Somerstein 1
Cerena J. Somerstein
Instructor: Jeff Sturges
English 101
13 November 2004
Revision of Research Paper
Encountering the Blank Paper:
Things That One Should Never Forget
Hemingway, when asked what was the most frightening thing he ever encountered, answered: “A blank sheet of paper” (Quotegarden.com). Many others would agree with Hemingway’s statement because they have a fear of writing; they don’t truly understand what steps need to be taken in order to write adequately, much less splendidly. There are plenty of books on how to achieve good writing, yet many writers cannot fully grasp all the rules of the written English language. Although formal or informal writing is necessary for most individuals on a day to day basis, it is astonishing how many people do not have the slightest notion of how to achieve good writing. The secret to achieving a well written, publishable piece of work lies in the mastering of format, grammar, literary devices, and aesthetic appeal. If all of these basic steps are done properly, the writer should be able to paint a visual picture to which the reader can relate.
Good writing begins when authors have an understanding of their targeted audience. Memering acknowledged this to be true when he stated, “Writing that is directed at no one in particular usually fails” (Memering et al. 11). Isn’t this very true? If writers begin to write with no intention of directing their words to at least one specific person, for what are they writing? Even if they were writing strictly for themselves, in perhaps a journal, that would be better than to direct it at no one at all. Knowing who the audience is helps writers know how to proceed and have some understanding of what their audience would approve or disapprove. This does not mean that writers will please their audience completely, but at least the writers’ will know they honestly tried to accommodate the general public as best as they could. After all, good writing is only as good as the reader makes it; therefore, the writer needs to have an efficient, well structured plan if the writer wants to succeed with the task at hand.
Somerstein 1
Good writing is planned writing. When anyone sits down and attempts to write something, that person usually has a general idea of what they would like to state. In some cases, this is not so and outlines may be needed. If writers have an outline, they should roughly know how to get to the desired destination: the conclusion. Many times when people are reading, they can easily point out that the work is very unorganized and scattered. As a writer, it would be quite simple to avoid this common mistake by pre-writing, or as some would call it, making an outline. A lot of times writers may find that their finished written document might not mirror their outline exactly, but they will surely notice that it has helped them get from point “A” to point “B” with fewer obstacles. As noted by Maureen Crane Wartski, writers “rarely have a clear and complete vision of what [their] story will become,” when they begin the writing process (20-21). Many times reading material can be very educational and entertaining, but the author’s lack of organization will make it rather difficult to interpret the paper correctly. An important detail of the outline is presenting an obvious and clear thesis statement.
A thesis statement should be a glimpse of what the paper will offer the reader. As the thesis statement usually appears in the beginning of a document, the author has to make sure it is an attention-catching statement, quote, or anecdote. “The opening is the most important segment of the work, not because it may contain extraordinary literary deployment, but because if we lose on [sic] readers here, we’ll never get them back” (35). This statement by William Noble is true. If we don’t attain and keep the readers attention in the very beginning, then chances are they will not read the rest of the document. Readers should be able to glance at any written information, easily pick out which sentence was intended to be the thesis statement, and from there decide if they are remotely interested in that subject. It is evident that a thesis statement is the focus of the introduction. If the thesis statement is not interesting, educational, or funny in some way, chances are that the reader will be distracted, and the paper will go unread.
Readers may also be easily bored if the writing lacks enough information to keep them happily engaged in the thinking process. Content is something many readers may take for granted because they overlook all of the research that went into creating that paper. It may seem obvious that enough well-developed information needs to be included in the document, but it is not always that simple. Writers need to make sure before they actually begin writing that they have enough pertinent information to fill the allotted space. “Writing comes more easily if [writer’s] have something to say,” pertaining to that particular topic (Quotegarden.com). When Sholem Asch said this he was attempting to point out to writers that it is much easier to write when the content is something that intrigues the writers’ themselves. The reader must have a feeling that the body of writing has examined all aspects of the topic and has left nothing unsaid. If writers want their audience to understand the information completely, there should not only be enough thought provoking information, but there must also be well placed punctuation throughout the piece of writing.
What is the point in punctuation? “Punctuation marks are to the reader what highway signs are to the driver” (McDavid et al. 326). Can you imagine what it would be like to drive down a busy highway without any of the familiar road signs? Many also wonder why they must place a period here, and a comma there, but just imagine how certain documents would read if punctuation marks were not in place? When most people come across a period or comma they will subconsciously take a brief pause in their reading. If this is the case, and there are misplaced punctuation marks, then readers will pause when the writer did not intend them to, which can cause the writing to convey a different meaning than what was intended. It seems that Mark Twain shared my opinion on this when he said, “The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause (Mirriam-Goldberg 48).
Like punctuation, spelling is a critical aspect of good writing for a number of obvious reasons. If writers disregard how many words they may or may not misspell in their writing, then it might seem as if the writer doesn’t care about the outcome. At that point the reader will probably lose respect for the writer and whatever it is that they are reading. In some instances the writer will deliberately misspell words to create a different effect. For example, if writers wanted to quote someone who was speaking slang, then it would be appropriate to misspell a word or two. Only under those circumstances would it be advised for a writer to misspell a word.
