To me, writing is merely a necessary and practical application of communication. I neither hate nor enjoy writing; it is just something that must be done. I feel that I am an average writer for my education level. I am able to get my point across but lack unique style and artistic flair. In short, I have always gotten good grades on papers, however I have rarely been praised for exceptional writing techniques.
My straightforward, concise way of writing is most likely a result of being a student. Usually students are asked to relate facts or make an argument. We are taught to clearly present a point to an intended audience. In this area, I feel I have strengths. First, my sentence structure is rarely wordy. This helps audiences better understand exactly what I intend to convey in my writing. Secondly, I am good at keeping my audience in mind while I write. By focusing on what is important to my audience, I am better able to relate to them and play to their emotions.
Weaknesses in my writing are derived from my lack of style. When reading I enjoy an author who can truly manipulate words. However, when it comes to my own writing, I flounder for the right vocabulary. A cliche example of someone who did this beautifully was Shakespeare. I often read Shakespeare quotes simply because I enjoy his play on words. Similarly, I enjoy complex plots and thus have a strong attraction to mysteries and unexpected endings. A book that I admire for this characteristic is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. The ending was unexpected and one of the best I have ever read. However, any creative attempt on my part to complicate the plot or put an unexpected twist on the end of a short story usually just breeds confusion. Another weakness in my writing is my utter inability to spell. For some reason I was not blessed with the portion of brain required to do said activity. As a result, I shamefully rely too heavily on spell-check. Finally, writing in general does not come easy for me. I struggle to form papers that satisfy me. As a result I write and rewrite everything to a point of inefficiency. Writing form me is therefore a very long and drawn out process that consumes a large chunk of my time.
It is my hope that this course will help me improve my writing in several different areas. First, I hope to expand my vocabulary. It is my belief that words give papers flavor just like spices flavor food. Furthermore, I hope that my eyes are opened to different sentence structures and styles so that I can apply these to my own writing. Thirdly, I want to learn how to be creative, even in dull argumentative papers. Finally, I think this class will be most instrumental in helping me to be a more efficient writer. Through our assignments, I hope to gain the practice needed to have my thoughts flow more freely onto paper.
Jenny:
ReplyDeleteI can tell that writing for you is as easy as breathing -- like you say, something you have to do, a vital part of living in this world.
One thing: I got the sense here that you thought of your concise, to-the-point style was lacking in style or substance of some kind. I'd argue the opposite. Concise, clean, clear writing has its own style and a very important place. Wordy, obtuse, opaque writing may look impressive or intimidating, but it isn't necessarily good. Remember: the point of writing is communicating. What's the point in writing something that only a few people will understand? Right?
I also really like your point of rewriting to the point of inefficiency. I can find myself in that trap as well! At some point, we just have to stop editing and share our work with the world. The thing is: there is no such thing as perfect in the world of writing. The question is always: is this effective? Does this get my point across?
Look forward to reading more of your work! And if you feel like you want to start experimenting with new styles and voices, then, by all means, do that experimentation in this class to see what might work for you. This is certainly the place to try new things.