Why we write/The two words you need to know.
For what reasons do we write outside of the college or school environment? Why should we learn to write better? At this point, you should have reached a level of competence. Is that enough? In an article entitled, "How to be an employee," Peter Drucker writes,
As soon as you move one step up from the bottom, your effectiveness depends on your ability to reach others through the spoken or written word. And the further your job is from manual work, the larger the organization of which you are an employee, the more important it will be that you know how to convey your thoughts in writing or speaking. In the very large organizations. . .this ability to express oneself is perhaps the most important of all the skills a person can possess. (Strategies for Successful Writing 3-4)
The two most important terms in writing and learning to write well are purpose and audience. Some general purposes for writing are 1) to inform, 2) to persuade, 3) to express yourself, and 4) to entertain (Strategies 4-5). Do you think any of these are combined? This all may seem simple but how often do you write, knowing the instructions, but not knowing or understanding why you are writing or what you hope to accomplish?
When you write, you should always keep in mind that you are writing for real people to read. Do not just write as if the teacher is the only person who will read your writing.
What sorts of things about your audience should you pay attention to? Educational level, age, social class etc. You should be able to say why your audience should or will read your writing. Ask yourself what their attitudes, needs, and expectations they are likely to have. You should know how much they know about your topic.
"Letter about a new love interest" example.
Michael’s proverb #2 is "What is clear in your head/is not clear in mine." Your job as a writer is to make yourself clear.
Another important aspect of writing that you must keep in mind is that writing is a process. It is a messy and sometimes painful one, but it is a process nonetheless.
The first stage in the process is planning. This is where most fail to do as well as they can. Why do we not plan? What benefit is there for planning? (getting ideas out, relieved stress of writing, helps you focus before you have to be structured, etc.)
We can gather information in a variety of ways:.
1) Brainstorming. Freewriting. Mapping. Charting.
2) Reading: Research. Models. For ideas.
3) Discussion: "Bull" sessions. Class discussion. Interviews.
C. It is also quite helpful to come up with a working thesis (one that you can change if you need to) to help guide you and keep you from straying from your purpose and audience.
If you need to, an outline is nice, but don’t feel you have to stick with it if you think of something important or feel that something in that outline no longer applies. Just write that first draft. Don't have to write introduction first. Can be "messy" since writing is a messy process. Plan to revise.
The Business of Revision
A. First you want to look at the essay as a whole. Does it have a central point for a specific audience? "Have you delivered what the thesis promises?" (Strategies 34). What essential information is missing? What material fits the main point (or is connected to it in some way, but doesn’t "contribute to the essay" (Strategies 35). Is it organized in reasonable fashion or in the way that will best impact your readers?
Reading better/Writing Better: How the two are related (Covering the Introduction to American Voices: Culture and Community)
1. What is the difference between someone who reads with competence and someone who reads well? What is the difference between the person who can read and understand most things they come across (even when it is not particularly interesting) and those who read like most people do (only being able to understand or remember things they read when they are interesting or they have a vested interest in the subject)?
2. Look at the bulleted points on page 2. Go over.
3. What makes reading difficult? What can be done to make it easier?
4. Basics of active reading discussed. Annotating your reading? So how do you know what to annotate? As you read, try to look for some of the things our authors mention on pages 2-3. (Go over.)
Introduction (1)
In this chapter, the authors of our textbook discuss what they think a good reader is. What is she/he and how does one do (or become) these things?
Cf. p. 3. Here are some questions that might help you pay attention to reading selections in the most effective way. Annotating your text with answers to these questions, even the personal ones, can help you better understand, remember, and write about what you read.
Questions over the writing process? (Go over what is not understood.)
Brainstorming/Freewriting: "Most people see me as..." (3-5 min.)
Will come back to this chapter later, particularly material dealing with argument. Be sure you have read it carefully.
[If available, hand out copy of annotated page from text.]