This is my third or fourth blog that I’ve had to maintain in the past two years. I usually don’t like blogs, because most teachers require you to post every day and make it a requirement that you respond to someone else’s post every time you’re on the thing. I don’t usually like responding to other people posts, because usually it is some bull shit answer, like “I agree with this person’s opinion.” I’m glad that that was not a main focus of the blogs for this class. I’d would much rather respond to something when it strikes me, rather than looking for something to have an affect on me. I’m glad Dr. Allen didn’t really make us do that kind of thing.

The only problem I really had with this blog was sometimes forgetting to post the reading responses. Other than that, I thought the blog was a fun idea to create my own space as a writer.

I feel like I had a lot more to say, but I can’t think of any more right now. It’s almost 2 am and I have to get some sleep for my final tomorrow. you would think that I would have learned a thing or two about procrastination during the course of this semester, haha, maybe one day I’ll get it.

I can’t believe this semester is over already…I really enjoyed this class!

Joey’s blog, for example, showed his entertaining personality through humor and sarcasm.  I laughed when I read his title for his final post (”A sexy title for this final post”).

I liked how some of my classmates added in other stuff that wasn’t required for the blogs.  Kelsey, for instance, kept us updated on her progress of getting in touch with the teacher who was the inspiration for her memoir paper.

I really enjoyed Stephanie’s blog.  I thought she really made it her space to display her writing, by adding in her picture and extra posts that were more personal than most of the other blogs in this class.  I also thought that adding a sort of disclaimer type page for people who were not in this class was a great idea; it gave people a base for what was going on if they happened to stumble onto her blog but did not know what the course was about.

And I know that Megan was having trouble with formatting, so I was happy to see that you worked it out.  Great job!

Like I said before, I enjoyed reading these blogs.  It gave me some insight into my classmates’ experiences that were inspirations for their papers or posts.  I’m really shy, so I thought this was a good way for me to “get to know”  my  [now former?] classmates.

There are all kinds of writers: fiction, non-fiction, memoir, technical, creative - the list goes on. But what about the people who keep journals, or write comic sections in the newspapers? Aren’t they considered writers, too? I would say that they are, but I also know that there are those who would argue against that opinion because those are not “formal” types of writing.

In an academic setting, formal writing is associated with good writing. But the question becomes, what is good and bad writing, and who decides? Is it only based on formality, or are there other aspects involved? I think these are questions that many people, particularly students, try to find an answer to. I think professors have a lot of power in this area, since they are the ones who assign and then grade our papers. I feel like they have conventions that they are looking for, which usually differs from teacher to teacher. I have learned that one of the ways to be the most successful in writing is by adapting to a teacher’s individual preferences. For instance, I have had professors who do not like the use of adverbs, contractions, first person, etc. And there are others who prefer some of these mechanics, because they individualize and define a person’s writing.

Altering my writing techniques somewhat to conform to a teacher’s specific style has become imperative in order to receive a high grade. Professors have their own ideas about what they believe is right and wrong in writing. In high school, for example, we were taught about academic writing - how to write research papers, how to think critically about writing, how to respond to another piece of writing, etc. In English 101, it was the same thing. It wasn’t until I got to Writing Process that I was taught about something other than “academic writing.” There is such a thing as a voice other than the teacher’s, and it’s okay to experiment with different writing styles.

Freewriting has also been encouraged in this class, as a way to get initial ideas down on paper. In his book Writing Without Teachers, Peter Elbow discusses the process of freewriting. It was a term that I had heard of, but never actually had experience with it until this semester. The rules are simple: write for a certain amount of time, without stopping, to get your ideas down on paper. I feel like that process is more common sense than others, because it allows for the flow of ideas as they come, not starting with the “finished product.” And yet, I had never experimented with it before this class. So many times in high school, for instance, we were given a paper topic and then told to write out some sort of sentence outline in a certain amount of time, and then it was graded to make sure we were on the right track. Most of the time, I got a zero on those assignments, because I never had anything written down. I have some sort of processing learning disability, and it takes me a long time to articulate my thoughts - spoken or written. It was for this reason that I was so relieved when I learned that freewriting was acceptable. I am able to get out ideas that I didn’t even know existed, and if they don’t make a lot of sense at first, that’s okay. You have to start somewhere, right?

Freewriting has also been helpful to keep my true voice in my writing. Unfortunately, I think that it is ingrained into us from a young age what “good” writing is, and freewriting is a newer method that is not widely accepted. I don’t really blame my teachers, because they were taught the same thing. But conforming to their writing styles is expected, which also contributes to the lack of voice in most of my writing. Since my papers were always edited by my professors, it was their voices that wound up coming out of the paper, not mine. Freewriting has shown me that letting my own voice come through in my writing is acceptable and a way to make a piece my own. This is easier in a more personal piece, of course, because you are able to use your own examples, but it is still possible in academic papers, too.

