In order to be able to edit and peer-edit my class's Quick Reference Guides, I needed to brush up on my writing skills! In Rules For Writers, I chose four topics to read more about that I thought would benefit the way I write as well as benefit my editing skills. Below I will discuss what I learned from the four topics I chose.
Shifts:
- Make the point of view consistent in person and number/avoid sudden shifts from indirect to direct questions or quotations
- The purpose is to eliminate distracting shifts from your writing. While writing my QRG, I noticed that it was difficult for me to make transitions from paragraph to paragraph. I found that writing questions after breaks that lead into my next point was very helpful in making the shifts less awkward.
Parallel Ideas:
- Balance parallel ideas in a series/repeat function words to clarify parallels
- I noticed that I need to pay better attention when writing, particularly with using proper grammar and language within a series. This will make the sentence stronger. Another thing I noticed is that when I read out loud, I am able to notice the awkwardness in my writing, making it easier to change. Although it doesn't mention it specifically in the book, I feel as though a more broad version of the advice given is that, as a writer, you need to be able to balance parallel ideas and themes from paragraph to paragraph, rather than just sentence to sentence.
Emphasis:
- Do not subordinate major ideas/avoid ineffective or excessive coordination
- The purpose of this section is to help writers write more clearly and therefore emphasize key ideas. This section will help me write more clear in the future. When writing I need to focus more on determining which ideas are major, and which are minor. This will make my sentence structure stronger and clearer.
Wordy Sentences:
- Avoid pretentious language, most euphemisms, and "doublespeak"/choose an appropriate level of formality
- When I write, I often find that my sentences are overly-wordy. This section reinforced the idea that the point of writing is to get your point across to the reader, not impress them. However, some parts of this section seemed obvious; for instance, don't use sexist or offensive language. This isn't particularly helpful advice because I feel like this should already be known.
Reflection:
After editing two of my classmates QRG's, I realized that what I read in Rules for Writers wasn't extremely helpful to me. While other's may have found the book helpful, I thought that a lot of the instructions and recommendations were overly specific and fairly obvious, and therefore, not easily identifiable in the QRG's. The one section I found most helpful when editing the QRGs was the section on parallel ideas. Because QRG's are discussing a specific controversy and as writers, we are discussing and reporting both sides, this section was helpful in the organization of parallel ideas. Additionally, the section on shifts kind of helped me think more about how to transition from one idea to the next. Overall, I think the chapters I read had many pieces of advice that were too specific and focused on the structure of each sentence, rather than the overall organization of ideas. I found that our other book, "A Student's Guide to First Year Writing," was more helpful because it provided more information on the structure of the overall piece of writing you are evaluating. I personally think that small details like sentence structure are dependent on the writer's style and what the genre they are writing in.
In Cynthia's QRG draft, she wrote...
"There are those who believe in the right for Americans to
use the drug recreationally because compared to tobacco or alcohol, it is
essentially harmless. The mortality rate is zero, as nobody has ever died from
an overdose of marijuana.
There is another sub-section of those who are
pro-legalization, and these are the doctors and scientists who believe in the
medical benefits of the drug. They believe it is a cheaper and more efficient
alternative to treating mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, or
insomnia."
In these two paragraphs she clearly shifted well from one idea to the next, by placing two different arguments next to each other. However, one thing I recommended to her was that it may flow even more easily if she uses questions or guiding titles between her paragraphs that reference what she will be talking about next. In Clarity, the "Shifts" section said to avoid sudden shifts or changes of pace. I feel as though adding questions between paragraphs would help slow the pace of the article, and provide a clearer path to the information she wants her reader to get from the QRG.
"Who represents each side?
- SIDE 1
- Women
in the industry that have been mistreated or want to see more gender
diversity
- Women
activists
- Women
entrepreneurs
- SIDE 2
- Women
who have had good experiences
- The
major companies in the silicon valley"
It was refreshing to see a new textual format within the QRG, however, I feel as though this information is so important that she could expand upon it by actually writing full written responses like she does towards the beginning and ends of her article. In Clarity, I read about emphasis and how to clearly distinguish between major and minor ideas when writing. Although this doesn't apply directly to the structure of the text I am referencing, I feel as though it does indirectly to the points she makes. By distinguishing between the major and minor ideas and points in the text, she can determine which information is the most important that she can expand upon. As a reader, I wanted to know more about the points she was listing. She does continue and expand many of her points in text later, it may be helpful to have it all in one place for a more organized effect. However, this is completely dependent on the reader and the writer, both seemed to work effectively.
