Posts tagged with "writing"
Tuesday, 18. July 2006, 17:46:06
writing
James Dickey once wrote a poem about his son who would "play, play inside his play, and play inside of that." Dickey's words describe a child's concentration and his entrance into that great world of fantasy and imagination, but these words also relate to my vision of writing and education. Despite the fact that some teachers across the world train you to speak and write correctly and to follow a strict adherence to guidelines and rules, Dickey offers you another vision of writing and language: play.
I enjoy watching my son tinker with his Legos or his Lincoln Logs, for he does not simply construct a car or house according to how the instructions show him. He connects the blue Lego with the yellow, looks at it a while, and, if he doesn't like the construction, he picks another color and starts over again. Normally, he doesn't get frustrated because it's all play to him. In the end, if the spaceship he's building fails, he knows that he can begin fresh and attempt another innovative construction.
And writing and education should resemble this same play. You should learn to tinker with ideas and write about them without consequences. At times, teachers (including me) are so worried about you communicating effectively that we sacrifice philosophical inquiry and innovation for correctness. When this kind of compromise happens repeatedly, I sense that you might stop asking the difficult questions or taking chances with metaphor, style, and structures.
Gaston Bachelard advises writers on the writing process: "How can one not dream while writing? It is the pen which dreams. The blank page gives the right to dream." However, too many students and teachers fear the freedom of the blank page, as hands cramp from an endless lack of ideas. They dread the insecurity of allowing the pen to dance quickly across the page to explore its whiteness. They worry about what the dance will look like instead of where that dance will take them.
My son always focuses on where the dance will take him. If he ever looks down at the Lego pile scattered across our living room carpet, I wonder if he would ever finish a product. Nevertheless, he does not stare down the myriads of colors and say, "There are too many to choose from." He simply digs into the pile and never thinks if they will fit together perfectly. Honestly, they don't always fit together in any coherent pattern, but he learns on his own which patterns work and which ones need discarding.
So, my advice to you is to play with words, with ideas, with the various directions the pen, pencil, or computer will take you. Play inside those patterns. And play inside of them again. Until finally, you say to yourself, "How did I get here? And where was I going in the first place?" When you start thinking in these forms, you will find yourself more found than lost.
Tuesday, 18. July 2006, 17:02:12
writing
In writing, we have to remain cognizant to our audience because they may not always know what we mean by an idea, unless we explain it effectively to them.
For example, let’s say you are writing an essay claiming that Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assertion in “A Letter from Birmingham Jail” is an incorrect method of effecting change in society. If the reader has never read this essay or heard of MLK, then he or she might ask a question such as this one: what exactly is this "incorrect method of effecting change" that the writer is arguing against?
As writers, we must clarify our points without confusing the reader, especially if we are quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing from another source, such as King, Jr. If we do not express King’s claims clearly and accurately, then we might be misrepresenting his ideas. Therefore, be careful about reacting to an idea until you first explain it to a reader.
Let’s say we want to argue against the following paragraph from MLK's "A Letter from Birmingham Jail":
"You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?" You are quite right in calling, for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension." I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood."
Before we can react for or against MLK’s letter, we first must understand exactly what he means.
Step 1: Identify the topic sentence (implied or explicit) in this paragraph.
Is there a sentence in this paragraph explaining MLK’s main point or claim? Many writers will deliver a topic sentence at the beginning or end of a paragraph, but MLK does not always work in such a mechanical fashion. If you notice the bold-faced sentence in the middle of the paragraph, you will find MLK’s topic sentence.
If a topic sentence does not exist, read the passage a few times and then speak aloud what you think the main point of the passage might be. Then, after writing down your thought, return to the passage to make certain you did not misinterpret it.
Step 2: Write the topic sentence (main claim of the paragraph) in your own language without plagiarizing the author.
Example of a summary of MLK's claim: Nonviolent protesting stimulates change by allowing for sensible dialogue between human beings to occur.
That sentence which I constructed without looking at the passage is a decent summary of MLK’s claim in that paragraph, but there is a certain problem. If I simply write this sentence, the reader may not understand what I mean, because I do not mention MLK nor the letter. Therefore, let’s move to Step 3.
Step 3: Before summarizing an author’s claim, you need to give some introductory information on the author that establishes the context and reason for the quote, such as the following sentence:
In “A Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King, Jr. persuasively argues that nonviolent protesting stimulates change by allowing for sensible dialogue between human beings to occur.