In his article “A Problem with Writing (about) ‘Alternative’ Discourse,” Sidney Dobrin discusses the idea of a hybrid discourse, which is an academic discourse combined with a new or alternative discourse. However, while he argues that all discourse is hybrid, he also argues that it is academic at the same time. I don’t completely agree with this statement, but understand where he is coming from. From the time we are young, we’re taught about writing, but are constrained by the “academic” aspect of it. For instance, one could argue that writing a paper for an English course in Black Vernacular English instead of “standard” English is an example of a hybrid discourse, because it is combining a speech style that is characteristic to a group of people with the academic aspect of it being a college paper. But unfortunately, that is probably an unacceptable way to write in many academic setting, because it is not considered “formal.”

For reasons like that, I have always struggled with the idea of alternative writing styles. I’m not very creative in the first place to come up with one, but I think that I would be too scared to try anything extreme in the first place. Because what happens when a teacher doesn’t see it as trying something new, and instead thinks of it as not completing the assignment correctly? I don’t think it is something that is very widely accepted. I have never really been able to experiment with different writing styles other than the standard “academic” for fear of receiving a bad grade.

This “bad grade fear” extends past the traditional classroom. For example, in Prince William County, where I attended high school, we were required to write a research paper in eleventh grade. It is a really big deal, because if you don’t pass, then you are not eligible to graduate; and you have to keep revising the paper until you pass. The papers are sent out somewhere to be scored by “professionals” of some sort who evaluate the paper based on your thesis and supporting research, style, mechanics, and the classic format of an intro, three supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion. We never even saw our papers after they were sent out; we just received our scores. But who are these people? I know that they have been trained in what to look for, but are they writers themselves? Teachers? Graduate students? If these scorers are fellow writers, I think they should understand the fact that everyone who turns writes this paper is conforming to an unnatural writing style, and is restricted in so many ways. And this of course affects the final product because the writer is not present in the paper as a person with a voice, just a generic writer.

This might sound like a stretch, but I think of writing with my voice as a sort of alternative writing style. Throughout high school and college, I have never had experience with the concept of voice; I have always been required to integrate so many quotes that my papers sound like someone else wrote them or have had to edit my papers specifically to a professor’s suggestions. Either way, my voice has always been lost along the way to the final paper. Elbow’s concept of freewriting has shown me that I have my own ideas and a voice to go with them, and it is acceptable for both to come through in my writing. And this doesn’t mean that “good” writing is not presented; rather, it makes the final product personal, and the writer is heard in his writing.

Miller talks about how you can define yourself through your writing. She says that writing is a way for her to be herself and something she uses to hide behind. I’ve never thought about writing in that way, specifically. Usually, I think of writing as a response or a way to get my ideas and opinions out there. But I like the idea of hiding behind words. It gives you the opportunity to create a new identity, to put yourself into another person’s perspective, change your point of view, etc. It reminds me of a discussion (from another class) about bullying. Since there are so many opportunities for social networking today (to give some popular examples, myspace, facebook, and instant messagers), kids in middle and high schools have used that as a new way to bully others. The people who study this say that it’s because the kids can hide behind their computers, but after reading Miller’s essay, I think that it’s safe to say that they’re hiding behind their words. It’s an interesting concept. I think Miller’s idea of defining yourself through your writing is a bit different from Bazerman’s idea, where external forces play a role in how you write. Though a bit contrasting, I think that both are valid points.

My Memoir

I’ll be honest with you - I don’t like writing. I’m an English major because I love reading and then analyzing and discussing the texts. But writing? Not so much. I have never been one to get excited about writing papers for a class, and when I found out that I had to have five classes deemed “writing intensive” at Mary Washington, you can bet that I was less than ecstatic.

When I signed up for Writing Process, I thought it was going to be a course that taught me more about how to research for and write academic papers; I must admit, I wasn’t too thrilled with the idea, but thought that it was going to be a practical class anyway. Not only did it turn out to be useful, I was pleasantly surprised when I learned we were going to actually explore our own style of writing and “voice,” our own voice, not the voice of someone else. Throughout high school and college, I have never had experience with that; I have always been required to integrate so many quotes that my papers sound like someone else wrote them or have had to edit my papers specifically to a professor’s suggestions. Either way, my voice has always been lost along the way to the final paper.

“Peter Elbow, author of Writing Without Teachers, brings up some new and important issues in the writing process. For instance, he gives evidence that freewriting is a way for one to brainstorm, and then expand on those ideas. A person’s voice has a better chance of being heard if they write what they are thinking. Elbow argues that one can use freewriting as a foundation for any writing assignment, because its main usefulness is not in their immediate product, but in the gradual effect it has on future writing (Elbow 11).”

