what is reflective writing

Reflective writing is an analytical practice in which the writer describes a real or imaginary scene, event, interaction, passing thought, or memory and adds a personal reflection on its meaning. It is a form of personal response to experiences, situations, events, or new information. Reflective writing involves critically analyzing an experience, recording how it has impacted you, and what you plan to do with your new knowledge. The focus is on writing that is not merely descriptive, but analytical, and the writer revisits the scene to note details and emotions, reflect on meaning, examine what went well or revealed a need for additional learning, and relate what transpired to the rest of life. Reflective writing can help you to reflect on a deeper level as the act of getting something down on paper often helps people to think an experience through. The key to reflective writing is to be analytical rather than descriptive, always asking why rather than just describing what happened during an experience. Reflective writing is usually unstructured, and it is about putting the I' in reflection. It looks back at past experience to perform better in the future, analyses, explores, and explains what happened and why, usually incorporates models or theory, uses academic language, considers strengths, weaknesses, anxieties, and errors, and requires evidence to support what you are saying.