There are various ways writers can evaluate their techniques applied in writing. The genre of writing about writing can be approached in various ways – from a process paper to sharing personal experience. The elements that go into this specific genre include answers to the five most important questions who, what, where, and why they write. Anne Lamott, Junot Diaz, Kent Haruf, and Susan Sontag discuss these ideas in their individual investigations. These authors create different experiences for the reader, but these same themes emerge: fears of failing, personal feelings toward writing, and most importantly personal insight on the importance of writing and what works and does not work in their writing procedures. The fear of failing is nothing new and Stage fright is not just for actors. Fear is always haunting it’s victim with every move they make. It is common among individuals in writing and life in general, to be nervous anytime they commence in an activity that is judged by society. No writer purposely states they want to fail, but they do express the fear of failing that circle through their brain constantly. Anne Lamott and Junot Diaz proclaim their fears of failing in their articles. Lamott wrote critiques on restaurants around the world. Whenever she began composing a new article for her column she faced the fear of failing. She would think, “I’m not going to be able to get the magic to work this time. I’m ruined. I’m through. I’m toast” (24). So many ideas floated around her head, but those ideas were in a giant tangle. Once she realized she just had to unravel the tangle and start writing she would push this fear away. There is a point in a writer’s journey where they think they cannot go any longer before they fail. T... ... middle of paper ... ...ould not be produced to the best of their ability. And why they were writing also had no bounds. Their purpose could be anything, writing a sequel, or an article; anything that is, makes writing so unique and broad. No matter how good a writer one may be, there are still a fair number of obstacles one must overcome in order to find success every time one attempts to write. Works Cited Diaz, Junot. “Becoming a Writer.” O, The Oprah Magazine. Oprah.com. 13 Oct. 2009. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. Haruf, Kent. “To See Your Story Clearly, Start by Pulling the Wool Over Your Own Eyes.” New York Times. 20 Nov. 2000. Web. 8 Aug. 2013. Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Pantheon Books, 1994. Print. Sontag, Susan. “Directions: Write, Read, Rewrite. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 as Needed.” New York Times. 18 Dec. 2000. Web. 30 Nov. 2009.
In this day and age, writing is being portrayed through various mediums, such as film and television. Some of those portrayals depict writing as both good and bad depending on the situation that is present. Authors such as, by E. Shelley Reid, Kevin Roozen, and Anne Lamott all write about important writing concepts that are being depicted in films, like Freedom Writers. The film Freedom Writers shows a positive and accurate portrayal of writing in the sense that the writers should have a connection to what they are writing about, writing is a form of communication, and that writing does not have to be perfect the first time.
The point the author, Russell Baker, is making in his essay, “Writing for Myself,” is quite evident. When Mr. Fleagle, Baker’s English teacher, assigned an informal essay to be completed as homework, Baker immediately became baffled by the daunting task. Though reluctant to start, Baker knew that it he had to swallow his animosity toward writing and select a topic to write on.
...e does not discuss what she is writing, while she is writing it. She is afraid that if she speaks of it, it will wear out her idea. She says, “If you want to be a writer, I have two pieces of advice. One is to be a reader. I think that's one of the most important parts of learning to write. The other piece of advice is: Just do it! Don't think about it, don't agonize, sit down and write”.
Writing with Readings and Handbook. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2013. 52-57. Print.
Although the greater picture is that reading is fundamental, the two authors have a few different messages that they seek to communicate to their audiences. “The Joy of Reading and Writing” depicts how reading serves as a mechanism to escape the preconceived notions that constrain several groups of people from establishing themselves and achieving success in their lifetimes. “Reading to Write,” on the other hand, offers a valuable advice to aspiring writers. The author suggests that one has to read, read, and read before he or she can become a writer. Moreover, he holds an interesting opinion concerning mediocre writing. He says, “Every book you pick has its own lesson or lessons, and quite often the bad books have more to teach than the good ones” (p.221). Although these two essays differ in their contents and messages, the authors use the same rhetorical mode to write their essays. Both are process analyses, meaning that they develop their main argument and provide justification for it step by step. By employing this technique, the two authors create essays that are thoughtful, well supported, and easy to understand. In addition, Alexie and King both add a little personal touch to their writings as they include personal anecdotes. This has the effect of providing support for their arguments. Although the two essays have fairly different messages, the authors make use of anecdotes and structure their writing in a somewhat similar
There are many aspects for my mind to conceive while reading the articles why I write by George Orwell and Joan Didion. There are many different factors in triggering an author’s imagination to come up with what they want to write, and why they want to write it. In most writings a purpose is not found before the writer writes, but often found after they decide to start writing.
The obstacles that Welty and King faced are in diametric opposition -- not only were the challenges different, but the types of challenges differ. Welty’s greatest demon was a form of internal conflict: self-inhibition. Becoming an author takes confidence, and that can be difficult, even crippling, if one has self doubt. Since writing is a reflective form of art, writers are forced to express themselves on the page, even if that means digging up rotten memories, revealing traumatic experiences, or exposing insecurities. Welty says “I am a
Anyone who is doing any type of writing piece has a process. They may not know it but it is there and it exists. It is one’s approach to their piece and how they go about accomplishing it. It has to do with how you write it, how many drafts you do, as well as your revision process if you even have one. My writing process however has room for improvement. A summation of my writing process consist of heavy planning, one draft, and little revisions. Anne Lamott, Shirley Rose, and Kathleen Yancey all drew attention to major points through their writing pieces that support and dispute my writing process. Through their pieces they have found a way to inspire, inform, and entertain me all at the same time while passing along great information that
Head, Bessie. “Life.” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahn, et al. 6th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002. 349-355.
In William Faulkner’s “Speech Accepting the Nobel Prize in Literature,” he asserted, “It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past” (Faulkner). Humans, by nature, are capable of achieving the unimaginable. However, individuals often do not believe very strongly in this ability. While they possess the potential, many people do not have enough determination to reach toward their goals and “not merely endure: prevail” (Faulkner). As expressed by Faulkner, writers hold the duty to motivate their readers in an optimistic way. Although many individuals believe that the “writer’s duty” is primarily
Writing can be a very difficult process for those who do not know how to go about constructing
Bradstreet, Anne. "The Author to her Book." An Introduction to Poetry. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 13th ed. New York: Longman, 2010. 21. Print.
Sagan, Miriam. "Exercise your writing muscle; practice these journaling techniques and improve your skills." The Writer July 2002: 38+. General OneFile. Web. 10 Feb. 2011.
“When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself ‘I am going to produce a work of art.’ I write because there is some lie I want to expose and some fact I want to draw attention to…”
In the twelve years I was in school, I learn three forms of writing, essay, letters, and stories. My favorite form of writing is creative writing. My least favorite is writing a letter. The reason I prefer creative writing over the other, form is because I have the freedom to make up anything. The reason I dislike writing letter is because many letters have different formats. For example, I can’t uses the friendly letter format on a business letter; I would have to use block format. Even though I prefer creative writing, my most commonly used skill is to write essays. Though, I may find essay writing a chore, I still prefer it over letter writing. Among these books I still read The Odyssey and Macbeth, for inspiration.