I enjoyed making this project. The biggest strength from my collection is how every piece ties into the central idea, that the inner battle we all face when choosing between what's easy and what’s right. Whether through story, research, or visual art, I tried to show how temptation is not just a single moment, but a force that creeps into our decisions, especially when we feel vulnerable or desperate. I think the emotional impact of my fictional story, The Cycle, combined with the real world statistics and consequences in my nonfiction article, makes the collection feel both grounded and urgent.
As a writer, I definitely favored the fictional piece the most. I felt like I could express the emotion behind temptation more fully in a character’s thoughts and decisions. Writing “The Cycle” let me explore what it really feels like to be in that moment of weakness, when everything seems like it’s slipping away and you think one small choice could fix it all. I enjoyed building Jordan’s character and showing how he got caught up in something bigger than himself. It was challenging but rewarding to humanize a decision that’s often judged harshly from the outside.
The nonfiction article was the most difficult. I wanted to sound professional and still keep the writing engaging. I tried a structure where I moved from “why it happens” to “what it causes” to “how to prevent it,” and I think that helped keep it organized. Using real statistics made me realize just how common steroid temptation is, especially among youth, and that gave my fictional story even more meaning.
If I had more time, I would expand my visual piece. I think I could have added a lot more contrast between the two paths, maybe showing the long term effects of choosing junk food. But I like the idea of temptation as a path, it’s a choice we make, and it’s often a lonely one when you’re doing the right thing.
I think in this collection, I tried to use a lot more figurative language in my writing, especially in my fiction piece. As well as having more dialogues within the story, because before I would rarely ever have dialogues at all in my past writings. I have learned how to use pacing, internal dialogues, and imagery to build tension and show a realistic mental struggle. In my non fiction piece, I didn’t just state facts, I used statistics and explained how they correlate to the real pressure that athletes have to face.
Overall, I had a great time making this collection. It has opened my mind to different genres and types of text forms that I could use in my writings. It has showed my progression as a writer throughout the years, and taught me a lot of important lessons through writing.