Post here if you've chosen good writing as the construct most relevant to your research question, but please read "Thursday's (7/28/11) Work" post first if you haven't already. If you've chosen a different construct. you don't need to respond to this one.
I want you to be as detailed as possible in your responses to these questions, so please don't think about answering this post in list or Q&A form. Try to compose paragraphs that get at all of the questions, but in a coherent, well thought through way.
--What is your idea of good writing?
--Where have your ideas about what "good writing" come from?
--How have the readings we've done so far influenced your ideas about what good writing is?
--What misconceptions do you think people have about "good writing"?
--How might we go about changing those misconceptions?)
Remember to read everyone's comments and make at least 1 additional reply (though what I really hope to see is a conversation develop and your collective ideas advance about the issue).
Good writing consist of a topic that is easily able to read but defines what the topic is about. We may not alwasy get a topic that we like or can relate to but as long as the writer has made you see his point of view then he has accomplished his job. Good writing has a lot to do with how the writer has organized his work, how he has explained his topic and how he does not jump from subject to subject. Good writing comes from (what I believe) is your inner thought about what you have researched from your topic. Many of us can read the same thing but sill have a different opinion or can tend to disagree about what we just read. I especially liked Murray's point of view on how we write about our autobiographical. I would love to be able to use my own experiences when I am writing a topic because I believe my readers would be able to relate to me more if it was on a personal experience rather than an objective opinion. Many people misconcept good writing by believing they need to always use big words and elaborate on a topic instead of just getting to the point. When writers elaborate on their topic they tend to loose their audience. Misconcepts can be changed by just simply writing what you believe will get your point across without using big words or elaborating.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Monica that one of the big misconceptions about writing is that you have to use "big words" or fancy words, etc. This is usually something that makes students, especially, get so uptight about vocabulary and writing smart sounding sentences that they forget to write what they know. They're so busy focusing on the little things that they miss the big ones. Another thing Monica said that interests me is this: "Many people misconcept good writing by believing they need to always...elaborate on a topic instead of just getting to the point. When writers elaborate on their topic they tend to loose their audience." I think this is fascinating. I've heard this a lot from students, and this seems to me to be a problem related to reading and making sense of what the writers are trying to do. Often, writers have to discuss what a bunch of other people have said before so they can add their own ideas in context, for instance, but students don't always realize that's what they're doing. Is there a specific instance you can think of, Monica, of a time when a writer elaborated too much? Maybe if I could see an example, I could understand your point a little better.
ReplyDeleteMy ideas of good writing come from what I've learned through life while I've attended school. I may not have always initially agreed with certain things, and I've questioned others, but ultimately these rules I have been presented have shaped what I consider to be good. Then, there is what I have come across on my own, experiences I've had with books and stories that I've encountered outside of the academic environment. My perceptions of this outside writing has also contributed to how I judge something as good. Just because something may be award winning by high standards does not mean I will immediately take it as such. I will consider something as 'good' if it can captivate or interest me long enough to read through it all. That is one of the most important attributes it needs to maintain. Other factors would be if it remains clear to the reader, and if it can remain memorable. I have this incident where I came across a 'joke' through some forums, and it was incredibly lengthy; 2 pages worth of posts. It started off with a guy stranded in the desert, and encountering a talking snake. The way it was written was very interesting, and I couldn't stop reading. It wasn't even about the joke anymore, but rather reading to see where this story would go. (The joke was pretty lame, by the way, but the story leading up to it was very very interesting.) If writing can make me think and reflect on my own feelings and thoughts, then that is also a strong indicator of it's 'goodness'.
ReplyDeleteI think some misconceptions people have about good writing would be that it has to sound smart. They try to achieve this by throwing out big words or phrases, and for some reason, seeming unattached to the writing, as if this coldness will somehow give the writer a sense of intellect. It's more about the mind than it is about the soul(or heart, as I believe it to be personified by). I know I use big words at times, but I do this because sometimes they create more of an impact. Overusing them for the sake of seeming to be educated seems like a waste of effort in my opinion, and it only serves to alienate the readers. As to how to change these misconceptions, I'd think that to revolt against them and still succeed in writing something that could be worthy of praise would be the ultimate achievement of this. The first step would be to write in a manner that conforms to only the most necessary of writing rules of constructs, and 'freestyling' the rest.
My idea of good writing is clear, and well thought out ideas that have a touch of the authors personality. You are able to see who they are and how they think through their writing and from that are able to have an insight to why they have that specific idea.
