What is wrong with the system?

Due to the availability of the WW book I had decided to post without it for now.

To begin, I would like to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the reading selections. I expected them to be dull and excruciating like many composition manuals, but they were actually interesting and thought provoking. Thank you, Julie!

The two selections from WTL shared the theme of diagnosis. Though I have often disagreed with writing teachers it never occurred to me that the system is flawed or archaic. After reading Hairston's article I am convinced that the writing community is in fact suffering from a "paradigm shift." It is time to move on from the misnomer that writing is linear and focus instead on giving students the skill set that is required to customize their writing process. Once that process is established, a personal writing style is sure to follow. My personal writing process changes dramatically based on a number of variables. Often, during the first few days of the semester I spend a little time customizing that process for each class.

Hiarston had another point which caused me to answer out loud. She claims that writing teachers should write. Well, of course they should and often! How can one teach that which they do not practice? After thinking about this for a little while I realized that I can remember very few times in my pre-college education where the teacher used her own writing as an example for class to follow. However, as an undergrad student I have encountered essays written by professors on a number of occasions. Another example is one particular professor who will sometimes implement a short free-writing session before discussion. The Prof. always participates and shares these thoughts. Because of this, I know that person understands writing as a multi-purpose educational tool. If more teachers would participated in writing exercises revision would be generally less painful and more educational. I think it is important for students of all ages to see that their mentors are also constantly striving to sharpen their skills.

Murphy's article was much less straight forward. Obviously he is advocating storytelling a crucial component of writing. He seems to feel that students do not understand the difference between expanding the scope of a story and "gunking" up a good paper. This is a pretty abstract concept to learn as a writer. "Gunk" was never truly defined in the article, but I am guessing it is the overuse of adjectives and description as a substitute for depth and psychology? Murphy pointed out that there is a specific communication problem between teachers and students. However, he seems to be unsure himself where in the teaching process communication fails. So the only solution I see is to teach educators new methods of extracting non-gunk details from students.

Why write?

After reading everyone else's blogs, I can see that we all hold similar ideas as to the importance of writing as a means of effective communication amongst humankind. I agree with the general impressions of everyone else. I guess my answer to the question, 'why write?' would be because I feel it is the clearest and most coherent way of expressing our ideas, feelings, or sentiments. I also agree with the quote we talked about in class, and the idea of writing being a revision of inner thoughts. I know for myself that as soon as I write something on paper I immediately feel the need to revise or correct it. I often find that when I try to write down my thoughts, they seldom come out on paper the way I feel they should to adequately express my thoughts. Through writing I can revise and edit to make the written words accurately represent the thoughts I am trying to share. I also find that when I write it helps me think things through to an extent I may not have otherwise. For example, often during an essay exam I will start to write and argue one point, but then as I go on I realize that I may not agree with what I originally advocated, or I find I am making a stronger argument for the opposite side. For some reason seeing the words on paper is stronger to me than just hearing them out loud. I guess writing somehow, unintentionally leads me explore thoughts and ideas that I otherwise would not have uncovered had I not began writing. Finally, before I finish, I was reading Dostoyevsky's Notes From Underground and coincidentally came upon the sentence "Writing things down is a bit like work and I've heard work makes people good and honest!" I do feel that writing makes us honest, especially with ourselves. Whether it is facing truths about ourselves we never confronted, or further investigating ideas we have never explored, writing allows us to find honesty in ourselves and possibly the world around us.

Practice Blog

Perhaps a better question than “why write?” is to ask what mankind would be like without the existence of writing. It is clear that our ability to write separates us from all other species on earth, providing us with an added plane of communication beyond speech, sound, or movement. The development of writing is one important characteristic distinguishing civilized society from uncivilized society. The use of the written word has not only served as a basic method of reaching across space but has also historically functioned as a means of archiving human history to share across time. For example, archeologists of today are able to learn about life in ancient Egypt by referring to the hieroglyphs found in ancient tombs.

The act of writing allows us to articulate our inner ideas and feelings and to apply our creative instincts. It lets us order and visualize our thoughts and express them in our own individual and unique ways. The use of various forms of writing, such as poetry, drama, and fiction, furnishes us with the means to reflect upon our own lives and to place the world in which we live in perspective. Writing additionally enables men to not only record the newest discoveries in such fields as science and medicine but to also share the important truths that remain constant over time.

