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I find this chapter of Elbow, very enlightening. The idea of writing without a teacher seems so foreign and even impossible. Because of my own experience of writing training, always a feeling of being “under the gun” accompanied it. Elbow expresses certain ways of looking at our own writing abilities and perceiving them differently. I mean the difference between, say, my writing and other people’s experience of my writing never really stood out to me. I feel almost selfish and pigheaded in a sense. It seems, after reading Elbow, I’d been so introspective and worried over only what I think about “my” writing, and not so much how others perceive it. That sounds strange, but it really feels like I’ve been doing just that.
Believing that the focus on the “objective qualities” of my writing speaks to the limits of what I’ve known and understood about how to write (85). Perception makes all the difference in the world when it comes to meaning and interpretation of the what the writer is trying to say. I can look at everything with a broader spectrum. It’s not only about getting out what you want to say and how you want to say them, it’s getting out thoughts in a way that will be interpreted by the reader in resulting in the same way they sound to your in your head.
This all sounds simple, and Elbow provides a nice set of “processes” that outline his point. It’s is whole thing, though, the “process”. Either way, I am glad to know that there does exist a system or a method which takes the scary part out of writing, or at least reduces it. Elbow puts a lot of emphasis on the reader. I believe that this focus on the reader is something that the writing instruction which I endured left out. It sounds like a very important piece to the puzzle has been missing; Elbow seems to have found it.
1 comment:
MDJ69, Reading your post, it would seem that you believe in what Elbow has to say. If that is the case, then you are also in all likelihood genuinely concerned with improving your own writing. Therefore, in the spirit of Elbow, I am going to highlight what I thought was unclear in your post.
MDJ69: I find this chapter of Elbow, very enlightening. The idea of writing without a teacher seems so foreign and even impossible. Because of my own experience of writing training, always a feeling of being “under the gun” accompanied it.
Jonathan: This section would benefit greatly from Elbow’s suggestion to read your writing aloud. As it is, this selection makes little sense and leaves the reader rather confused.
MDJ69: never really stood out to me.
Jonathan: Did you mean to say that it never occurred to you? For clarity’s sake, I might even consider moving this (after a little rewording) to the beginning of the sentence.
MDJ69: I feel almost selfish and pigheaded in a sense. It seems, after reading Elbow, I’d been so introspective and worried over only what I think about “my” writing, and not so much how others perceive it. That sounds strange, but it really feels like I’ve been doing just that.
Jonathan: The idea in this section might be clear to you, unfortunately something gets lost in translation. Consider revising this section.
MDJ69: Perception makes all the difference in the world when it comes to meaning and interpretation of the what the writer is trying to say.
Jonathan: Explain to the reader why perception makes all the difference when deciphering meaning and interpretation?
MDJ69: I can look at everything with a broader spectrum.
Jonathan: Think about this sentence in a literal sense. Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, right? I mean I can’t very well go down to the local science store, purchase a broader spectrum and look at things, can I?
MDJ69: It’s is whole thing, though, the “process”.
Jonathan: Too vague.
MDJ69: Elbow puts a lot of emphasis on the reader.
Jonathan: Are you sure about this? If so, you have to defend this position against one that would argue that Elbow’s ultimate goal is to produce better writers.
MDJ69: It sounds like a very important piece to the puzzle has been missing; Elbow seems to have found it.
Jonathan: Actually, this sentence is almost perfect. Aside from the word ‘sounds’, this sentence is clear and concise. This sentence works.
Mea Culpa,
and Cheers,
Jonathan
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