Identity And Punctuation

Allen Summary 

In her article, "The Inspired Writer vs. the Real Writer", Sarah Allen attempts to explain the obstacles that writers face when learning how to write, learning how to revise, learning how to get over writer's block, and to face the fears of writing. On page 36 Allen describes the Inspired Writer to be everywhere. That at some point the Inspired Writer lives in every writer, giving the confience that writing will come easily and that there is no fear of messing up. She argues that even though there are many misunderstandings and fears of writing, there is always a way for you to fix your writing, and to elaborate more on the point you want to get across. Everything that has to do with writing has to do with communication, and communicating with your readers in some way. 

Response

I feel as if I have experienced a lot of the things that Allen explains and compares herself to. This is because, as someone who does love to write, it doesn't always come easily and I usually spend hours figuring out how to get my point across and to kepp everything flowing.

Reflection

I really did like this article. I think Allen did a great job using personal experiences and her own thoughts that made the article easier to relate to. I understand the Inspired Writer a lot more than the Real Writer, but overall I can relate to what she says and it was interesting to read.

Getting Ready to Read

The only advice and guidelines I remember getting when writing in school, was to not voice my opinion and to not put myself into my writing, I stayed away from using words like I and you. 

Murray Summary

In his article, "All Writing is Autobiography", Donald Murray attempts to show readers how all writing is autobiographical and how effective it is to put your own experiences and opinions in your writing. He argues that we become what we write. We may write facts with fiction, but yet the fiction turns into facts in the story that runs along in our mind. Murray states "We make up our own history, out own legends, our own knowledge by writing our own autobiography". The texts that we read and write become part of the life we believe we lived.

1. The construct that Murray is asking his readers to reconsider is putting more of your own self into your writing. Making it a part of you.

3. Some different things about Murray's writing is that it is so emotional to the point where you feel connected. He uses facts about himself and puts in new ideas that add to what he is telling and add to the story in his mind. He gave examples of his own writing and he used different forms like narratives and poems. 

4. His article is included in the genre of "scholarly article" because like all of the other articles we  have read in this chapter, he is teaching us and helping us understand a different form of writing. Previous authors focused on using many different sources, but I think the point that Murray wants to get across is that you can be your own source. 

5. I think I am a lot like Murray. When I write I usually am writing from experience or from my opinion. Everything I write on paper adds to the story inside of my head. He talks about how all writing is autobiographical and that "our autobiography grows from a few deep taproots that are set down into our past in childhood". I completely agree.

Meta Moment

I think Murray's claims in this article make readers more excited about writing, and more obligated to include their own experiences and thoughts into their writing. 

Reflection

I really enjoyed reading Murray. I think that what he had to say and the point that he got across was very important for readers to read. I think a lot writers feel as if they can't put their own thoughts and experiences with their writing. In order to write certain types of writing you must learn how to put yourself into it. I do understand that there are certain types of writing that you stick to true facts but that doesn't mean you cant put your opinion into it. 

Getting Ready to Read

1. My sister's treehouse was made of wood scraps and cardboard. 

2. The treehouse made a great place to play with her friends, it was made of wood scraps and cardboard.

My sister's treehouse was made of wood scraps and cardboard, it made a great place to play with her friends.

 

Dawkins Summary

In his article, "Teaching Punctuation as a Rhetorical Tool",  John Dawkins attempts to explain his views on puncutuation and gives examples of different ways it can be used to better your writing. He talks about punctuating single independent clauses, raising and lowering a rhetorical effect, and other types of punctuation. He argues that by teaching raising and lowering, we will be adding to certain skills of the student, it will encourage students to clarify the meanings of their sentences, and more. This is because he has a firm belief on how punctuation can affect people's writing.

 

2. He talks about how there are easier ways and harder ways to punctuate and to make your writing the best.

3. Raising is like raising the bar, putting more of an effort into emphasizing your sentence and what you are trying to say. Lowering is almost the opposite, not putting to much of an effort, and almost making it simple.

5. That there are more areas you can use it and that you don't always have to use it. There are different techniques and different opinions about those of punctuation.

6. I focus a lot on it. I hate when writing is done without punctuation.