Writing Reflection

When looking at our own writing we so often correlate exactly what we mean to say and what we actually said in our heads. We don't think about the nuance, the credibility, or the connections we draw because all of this is already mapped out in our minds. As such, when we see our grades or even just the comments on our papers, we immediately jump to the defense. As David Foster says, "the most important thing for them to remember is that someone who is not them and cannot read their mind is going to have to read [their writing]." For any student in an english classroom, this is hard to pick up. We spend weeks digging into a novel, forming connections and grasping at any tangible meaning we find. When we go into our OQ writing phase, those thoughts are swirling around our heads, and its almost impossible to really separate ourselves from the writing process and get lost in the ideas that we have. However, the mark of an experienced writer would be someone that is able to really focus in on the language and the tonality, the nuance and the eloquence of their essay. For some, this is easy, as they know exactly what they want to say and they can say it in a concise way. For others, they are so enamored with the ideas they have that it is hard to use the 50 minutes we get in an effective way. 

"Writing well in the sense of writing something interesting and urgent and alive, that actually has calories in it for the reader — the reader walks away having benefited from the 45 minutes she put into reading the thing" is another interesting quote by David Foster. However, what he doesn't mention is the ability we are all striving for in this room. The ability to put "calories" into writing a great thing in 50 minutes that has language and ideas and vocabulary that can really give the reader something to think about. That is something that we are all trying to achieve; the end goal of this year.