Blog 3

There was a lot of really insightful things in these essays. I didn't feel like I was discovering new techniques though. These authors put into words things that I only ever felt as an abstract sensation before. For instance in Rex's article he points out that "[Students] has to be willing to endure self-questioning, uncertainty, and confusion to be receptive to the complexities of the human condition and the artistry with which it is portrayed in literature." I remember going through all this self-questioning, uncertainty and confusion as I was becoming a better writer. There is always an awkward period that you have to go through in order to achieve exactly what it is you want. It's like when you grow your hair out. (I know I shave my head but believe it or not there was a time when I had an abundance of hair) You hit certain lengths where it just doesn't do what you want it to so you stand at the mirror and comb and comb and gel and gel but it still doesn't look like what you would define as good. Once you're past this, everything falls into place like just how you wanted. As a writer, I have often times stood in front of the page and combed and gelled for hours and never got to where i needed to be only to return in a few days with a new plan. I think that communicating that this awkwardness to students is a great idea for teachers because it is easy for them to be discouraged on their first tries. You have to confront yourself in order to write truthfully. Rex also talks about moving from emotional saturation to mental engagement which is a great way of looking at critical analysis. I really liked when he pointed out that there is no secret formula for writing known only to teachers and writers. By taking your students through the process step by step and allowing them to interact with each other, they can then see that writing doesn't just happen.

Graves was 100% dead on when he said that a writer has to find his or her own subject. In teaching students to write, you have to keep them interested because it is a very time consuming process. In todays world our attention spans are almost non-existent with television and high speed internet so it's not a surprise that students have a hard time focusing. Once you are able to write with ease about what you know, you can then decide to challenge yourself to learn and write about things you don't know.

I loved when Murry pointed out that "Writing is ingoing." This combines with Suhor's article about the importance of silence not just for writing but for more aspects of life. Also I don't think that any writing is too personal. That's a matter of opinion for the writer and the reader. Murray states that "the more personal [he writes], the more readers recognize their own stories. We articulate the experience of others when we speak of our world in our own voice." If anyone doesn't believe this just look at some of your favorite songs. Are the lyrics broad brushing emotions? or are they specific details about the artists life, love, or anger? I'd be willing to wager that they are more specific. Personal feelings are universal while it's really hard to make universal themes personal.