That’s all, really. Nothing hard about this, right?
Many writing textbooks also refer to this idea as an AUTHOR TAG. An author tag pinpoints that the author (MLK in this example) believes this claim. Thus, by using certain action verbs to establish the claims or topic sentence of MLK's ideas, the reader knows that you may have a different opinion from MLK; in other words, an author tag separates your thoughts from MLK's.
Below, I have listed a few methods of tagging the author and giving him or her credit for the ideas presented in your paper.
According to Martin Luther King in "A Letter from Birmingham Jail"...
As Martin Luther Kind suggests in "A Letter from Birmingham Jail"...
In "A Letter from Birmingham Jail," Martin Luther King argues...
Martin Luther King, leader of the Civil Rights Movement, argues in "A Letter From Birmingham Jail"...
The style of using author tags is, of course, limitless compared to the above examples, but I simply wanted to give you some examples on how to summarize a claim effectively and clearly.
Now, I mentioned strong action verbs earlier, such as "argues," which I use in the last bulleted example. Some other strong action verbs that express an author's claim could be chosen from the following list:
Martin Luther King claims...
MLK conveys...
MLK discusses...
MLK rejects...
MLK describes...
MLK confronts...
MLK attacks...
Can you think of three more action verbs that might convey MLK's argument?
Step 4: After summarizing an author’s claim, you might include a brief sentence suggesting why the author might believe that particular claim. Turn your claim into a question.
Example of turning a claim into a question: Why does MLK believe that nonviolent protesting stimulates change and promotes a dialogue between races?
You might add the next sentence:
MLK, of course, composed this letter during the height of racial tensions in the United States and directly reacted against the more supposed 'violent' revolution led by his colleague, Malcolm X, who preached that sometimes violence is necessary for defense purposes.
This sentence explains MLK’s position, but more than that, it shows the reader that you understand the complexity of the issue and you are not simply attacking or reacting against MLK’s language. Too many people jump write into disagreement with an idea, and that method simply creates frustration and tension between the two arguments.
Imagine, for example, discussing an idea with a family member. If you simply say, “I disagree,” without first explaining the other’s position, you might notice the family member’s arms crossing, a stern look on her face, or even an angry glare with a thought running through her head, “You never listen to me!” Explaining MLK’s perspective fully shows the reader that you are sincerely listening to the author.
Step 5: After writing a few sentences (longer if need be) explaining an author’s position, it is now time for you to respond by agreeing, disagreeing, or accomplishing a little of both.
So far, we have this paragraph:
In “A Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King, Jr. persuasively argues that nonviolent protesting stimulates change by allowing for sensible dialogue between human beings to occur. MLK, of course, composed this letter during the height of racial tensions in the United States and directly reacted against the more supposed 'violent' revolution led by his colleague, Malcolm X, who preached that sometimes violence is necessary for defense purposes.
Let’s now respond. Here we go.
Is violence necessary as Malcolm X describes or does violence simply lead to more violence as Ghandi and MLK both write throughout their career? These questions, of course, are difficult to answer. Nevertheless, nonviolent protesting may lead a community or government to discussion, but if discussion is limited, rejected, our counterproductive, then violence may be necessary to overcome atrocities such as slavery or the British imperialism before our Revolutionary War that moved the United States toward Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.
Stop.
Okay, I wrote an okay paragraph, but I at least accomplished a few important items. After I summarized the author’s claim and expressed the author’s reasoning, I then transitioned to my thoughts via a question. Then, I answered the difficult question by beginning to weigh the consequences of both sides of an argument. Next, I offered my position on MLK’s original claim. And finally, I began supporting my claim with two examples when the United States used violence for positive, future consequences.
I could always write more and think about when violence is never necessary, such as attacking a foreign nation. But you certainly understand the idea now on how to follow a few techniques to explain the author’s and your position in writing.
Now, next time your family member begins to argue with you, empathize with her point of view and maybe, just maybe, the argument will turn into a discussion instead of a diatribe ("a bitter, verbal attack").
Tuesday, 18. July 2006, 16:41:53
writing
A few years ago, I watched my best writer evaluate a colleague's essay, and I could not believe what I noticed. She marked every "I" and "We" the writer had typed and changed them all to "One" and "They." When asked why she decided to mark these pronouns throughout the writer's essay, she basically responded that her teacher taught her never to write in the first person. "It's a narrative essay," I remarked to the student. "How do you write an autobiographical narrative without referring to the first person?" When she heard my rhetorical question, she felt somewhat relieved and shifted her style to a more user-friendly version.
