10 Commandments For Reflective Writing

1.  Focus on creative decisions informed by institutional knowledge - you did what you did partly because of what you had learned about how the media produce, distribute and share material.
2. Focus on creative decisions informed by theoretical understanding - you know what you did because of having a point of view in relation to media and meaning, and  you can describe that in relation to cultural media theories.
3. Evaluate the process , don't just describe it - why some things worked well and others not so well.
4. Relate your media to 'real media' at the micro level - give clear, specific examples of how you used techniques and strategies to create intertextual references to media you have been influenced by.
5. Try to deconstruct yourself - try to analyse the reasons for own tastes, decisions and preferences rather than thinking that is just the way they are.
6. Choose clearly relevant micro examples to relate to macro reflective themes -  be prepared with a 'menu' of examples to adapt the needs of the reflective task.
7. Avoid binary oppositions - your media products will not either follow or challenge existing conventions; they will probably do both.
8. Try to write about your broader media culture -  don't just talk about your production pieces, try to extend your response to include other creative work or other media-related activities you have been engaged in.
9. Adopt a metadiscourse - don't just describe your activities as a media student to reflect on the 'conditions of possibility' for the subject and your role within it - what kind of an activity is making a video for media studies, compared to making a video as a self-employed media producer?
10. Quote, paraphrase, reference - reflective writing about production is still academic writing, so remain within this mode of address.