The Process Of Writing By David Hoffman

The forest had gone.... and the Witch looked much younger. Audette opened her eyes and had found herself upon a brow of white lilies. The shape of the shrouded old woman seemed changed. Having turned around, and opened her mantle to the tearing gusts, Meliza revealed to the young lady two streams of shinging blackness and smooth white flesh. Audette stopped in her tracks.

Writing is examined in the first chapter of “Writing about Writing”, a textbook by Elizabeth Wardle and Doug Downs. Not only does it examine articulate writing, but specifically the threshold Concepts of writing: “ideas that change the way you think, write, and understand a subject,” (Wardle, Downs 2011). Terms are used to educate readers, these terms are essential for the writer to better understand how to write, and for the reader to better understand composition. Three terms seem to do this; construct, contingency, and rhetoric.

By examining the ideas in the essays Freewriting by Peter Elbow and The Makers Eye: Revising your own manuscripts by Donald Murray. One can gain a better understanding of the process of turning a piece of writing from an inspiration into a craft. By examining the elements lined out in each essay can be beneficial in creating a piece of writing that is beyond a college or student level. Elbows essay lines out the importance of a strong prewriting regimen. That editing too early can ruin writing. He believes that by using the method of free writing, it can inspire ideas that may be limited when worrying about grammar. While Murray emphasizes the necessity to create many drafts to form writing into its full potential. Saying each draft is an opportunity to discover what the author has to say and they the best way to say it. By transforming writing into its maximum potential it goes from being an idea an inspiration a masterpiece.

The Act of Writing: One Man’s Method Is there one specific method to writing? A secret formula to the perfect essay, speech, stories? Do all professional writers have their hands on this special formula or were they just born with the talent to write perfect sentences, paragraphs, essays, books? Is there a special way to edit your writing to make it perfect? I ask myself everyday, what is that formula?

“Creative Writing” by Etgar Keret, shows the struggles of the couple grieving a miscarriage, though their stories that they wrote in creative writing class. Maya the wife write three different stories, the first one showing how a loss of an unborn child can make someone feel like they have died, or lost a part of themselves. The second is about how a women a may go through a period where she feels detached from her husband. The third is about the journey of accepting a miscarriage and ready try again. Aviad’s story is about continuously adapting to change and always remembering where you came from.

After examining “Shitty First Drafts”, by Anne Lamott, and “Write before Writing”, by Donald M. Murray, each writing process has some good prospects. Anne Lamott is a little crazy, but passionate writer that can really surprize you. In Anne Lamott 's article “Shitty First Drafts”, she believes that any writer should write a shitty first draft, and that’s how anyone ends up with a better second draft and a “terrific third draft” .Lamott declares in order to be good, the writer needs to first allow for the words and ideas to come flowing out without restriction. Donald M. Murray, an English Professor, that has a different writing process, wrote an article “ Write before Writing” . He explains, Students who are not

The essay “Writing is Easy”, by Steve Martin, is a hysterical essay that is comical in a way that I don’t think the author intended. I think the essay is funny mainly because there is a part that is ironic for me that I can relate to. Although there is other parts in the essay that could be humorous as well, I couldn’t get over one certain section of it. The funniest segment of the story is, “Go to an already published novel and find a sentence that you absolutely adore. Copy it down in your manuscript. Usually, that sentence will lead you to another sentence, and pretty soon your own ideas will start to flow. If they don't, copy down the next sentence in the novel. You can safely use up to three sentences of someone else's work - unless you're

In the article Teaching Writing as a Process Not Product by Donald M. Murray, Murray argues that writing is a process of discovery not an end product. Rather than being criticized for a “perfect product” by the teachers, student should be provided with an environment of creativity to explore and discover. Murray states that many teachers focus on the end product rather than teaching students the process of writing in order to receive a better product. The writing process has three stages of writing which include: prewriting, writing, and rewriting. In the prewriting stage, students should take about 85% of their time dedicated to the writing process. Prewriting includes strategies such as daydreaming, note taking, outlining, and lead-writing. Next is the writing stage where it should take about one percent of a student’s time. The writing stage is where students produce their first draft. Finally, it is the