I would say that this writing process class has been a pivotal point in my writing career so far. Letting my voice come out in my writing is not only allowed, it is encouraged. I have learned so much in this course already, and it has definitely helped me appreciate different kinds of writings. This may sound ignorant, but before I took this course, I believed it was actually bad writing to use the first person in the text and let your voice come through. I thought that the only kind of real writing was academic writing - research papers with an introduction that includes a thesis, three supporting paragraphs complete with numerous facts and quotes, and a conclusion that restates what has already been said. But actually, there are all sorts of ways you can formulate a paper and different genres that give the opportunity to let your voice be heard.

During my freshman year of college, I took a writing workshop class and was restricted from using the first person in my papers. At one point, I was given the most ridiculous writing assignment: I had to write about my favorite place and include vivid descriptions, but I was not allowed to use the first person in the text. Instead, I had to refer to “one” throughout the paper (for example, “one saw this” or “one felt that”). Obviously, my voice was lost, and it made my special place so distant from me in my paper that a travel book could have given a more personal description. When I asked why the first person was restricted in such a personal paper, my professor informed me that it was incorrect to use “I” or “you” in a college essay. This experience not only contributed, but sort of finalized my thoughts that only the academic voice (in formal research papers and technical- type writing) was the correct way to let a voice come through, if any could come through at all. Since this incident occurred in my first semester of college, it shaped my thinking about academic writing and I was convinced, until this semester, that this was the correct (and only) way to write academically. I absurdly felt that if I didn’t write in this form, then I would be seen as a less intelligent person because I didn’t know how to write well.

I can see that I have already made progress in letting my voice come through in my writing. For example, I recently had to write a reflective introduction for my creative writing portfolio. That is something that I normally have a hard time with, but this time it was surprisingly painless. I felt that I was able to say what I wanted while still following the guidelines and developing a concrete idea.

Of everything I have learned in this class, I believe that free-writing has been the most helpful. Aside from letting me get out thoughts that I was not sure I even had on a topic, it has shown me that I actually have a voice, my own voice, that comes through in my writing and that it’s a good thing. I no longer have to worry about going out of my way to stifle my voice in my writing.

“I think free-writing is a great way to get out ideas. It makes you write down everything you can think of pertaining to the topic, and then presents places for you to go back and expand on later. It doesn’t give you time to think about getting the right word out on the paper, even though it usually comes eventually. It has showed me that I actually have ideas that are worth writing about in the first place, instead of constantly writing about other people’s ideas and feelings - I have my own, too. Now, I am more concerned in what is being written instead of how formal or otherwise it sounds, and I know that just like talking, my voice will convey my thoughts when I put them down on the paper.”

If you compare this freewrite to the more “academic” paragraph on the same topic presented earlier in the paper, you can see several differences between the two. Probably the first noticeable distinction is that my voice is present in the freewrite. I think the reader gets a better sense of the subject in the freewrite because I am writing about how I actually feel about the topic, rather than paraphrasing Elbow’s views. It also leaves out the distracting in - text citations, which tells the reader that I am giving someone else’s opinions; instead, I am writing about my views and expanding on them. I think that the freewrite flows better because I was able to add more into it by showing with details, than in the “formal” paragraph where I had to stick with only the dry facts.

This semester is my last in college. Having been recently introduced to the concept of voice, I feel that I could have done much better on other writing assignments in past college classes - I would have been more aware that there is no “right way” to write a paper. For example, instead of wasting time uniquely structuring my vocabulary to avoid using the first person, I can spend my time on the more important issue: the content. I mean, isn’t that the more important aspect of any paper? If I could go back and change anything, I definitely would have taken this course much earlier in my college career. Although I feel that my writing has improved through this semester, I think it would have been very beneficial if it had progressed sooner rather than later. I suppose this is why I have never considered myself a great writer. I do well enough on papers, but never exceptional. Lately, my papers are always full of comments asking what I think about the topic and to add more of my views. I have always felt that something was missing and I have finally learned what it is.

I am going to graduate school next year to get my Master’s Degree in secondary education. I want to teach English, and I am definitely going to use the concepts and writing techniques that I have learned in this class. Hopefully, my future students will appreciate these ideas and learn that letting yourself be heard in your writing does not mean that it’s wrong; on the other hand, it gives your readers the opportunity to get to know you.

Works Cited

Elbow, Peter. Writing Without Teachers. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1998.

