Writing And Self-Analysis

The article ‘What Writing Is,’ narrated by Stephen King, endorses his personal perspective on writing and the vast passion it holds in his heart and mind. By comparing writing to telepathy, King emphasizes that writing is the epitome of a euphoric sense in terms of freedom and jubilance. Throughout this excerpt, King implies how writing is a part of life that should be centralized and embraced. Writing about telepathy, King proposes that we (the readers) are “downstream on the time-line.” We are in this present moment and as he composes from a juncture in the past, he projects images into our minds through the words he records. The fact that he brings telepathy in as an analogy to the significance of writing conveys his message that we may be reading anywhere or anytime; however, we can connect to each other’s minds despite the far distance.

Every word written or read is a chance to better yourself or someone else. Our words carry an enormous significance with them. Even if a person doesn’t enjoy reading or writing, they can not deny that fact. I bring this up because reading and writing has shaped me into the person I am today. So it is no surprise that I am willing to rant about how great reading and writing can be.

There are many who strive to become famous writers and although some succeed, many do not find such great prosperity. In the words of bestselling author Stephen King, “while it is impossible to make a competent writer out of a bad writer, and while it is equally impossible to make a great writer out of a good one, it is possible, with lots of hard work, dedication, and timely help, to make a good writer out of a merely competent one,” (142). King’s thesis from his novel On Writing can be debated because with “hard work, dedication, and timely help” it is possible for a writer of any skill level to improve to become better. On Writing is intended to teach the basic skills of writing so readers can develop writing skills to progress to be better writers. If one has passion for writing, patience, and the willingness to learn they will succeed in becoming great writers.

Kim Brooks, we know has been “teaching composition at state universities and liberal art colleges and community colleges as well,” (Brooks 2) however what makes her truly passionate about the situation is her love for literature since she was a teenager. “Like so many, depressive, creative, extremely lazy high-school students, I was saved by english class” (1). Brooks demonstrates through these quotes her credibility, not only because she’s a teacher but because she truly loves writing and believes others should receive the education which she was fortunate enough to get. She was not apart of any clubs or extracurriculars, she wasn’t interested in other academic classes, so she knows how beneficial having the skills to converse, to write and to properly articulate one's self are. Brooks shares this personal anecdote, otherwise known as pathos, to relate to those reading, most specifically high school students like she once was. While focusing this piece mainly on English it can also be associated with other classes in high school as well. She is trying to illustrate how one can use what is learned in high school in their life if given the proper tools and taught skills which can be applied

What is literature, and why should people read it? These two questions normally surface on the first day of English and literature classes. In fact, as one Introduction to Literature class ended the 2017 Spring semester with student presentations, the final presenter, a middle-age auto mechanic with oily stained hands and a battered countenance, exclaimed most eloquently, “Literature is an alive and breathing thing. It gives life to the past and the present. It makes me know, feel, and love. Without literature, I would be nothing.” Juxtaposed appearance versus thought shows the power and impact of literature. Without literature, we would be nothing; we would have no thought, feelings, or life. By reading, sharing, discussing, and writing, literature breathes life into the breathless. Students are not the only ones who grapple with these questions. What is literature? - is the very question Terry Eagleton opens with in his book Literary Theory: An Introduction. Moving away from the nontraditional student, how does a prominent professor and esteemed literary critic answer the same question? Remarkably, he dittos that of the mechanic. In Eagleton’s opening chapter “The Rise of English,” he responds in much the same way by asserting literature’s “task is to transform society in the name of those energies and values which art embodies” (17). Eagleton adds further elaboration to his view of literature’s development and definition; in his chapter “The Rise of

All writing comes in many different styles and attracts a certain audience in which it strikes their minds and opens them up to a new world of thinking or looking at things. “Writing to Connect” by Mary Pipher tells about this concept and elaborates on it greatly to encourage aspiring writers who may be feeling discouraged. Writing to Connect is a chapter in Mary Pipher’s newest book Writing to Change the World, where she discusses the use of powerful writing, changing aspects of the way people view things, and inspiring others to share their own stories and never be afraid of what you feel needs to be shared. Pipher directs the chapter toward aspiring writers to tell her audience they should never give up and inspires them with the use of rhetorical choices. Specific rhetorical choices provide further support for Pipher’s purpose of writing the chapter, she effectively writes to show her audience it’s never wrong to write what they feel, and to take chances in their writing. In “Writing to Connect” by Mary Pipher, she urges aspiring writers to push past their comfort zone of writing with the use of identification, personal anecdotes, and historical texts/occasions to effectively persuade them to never give up on what they feel needs to be said through writing.

