The process of developing a sense of personal style in observational writing without strong direction and/or examples has been an important element with respect to gaining confidence and ease in writing. While being void of such may seem counter-intuitive as it leaves one without much context as to how to approach the process, to have begun to practise writing without strong preconceptions of what the product of writing should be or what elements and characteristics are necessary for a ‘good’ observational piece has allowed for my own personal intuition and sensibilities to function as dominant sources of influence. As a consequence of this, production has not pampered an audience and expectations but rather has sought to be centralised on subjects to which I feel most strongly inclined to write about and defined by approaches which I perceive as being the most appropriate in representing these subjects. Ultimately, writing has maintained a self-serving direction as opposed to a reader-serving direction and has begun to acquire character accordingly.

That said, I acknowledge that not becoming confined to an understanding of the practise of observational writing that is defined by my methods only is equally important. While I believe that the groundwork of my own stylistic approach to observational writing has now been laid, being exposed to the styles and approaches of other students at this less-early stage has not only allowed me to have formed a ‘control’ or a point of reference against which the work of others may be compared, but has also ensured that I am better equipped to maintain personal stylistic integrity while still being aware of and considering alternative methods and approaches to production. Most immediately, reading the work of my peers has highlighted the potential for diversity in observational writing while also providing insight into some of the potential avenues for experimentation and deviation from my perception of a ‘normal’ piece. Of particular note in this is alternative approaches to structure, for the various forms adopted by others, I believe, differ considerably from my own. I hope to be able to apply some of the techniques used by my peers in their work to my own in the future while maintaining a self-serving approach to writing.