On a more practical level, the ability to write is an essential skill necessary for survival in the everyday world, whether employed in a job, to keep in touch with others socially, or to serve as a means for ongoing dialogue. Although modern technology has streamlined the actual writing process, the importance of being able to write well remains central to twenty-first century life. Certainly, no other form of communication provides man with such a unique opportunity to explore uncharted thoughts and, in the very process, discover new ways of thinking.

Now I just want to play with Legos

The first time I read the quote we talked about today in class, I compared it to my own writing process, and it was pretty much right on. When I sit down to write a paper, I try to compose a sentence or part of a sentence in my head before I type it. After I read it, I often make changes based on my audience and purpose. Well, often is actually an understatement. Constantly would be more accurate. I am definitely a revise-as-I-go kind of writer, so I have a hard time moving on from a sentence or paragraph until I'm happy with it. I'm sure working in journalism and having little or no time for revision probably reinforced this approach, but I've always written that way. One group today made a comparison to the difference between the kids who dump all of their Legos out on the floor and then sift through to find the pieces they want to use and the kids who pick out all the pieces they want to use first. I was definitely a piece-picker-outer. As a kid, I couldn't bring myself to dump Legos onto the floor, and as a writer, I can't bring myself to dump words onto a page.

For me, writing is almost a way to say things that otherwise wouldn't come out. I'm thinking that many writers were able to say loads more with a pen than what actually came out of their mouths. This holds very true for me as well, i've come of as almost a different person when i go back and read the papers I've had to write. Another idea of why we write, and i'm not sure if anyone's touched upon the notion yet, is that for many people, myself included, actually conveying what you mean is not an easy task. Writing things down provides a visual aspect to the spoken word, and it allows clearer thinking and perhaps clearer understanding.

As profound as I get on the third day of classes

Well, I suppose I should try this whole blogging thing out, even though I have yet to come up with any profound reasons for writing. I guess, to me, we ultimately write to connect with other people. Whether it's to help them understand information, make them laugh or trigger some other emotional response, more often than not, we write with people other than ourselves in mind. That's not to say readers are the only reason to write, but when we choose to put pen to paper, or in this case, fingers to keyboard, motivation often comes from who will, or will not, be reading. I distinguish between the two knowing that people write in diaries and journals all the time without intending for anyone, little sisters included, to ever read them, but in such cases, aren't the people they're connecting with themselves? Hey, I warned you at the beginning not to expect anything too profound.

A Written Life.

Love notes, wedding vows, divorce papers. Job applications, academic entrance essays, directions to the bar. The Bible, Torah, Q'ran. Watchmen, Curious George, The New York Times. All these ingredients of my life are written. Take away other's writing and my life is reduced to snapshots and film shorts. Take away my writing and I am reduced to a single desperate voice yelling, shrieking, moaning, whimpering in the void. Now hand me a pen, or a spray can, or your Helio. Suddenly, I put my thoughts into a physical form that moves through the world and lasts through time. I don't need to be present to speak to you. You may even lose the knowledge of my authorship, by my creation remains, staring up at you from the page, glaring at you from the walls, winking to you on the screen. It assumes you are there and invites you to respond.

Ever read something and find yourself shouting at the book or the billboard? We know that someone wrote that and we're responding to them, but it's because of their writing that we can even know what they thought at a later date in a different space. Make no mistake: billboards, video, neon signs and web pages are all evolved writing. They were thoughts, they become conceptualized and were written into their media. As the writing moves away from the writer it takes on its own life and continues to speak in its creator's absence. The written will serve its purpose long after the writer wanders off, loses interest, or dies.

No 'write' answer.

