How do the two texts approach the topic of the writing process differently?
I’m working on a english question and need a sample draft to help me learn.
1-How do the two texts approach the topic of the writing process differently? Which do you find more effective? Why?
The first text, Overview: The Writing Process from Rhetoric and Composition, approaches the topic of the writing process in a concise, almost bullet-point-like list. Noting famous authors and philosophers as examples. Whereas in the second text, Shitty First Drafts, the author focused the most on a specific part of the writing process, which is getting started, and she utilized her companions as examples. I found that both texts were quite effective in their own ways, and I gained different knowledge from each of them. However, I found Rhetoric and Composition to be the most fascinating of the two, likely to be the one I think back to in the future, as it had new and useful information I had never learned before, regarding the topic of the writing process.
What do you notice about the differences in the types of language that the authors use? If you can, point to specific sentences that demonstrate similar ideas in different ways. What is the effect of these different approaches?
I found Rhetoric and Composition to be using clear and succinct language which could easily be defined as professional. While in Shitty First Drafts, the author used language which, I believe the most accurate way of describing it is, would be used while talking to a friend, where at times, it felt like the author was in the room with me, directly telling me a story about the writing process, incorporating fun wording, and amusing anecdotes. This paragraph from Rhetoric and Composition: “An insight gained while editing one chapter might convince the writer that an additional chapter is needed; as a result, she might start another drafting phase–or even decide to divide one chapter into two or three, and begin reorganizing and developing new drafts.” Can be contrasted with this paragraph from Shitty First Drafts: “Just get it all down on paper because there may be something great in those six crazy pages that you would never have gotten to by more rational, grown-up means. There may be something in the very last line of the very last paragraph on page six that you just love, that is so beautiful or wild that you now know what you’re supposed to be writing about, more or less, or in what direction you might go — but there was no way to get to this without first getting through the first five and a half pages.” Both approaches attempt conveying the same message of getting started on that piece of writing, even if the end result is still unknown to you. I found that the approach Shitty First Drafts used had a more profound effect, as the encouraging, real-life language used was the most efficient.
2-Between the texts “Shitty First Drafts” and “The Writing Process” I feel that the “The Writing Process” document seems to be what I would produce in the future. The document was very organized and seemed to be more professional in the tone compared to “Shitty First Drafts.”
In “Shitty First Drafts” the author took a more casual approach to explain the writing process and stated that people should always try to come up with a first draft where they put down anything that comes to mind and using that, come up with the final draft. In “The Writing Process” it seems to be a little more organized and goes through the many steps that can take place when writing a piece. It is also stated that writers typically repeat certain steps when in the writing process to better their work before reaching the final piece. I once again feel that “The Writing Process” was more effective in this instance as it shows the writing process in a more organized and detailed way, but also states that the writing process does not always have solidified steps and that writers can go back and forth between them.
In terms of the different types of language authors use in both writing pieces, the document “Shitty First Drafts” seemed to be more casual while “The Writing Process” seemed to be a more informative and professional tone. For example in “Shitty First Drafts” the author “We all often feel like we are pulling teeth, even those writers whose prose ends up being the most natural and fluid. The right words and sentences just do not come pouring out like ticker tape most of the time.” In “The Writing Process” the tone was more professional for example, “However, whenever you have a major challenge in your future as a writer, you will know how to return to the circular or “recursive” steps of the process to develop difficult ideas, explain difficult concepts to your audience, and create pleasure and knowledge in both yourself and your audience because of your writing skills.” In both quotes the authors are stating the struggles of writing papers and both go about it in different ways with the author of “Shitty First Drafts” being more sarcastic and and humorous and the author of “The Writing Process” being more informative
3-One definition of the term “discourse community” is a group of people who engage in frequent conversation with one another. Because our class takes place entirely online, we are able to define the members of our discourse community by the ways in which we all work toward the same objectives, use the same methods for talking with one another, and take part in those same methods. The fact that we do not get together in person makes it much simpler for us to organize our schedules and devote more time to our writing process. Additionally, because of the availability of online education and the ability to participate in online discussion forums, we are in a position to pick up new information and perspectives from one another.
The discourse groups for whom and by whom texts are created significantly influence styles. Recognizing this truth is to acknowledge the reality of writing for others. Whether to put anything in writing, what to write, and how to express it effectively are all considerations that fall within the realm of style politics. Richard Lanham states that to learn the principles and then train your intuition via experience to properly apply them is the best way to go. Last and always first, political judgment is stylistic judgment. Technical writing should not be monotone; it should rather be a social activity requiring the interpretation of complicated information for people with varying degrees of understanding who must know, utilize, or react to this data. Since it is a social activity, it is open to many influences, biases, and changes.
4- To incorporate a certain technical writing style, the audience must always be taken into consideration first. Any piece of writing has its own purpose; the main goal is to appeal to the appropriate audience and make sure it carries on to people of similar backgrounds. In other words, the technical writing style must adhere to the standards of the people who will be reading it. For example, hobbyists such as car enthusiasts have developed their own language when they talk about cars. The average person wouldn’t understand several slang terms in an article about cars unless a car enthusiast is reading it. The same idea goes for computer programmers, hackers, and much more. The point is to alter the complexity of technical writing in order for all groups to understand. Such advanced terms wouldn’t appeal/be accepted by other audiences, but there will always be substitute writing pieces made for the other audiences to comprehend.
Everybody in this online class has similar interests and abilities. Our specialized community is able to adapt to the online environment with ease, thus making it less difficult to reach our goals. Most of us wouldn’t say that Technical Writing is easier online, but rather lets us focus on what’s more important. While omitting in-person distractions (depending on the type of student you are), we are still able to participate and progress towards improving our writing skills together. These discussion forums are assigned to us for a purpose; we are able to share and combine our ideas in the midst of working towards the same end result. All of us can explore each other’s technical writing skills, whether it be the flaws or the strengths. This is what motivates us to apply more effort and improve our skills going forward.
There are common misconceptions about our assumptions of audiences. In some cases, we may get so carried away with improving one area of our writing skills rather than all. Technically speaking, our target audience right now would be the professor and every student in this class. There will be cases where some of us in this class will accidentally format our writing in such a complex manner. In other words, it can cost us when another person outside of this class can’t comprehend our style. This is where technical writing can negatively impact our assumptions of audiences, which is why it is critical to analyze the subject before writing about it. Taking the time to learn about the subject would greatly improve our abilities to reach various audiences rather than some. It makes our assumptions more accurate, as we would be able to write a piece that compensates for the audiences who aren’t expected to read it. Reading through more of these assigned articles will continue to give us a better understanding on all perspectives and assumptions of technical writing. ( 50 word each one please)
Collepals.com Plagiarism Free Papers
Are you looking for custom essay writing service or even dissertation writing services? Just request for our write my paper service, and we'll match you with the best essay writer in your subject! With an exceptional team of professional academic experts in a wide range of subjects, we can guarantee you an unrivaled quality of custom-written papers.
Get ZERO PLAGIARISM, HUMAN WRITTEN ESSAYS
Why Hire Collepals.com writers to do your paper?
Quality- We are experienced and have access to ample research materials.
We write plagiarism Free Content
Confidential- We never share or sell your personal information to third parties.
Support-Chat with us today! We are always waiting to answer all your questions.