I am a terrible procrastinator. I feel like it is not something I do by conscious choice, yet every time I have to write a paper, I am working at the last minute. This is true for any type of writing assignment I have to do– academic papers, blogs, poetry, responses – even writing assignments that are meant to be fun! The worst time I procrastinated was last year when I had to write a paper for a geography class. The assignment was on the syllabus (in other words, I knew about the paper on the first day of class) and wasn’t due until April. However, at nine o’clock the night before the paper was due, I was just starting to make my outline and then I had to wake up a few hours early to edit the paper so that I could turn it in on time. I really hate procrastination and the feeling of having something hanging over my head; it is stressful and does not help for the production of a good quality assignment. I think it comes down to the fact that I am easily distracted and do not have a very good perception of time; I always feel like I have more time than what is really there. Procrastination is something that I have always struggled with and as this is my last semester in college (as an undergraduate, at least) I want to do my best to discontinue this bad habit.

Speaking of being easily distracted, in August, I was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and an information-processing learning disability, which basically means that it takes me a little longer to understand concepts and get started on things. I thought it was ridiculous that my doctor and parents thought that I should be tested for it in the first place, because I was twenty-one and thought, isn’t that something that you should know about when you’re a kid? And anyway, doesn’t everyone procrastinate and have difficulty taking tests in the allotted time? Apparently not. I’m glad that I found out about these issues though; it is helpful to know what I need to do in order to get my work done efficiently and on time. For example, I started taking medication to help with concentration, and I am able to do my homework in distraction-free settings. It has helped with the procrastination problem a bit since my lack of concentration unfortunately aids my procrastination process; I can get my work done, but I have to actually start the work in the first place.

Since I am so easily sidetracked, another thing I have tried is to take my work to a new setting that is as distraction-free as possible. This helps with the procrastination somewhat, but not enough to produce a paper during that one writing session. Of course, Peter Elbow would say that it takes more than just one writing session to write a paper; in his chapter on Growing from Writing Without Teachers, Elbow says that you should use a writing technique where you start with a four-hour block of time and alternate between forty five minute freewriting periods and fifteen minutes of reading and editing. However, I usually don’t have time to designate the first four hours to start generating ideas when I am working at the last minute.

A technique I have used to avoid procrastination is made lists of all the schoolwork I have to do for the day, which include time slots for each task. For example, I give myself one hour for one assignment, three hours for another assignment, and so on. This way, if I have a paper to write, I can schedule it in for a few hours each day. The problem with writing these lists is that I don’t stick to them and have to spend more time planning out a new list. I also waste too much time on them; instead of jotting down the obligations onto a scrap of paper, I unnecessarily spend time color-coordinating and making the lists nice and neat. Ironically, making lists for myself turned out to be a technique that aided my procrastination process, which was not the goal I was aiming for.

I think a big part of my procrastination problem is that I can be very unmotivated when it comes to writing papers. This could be a result of several things, for example, lack of sleep, dislike of the subject or just not wanting to do it. But most of the time, I think I am unmotivated because it can be hard to see the end of the process (for instance, when I have a big research paper to write), so I put off getting started on it as long as I can to avoid dealing with it. Of course, there are many ways to get motivated to write as well, like wanting to achieve a good grade in a class or just get the process of writing the paper over with. On the other hand, it is so much easier to motivate myself to do something that is not necessary at the time (but needs to get done eventually) like cleaning, which is one of my least favorite things to do – I honestly do not think that my apartment is cleaner than when I have a paper to write.

Procrastination is terrible habit to get into, and one that is very hard to get out of. I think it is one of those things that you just have to do – not going around the problem or planning on stopping it – but just deciding to stop and actually sticking to it. If I learn to stop procrastinating then I think that I will actually have more time to do other things to get ahead in my classes, like reading ahead and outlining the upcoming chapters my textbooks (which is something that I should probably be doing anyway). I also know that I will be a lot happier once I actually learn to just sit down and get my work done because then I will not be so anxious when the due dates start creeping up on me, and I believe that the overall quality of my work will improve as well.

Word Count: 1,056

Muckelbauer says that imitation and invention are unique and have value despite Romantic conceptions. He argues that if imitation is involved in producing appearances, then we can see that there is a complicated opposition between the two. Muckelbauer talks about the three forms of imitation. The most common is reproduction, or “repetition of the same,” where the subject encounters the models to produce a perfect replica. The second movement is variation, or “repetition of difference,” where the subject encounters the model but must reproduce the model differentially. The third movement of imitation is called the inspiration or “difference and repetition.” In this final piece of imitation, the nature of the model changes and becomes responsive itself.

I honestly have never thought about race as being a factor that affects my writing. Actually, I think that this is the first time that I have been asked to write about that topic. Most of the writing I have done (in high school and college) has been academic research papers, where you are not allowed to use “I” and “you” in the writing. That makes it hard to talk about personal experiences if you have to write about a topic like this one (for example, I would be more familiar writing about how racial identity is a factor to another person’s writing by researching the topic). Also, I think that it can be a touchy subject that many teachers would rather not address in class or through assignments. Race probably has affected my writing process in this way because I have not been asked to talk about that before (about myself) and I guess that since I have never really thought about it, that is the way it has affected me differently (most likely) than someone of another race.