"Why write?" It is a heavy question.
I recently found this quote by the English dramatist W. Somerset Maugham: "We do not write because we want to; we write because we have to." This is an accurate assessment for those of us whose personalities and idiosyncrasies dictate that for us to live is to write, to write to live. However, it seems to me, that for those who do not suffer the same disease, there must be a more compelling, utilitarian reason to write.
Some have mentioned preservation or immortality as a viable reason. I personally agree, but there are those who would prefer to sink into obscurity and non-remembrance. Others have posited that writing is cathartic, that it gives focus and provides a channel for emotions. Again, for me this is true, but then there are those for whom catharsis is achieved through exercise, eating, talking, or some hobby. Many other reasons to write have been suggested, but likewise, they seem to fall short of universality. Even the suggestion that I made in class, that we write to be understood, seems not to apply to everyone, because there are many independent people in this world who don't give a damn about being understood.
As much as we would like a correct answer or a comprehensive argument, maybe there isn't one. Maybe no one can be told why to write. Our reasons for writing are as personal as our writings themselves. We must each discover our own answer to the question, "Why write?". Whether this theory will inspire a room full of half-asleep ninth graders to find their voices and realize the power of the written word remains to be seen, but for me it is answer enough.

Why Write?

Why not? Everyone has their own reason for writing. For me, it's a way to communicate when I can't find the right words, a way to get out thoughts and ideas when my head is too full and there's no one around to talk to. It's a way to connect with other people, to share ideas and thoughts and emotions while provoking the same in readers. Without writing, we'd still be sharing our stories through word of mouth, and as we said in class, we'd be isolated, less technologically advanced because everything would have to be talked about. Have you ever played "Whisper Down the Lane"? I think it would be something like that, where stories would eventually be expanded on and convoluted until they no longer resembled what they were originally about.
Some people want to be popular, some just want to be noticed, and there's thousands in between-- and they can all become that and more through their writing. Blog sites allow us to post our words where they can be seen by people around the world. Books, news articles, even a sticky note that falls to the ground can be read by someone and get your message across. A website exists where people can submit items they've found lying around in unexpected places, and the comments and responses to some of those items are amazing. Now, I'm not saying you should go out there and start throwing your trash around. What I'm saying is that as trivial as you think your grocery list is, someone else could see it, apply their own meaning to it, and it becomes significant. That's why we write, I believe. To communicate and share and get our points across-- before others read it and apply their own opinions, sparking discussions and responses. It continues the thread as though it was a long face-to-face conversation, except this way, anyone can join in.

Why Write? Because we can!

Why write? I guess the answer to our question could be as simple as my title--"Because we can". First and foremost, I must admit my pride in being a member of the species that can write. What would I be doing if I couldn't? I'd be completely reliant upon my big-mouth instead, which is not comforting or a feasible means of communication (at least for me anyway). I once was told not to sing anymore because I had developed vocal damage from all my years of strain and that one day, if I continued, I would wake up without a voice. (I never listened and I'm just fine--although I've lost an octave or two). However, the experience forced me (and still does) to think about not being able to communicate or express myself creatively. That notion is a nightmare--it frightens me more than death. Reading, writing, speaking and art are second to none on my "favorite things to do" list--they are my attempt at redefining my reality and throughout the many trials and tribulations of my life, were the most tangible methods I had of holding on. Writing is one of the reasons I survived.

Over the course of my collegiate career (which at this point is probably the only one I'll ever have), I've often wondered about the people who do not possess the skills or knowledge to write. It saddens me to know that for some, it simply isn't an option--an option that I consider vital in our survival as a species. This is the reason why I want to become a teacher; to ensure that others can the find joy in writing (or at the very least, a measure of survival in this complicated society) that I have been privileged to receive.

Human's are born with the cognitive capacity to communicate by speaking, reading and writing for a reason. Our species has this advanced level of communication because we have been designed to accept the responsibility of caring for ourselves and the rest of the planet, while we survive on it. This is not a simple task by any means. As a people, we thrive on relating to one another, channeling our emotions, organizing our thoughts, entertaining others, documenting important information, sharing ideas, and advancing our race. We have sophisticated cognitive and emotional capabilities that can only be shared through an effective communication process--a process that requires more detail and accuracy than a pattern of speech or body language. While we all have the innate ability for speech at birth, speech is not always a reliable source of information because we have to rely solely on memory. As we well know, memory can be distorted. Therefore, we need to have a back-up plan. Writing just happens to make an excellent "plan-B."

The written form of communication was developed as a way of fine-tuning and recording our communication process to ensure detail and accuracy. It also provided an alternative method of human relation, entertainment, creativity, providing information for survival and recording and developing humans into the technologically advanced race that we are today. However, over time, we realized that writing could be used for so much more than a method of survival. We realized our potential for self expression. For some of us, it became a method for mental survival and an outlet for creativity.

