With my group, we classified the standards for good and bad writing, but unfortunately, we didn't include honesty as a necessity for good writing. After reading Hall's An Ethic of Clarity, I regret our decision. In his essay, Hall states that too many writers lie to themselves, as well as their audience, in their work. Hall argues that using fancy terms as opposed to more simpler terms, just because you are worried about your social status, can ruin your style. Hall quotes Ezra Pound when he says "Good writers are those who keep it efficient. That is to say, keep it accurate, keep it clear." Keeping it accurate and clear will surely close the gap between expression and meaning, which Hall refers to numerous times in his writing. Morrow really stepped on my toes when writing his Seven Bad Writing Habits You Learned in School. I mean, whoa, using your own original ideas as opposed to using ten citations a paragraph? That's nonsense, but I love the sound of that. I believe that every successful writer can successfully cite the works of others, but I also understand that the point Morrow is trying to convey is to sound like yourself, not like others. Too many citations and borrowed ideas can make a piece of writing extremely boring. During our group work in class, we chose using incorrect referances and not properly citing sources as the main thing to avoid when writing, which is completely contrary to Morrow's rule. But, one must put into consideration whether you are writing for leisure or writing for a grade. I feel I have learned a lot about "good writing" from both of these authors.
(In Class) Response to Randy Pausch (5 September 2012)
One of the main lessons Randy spoke about was to never give up. When things get in the way of your dreams, you just have to work harder to achieve them. I am the first in my family to go to college, and many challenges have arose like funding, deciding not to go straight into the work force, etc. I decided to go to school and pay for it the best I can with financial aid and loans. Randy knew his audience on a personal level. Therefore, they all knew that he was soon to be on his death bed. He portrays his message to live every day like it is your last because his last days are actually here. I believe his message and his speech was very effective, and I definitely got a lot out of what he had to say and I could tell his emotions were very strong throughout his presentation.
Response to Anne Lamott - SFD (13 September 2012)
The essay Shitty First Drafts is a description of the average stages that every writer endures before finishing his or her piece of writing. Lamott, the author of the essay, says that the most difficult part of the writing process could very possibly be starting your first draft, and attempting to figure out the direction you want to take with your paper. She also notes that because the writer 's ideas and thoughts are still vague, the first drafts are often poorly written. According to Lamott, the first draft, no matter how awful it is written, does lay a great foundation for your paper, and after countless editing and revising, can potentially evolve into a magnificent piece of writing.
For the most part, I believe what Lamott has to say about the writing process is true, and I understand the main point she is trying to make. I can relate to what she has to say in that I oftentimes have trouble just getting started writing, and the first draft is definitely the most difficult. She reminds me that everyone has trouble getting started with a first draft, but I have to work hard to make the final product great.
Response to Ballenger (17 October 12)
In his essay, Ballenger is going back and forth from outside sources to his own thinking and assertions. He uses this shared knowledge as a common way to support his personal opinions with die fard facts. This is used vise versa as well, because he also supports facts with his personal stories. Ballenger does a great job of balancing his supporting facts and using them to compliment each other.
Previously, I have always known research papers to be very intellectual, more fact-based, and less personal. But, in Ballengers essay, he introduces very personal stories throughout the story as a means to connect with his audience and help them to understand the picture he is trying to paint. Past research papers I have read have all been strictly research based and very formal. It was nice to read a different example of (what I believe to be a better) research paper.
(In Class) Rant on Inquiry Project (14 November 2012)
I have really enjoyed this class and all of the projects that we have completed so far, but this research paper has been extremely stressful the past week or two. Attempting to stay on top of everything with minimal instruction and guidance has been a challenge and, quite honestly, a hassle. Inquiry blog assignment two helped some, but now that we have went to the library, I feel as though all of the previous research I have conducted was absolutely pointless. I am hoping to find some very quality academic sources pertaining to my topic, but it seems as though both JSTOR and the UNCC Library Catalog can be very difficult to maneuver and search through. I am still happy with my topic choice though, and am just ready to begin, and finish, the final draft of my paper.
Response to Ballenger (17 October 12)
In his essay, Ballenger is going back and forth from outside sources to his own thinking and assertions. He uses this shared knowledge as a common way to support his personal opinions with die fard facts. This is used vise versa as well, because he also supports facts with his personal stories. Ballenger does a great job of balancing his supporting facts and using them to compliment each other.
Previously, I have always known research papers to be very intellectual, more fact-based, and less personal. But, in Ballengers essay, he introduces very personal stories throughout the story as a means to connect with his audience and help them to understand the picture he is trying to paint. Past research papers I have read have all been strictly research based and very formal. It was nice to read a different example of (what I believe to be a better) research paper.
(In Class) Rant on Inquiry Project (14 November 2012)
I have really enjoyed this class and all of the projects that we have completed so far, but this research paper has been extremely stressful the past week or two. Attempting to stay on top of everything with minimal instruction and guidance has been a challenge and, quite honestly, a hassle. Inquiry blog assignment two helped some, but now that we have went to the library, I feel as though all of the previous research I have conducted was absolutely pointless. I am hoping to find some very quality academic sources pertaining to my topic, but it seems as though both JSTOR and the UNCC Library Catalog can be very difficult to maneuver and search through. I am still happy with my topic choice though, and am just ready to begin, and finish, the final draft of my paper.
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