Chrissy's English 328 Blog

2004-03-02T21:11:00.000-08:00

I skimmed through a few of the class blogs and found many of them to be similar. Strunk and White and Willliams were the main focus of debate. I find these books a nessicary evil. They are boring. Nobody is honestly enjoying them. But I suppose we will all learn something, as I have just read. Everyone seems to have found something of interest to them. I feel the essay should be less about instruction manuals and more about the new concepts which hopefully will unveil themselves in the coming days.

2004-03-02T21:03:00.000-08:00

Style vs Technology

I think it is obvious that style and grammer rules are dictated by technology. The available tools for writing change the amount of effort needed to convey the message. If writing is a highly complicated process, then the style will be basic and short and concise. People waste words today because their is an over abundance of them and they are all easy to use. If you carve words slowly and diliberately into bark, then words will not be wasted. The words in that situation will be well thought out and direct.
I don't think that every single grammer rule is equally important. I also think one can have a good writing style without being correct. Many of the rules of writing still being teached were developed in the era of handwriting and type writing. It is possible that with the inverntion of word processing software, the rules of writing will change. Writing is easier then ever to produce now and that makes it unneccisarily complicated. The Joseph Williams Style book addresses the usage of complex language that is not needed. This step in the direction of simplicity may becoming more important as people get fed up with the tossing around of long words.
So, technology and style...hmm.. Web pages, like this one, bring stream of conciousness back into trend in the writing world. I can write exactly what I am thinking at any given moment whether the world is ready for it or not. Scary.

2004-02-15T19:42:00.000-08:00

I found some useful advice in the William's book. I think the first step to improving writing is knowing where it stands. I need to figure out my strengths and my weaknesses before I can actually improve. My paper grade took me by surprise and made me realize my writing may not be up to snuff. I feel the things I need to mostly improve apun are some of the MLA rules about citations and using citations in the body of the paper. I also feel that I need to organize my points better so stronger connections can be made.
I feel my sentence structures are good. I think my writing is concise and to the point. Perhaps, I need to have more information on my point, and perhaps a few grammatical clean ups. The strunk and White book is a good reference for grammatical problems. The Williams book is better for organizational issues. Both books address things the Writer needs to be aware of. Strunk and White offers some good advice about strong verbs and not using indicators which I like.
I also feel that many of the points in Strunk and White are subconcious things we do while we are writing. A seasoned writer will not stop and think about all of those rules, they will just happen. Proof reading will serve as a safety net for when it doesn't go as planned. That's all I got for now.

2004-02-12T12:21:00.000-08:00

My Selection
“Advantageous to all students are not only the cultural activities of the metropolitan areas, both within a 45-minute drive from the campus, but also the resources of its sister city, Ann Arbor, home of The University of Michigan.”

EMU students enjoy the cultural advantages of Ann Arbor and Detroit. Both cities are within a 45-mile radius of EMU.

First I used the rule of placing the most important information at the beginning of the statement. That is a really important thing that both of our books mention. People stay focused on what is important if it is presented first. Next, I separated this really long sentence into two concise short sentences. These two sentences get the main point across clearly, which is something our stylebook stresses. The first sentence is a mix of fancy words that should be organized differently. I also found it a bit redundant to mention the location of Uof M. Eastern has a mostly Michigan native student body. Everyone that attends school here should already know that Uof M is located in Ann Arbor. Also, the term “Metropolitan Area” covers both Detroit and Ann Arbor. Those are the only two cities worth such a term in our area. Since Ann Arbor is already mentioned, they could be more specific by eliminating that term and just adding Detroit. Metropolitan sounds more glamorous then Detroit to those of us familiar with the city, so I can understand why they would be hesitant to include it in the description.

2004-02-10T06:47:00.000-08:00

I wrote about the Style book last time, so this time I will write a little bit about Strunk and White and about the Style book. I feel that Extra words should just be eliminated. Most of the time, they are added subconciously, and when we proof read, we can spot and eliminate them. For example, take this sentence: It seemed likely that someone else wanted the box, probably that girl. Now, let's trim that down: I thought the girl wanted the box. That seems alot neater. The Style book also talks about putting the most important information at the beginning of the sentence. That is a good idea. It keeps the reader focused on what is important in the writing. But useless words are the biggest problem in writing. This is not hard to understand in a fast food society where people fill up on junk. The average detroiter, living in one of america's most unfit cities, eats much more junk and leaves the nutrition aspect of eating to a small portion of food. Writing reflects this. Don't stuff all the days's nutrition (Or the information in prose) into a few bites (or sentences). Make the entire paper rich with important detail, like a day should be with nutrients.