For me, there is no better method of escape than in writing--any kind of writing. I'll say that I do love writing music, poetry, stories and creative works better than the hum-drum business letters and college papers that I sometimes have to write. However, I do believe an individual's perspective holds the key to their success as a writer. If a writing assignment can be viewed by the writer as an educational experience, an outlet for pain or anger, a way of avoiding embarrassment through the spoken word, an opportunity to avoid reacting too quickly to a situation, or obtaining or delivering information without time consuming in-person appoinmtents, any type of writing can prove easier and more exciting than other options available. I know writing has saved me from eminent doom on plenty of occasions where my mouth would probably have preceded my reputation. For example, resume's may be boring and difficult for some to master. However, sending one in the mail as opposed to calling the company (first impressions are lasting ones), dressing up (yeah, try ironing dress clothes on short notice), making an appointment, traveling, and inquiring--only to be told that it was a waste of time ("please fill out the application and someone will call you")can be time-consuming, costly and aggravating. Learning to write the resume, while boring and only slightly time consuming, would be the lesser of two evil's.

In addition, while learing to write can at times become a hassle and a phobia (like anything else in life), The good news that I wish to share with my students is that although writing may not be everyone's "cup of tea", it can be easily manipulated and takes only a minimal amount of effort over time. We're not all born writers (at least scientifically). Unlike other life activities, with time and practice anyone can do it, which is why Hellen Keller was such an inspiration. When people tell me that they can't write, they're telling me that they're afraid to write. I only need ask them to write their name on a piece of paper. They look at me like I'm nuts. I tell them that if they can do that, well then congratulations--they are officially a writer!

The reason why many people think they can't or won't write is because they often think there are clear-cut, mandatory requirements and guidelines for becoming a writer or in making the claim that they are one. Once they realize that all they have to do to become a writer is start with their name, it makes the process and creative aspects flow more smoothly. Giving them an assignment that is personally motivating is a sure-fire way of assimilating them into the "experience".

Recently, I was actually privileged to see this theory confirmed. My friend,(who "hates writing" and consistently tells me that she can't) has recently discovered that she too, has talent. After much prompting and a constant effort at making her realize that she needn't compare herself with more "polished" writers, she was able to overcome her mental illness-ehem-I mean fear of criticism, and realize that writing is quite liberal and forgiving--there's always a second chance. So, she gave it a shot. She's been working on her own piece diligently for the past two weeks now, and is nearing the end to her first online story that she will soon share with the world. In fact, she now loves to write--simply because she can.

Does this answer suffice? Hope so...because I was just going to rattle on about all the rest of the reasons that writing is necessary and why I love it so. And I can go on...The rest of you had awesome answers. I had to say something! :)

Why Write?

Most of us have heard the mighty corporate-driven phrase “communication is key”, and as I see it that is the root of why we (the human race) write. Communication shares an inextricable link with community, both literally in the root of the word and in world events. It was the need for further communication that led civilizations to create systems of writing. Simple characters eventually evolved into language correlation, and from this came writing. Writing has become a central tool amongst people in the act of communicating.

How we utilize writing varies greatly in the modern age, but personally I look at written language with a kind of reverence. I value my literacy, and will likely practice being literate, with hope of improvement, for the rest of my life. As I see it, no person has a full mastery of communicating thought. Yet, in reading written language I have found myself awed by individuals who are both poignant and able to keep their word choice universal. Some people are capable of assessing the root of every word, and carefully composing a sentence so that each word conveys an important aspect that enriches the sentence. Those writers inspire me to write.

I agree with many of you on the point that writing can carry greater clarity than spoken word, and as I see it, writing also opens up many opportunities for embellishment. For instance, most of what I have written in this post is much more elaborate than the language I would use to convey the same points if I were speaking to someone on this subject in person. Though, I would likely have just as many longwinded sentences, I probably wouldn’t exercise as much of my vocabulary. Writing gives me the opportunity to evaluate and revise my thoughts before expressing them. That’s important, because a lot of what I say comes out with little forethought. I am someone you might call an impulsive talker. In writing however, I can have more tact.

