has worked in patient care can tell you that statement is nothing but hyperbole? How about the emergency service workers? What do those standard reports look like? Lawyers, educators, and skilled crafts workers all rely on narratives at some point.
My last point: To really learn how to write, you need to write informational or persuasive pieces. LOL. Writing is a skills. You learn different aspects of the skill through different actions. I did not learn to do a lay-up by running to the basketball hoop and throwing the ball up the side of the backboard. No, I learned to walk, to dribble, to walk and dribble at the same time, and eventually I managed a lay-up. Narrative writing brings awareness of the intentional details necessary for all genres of writing. You will use this skill to do something else later.

The main characteristics of reflective writing include

: The writer reflects on the issue (that is, the topic they are writing about) and considers how their own experience and points of view might influence their response. This helps the writer learn about themselves as well as contribute to a better final product that considers biases.
: The writer considers and cites different perspectives and evidence to provide a truly comprehensive reflection. “Evidence” can mean either academic evidence or the writer’s own reflections and experiences, depending on whether the piece of reflection is personal or academic.
: The writer must be clear and cohesive. As reflective writing takes the reader through both the writer’s own thoughts and sometimes other outside perspectives, unity and readability are crucial to ensure the reader does not get lost between points of view.

cc by sa Wikimedia Foundation learn more