In Chapter 1 "A Writer 's Choices", of Andrea A. Lunsford 's book Easy Writer, she outlines the choices that writers need to prepare for in academic situations. Lunsford explains the differences between social and academic writing and that it is important for a writer to effortlessly transition from informal to formal writing conditions. Lunsford continues with informing writers of the expectations in academic writing. To write with authority, directness and clarity are necessary in any high-quality academic writing. The author claims that having these items is so vital that she even lists several strategies within the chapter to meet this goal. While, it is important to have a clear text Lunsford also tells writers to consider an assignment and the reasoning behind the task. Lunsford requests that writers analyze an assignment to better understand a professor 's expectation; so the writer will be successful with the intended project. Next Lunsford explains how to choose a topic for an essay; however, she claims it is best to let it choose you by picking a topic that interests the author. After selecting a topic, Lunsford goes on to help a writer focus the text of an essay to reach their targeted audience. Lunsford wrote a list of questions a writer can ask to ensure their ability to communicate effectively. Now Lunsford asks writers to take into account their stance and tone. Once a writer knows the position in which they wish to approach a topic; at that point the writer

It was two days before Christmas, when Josephine opened the door to her 12 year old son’s room. Chay was the oldest of her four children, and the one she related to most. As Josephine sat down on the edge of the bed, Chay opened his eyes slowly. The dim light that seeped through the partially opened door revealed tears in his mother’s eyes.

Murray (1917-2006) was a scholar, journalist, and author among many other things. Murray wrote the essay “The Maker’s Eye: Revising your own Manuscript”, which was published in a magazine called The Writer. “The Maker’s Eye” explains why it is beneficial to revise no matter if you are a beginner or experienced. “As a word is changed, cut, or added, as a construction is rearranged, all the words used before that moment and all those that follow that moment must be considered and reconsidered.” This means when you changed any word in your writing that is the time to look at previously written words, but also consider the new words you are

In Andrea A. Lunsford 's book Easy Writer, she describes how to conduct research and evaluate source material. In addition to informing the reader of the proper ways to incorporate source materials into an article, and concludes with how to write a researched paper. Lunsford begins chapter 37 "Conducting Research", with a detailed explanation of how a writer should start to the research process. First, Lunsford informs the reader to analyze the research assignment, research a question to answer, and then to form a hypothesis. Then, Lunsford details how to perform each of these steps, beginning with the questions a writer need to ask themselves vital to the research process. These questions include information on the purpose of the research project, the target audience, and the interests or assumptions of the audience. After that, the author asks the reader to question their own attitude, feelings, and influences on the topic. Some other questions Lunsford advises the reader to answer before beginning a research project include the amount and types of evidence needed to influence their audience. As well as, questions related to the time and length of the research project. Next, Lunsford explains to the reader how to formulate a question and hypothesis for a research project. This process is begun by finding a topic and, then narrowing it down to an issue from which a question and hypothesis can be generated. Lunsford recommends that writers also plan out their research

John Edgar Wideman begins his piece, Our Time, with a description of the world he grew up in. He takes the reader through the story of his brother, Robby, using a variety of voices and points of view. In this narration of his brother’s life he brings to light his own dilemma with writing the piece. He uses a variety of voices and points of view to demonstrate the different perspectives of Robby 's story. To contest the ethical dilemma of telling someone else’s story without exploiting it, Wideman addresses the issue head on. By reading Our Time, a writer could learn much from Wideman, and adopt a number of his methods for different writing styles.

In Donald Murray’s essay “The Maker’s Eye,” he says that writing is not a short process and that writers must create a series of drafts before he or she has a successful piece of writing. They also have to be open to both negative and positive feedback because each draft can be edited to make it clearer. Murray also talks about the importance of rewriting, which includes processes like scanning drafts and modifying problems which sentences are not relative to the thesis in order to make them readable (Murray, p.83). In addition, writers must remember to be more conscious of readers’ interests and be certain their readers want to receive the information, which the authors are trying to convey accurately. In other words, writers must understand

Of the many wonderful fragments of wisdom in Greg Dening’s article ‘Writing: Praxis and Performance’, which details how to produce appealing and creative historical prose, I believe one stands out above the rest. Be mysterious, he tells us. I’d be a fool not to take this on board. With that in mind, I wish to begin with a small mystery of my own. “He has married many women, but has never been married. Who is he?” Listen closely, and you might just find out.