I write, like almost all people, to convey thoughts and ideas. I study and practice writing to become a more skilled writer, so that my thoughts and ideas are conveyed with greater ease. I find it important that when studying the art of writing, you develop an understanding of language and composition. Unfortunately, it’s learning the structure of writing that tends to put off students, but to be able to communicate professionally a person must learn how to write properly. I assume most of us are in this course to prove that we’re proficient writers and that we understand the concept of writing (for credits that help us attain our degree), but also to improve as writers. It is improvement that motivates me to continue writing, and it is by far my central motivation in this course.

Write On Brother!

It is obvious that people write for many different reasons and purposes. And while some writing may be more earnest or useful to others, all must be at the least be acknowledge for the time and effort put forth. It is easier to take a picture or talk about something than to write about it. The question of "why we write" is much different than "why write". There are many writing disciplines that are personal and many that are impersonal, so the expressionism thing does not apply to many. I simply subscribe that we indirectly write to preserve ideas. The great civilizations realized this and we are able to learn from them today. How would humankind develop and evolve without writing? Sure you could survive without writing(IE the tribes we spoke of), but where is the advancement? Forget about noble purposes like conquering racism or respecting and understanding others religions, these people need to know how not to spread Aids or finding other viable ways of feeding themselves. If one can put aside all of the unnecessary violence, slavery, and ego that was involved with the great civilization's conquests, at least they made the new territory a more learned place over time and it all began with writing down and preserving ideas that could then be disseminated to others. And yes, it is acceptable to debate the validity of those ideas but it is all in the name of progress for humankind. I kind of look at writing as old school, but old school is cool. New school makes things faster and more convenient, but old school is nose to the grind stone and reeks of dedication. Write on!

Why we write

(Advance apologizes for cynical somewhat odd blog post)

To be quite honest I have no clue, whatsoever, as to how this question can be answered, and whether or not the question can be answered in a way that is clear and intelligent, and moderately well graded. In the simplest and most current sense everyone that takes part in English 470 writes because they are told to write much like a soldier is told to march, a miner is told to mine, and a trained monkey is told to dance. However, that response is cynical and comes after seeing how much writing I have in store this coming semester. The academic response to the question is that writing allows a person to communicate to his or her fullest capabilities and to share with a broad audience his or her ideas, ideas that would not be able to be shared so broadly in any other way. Of course, the anthropologist among us will talk about defining characteristics of civilization and the Philosophers among us will crone on about how writing proves the existence of the individual or some such nonsense.

Of course, writing is many things to many people, an outlet, therapy, a forum, or just another form of the proverbial soapbox. Personally though I tend to think of writing and why people right as an extension of something I like to call “Bard’s Revenge.” Of course I must first say that bard is capitalized for the sake of title, I in no way mean to imply “Shakespeare’s Revenge.” So, what is “Bard’s Revenge?” The way I see it, the whole idea of writing came about when the bards, minstrels, skalds, and the like decided that they were sick and tired of being forgotten while the people in the poems and songs that they performed were remembered and effectively immortal because of this. This idea cares on today, in almost every form of writing known to man (except for interoffice memos which should be banned), except that now everyone is striving to be remembered from fiction writers to PhD holders who really liked that epiphany he or she had during a lecture. In other words, we write in order to be remembered, from the smallest letter from a son to his mother while he serves his country on foreign soil, to the Men at Work song “Down Under.”

All joking aside, we as humans write not just because of “Bard’s Revenge” or a need to attain immortality, but also as a means to further express ourselves. The written form, in all it’s various states, offers humanity outlets that do not exist in any other forms of expression.

The Reason of Writing

I've spent a lot of time thinking about the sole purpose of why we write. I've actually asked a couple different people, even strangers at work of why we write. I heard a lot of interesting different responses and I found it amusing that there was not a single clear reason of its purpose. Once I realized this I came to the conclusion that the reason why we write is different for every individual, thus being true for all of our students as well. As future educators I think it is our responsibility to keep an open mind for all the different possibilities of why our students write. True, most students will think that they absolutely despise writing, but I think part of our job (and part of the fun) is to draw out every single students purpose of writing and let them understand why it is important to them. I really don't believe that there is a right or wrong answer to why we write. I think the answers that we came up with in class are all very good reasons and if we were to ask this same question to our classrooms, we would probably come up with the same responses. Some responses may be underdeveloped, but if we were to enrich those particular answers we could amaze our students with the answers that already existed inside them.

