"What is it We Do When We Write Articles Like This One- and How Can We Get Students to Join Us?”

IWA: 2/1/13

Summary: In the article "What is it We Do When We Write Articles Like This One- and How Can We Get Students to Join Us?”, Michael Kleine attempts to tell the reader that students writing research papers need to collect data and with a focused sense of their goal as well as include unexpected data they discovered while researching. He argues that it is crucial to be both a “hunter” and “gatherer” to make your research paper successful.

Synthesis: Kleine’s article reminds me a lot about Murray and Berkenknotter’s pieces in that he studied research techniques to establish how to best write a paper much like Berkenknotter did. In addition he gives reports to us the process to do so much like Murray did.

QD 1: In his introduction Kleine immediately made me think about my high school self staying up until the wee hours of the morning scrambling to make sure I had enough sources for a meaningless paper I wrote. Reading about his “nightmare” I realized that oftentimes we mindlessly write other people’s discoveries without taking much into account what we’re actually learning. Now, however, I know the proper way to go about writing a research paper.

QD 3: Sources in Kleine’s interviews play a fairly large role since they are the basis for his whole study and provided him with the information he needed in order to write his piece. As for me, sources play a large role as well because I needed them in order to discover the information needed for my paper. The primary difference however is that Kleine’s research went a lot more in depth than mine did and I believe he took more away from what he was studying.

QD 4: If I use Kleine’s technique my research will change drastically and for the better. Instead of mindlessly copying information like a zombie I would now be able to apply what I learned in my papers and go much more in depth on the topic. I might even do some research on the “unexpected data” I find in my research.

Afterthoughts: I think Kleine’s article will definitely help me in the future. If I follow his process I will show a caring for the material I’m writing on. In addition this article comes at the perfect time for me since soon, in my journalism class, I’m going to be writing a research paper and need a ton of sources. This article has given me insight as to what I need to do in order to successfully write a college level research paper in comparison to what I did in high school.

Berkenkotter & Murray

IWA: 1/28/13

Summary: In the articles "Decisions and Revisions: The Planning Strategies of a Published Writer" and “Response of a Laboratory Rat- or, Being Protocoled”, Carol Berknekotter and Donald Murray attempt to tell the reader that in order to properly write a piece the writer must think aloud to organize their thoughts. They argue that this technique will strongly help the writer later with their revisions because it will have set up a plan on what to cut from the piece.

Synthesis: This article reminds me of recent articles we have read because it discusses the best way to write a piece. Much like Lammot’s piece, we are informed to talk to ourselves about the piece (like putting the lab rats back in the jar) and that by doing so we will be able to write a better piece.

AE 1: Generally I spend my writing time with some beverage (primarily water) and a watch so I know when to take a break so I don’t kill myself from the frustration of scholarly writing. I would say my writing experience when it comes to scholarly writing is somewhat high for a college student since I had to write intense papers in a two year IB/AP English class. However when compared to “real” writers, my experience is probably very low.

AE 3: I forced my roommate to take part in this activity and I found that we both spend a decent amount of time trying to avoid the prompt. However once we get down to business we both like to write out an outline of what we are about to write. I think this shows planning what to write before you start is very important to the overall writing process.

QD 1: I find this writing process to be very interesting (a bit time consuming albeit but definitely worth taking note of). It reminds me of mine in that I sometimes like to talk out what I’m doing (especially when I’m tired) so I know what I’m writing will later make sense.

MM: I learned from this reading that talking out loud will help me keep in perspective what I’m doing and help me stay on task while I’m writing.

Afterthoughts: I think this article will really help me with Part 2 of Project 1 because it showed me talking out loud while writing is a good way to organize thoughts. This is a method I sometimes use while writing and now I know I can incorporate this method into the next part of my paper.

IWA: 1/25/13

Summary: In the article "Reading Games: Strategies for Reading Scholarly Sources", Karen Rosenberg attempts to tell the reader how to comprehend and sit through scholarly journals and writings. She argues that it is necessary for readers to understand the type of audience the writer is writing for as well as the structure of their writing. In this way you will be able to better understand what it is they’re trying to say without having to stress yourself out over it.