2004-02-08T20:11:00.000-08:00

The rules of writing we learn help clarify the author's intent to the reader. Knowledge of these rules alone will not turn a person into a great writer. The important part of telling a story is deciding what elements are important enough to pass on to the reader. It is also important to make writing interesting to hold the reader's attention. Writing, like any other skill, can be improved with practice. I feel one easy way to improve one's writing, is to do alot of good quality reading. Reading skilled authors subconsciously passes on good writing habits to the reader. The brain begins to recognize the different forms used and accepts them. The writer will improve without exertion.
Last semester I read Sense and Sensibility. I enjoyed the book very much. After I finished the book I found I used phrases like, "his manners are most agreeable" and "Finding myself otherwise employed." These phrases seeped into my writing and speech after reading this book. My brain learned through the action of reading Jane Austin. I very much believe in learning by doing. I feel practice is the best way to learn. I feel the best way to learn to write is by reading often and by writing daily.
I once had a writing teacher that required the class to write daily. We could write about any subject and in any style. The point was to practice organizing our thoughts on paper. Any great athlete will confess to working out daily. A writer is no different. Improvement equals daily practice.

2004-01-19T13:20:00.000-08:00

Friday's in class writing
Phadrus-
This article is centered around change. Writing was a major technological change in the days of the greeks. Socrates worried about the effects writing would have on memory. The same arguments occur in today's classrooms over the usage of calculators and spell-check. Teachers worry over the students ability to solve simple math and spelling problems with the use of these devices. This is one possible outcome. Abuse occurs when anything is over used. Technology can be abused and effect the person too greatly. It needs to be used wisely and in moderation to be worth it.

2004-01-19T13:14:00.000-08:00

Individuality is a touchy subject. What some deem acceptable, others do not. To play it safe, people eliminate elements of themselves from bussiness transactions. There are times when it is benificial for a person's writing to contain their own tone and style. You will find that it is hard to seperate yourself from your writing.
Our in class writing excersize asked who society held in esteem. The real answer to that question are celebrities. This means your personality, appearance, and the impression you make on others are your most important attributes. One's style is imbedded in all of these.

2004-01-13T07:52:00.000-08:00

The proceeding article is what I wrote in class. One might notice I never answered the question. When we were writing I forgot there was a question. This is another reason why I favor computer technology. I could go back and change my answer after I notice that I did it wrong. In some ways, I feel we must embrace computer technology because it isn't going way. The powerful forces that drive our economy will continue to push for the latest and greatest in everyone's attempt to make a profit at the end of the day. This process is not going to change. The ability to adapt and to do so quickely will become the most important skill in the job market.

2004-01-13T07:45:00.000-08:00

In Class Writing:
At this moment, I have the feeling I get when I take an in class Essay Exam. I thought for a few moments first, then I started writing. As I am writing, I become frustrtated when I think of better ways to express what I have already written. In class essays require pre-meditated effort because there is no time for revision. Unlike homework assignments where I can change my argumentas I proceed, this type of writing requires me to outline inside my head the basic elements of what I am saying before I begin.
Many times ideas are generated during the writing process. These ideas can become more important then the original point to be proven. The abliity to revise allows for modification of the central argument. I believe this is crucial for the creation of complex thoughts.
When I write, it is a way to empty the thoughts and ideas swimming around in my head. The first time I write them is sometimes my first attempt at organizing them as well.
Although the concept of no revisions allows for more pre-meditated thought, I feel the idea is bad because revisions are important.

2004-01-09T08:03:00.000-08:00

Style is the topic for this piece. So why is style important? One’s style for dressing, writing, decorating all conveys pieces of one’s personality. First impressions are largely based on the individual’s sense of style. Writing acts in the same way. After reading someone’s work or listing to them talk, we often make assumptions on their intelligence, personality and knowledge of the subject matter. The style in which the information is presented influences these decisions.
Although this occurs throughout life, think back to your friends in highschool. In this controlled environment it is easy to spot the style differences within different groups of people. My friends, for the most part, embraced the same style I did. I mostly wore athletic pants and tee shirts to school. I wanted to be comfortable for sitting in class all day. Some groups had multiple piercings and baggy pants. Some people wore trendy club clothes to school. The styles of people acted as a guide navigating me toward the people I felt comfortable around. This still happens today and will continue to happen.
Personal style is something that will grow and change with you. Like the person, it is a living thing that will be influenced by different experiences. My first writings I did when I was seven years old. It was this small piece called, “The Haunted House.” This start to writing still included description but heavily emphasized the plot. Hey, I was only seven. The tone was straightforward. I wasn’t trying to be funny or prove a point. I just wanted to tell a story. My story was about a girl exploring this haunted house and magically escaping. My parents loved it. Really, they just loved the idea of their little girl writing this three-page story. The actual tale probably couldn’t entertain most adults. My style has come along way since then.

2004-01-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

Hi, how are you doing? Welcome to my site, my name is Chrissy. This is my first experience blogging. Do you like to blog? like I said this is my first time. I suppose my next post will be interesting. This is just for administrative purposes.