Why write?

We express ourselves, create new worlds, interpret the world where we currently live, be it real or imagined, prove the existence of ourselves or others, explain the mundane and esoteric to the rest of the world or explain the simple in large enough and long enough words and ideas so as to make the simple and logical into that which is incoherent and random and only understood by those whose time is spent within the confines of coffee cups and smoke-filled rooms staring at computer screens while the invasion comes from be . . . umm . . . I digress.

We write so that others may be enlightened, be it Spider-Man or international politics or Goodnight Moon. Were you entertained? Did you learn anything? Is your life better or worse for having read the written word? Were you able to better understand the world around you when you put down the book or were you able to escape for a while to a better place? Sometimes that is all we can hope for.

Going with the Flow

In all honesty I am not sure why we write. But I have found that starting to write just a little, maybe not even about the topic you are trying to work on, will sometimes spur something within, that the answer just comes to you. I know that someone, somewhere, has probably concocted a term for this already, but I simply think it's neat.

Having said (well, written) all that, this in fact has just happened to me!

I think that we write in order to arrange our thoughts in a way that maybe we can not express verbally. It's a form of expression that can allow us to express ourselves differently. It's also a type of learning method. For me personally, I have to write things down in order to not forget them. Things as simple as a to-do list and list making in general as well. The simple act of writing keeps me organized, it allows me to not forget because I see it in black and white in front of me. Along with my lists also comes a feeling of satisfaction when I can cross things off!

In class we discussed how writing can make a civilization more modern. I agree. We now have something tangible that can not be changed so easily. If we consider prehistoric documentation. Of course prehistoric peoples had ways of documenting (mainly cave drawings) that showed important moments in their lives. Although we still have these drawings today, does it mean the same for us? It is different that reading. Looking at a single image can be interpreted many ways. Reading the sentence, "See Spot run." Cannot. It is defined and punctuated and the message is clear. Along with this we can consider word of mouth transition. The message get changed from person to person as it is passed along. Similar to the childhood game of whisper down the lane.

I guess the long typed point I am trying to make is just this: on Monday's class, I was unable to come up with any of this. Sitting down to write, even though it was a slow start that had nothing to do with writing, spurred something within, and tada! My response. Period.

Why Write?

Because writing, in my opinion, is often more personal than speaking. Think about it for a second, what kinds of informal things do we write everyday without giving it any thought? Journals, diaries, emails, My Space entries, blogs, the note on the refrigerator about dinner, text messages, and so on. Each of these tasks are more significant than we actually give them credit for because they reveal something about our lives and our selves.

Isn't it funny that many people spend a considerable amount of time texting and IMing friends, but then complain about writing? In fact, there is a billboard just down the street from my house that reads "dnt txt & drv"! I do not want to get too far off on a tangent here, but my point is that if people would only realize that the modern methods of communication are still methods of writing, maybe there would be less complaints about learning to write the right way first.

When writing, one has an entirely captive audience. Some folks spend so much time trying to get their point across informally, sometimes even without vowels and punctuation, imagine what they could get accomplished if they used a more educated technique.

Why Do We Write?

As I explained in class today, I believe that writing defines a civilization. Even more so, I still believe that it also signifies intelligence in the aspect of linguistics and being able to write beyond basic or remedial skills. The thought of being intelligent and not being able to write beyond that level doesn’t make much sense to me.

Even if a person is born a genius it would be a wasted mind if they were unable to express themselves. Simply stated the way I measure intelligence is in a person’s ability to read and write.

I think being able to write creatively depends on a person’s specific intellectual abilities. However, I believe good writing depends on practice. Just like a surgeon couldn’t perform a triple bypass surgery without numerous years of school. I don’t believe that Fitzgerald could have written The Great Gatsby without becoming a writer and practicing at his trade.

Welcome

Welcome to ENGL 470's blog, a place to share perspectives and ideas on our weekly readings and assignments. More information on the blog assignment is available on the syllabus. Here's hoping we have a lively semester with interesting comments.