Week 3- Elizabeth
"For writers...who are just getting started on an assignment, it can be tremendously helpful- and relieving- to consider the writing process as a series of smaller, manageable tasks rather than one, huge, seemingly impossible undertaking."
This chapter made me consider the way that assignments or just writing in general is often presented in classes and by professors. It seems like a big role of the writing tutor is to break down these massive assignments into smaller pieces. I love what Kyle said in an earlier post about writer's voices and encouraging students to simply start the process of writing by having a conversation.
When I look back on myself as an undergrad, I think I saw things like brainstorming or freewriting as kind of like "tips" and "extra" things to do, rather than as vital to the process of writing. I think I needed to wrap my mind a bit around the difference between doing something on the side versus breaking down the whole writing process into smaller pieces. I appreciate that the book divided the sections into "brainstorming, drafting, and revising" but I often find, for me, that the brainstorming and drafting are really the same stage.
One of the most helpful things a professor ever told me is that I was always putting my thesis in the conclusion instead of the introduction. I was doing this because in the process of writing the paper, I was actually thinking, and my main idea was becoming clarified and stronger. He suggested at least moving the better articulation up to the front. I find this is consistently true for me. I finish something and I may not have time to totally re do it but if I can at least switch my "conclusion thesis" with my "intro thesis" I find my work is usually clarified.
This has become kind of a hodge podge of thoughts, but I guess I really feel the need for students to have the writing process integrated into their assignments but I also know that each person kind of needs to find their own process. I'm curious how to really emphasize this in the writing center.
This chapter made me consider the way that assignments or just writing in general is often presented in classes and by professors. It seems like a big role of the writing tutor is to break down these massive assignments into smaller pieces. I love what Kyle said in an earlier post about writer's voices and encouraging students to simply start the process of writing by having a conversation.
When I look back on myself as an undergrad, I think I saw things like brainstorming or freewriting as kind of like "tips" and "extra" things to do, rather than as vital to the process of writing. I think I needed to wrap my mind a bit around the difference between doing something on the side versus breaking down the whole writing process into smaller pieces. I appreciate that the book divided the sections into "brainstorming, drafting, and revising" but I often find, for me, that the brainstorming and drafting are really the same stage.
One of the most helpful things a professor ever told me is that I was always putting my thesis in the conclusion instead of the introduction. I was doing this because in the process of writing the paper, I was actually thinking, and my main idea was becoming clarified and stronger. He suggested at least moving the better articulation up to the front. I find this is consistently true for me. I finish something and I may not have time to totally re do it but if I can at least switch my "conclusion thesis" with my "intro thesis" I find my work is usually clarified.
This has become kind of a hodge podge of thoughts, but I guess I really feel the need for students to have the writing process integrated into their assignments but I also know that each person kind of needs to find their own process. I'm curious how to really emphasize this in the writing center.
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