Writing an essay can be as easy as reciting the
ABC's, or as difficult as patting your head and rubbing your stomach; it varies
from person to person. The readings from Praxis emphasize the importance
of writing essays that convey the message you wish them to the first time
around. However, it additionally states that writing, editing, and rewriting is
an okay "practice." I believe, as Lamott stated, "letting the
words pour out without worrying how good they are" is beneficial in
the writing process.
First drafts, as stated in the
reading, are often not perfect and are by no means ready to be turned in or
published. While this may be true, I believe Praxis made an invalid claim by stating there is never an elegant
first draft. Often times one may write an essay with a strong underlying
idea/structure that simply requires some “tweaking.” I believe this was
conveyed in the “Rethinking Shitty First Drafts” essay whereupon it was stated
that one may edit as they go, disputing the Praxis
claim.
Later in the reading, qualities of
effective writing were discussed, many of which help to prevent mass amounts of
editing later on. One of the most important qualities, in my opinion, is the
need for precise words. By being precise, “we learn what ‘quiet’ is like for
one writer and what ‘beautiful’ means to another.” In other words, we are able
to convey our feelings without the additional “fluff”; we are able to uncover
ideas that might have initially been hidden in the essay itself.
If I was to examine the readings
from this week and relate them back to my writing experience, I would have to
say I agree more so with “Rethinking Shitty First Drafts.” However, I do not agree
with the initial claim “I do not write shitty first drafts.” In my opinion,
everybody writes rough sentences here and there; when one writes these
sentences they may leave them, or they may choose to edit them immediately. I
believe it is more beneficial to edit as you go in order to avoid errors. In
conclusion, I think the readings from this week both present valid arguments,
however they also have some I do not agree with. Overall, writing/editing
preference is dependent on the person.
I agree with the statements Elon said and her overall reflection of “Shitty First Drafts.” The Praxis reading covered the importance of revision in the writing processes. Although first drafts are incomplete and not as perfect as the finalized project, I disagree with the fact they say they are “shitty first drafts.” Using vulgar words to describe your piece of writing shows that you believe it has little purpose. The beginning stages of writing is a process, but is not terrible. Obviously, it will need some tweaking and revision. People should be proud of the words they write.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of this chapter covered the qualities of effective writing. Praxis gives tips on how to keep your writing simple, by trying to amplify the ideas and creating an intelligible conversation with your reader. It also emphasizes the avoidance of jargon, or specialized words that used when talking to people of similar interests and backgrounds. The writer must make the piece appealing to all, unless it is a limited audience for those specific members. Using precise words and being concise is also important. Additionally, the writer must speak directly and strengthen their voice to get the reader more involved with the writing.
Elon, the first comment I have for you has absolutely nothing to do with the content of your blog, but you must know that I thoroughly enjoyed the first sentence of your post. You’re completely right. Just as it’s more difficult for one person to pat their head and rubbing their stomach than another person, writing is more difficult for some people than others. I, from personal experience as a writer, know that to be true.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I agree with your second paragraph. Sometimes, when I’m really in the groove, I can write a decent first draft. It just takes a little tweaking and editing for grammar, but overall it wasn’t far off from my final draft. This is usually how things go for me, personally, because I stop after every paragraph and make sure it sounds acceptable before I move on. I think we can both agree that the article “Rethinking Shitty First Drafts” has a point—not all first drafts are “shitty.”
I also agree with your statement that the most important quality of writing is the need for precise diction. Everyone sees the world differently, so authors need to be incredibly straight forward in their writing. Precise word choice makes writing pieces more entertaining and understandable, so a change can completely alter and entire piece of writing for the better. Well said!