This was a loooooong essay. You can check it out by clicking here.
At the end, the writers pose a series of questions. Here are a few:
Which section of this essay do you remember most clearly? Write down what you remember about it, and explain how you might use an idea in that section to help with a writing task that you’re doing this week. Why do you think this section stuck with you?
The section on showing and telling made a lot of sense to me. It made me stop and think about what my writing portrays and how it paints me as a writer. It stuck with me because it was relatable and easy to wrap my head around. Her real-world examples simplified a rather complex idea and I applaud her for that.
What other rules for writing have you been told to follow, either at school or outside of school in your workplace, community group, or online setting? List a couple of rules that weren’t described in this essay, and note down whether you think they’re most connected to the principle of writing from knowledge, showing enough detail, or adapting to readers’ needs. Also, if there’s another principle for writing that helps you a lot, something you always try to do, add a note about it so you can share it with your classroom peers.
“You guys are doomed when it comes to writing in college.” If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it two thousand times. Every grammar teacher follows the rules he or she likes; and as students we’re expected to know which rules are and are not honored in the class. Don’t use the pronoun “you” was the golden rule of Sophomore English class. “It can victimize the readers and give them advice they aren’t looking for” was the justification. I see this as a rule one can take or leave depending on the audience. I’m also a huge fan of the Oxford comma, which I see wasn’t mentioned. It can turn “I enjoy eating, dogs, and children to be exact” to “I enjoy eating, dogs and children to be exact.” Save the dogs and children. Use the Oxford comma.
Until next time,
Rachel
rachel moffitt 