Although spelling is highly important, grammar is the very foundation upon which a relationship between the writer and reader is based. Most people have some basic knowledge of English grammar, so this should be the middle ground for writers to connect with their readers. At the same time grammar is also a part of good writing with which many writers seem to have a problem. Although writers often disregard the rules, they are extremely necessary because they set standards and expectations with which everyone should be able to connect. Rules regarding grammar are constantly changing, but they are nevertheless highly important. “Your audience decides when you’ve broken a rule. There won’t be any point trying to sort out big mistakes from little ones: all mistakes are big” (85). This is an extremely valid point that Pinckert makes to explain that no matter the size or the quantity of mistakes in a written document; a mistake is still a mistake. Due to the high standard to which grammar is held, it is important that a writer be meticulous when grammar rules are concerned. Grammar, much like sentence structure, is an extremely tricky detail when attempting to write.
There is nothing more distracting when a person is reading than run-on sentences and sentence fragments. Sentence structure is a vital aspect of good writing, and thankfully the rules about this surface error are plain and simple. Either these rules are followed or they are not. There is no such sentence that is “kind of a run-on” or “kind of a fragment.” In everyday speech a run-on or sentence fragment would be able to go undetected, but in written English this is not the case. During a conversation with another individual, if a person needs further expansion on a particular topic, then they may make a needed gesture or signal indicating that they don’t quite understand something. Where writing is concerned, authors do not have the advantage of immediate feedback, so it is highly important to make sure your writing does not include either one of those distracting mistakes commonly made in the written English language (McDavid et al. 18). Making those mistakes repeatedly would not be wise.
Repeatedly writing the same content over and over again, is a good way to loose the reader’s attention. Repetition, in some rare cases, is necessary, but most readers would agree that it is unnecessary and insults the intelligence of the audience. The reader may feel as if the writer is being condescending and will immediately lose respect for the writer and his work. Unless authors have been informed otherwise, they should write on the assumption that the audience is as educated as themselves. If writers fail to do this, they may unknowingly lose their readers because the audience will feel insulted. Good writing should not consist of anything repetitious.
A metaphor is a halfway mark where almost anyone can meet; it makes a reader feel as if they are in familiar territory even if they are embarking on a completely new idea. Aristotle once said, “To employ metaphors happily and effectively was the greatest skill in writing, and, to do so it was necessary to have an eye for resemblances” (Donald et al. 178). Many would agree with the great philosopher and believe that these wonderful play on words are a necessity in good writing, for they paint a picture and make the most common person, place or thing come alive with familiarity. Metaphors are always helpful to your writing because they are imaginative comparisons that make your reader visualize your topic from a different perspective. Metaphors are not an actual comparison, so your audience could interpret it in a number of ways, which would eliminate the possibility of many disliking your writing. A metaphor is the best way to illustrate an idea or a transition.
A smooth transition should tell a story all by itself. A transition by definition means, “A passing from one condition to another” (Agnes). This is probably one of the most difficult skills to master because it requires elegance. Elegance will help you easily glide from one topic to another without confusing or losing the reader’s attention. When anyone is trying to write they need to keep in mind that the reader does not have a copy of the original outline, so the author must provide one for them (Donald et. al 54). That is where smooth transitions come into play, and that is why they are so very necessary. If transitions are done correctly, the reader should have some idea about what is to come next. These divisions should be clear and precise, but yet the reader should never be fully aware that any change has even occurred. Most times this occurs when authors write with only one intention: to express themselves clearly.
An author by the name of Robert Gunning said it best when he simply stated, “Write to express, not impress!” (177-179) This author had a wonderful concept that completely summed up good writing with five easy words. Mr. Gunning is aware that simplicity is an art that few have mastered. Many people who attempt to write make the common mistake of trying to impress readers with their choice of fancy words, and in actuality, may push the reader away from their work. Jacques Barzon agreed with Gunning when he wrote, “Prefer the short word to the long; the concrete to the abstract; and the familiar to the unfamiliar” (Barzon 13). If all writers wrote with just the intention of expressing themselves, then most books would get directly to the point, and would be astonishingly easy to read. Although this would be a refreshing skill for all to learn, “some still try to impress with borrowed thoughts from others” (Gunning 177-179). All authors should write as readers so that they have a complete understanding of how their writing would appear to their audience. Words should never be forced and should seem natural.
Words should flow from the heart through the pen. For many, writing is a form of self expression, so one should expect that a large amount of literary works will be emotional, inspirational, or depressing. Emotion, either positive or negative, must be evident in whatever the reader chooses to read. Eleanor Roosevelt was known for elaborating on her thoughts on this very issue. She believed it was most important not to write a story, but to tell your story. She once stated, “No writing has any real value which is not the expression of genuine thought and feeling” (Mirriam-Goldberg 101). There are many different types of emotions that reading can provoke in an individual because there are so many different types of writing that are considered to be good. It is crucial for an author to touch the reader on a personal level, so that the reader will feel as if the author were speaking directly to them. Writing is simply an extension of the thinking process, and it should flow naturally from beginning to end.