Writing may be an enthralling experience for one and a clever way to decompress for another. In general, however, writing has different purposes for a variety of people. “Why I Write,” written in the late 20th century by Terry Tempest Williams, describes various reasons for writing narrated from a female’s perspective. The short essay begins in the middle of the night with a woman engulfed in her own thoughts. She abruptly goes forth by reciting the multiple reasons why she continues to write in her life. Through a variety of rhetorical devices such as repetition, imagery, analogies, and symbolism, Terry Tempest Williams produces an elegant piece of writing that offers the audience insight into the narrator’s life and forces the audience to have empathy for the narrator with the situation she is incurring.

Marian Evans Lewes relates to aspiring writers by subtly elucidating her own anticipation in order to draw attention to the common misconceptions young people possess about writing. Lewes quickly states how “exultation is a dream before achievement and rarely comes after” (Lewes 8-9). By creating a short and concise sentence, Lewes quickly informs the reader of how in one’s youth, triumph and elation are expected results of one’s work. Yet the reality is that these are attributes that scarcely accompany one’s achievement. Lewes immediately juxtaposes her previously succinct point what that of a lengthy conclusion she has developed. She determines how after one has completed a piece of writing they feel as though their bodies became the system in which writing “develop[s] and grow[s] by some force of which one’s own life has only served as a vehicle and that what is left of oneself is only a poor husk” (11-13). Lewes contrast in

The raw emotion that words kindle when sewn together in euphony is the most powerful force in this world.Through literature,tales are shared,lessons are taught,concealed truths are unveiled.To be able to convey such values,simply through the clever placing of words,is truly remarkable.Growing up alongside others who pleaded for the newest Nintendo game,I marveled at the newest Magic Tree House and Harry Potter.And as the years passed on,these silly children's stories turned into The Great Gatsby and Othello.Through reading literature,I blossomed into the person I am today and to have shared this experience with my community was the most humbling. It was my honor to have helped bridge the gap that keeps many from the treasures that literature

As a young girl, I remember my grandma used to read me a story every night before bed. Now that I’m older I find writing as an escape, a way to let my feelings out. However, in the persuasive essay, “Why Literature Matters” by Dana Gioia, it is brought to light that literature is a dying subject. The author informs the reader of this tragedy by providing a solid, well built argument, and backing it up with factual evidence.

Pipher talks about connections with other people through writing. She tells readers about how reading Anne Frank impacted her. It changed her life. She then goes on to mention people who have impacted the world with writing. She says that, Bob Dylan did not even mean to write, “Blowin’ in the Wind”, “an anthem for many causes of the last half of the twentieth century”. (Pipher 437) Writing unites people because it says things that people

When writing, I try to gather as much information about the topic, I am getting ready to discuss before I start writing. What that does is it helps me get organized and have a greater understanding about what I will be writing. Not only do I try to gather as much information, I also try to organize myself and my writing by starting an outline to help me stay on topic. As a writer, I am not always as confident as I wish to be. Some improvements I hope to gather from taking this class is being able to keep my writing flowing and sounding efficient. When writing has positive flow and understanding, people are more likely to stay engaged in what they are reading. Transition words, phrases, and sentences is also something I would like to improve.

Why does someone write? What makes authors that we enjoy to read, feel inspired to sit in a deep, state of self-reflection. As they ignore others around them, and focus on their own imaginations in monomaniac fashion ? Margaret Atwood’s “ Nine Beginnings,” attempts to answer the broad question of, “ Why do you write?” This is an essay where the author is having a conversation with herself and contemplating her thoughts about writing. Atwood acknowledges that writing is a process that is never ending, and a person needs self-confidence of their ability to write, in order to be a proficient writer. Margaret Atwood also believes that multiple accounts of failure are important for any writer. A person learns from their mistakes and the writer’s voice comes out more authentic to who the person is due to adversity.

In this class, The Writer’s Mind, I have learned alot and have struggled a lot as well. Throughout this semester I have wrote some papers that I truly liked and a few I didn’t like at all. Therefore for this portfolio I added the ones I enjoyed and were proud of and excluded the ones I didn’t like, which for me, was the memoir. I personally didn’t like my memoir piece because I thought it was unorganized and didn’t stay on topic, unlike the other pieces I have chosen to include.

One of the advantages of doing a self-evaluation of my own essay is to become more aware of how other people perceive you as a writer. I became more aware of my strengths and my weaknesses concerning my writing style. Everyone has a different sense of writing. Having my peers and instructor review my essay helped point of some of the strengths as well as weaknesses I have.