Synthesis: Rosenberg’s writing reminds me a lot of Allen’s writing in that she explains to us that nobody is perfect at reading things they initially don’t care about (like her and academic journals) and Allen said nobody’s the perfect writer. I believe these two things go hand in hand. In addition Rosenberg’s writing was obviously written more at a “college level” because she uses examples college students would understand while avoiding “harder words”.

Afterthoughts: I think (and really hope) that Rosenberg’s article will help me dissect academic writing a lot easier in the future. Since this is my freshman year I’m certain things I will be dealing with a lot more scholarly readings in the near future. Based upon what I’ve read for this class, these readings are extremely dry and I can use all the advice I can get on reading them with more ease. I guess I found Rosenberg’s writing overall to be extremely helpful.
1. In the past I have paid attention to the title of an article because to me it gives a glimpse of how the author will write. For example, in "Shitty First Drafts" I was given an immediate thought that the article would be written a little less formally and would probably be a bit easier to understand. I would say putting the article into context in this way from the start is especially important. Honestly I wouldn't change the strategy in any way.
2. To me this goes hand in hand with the first question. When you read/write a title it's introducing your piece and how you will write. It's like making a first impression to somebody. Everything the person will feel about your article will be read in that first sentence much like in a conversation.
3. This piece has shown me that I need to take everything in my piece into consideration because every portion of it shows my writing style and can help give the reader an idea of what they're about to read. It has also proven to me to be cautious of my writing because it can give my reader an idea of what I'm writing if they have no clue.

IWA 1/23

Summary: Allen explains to her audience that nobody is ever a perfect writer and every scholar she has ever encountered has admitted they are by no means innately good at writing. She also tells us that every scholar has struggled with the writing process and many feel guilty and worthless when in reality they probably are not. She states how oftentimes we look to other writers for guidance on how to write and that, when their formulas do not work, we need to try something new and have it reviewed by someone professional. Allen tells us there is also a process to revising a paper which involves talking with a teacher as well as peers. In addition we learn for every piece we write there will always be some sort of response which is always a good start.

Synthesis: Allen’s piece reminds me of Brandt’s in that there are moments she brings up actual people and their experiences to prove her argument.

Afterthoughts: I found this piece enlightening. As a writer I know how frustrating writer’s block can be and how scary it is that someone will be judging my work one day and possibly degrade it quite a bit. Allen really captured my attention at the end when she mentioned that despite the fact people view themselves as bad writers at times any reaction to their piece can be seen as a good sign. In a way her piece gives me hope that mine will have some sort of positive outcome, even if it’s hidden in someone else’s ridicule.

IWA 1/23

Summary: Lamott tell the reader the process writers go through when drafting out their papers, making sure to include that hardly any of them actually can sit down and feel confident about their first piece. The first draft she calls the “child draft” in that it’s the one a writer can put down whatever they want, knowing that they most likely will not be putting it in the final draft. She tells us how she was a restaurant reviewer and would write down everything possible then go back the next day and take out all the unnecessary parts. She also tells us the best way to start a paper is to one by one remove the voices that criticize you (put the mice in a jar).

Synthesis: This piece is a lot like Allen’s because she tells us that nobody can sit down and write perfectly and that nobody believes they are a good writer from the thought.

Question 1: By using the word “shitty” I believe Lamott is getting down to her reader’s level and saying from the start, “Hey I was once in college too and I understand this stuff is typically dry. Let me speak in your language.” At first glance I thought it made her seem less credible but considering she was once a restaurant critic and understands a college student’s brain, I think it makes her more credible.

Question 2: The voices I would stash away in my jar would be the teacher telling me my writing style is awful and that it would take me nowhere. Basically from then on I would think of everyone who told me I couldn’t do anything and slowly fill the jar up (like a manager, teacher, fellow student, bully, director, etc.) Really it could be seen as a good way of anger management even and like I get the final laugh.

Afterthoughts: I found Lamott’s piece very relatable. It was the first article that I read and actually felt I could understand the whole way through without a problem. I believe she really understood her audience and decided to write more at a college level which is really important to me.