Essay about The Evolution of Writing

If we are to establish that good writing is made up of basic control of the language that is being written, adherence to conventions of grammar and style, and the ability to present a cogent argument and reasonable support for that argument, I may qualify as a good writer. However, it must be recognized that there is a great deal of distance from simply being good at a subject or task and having developed mastery of the same. Thus, I would argue that while I am a good writer I have yet to cross the threshold of skill that qualifies me as a great writer. Greatness in writing exhibits a level of awareness and development of thought that is rare and hard to achieve. As a product of this class, I would like to find myself closer to that finely

Writing is a powerful tool for communication and connection. As an extension and expression of the mind, writing is as much about the mental processes of the author as it is about the final marks laid to paper. As we write, we hold in mind our own thoughts on the work, anticipate the reader’s thoughts, and think both in concrete and abstract ways in order to accomplish the task at hand. Whether an academic research paper, a novel, or text message to friends, writing seeks to engage, persuade, or impress concepts upon an audience. Like language and other art forms in general, the practice of writing is ever-evolving and is subject to cultural and contextual influence, expectations, and conventions. Each writer holds a theory

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.

In the paper “Inventing the University” by David Bartholomae, he shows the mistakes that basic writers make in college. It shows us what writers are lacking in writing effectively for an academic community. He compares and contrasts the differences between a mater writer and a basic writer. It shows how an expert writer keeps the audience in mind and a struggling writer does not. Bartholomae says that writers in college need to learn to “invent the university” which means they adapt their writing to writing and speak the ideas of an academic setting. Some students may find it hard to develop these new ways of writing and speaking in an academic setting. One way a master writer and a basis writer is different is

Writing can be time consuming and each author must be passionate in their piece. Vetter explains, “The truth is that writing is a blood sport […] which is why those who are any good at it look older than their contemporaries, snap at children on the street, live alone.” Becoming a good writer takes persistence and patience. As an individual

In his essay “Inventing the University”, David Bartholomae kicks of his composition by explaining to readers what he believes is the accurate way to speak so that the audience will understand and take in what all you have said. He makes this very clear, for example he points out how all readers must feel equal and the writer must make them feel the same nobody should be looked down on. Bartholomae brings up how using the same dialogue is a major key as well. These mistakes are commonly made by freshman such as myself I’ll admit that. Throughout the essay Bartholomae reviews some pieces of writing that are written by students, while doing so he points out the flaws of the writing and comments on how they can do better. When Bartholomae expresses that he wants writers to learn how to speak the language that we as young adults do, He even brings up the fact that some writers either struggle or just do not know how to write in different commonplaces. He feels as though this student will have this struggle in college while writing many other papers. At some point of the essay Bartholomae tells how he was impressed by one student’s placement essay they had written while they attended orientation. In one of his main points he makes Bartholomae speaks on why students are placed in certain courses, which is based on errors made while taking the university’s placement test. These courses are designed to help students improve in those areas they scored low in. Bartholomae wants students to appropriate their dialogue by becoming one with the audience be comfortable enough to speak to them as if they were historians or members of the academy. Baratholonae says, “They have to invent the university by assembling and mimicking its language.”

Chapter 2 of Successful College Writing written by Kathleen McWhorter focused on several different points. However, the main core of the chapter is mostly focused* on college writing and what is expected of it. It mentions* how college introduces you to new forms of writing, and also using sources to support your information and arguments in your essays. This chapter not only mentions the new writing styles you will experience, but also how to be successful in them by giving you helpful tips and aiding you in figuring out your learning style.

When students complete a first draft, they consider the job of writing done – and their teachers too often agree. When professional writers complete a first draft, they usually feel that they are at the start of the writing process. When a draft is completed, the job of writing can begin. That difference in attitude is the difference between amateur and professional, inexperience and experience, journeyman and craftsman. Peter F. Drucker, the prolific business writer, calls his first draft “the zero draft”–after that he can start counting. Most writers share the feeling that the first draft, and all of those which follow, are opportunities to discover what they have to say and how best they can say it. To produce a progression of drafts, each of which says more and says it more clearly, the writer has to develop a special kind of reading skill. In school we are taught to decode what appears on the page as finished writing. Writers, however, face a different

“Inventing the University”, written by David Bartholomae, dives into his theory on what skills a successful student should possess. The main idea throughout the piece is that one should speak and write a certain way, and if they cannot, they should pretend to- meaning that, in an academic setting, if one wishes to become a scholar and converse with other scholars, they must imitate the discourse of the privileged until it becomes natural to them. The discourse- a way of speaking, writing, and thinking, or an identity kit- is only available to those who “must learn to speak [their] language. Or [who]...dare to speak it, or to carry off the bluff, since speaking and writing will most certainly be required long before the skill is learned.

Arguably, there are situations where the tone in the text betrays the author’s insistent perspective concerning writing. For instance, the author argues that a student can pass through the writing process successfully if the teacher chooses to shut up and allow the student to write. In reviewing this particular text, one may argue about the choice of words, however, the tonne also elucidates the author’s viewpoint on the involvement of teachers in the writing process. One of the questions the author has prompted but not answered is how the education system as a whole can be transformed to embrace the concept of writing being a process rather than a product. While the idea is sensible and well thought, its applicability in the education system is a challenge, which the author has not highlighted despite writing being under the umbrella of

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.”

Writing is a practice that most of us were taught when we were young. We were taught the basics of grammar, how to form a sentence, conjunction words, how to write paragraphs and more. Although we have learned this skill while growing up and have used the skill every year after entering kindergarten, this does not mean our writing process will ensure the best work. The authors that I chose each encourage their audience to excel in the art of writing in their own way to help with the writing process.

Cynthia Haven is the writer of an article called “The New Literacy: Stanford study finds richness and complexity in students' writing” that is a study based on the amount of writing college students do. She followed students at Stanford during their undergraduate years and the first year after that. She discovered that today’s students are writing more than any generation before it. Cynthia had the students she was studying submit all of the writing they did, academic or personal. She found that only 62 percent of the work submitted to her was for classes; the rest of the material was “Life writing”.

Developments in digital technology are expanding our understanding of “writing.” To the extent that technology is available and appropriate, by the end of their first

The nature of writing has changed in the past century. While writing still remains a form of visual communication, much of this change has been a result of technological advancements such as, from pen to paper or from a typewriter to a networked computer. The changes and expansion in the ways we are able to write today have brought about changes in writing pedagogy as well. The teaching of writing has been part of formal schooling in the United States for over 200 years (Kean 7). One major pedagogic change in United States’ education has to do with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. These standards have led to a change in the instruction of writing in schools. This paper, will focus on instructional changes of writing over time and current expectations for writing abilities as whole.