Since starting university, most of what I wrote are academic essays and personal blog posts. These are far more different than observational writing so I had a difficult time when I wrote my first Obersavtion. I was very concerned about what topics I should choose and how to write about them.

The comments which I received for my first Observation have made me thought about my writing style. After reading it more carefully, I realized my story structure and phrasing are very similar to the Vietnamese writing style.  I tend to use implications and unintentionally complicate my sentences instead of addressing my point directly. It might be because I have experience with observational writing in my native language. Furthermore, I sometimes think in Vietnamese and then translate them to English as I write, which results in the issues above. I figured out this style is not exactly suitable for observational writing. Being descriptive is a vital element when writing Observations. After reading the suggested alternatives to my last paragraph of the first Observation, I think that with descriptive writing, it is better to get straight to the point.  It improves the flow of the paragraph which makes it easier for the readers to understand my idea.

As I am now conscious about my problem, I have decided to make several changes in upcoming Observations. I will start to think in English whenever I write to avoid the Vietnamese writing style. I will re-read my Observations and also ask my friends to review them to make sure the sentences are coherent and unambiguous. Personally, I think these habits are beneficial for writing in English in general, not just observational writing.

At first, I definitely had doubts about how beneficial writing Observations is. I now realized through this assignment, not only I could improve my writing skills but I’m also encouraged to be more aware of my surroundings. It has been surprisingly intriguing to observe and find out things that I haven’t noticed before. Thus, I am eager to continue writing Observations and learn more from it.