Sunday, November 7, 2010
Week 12: The writer is you!
You have been writing your own essays for quite some time. What patterns have emerged in your own work? Do you love the semi-colon? Secretly or not-so-secretly over-use the simple sentence? Think about what stylistic devices you rely on most often, what traps you fall into, what tricks you'd still like to use. Go ahead, give yourself a little praise.
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I most commonly try to jazz up an ending sentence by making a list. I think that it has a nice flow and sounds great for wrapping up a paper. Also, when the last part of the list is something really powerful- I live for that stuff!
I think I also (for the past few essays) start with a very descriptive moment and then go into a broader discussion. I feel like a lot of people use this technique becuase it is pretty effective in Personal Expos.
In my writing I tend to be use simple sentences a lot and can get side tracked. I also use conjunctive adverbs to start a sentence and really like to use the comma. In my writing I also tend to give more detail then i need to and can then lead my essay to be a little disorganized. I like that my writing can be simple and understandable.
i think i use a lot of simple sentences and have been known to over use the comma. My writing can be cliché and sometimes sounds poetic. One thing i do love about my writing/a style that i use a lot is "personality". i feel like when i read my own writing i can hear myself saying it out loud. My writing is really personal and sounds like my normal speaking voice. Although my structure is not really complex, i don't think my writing in bland or boring.
I tend to use colons quite frequently by starting with a short statement, making a pause with a colon, and then listing a few examples or details to further clarify that first statment. I realized that I was using this sentence structure too much during our last essay when I tried to use two colons in one sentence (with two sets of supporting details)!
I've noticed a few major trends in my writing so far this semester:
1. I often try to use really short sentences for important ideas. Sometimes I think it works. Sometimes it's pretty awkward and I end up changing it.
2. I use a dashes a lot. Not only do I incorporate a dash when I need to interrupt myself-- which can be slick but sometimes just confusing-- but I also use them for lists.
3. I'm a big fan of alliteration. I think that using alliteration between a noun and its adjective or a verb and its adverb can really spice up the writing.
I've noticed quite a few patterns.
1. I really like to explore transformations and opposites in my essays. This can take the form of bringing together two sides of a dichotomy (ex: showing why George W. Bush's terrible presidency made him an excellent president in some regards), or discussing a personal journey that changed unexpectedly, and my thought process along the way (ex: learning to love the Mountain School, even though I originally wanted to come home so badly).
2. I love long sentences. I love adorning phrases with elaborate ornaments, and just using language to make my writing beautiful, no matter the length those rhetorical devices and delicate words cost.
3. I use words such as "however," "while," "although," and "despite" like there is no tomorrow. This choice of words, which so often has to do with combining two contrasting ideas into the same sentence, might have to do with #1 too.
I have noticed that my writing contains semicolons. They make my sentences longer and coherent. I always use the comma in the middle of sentences to interrupt myself.
I tend to start out with a rather narrative story or example before I really get to the explicit purpose of my essay. While it makes it sound like I am not being concise, I feel that it actually is an interesting way to hook the reader and get them interested with a personal example that obviously relates to the broader message. And, if I got a nickel for every time I used a comma...
In my writing I have noticed that I unintentionally map out each essay to be a five paragraph essay. Last year, the majority of my classes had me write 5 paragraph essays with an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. I practiced and became very good at constructing that type of essay, but now in personal exposs, I am working to not be so mechanical and structured. The forgiveness essay illustrated that I am finally capable to write an essay without mandatory structure.
I have noticed a few new trends in my writing:
1). I have fallen in love with the simple sentence. I find it to be such a great way to make a very clear point that jumps out and throws itself in the reader's face. However, I do believe that placement is key when using this technique as it is very important to not overuse the simple statement. I tend to make it its own standalone paragraph, or start/end my paragraph with it.
2). This class has also taught me a lot about how to properly use punctuation, more specifically the colon, semicolon, and comma. I still don't always use them absolutely correctly, but I feel much more confident about writing long sentences now that I can appropriately break them down and clearly display my meaning.
3). A general theme in my writing is the tone that I use. I tend to be very sarcastic, and I think that I have learned to transmit my sarcasm in a more creative way. I enjoy using parentheticals to give the reader a taste of what is really going through my mind. I believe that I have also learned how to better control this tone as there are some topics out there that simply do not mix with humour, and I have learned to better recognise them and limit my sassy commentary.
I use simple sentences a lot. (just like that one...) I do this mostly when I am making my big point, this big summary of everything. Although sometimes it is very effective, it also makes me oversimplify ideas, which then takes away from the whole of my essay. I also like using a cheeky/sassy tone in my writing. I try not to simply state what happened and have the reader interpret it as they want, I really try to persuade the reader to think in the mind of me. I comment and question on my essay, in my essay. (Meaning I will question my thinking or make a side mark about a certain event in the story.) I like that about my essays. Lastly, I use "although" and "however" A LOT however, (oops...) I've been trying to cut down on this bad habit.
I tend to try and use the same five paragraph essay approach I learned for analytical writing and apply it to personal expository writing. This doesn't always work so well. I can be quite eloquent in some of my writing, but I also have difficulty staying on topic and I can weaken my writing by covering too much or doing it in a "bad" order. I like to use the "dash-dash" or -- as a writing tool in my writing. I also can have long convoluted sentences that need to be broken up.
I love picture books, and I have found that spicing up my punctuation keeps me interested in what I am writing. Punctuation adds movement and helps me create more of an accurate expression; semicolons, commas, and dashes always help me prove my point and describe situations--however I tend to ramble on.
I like making my writing really different from my analytical writing style. When writing about myself, I use shorter paragraphs, sentence fragments, italics and parentheses: in short, everything that would drive a history or a different English teacher crazy.
I would still like to get even more creative with my person expos writing, maybe experimenting with punctuation..
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