Ken Macrorie's Weekly Readings Analysis

In Dan Berrett’s article, “Students Come to College Thinking They’ve Mastered Writing,” the idea of freshman thinking they are or must be a refined writer is discussed. Students may think this way coming into college, but their teachers do not. While students might feel satisfied and think that they are prepared with their writing skills, professors found that these students did not necessarily meet the expected level (Berrett 1). Many students reported that they would normally write around 25 hours every week. They said that most of those hours of writing was for more formal purposes like passages to make changes in society (Berrett 1). It was found that one reason the new students might feel this way is that their assumptions about writing differed greatly from those of faculty members and their expectations. One big thing that students will not get for a while, is that good writing is not just listed as a bunch of steps one is to follow that automatically make one’s writing good. Good writing requires one to be in different mental states; it requires the understanding of how to write for different audiences and different reasons (Berrett 2). Berrett includes in the article that writing is not just universal and that in order to do very well, writers must use different forms of writing specifically for their purpose (2). It seems as though students think that, before they even take a class, they are supposed to know everything about writing; in reality, they are supposed to learn new skills and enhance others (Berrett 2). Berrett says that many believe the schools these students previously attended with their test focus might cause these feelings about writing (2). Berrett ends his article by saying that students these days do not think that informal writing actually counts as writing, and that students should practice writing for informal purposes because it can help them (2). Even if they feel like it, students are not fully prepared to write in all contexts when they arrive at college.

Whether while writing an essay or a birthday card, we have all struggled to find the proper words to illustrate our thoughts or feelings from time to time. Upholding the occupation of a writer would multiply that struggle tenfold. An occupation that depends on interesting, fluid pieces of writing every submission requires an adequate number of attempts and patience. Lamott expresses that writers “all often feel like we are pulling teeth” (Lamott), which proves the difficulty of writing is still there no matter the level of writer behind the work. Lamott also emphasizes that a writer “has to start somewhere” and shares her friend’s ideas in her writing to simply “get something - anything - down on paper” (Lamott). Lamott, and the other writers mentioned in this piece, carry incredible track records, while still admitting that perfection did not come initially, or even easily. Thus, proving that the Shitty First Draft has a place in any writer’s notebook or Word document. Lamott’s admission to struggling to properly begin a piece of writing surprised me, given of her success. I could not imagine a woman of her accomplishments stressing out over a food review, yet I felt relieved that someone of Lamott’s title relates to an amateur writer like myself. I often put off my writing as well when I cannot articulate a proper introduction. I do every other possible homework, or shy away from homework in general because the

In writing, Lamott insists that an author needs to be totally honest. She tells readers that they should never idealize situations. To make something perfect, she says, is to make it

Murray is insightful not only to instructors but also to learners. Murray argues that the challenge facing writing is the fact that teachers have treated it as a product rather than a process and the same concept passed on to students. The author holds that the main problem with this view is that students get to receive irrelevant criticisms that are not related to their learning goals. While I tend to agree with the author based on the arguments presented, it is notable that Murray has paid little attention to the idea of education in the contemporary world. In most learning institutions, the outcome of the writing is considered more than the process. As a teacher paying attention to the process of writing but not be consistent with the students, who are mostly driven by

Writing consists of self expression, an outlet of creativity to communicate ideas. An individualism thought, purpose, and goal we are able to carry out towards our intended audience. Writing allows us to credit those who have impacted our lives positively. Furthermore, Academic essay writing is an important and effective piece in one’s life in order to gain knowledge that will allow us to present our ideas clearly and logically. Furthering your education consist of constantly writing papers in many college courses in order to convey your message across, therefore, it is important to be aware of how Academic Writing impacts ones education. Lucy Maud Montgomery, Edgar Allen Poe, and William

Everyone knows what writing is to one extent or another, but we all have different definitions of how it should be done and varying degrees of seriousness about the art. We all have a process of writing, but each is unique to ourselves and our own experiences. Annie Dillard and Stephen King are two well known authors who have published many pieces, two of which describe how they view the writing process and let their readers get a peek of what goes on through their minds when they write. These two pieces are Dillard’s The Writing Life and King’s “What Writing Is.”

In “How Do I Write a Text for College” (The World is a Text, 2006), Patty Strong said that writing in in college is much more different than writing in high school and so as the purpose of it. In high school student were told to write texts depending on their prior knowledge while on an institution of higher education students have the flexibility to write not only about what they already learnt but what they are trying to learn. In addition, writing in college requires a higher level of critical thinking and understanding, but it will unequivocally expand their knowledge.

"Like most – maybe all – writers, I learned to write by writing and, by example, by reading books” - Francine Prose, Reading Like A Writer.

English professor, Verlyn Klinkenborg, published an essay, “The Decline and Fall of the English Major” on June 22, 2013, about the reduction of the English major in colleges. The author declares, “Writing well isn’t merely a utilitarian skill. It is about developing a rational grace and energy in your conversation with the world around you.” Klinkenborg has taught nonfiction writing to various students at Harvard, Yale, Bard, Pomona, Sarah Lawrence and Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism. The author has found that her students are able to assemble jargon, use proper syntax, and utilize thematic and ideological notions.

Anne Lamott writes, “Perfectionism is one way our muscles cramp. In some cases we don't even know that the wounds and cramping are there, but both limit us.” Through this text excerpt, Lamott speaks to the audience in a way of giving advice. She used a voice of stylistically in a means of making friends with the audience. The style she used to connect both her and I worked because of how personal should become. The author concludes, “In any case, the bottom line is that if you want to write, you get to, but you probably won't be able to get very far if you don't start trying to get over your perfectionism.”

E.L Doctorow once said that “Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights but you can make the whole trip that way.” I chose this quote because writing can be very frustrating to many writers. As long as you start writing down your thoughts you don’t have to worry about finishing your assignment. “You can see only as far as your headlights” this is referring to writers that

Their perfection is consummate, constantly out of reach. We become comfortable saying, amused and defeated, “I’m no Shakespeare,” as if that is that. But every bad specimen of writing is lit up by the harsh fluorescent lighting of reality. Each pockmark, scar, and slip-up is visible; we have our favorites to trot out in conversation like ghouls in chains. Moreover, what makes for a bad book is a constantly shifting parameter.

"The amount of time I have spent staring at a blinking line could drive any person insane. The feeling that every story and thought that you would like to claim as your own has been taken by another. Every time I would try to write, the fact that everything I thought of had already been written before me, or even my time, hit me. I mean...what is left to say? Famous authors had changed the world with just a few words that could have been written on lined paper. But the different purposes of writing, to entertain, to persuade, to inform-"

An author’s life is reflected in their works. This statement is clearly proven with the British author who wrote 100 years ago and two New Zealand authors who still spend their time working on new book drafts. The storyline, the personality of the characters and the twist in the stories are often related to the events that happened in the author’s life. Through the eyes of a reader, I believe that their love for writing inspires authors to write. An author’s life is reflected in their

In this short chapter of Bird by Bird, national best-selling author Anne Lamott shares a few pieces of wisdom to inexperienced writers. Marked by her self-deprecating humor and openness, she takes us through her own personal battles with writing and relates them to struggles that the reader may be also be experiencing. She quickly grabs the reader’s interest with her unique style of writing, using distinctive imageries and experiences. To some it might be considered overkill or maybe even psychotic, but to me this approach gives life to her words. While reading this short chapter, I almost felt like I was sitting on a couch listening to Lamott as if we were having a casual conversation. In this manner I was able to truly grasp the three main pieces of advice that she was offering the reader.