Many of you have faced or will face instructors who limit your grammatical vision when composing an expository composition. "Don't split an infinitive!" I can still hear my past teachers ringing their authoritative voices in my present ear. "Why not?" I and the rest of the world mumbles still beneath our breath. I dare you, no, I double dare you to ask your teacher to explain why you cannot place an adverb between "to" and a verb: "to boldy go where no one has gone before." If you split an infinitive and a teacher marks it as an error on the page, kindly quote the Star Trek axiom and ask them to righteously explain the sinful nature of splitting one. If they cannot explain, then you have persuaded them to infinitively view a new perception of language usage.
What other rules, besides allowing "I" and "We" and the split infinitive, should we discuss? Below, I have listed my top 5 writing myths, though I can think of many more not listed here. At some point in the class, I will ask you to share your experiences with WRITING MYTHS. Here are my top five myths:
1. "Never begin a sentence with 'I.'" I can't believe teachers actually reduce students' essay grades for this myth. Begin a sentence with "I" as much as you like, but just remember not to be repetitious in your writing. For example, you don't want every sentence to begin the same way, or your reader might become bored with your writing style. Also, some academic journals, particularly those in science, do not like students to use "I," so you need to know what kind of audience you are appealing to. If you're doing a scientific experiment in Chemistry or Biology, find out from your professor what rules you need to follow.
2. "Never begin a sentence with 'and' or 'but.'" And the myth is wrong again. Sometimes I enjoy using "and" and "but" at the beginning of the sentence as a method of making a particular POINT. But don't overuse these conjunctions and find other methods of incorporating a mixture of language in the process.
3. "Never use the word 'you' in an essay." This myth is a tricky one. First, how many times have I used "you" throughout this course? Many, many times! Using "you" in an introduction, for example, may be a smart way to connect to a reader. But again, don't write your whole essay in this manner: "You went to the store, and then you came home. You were hungry, so you fixed yourself a burger." After a while, that kind of repetition may get on your reader's nerves. However, if you are writing a process essay, where you are showing a real person how to change a tire, prepare a chicken curry sauce (Yum! Yum!), or paint a kitchen cabinet, then you might consider incorporating the reader into the demonstration.
4. 'Never write in fragments." Way off. In my freshman writing course at the University of Arkansas, I began a personal essay in this manner: "Conway, Arkansas: a tiny, irrelevant speck of dust on the map of the world." How do you think my teacher responded? She wrote on the page in thick, green letters, "Sentence Fragment." And I thought to myself, I wanted them there for pure effect. So having shared this example with you, I believe that sentence fragments can work as means to create a mood and tone for the reader, but they can also work against you. So fragments are okay to use for effect, as long as you know you're using them on purpose and you don't confuse the reader. However, sometimes beginning writers pen their prose with a multitude of run-on sentences and sentence fragments. There is a big difference, though, between how a beginning writer handles a sentence fragment and how an advanced writer understands how to manipulate the language.
4. "All papers must contain five paragraphs." Hogwash! When I taught at SMSU (Southwest Missouri State University), my mentor once told me a story. Two students who entered a writing contest tied. The judges couldn't decide which essay deserved first place. Instead of basing their opinions on the writer's ability to articulate a unique point of view and self-expression, the judges decided to disqualify one writer because she wrote a 6-paragraph essay instead of 5. Need I say more?
5. "Never use slang in papers." Didn't I say "hogwash" earlier? Slang, especially when creating dialogue, may add to the realism of your point and may also connect you to a reader, but it can also lose a reader as well. The bottom line: know thy audience.
The bottom line in all these rules: Academicians are scared of how we use language, how we construct our identities and voices as we write and speak, and how they will be viewed by other academicians for allowing these rules to be broken.
Monday, 12. June 2006, 14:53:02
writing
Dear Readers,
We are consumed by work and assembly-line living. Do we have time to fathom the nature of the universe or explore our deepest desires through language? I hope so.
Some people naturally reveal their ideas through speaking, while caves of information remain beneath the words that are never revealed. Writing, then, represents these caves.
Explore words, and you will find treasures of thoughts taking you to the deepest core of truth.
--C.M.
WIDGETIZE