ReplyDeleteMy idea of "good writing" has most likely come from how I was taught in school to write. Teachers always would get after me to write clear ideas and put a sense of myself in my writing so they can understand what brought me to that idea.
I think I have learned from the readings that writing isn't just about getting "facts" or what we thing to be true and stating them but rather it is more about a persons opinions and issues that matter to the author.
A few misconceptions I have noticed would be like Monica said, using big words to make your paper sound smart. Also I find that most teachers (like mine in high school) often teach writing as it can only be done one way. I think everybody has a different style of writing and that a teacher should give guide points on how to develop the writing styles and not just teach a one way to write curriculum.
I see Monica also mentioned the whole 'elaboration' aspect some writers insist on using in their work, and I completely agree that that is not a necessity. There have been so many school-assigned readings I've had to trudge through just to get to the point. I think I remember one story where the author spent like... about 2 pages(no lie) describing a character. But I've seen others do this to describe a scene or location, and while I appreciate that they're trying to help us visualize what they're presenting to us, I feel like I just want to get to the point already. Perhaps it is my personal impatience, but I think it just makes the writing feel dreary and it just makes me want to stop, which goes back to my earlier statement, that the writing has to keep you captivated.
ReplyDeleteMy idea of good writing is something that is clear, where the author always stays on topic, and writing that communicates through like it's suppose to; writing that is able to communicate adequately to others. My ideas of "good writing" have come from novels, texbooks, poems, essays and various other things that I have read throughout my life up to know. All writing will be different depending on the subject matter and such. As long as it is clearly communicated and fulfills it's purpose it is good, as for me.
ReplyDeleteUp to know, I feel that the readings we have read have helped me better to understand what the idea of "good writing" is more like. Teachers I had in school never really spoke about it as this book does and it is very much informative and helpful. For misconceptions, I'd have to agree with Monica, most people do belive that "big words" will make their writing sound that much better or maybe even seem that much interesting and that is not the case. Sometimes this makes the reading boring and unable to be comprehended because people don't understand the words. It's not always about sounding "smart" and "fancy," but, about the reader being able to comprehend the point or story trying to get accross.
I myself have elaborated a few times but this only happens when teachers assign an assignment that has to be a certain length. I have a big problem with that. When we need to meet a certain number of words or pages it tends to make me have to elaborate a little more on the things that are not so important and can sometimes hurt my grade cause I feel I can write better if I get to my point. Not to mention like I said it can loose your audience. I like how Raul mentioned about his "joke". That is exactly what I believe is good writing when "It wasnt even about the joke anymore, but rather reading to see where this story would go". The author has made his story so intresting that you have already forgotten why you started reading or what got your attention in the first place.
ReplyDeleteMy idea of good writing is to make sure that there is a clear, concise and interesting pathway between the writer and the reader. My preconception of good writing dates all the way back to middle school when my teachers would tell me that I have to "capture" the reader in the first paragraph. Now that I have read a few pages in our assigned book, I can say that good writing is more about content and the message you're trying to send to the audience than making sure your paper is error-free. An error-free paper is not necessarily good writing, contrary to the beliefs of others. The most dramatic way we can change that way of thinking is to make sure it trickles down all the way to grade school, where most, if not all, of us start picking up our constructs.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Robert and good writing has to consist of having an interesting and clear ideas of your essay.The message you tell throughout your essay is an important part because you want your audience to be able to understand what you are writing about.
ReplyDeleteGood writing has always been something important in my life. To me, good writing is captivating. I know something is good when I just can't leave it. I have to know what happens to the characters and if the problem is resolved. I love when the author paints a beautiful and complete picture in my head of exactly what he had in mind. I have created this definition of good writing by reading classic authors' and poet's works and also from more modern writers. The readings we have done so far have influenced me to become an even better writer. They have helped me to be more open-minded about a lot of things. I think a lot of the misconceptions about "good writing" have to do with the confidence of the writers, themselves. When writers are not confident in their writing abilities, they tend to think that their works are not good. Another misconception is that only experienced writers can write well. Young writers forget that they have good ideas, too. They just need to write them out and share them with the world. I think if we all had a little more confidence in ourselves and our writing abilities, we would blot out a lot those misconceptions.
ReplyDeleteI loved what Alex said about the writing being clear, and also that there are many different styles of writing. It's so true. That's why writing is such a difficult subject to teach and to grasp. There's no right or wrong way to do it.
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