Writing Process
This post is about the writing process which was assigned to me by Dr. Sabatino Mangini my English Composition 1 instructor. I am to bring alive three major writers that contributed greatly to the writing process through interacting and dialog. We'll discussed their ideas and how me as novice can learn the writing process. The assigned texts are listed below. Teach Writing as a Process Not a Product (Don Murray) Against Vanity: In Praise of Revision (Mary Karr) Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (Anne Lamott) My name is Francis Bracewell, born in West African Liberia. Liberia suffered 15 years of civil and political unrest during the early 90’s, the war finally ended in 2004. A democratic election was held, ushering African’s first female president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. As a child growing up, I was always enthusiastic about writing, even though the civil crisis deprived my generation of my youthful days, but it didn’t perturb me from learning and finding answers to the writing process. On the 20th day of January 2019, during one of my English Composition classes at the Delaware County Community College, I had the opportunity to meet three of the major contributors that give meaning to the writing process. They were Don Murry, Mary Karr and Anne Lamott, I was so excited to be in their presents. I said to myself that if I am given the chance, I am going to asked them all about the writing process, what’s the best way to start the writing process and what are the tips in becoming a good writer? Fortunately for me that day, I was given the opportunity for a dialogue with the writers. I introduced myself once more to the English Composition 1 class and to the visiting guests. Since the time was not in my favor, other class mates needed their time with visiting guests. For beginner like me, I had to be more to the point with my concerns at it relates to the writing process. My inquest to body was how can I as a student of the English 1 Composition learned from them (the writers) the best practice to apply the writing process? Don Murray was the first to address my quest, he stated that by saying that he is more interested in the process rather than the product of writing. Don Murray said that the writing process can be divided into three stages: “Prewriting is everything that takes place before the first draft. Prewriting usually takes about 85 percent of the writer’s time. It includes the awareness of his world from which his subject is born. In prewriting, the writer focuses on that subject, spots an audience, chooses a form which may carry his subject to his audience. Prewriting may include research and daydreaming, note-making and outlining, title-writing and lead-writing” “Writing is the act of producing a first draft. It is the fastest part of the process, and the most frightening, for it is a commitment. When you complete a draft you know how much, and how little, you know. And the writing of this first draft—rough, searching, unfinished—may take as little as one percent of the writer’s time” “Rewriting is reconsideration of subject, form, and audience. It is researching, rethinking, redesigning, rewriting—and finally, line by-line editing, the demanding, satisfying process of making each word right. It may take many times the hours required for a first draft, perhaps the remaining 14 percent of the time the writer spends on the project”. Don Murray was followed by Mary Karr. She begun by thanking me for me gaining interest in the writing process and urge me to remain focus in my study and learned the process of writing and it will benefit me as a professional writer. Marry Karr “Actually, every writer needs two selves—the generative self and the editor self”. In the early draft, the generative self shakes pom-poms at every pen stroke and cheers every crossed t. In a month or so, this diligent and optimistic creature gins out, say, two hundred pages. “The editor self then shows up to heft the pages, give a sniff, and say: Yeah, but . . . The editor condenses two hundred pages down to about thirty. I don’t mean she cuts the rest; she may well boil the whole thing down so the same amount of stuff happens more economically”. “The editor self thinks only of saving the reader time and shaping a powerful emotional experience. She can’t turn her complaints and suspicions and doubts off”. Mary final words of encouragement was “Just picking up a pen makes you part of a tradition of writers that dates thousands of years back and includes Homer and Toni Morrison and cave artists sketching buffalo”. Anne Lamott was the last guest speakers, she was so visual in her address. Anne talked about starting a writing process, is like a one-inch picture frame which she can for example develop her first paragraph to set he tone for her writing. “Almost all good writer begins with a terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something-anything- down on paper” considering it the first draft or Shitty first draft. “the second draft is the up draft, you fix it up. You try to say what you have to say more accurately” “the third draft is the dental draft, where you checked every tooth to see if it’s loose or cramped or decayed, or even God help us, healthy” At the end of Anne inputs on the writing process, I was very happy to have encountered such an amazing group of intellects and the values they added to my knowledge. I have learned three important from the Anne, Mary and Don. “No one has monopoly over the writing process, so one should have an open mind in the process” “Never be terrify about making mistakes in the writing process, it will make you stronger and stronger in the process” “Always go over and over what you have written and if possible, get a third person input or to critic your work for more improvement in the writing process”
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FrancisI will use this blog to create and inform my readers of what I have learned in my English Composition course. Archives
May 2019
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