Colon1

Vanessa Colon

Instructor: Jeff Sturges

English 101

27 October 2004

Research Paper

Good Writing: Opinion and Process

A teenager is sitting in high school English class; his assignment is to read William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Bored and unable to focus, he is daydreaming, “If they only made Shakespeare in comic books.”Every high school student, at some point, is required to read Shakespeare’s work; but how many of them enjoy or even understand what they are reading?Was William Shakespeare a good writer? An executive is rushing home from work. All he could think about all day was “Will that poor lady and her son make it out of the car alive?” He rushes through the front door and settles in to finish off the Stephen King novel, Cugo. Some readers think Stephen King is the best author on the face of the earth; others hate his writing. Is Stephen King a good writer? Individual taste has to be a consideration. To some, good writing is whatever they need at the time. Aprofessor might consider good writing grammatically correct with excellent sentence structure. On the other hand,someone who is in the mood to read fiction might consider good writing an interesting plot with well-developed characters.Taste is the driving factor behind what people want to read, but it is not the only aspect to consider when talking about good writing. Donald Hall, author of the book Writing Well, says there are at least three stepsone can take toachievea good writing process. Reading is the first step. The second stepisprewriting, the art of studying, thinking about, and discussing writing with other people. The third and final step, Hall says, is to“Write, rewrite, and rewrite” (18).Rewriting is a process within itself. The essential elements of rewriting are revising, editing, and proofreading. Good writing is a matter of individual taste and the result of a multi-stepped process comprised of basic skills.

Defining good writing is like defining beauty in that it is in the eye of the beholder. The perfect example is when you see a beautiful women and she is walking, holding hands with a man that is so ugly. You think to yourself, “I don’t know what she sees in him?” You don’t know, because you don’t know them. She may see what a beautiful person he is on the inside, and not notice his rough exterior; or she may like the way he looks because everyone has different taste in men; or he may just have a lot of money. Whatever the case may be, if she thinks he is beautiful then he is, to her! Whatever the readers like or need is good writing to them. Writers have to make good, lasting first impressions. Readerswill not remember the writer whose work they liked as much as they will remember the writer whose work they did not like. There is a reason why Shakespeare is “required” reading in all schools. There is no doubt that he was an outstanding author and poet …...400 years ago. In today’s day and age, readers scratch their head and ask, “Why is this author famous? I can't understand what he is trying to say". This can be attributed to the fact that most readers want instant gratification. They want an easy read. Readers don’t want a translator to have to tell them the meaning of every line. The readers want different styles and the authors give it to them. It is a supply and demand business. The demand is for all kinds of writing in all kinds of styles. The supply is the countless writers providing what the readers want, when they want it. Stories with differentplots and characters, references with different objectives, and most importantly satisfaction are the goals.As is beauty, good writing is amatter of taste. The writing industry is there to make sure there is something to satisfy the various tastes of different readers.

Beginning writers should start out by writing what they like to read. If they don’t read they should start reading a lot of what they would like to write. According to Hall, the first step in his three-steppedprocess to achieve a good writing processis to readgoodwriting. “Gradually, we acquire the manners that make the good writing we admire. It is like learning a foreign language by living with a family that speaks it, by shopping in it, and by listening to television shows with dialogue in it…reading helps slowly, but keeps on helping”(Hall 14, 18).One should read, not only to receive new ideas,but alsoto understand the writer's methods. Most experts agree with Hall. They toobelieve that reading is a stepping-stone in good writing. The book Strategies for Successful Writing: ARhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, and Handbook, states that:

“As you read, the views of others, the experiences they relate, and the information they present often deepen your understanding of yourself, your relationships, and your surroundings. In turn, this broadened perspective can supply you with writing ideas.” (Reinking, Hart, and Osten 414)

Readers should start by reading what they like, but they should not limit themselves. They should try different styles and complexities to broaden their prospective on reading and writing. Peter Elbow, author of the book Writing with Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process, talks about “really reading”, which is getting meaning and experience out of the words. . “Really reading” is a choice that the reader makes to either comprehend or to just get through it.

Reading is a form of pre-writing. Pre-Writing is studying, thinking about, and discussing writing with other people. Itis the second step in Hall’s three-stepped process to achieve a good writing process (18).Studying can be as basic as reading or it can be as formal as taking a college course. As detailed in the Course Procedure Sheet for Jeff Sturges’ English 101 class, development of writing, and critical reading and thinking are among the many things taught in his class (1). Studying writing, no matter what form, is the birth of a good writer. Just thinking about writing iswriting in a sense. Harry Shaw, author of 20 Steps to Better Writing, says that good authors “write” all day long (10). As they go about their normal lives, they eat, drink, and sleep writing. The late Somerset Maugham, a praised and successful writer, once said:

“The author does not only write when he’s at his desk, he writes all day long, when he is thinking, when he is reading, when he is experiencing: everything he sees and feels is significant to his purpose and, consciously or unconsciously, his is forever storing and making over his impressions.” (qtd. in Shaw 10-11)

Discussing writing with other people is important. By talking and getting others opinions, it enhances your own ideas. Strategies for Successful Writing: ARhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, and Handbook says “asking questions can broaden your prospective and provide information that will help you to write” (Reinking, Hart, and Osten 22).Pre-writing is the foundation of good writing.

Pre-writing clears a path forthe actual writing process. When learning to write, experts recommend writing something everyday. This is also part of the third and final step in Hall’s three-stepped process to achieve a good writing process. Hall says, “Write, rewrite, and rewrite.” (18).Writing is a skill and somewhat of a habit. It will come more naturally to some people than it will to others, and as with any other habit, it will form. Writing a little everyday in a journal or about memories will help in the formation of this writing habit. It takes practice and a lot of hard work. Shaw’s suggestion for easing the hard work ofwriting is to “sit down to write what you have thought and not sit down to think what you will write” (6).This is very good advice because getting the words on paper is the most difficult step. Writing is never great the first time, rewriting is what makespoor writing good, and good writing great.There are two ways to look at rewriting. One way is revision and the other is redrafting. Revision is changing words and sentences to make ideas more clear or to improve the natural flow of the words. During the revisionprocess,writing is seenfrom the reader’s point of view.A reader can always see things more clearly then the writer, even if they are the same person.John Brereton, author of A Plan for Writing, contends that there are three things to consider when revising and they are:

  • The Thesis: Are you trying to prove something that would take a whole book to prove? Do all of the paragraphs back up the one point made in the thesis sentence?Is there a new more interesting approach?
  • Paragraph Structure: Does each paragraph have a single main idea? Does that main idea clearly relate to the thesis sentence? Does each paragraph have enough supporting detail to back up the topic? Can you think of better examples?
  • Sentences: Do all the sentences follow the same dull pattern? Do they often begin with the same words? Can some be combined? Can concrete language replace ordinary words? Are your sentences clear with good grammar and usage? Do you find any fragments or run-ons? (87)

Redrafting is taking the revisions and rewriting them into another draft. There is no limit to rewriting. It should be done as many times as necessary until there is a clear and concise outcome. Rewriting shapescharacters, strengthens dialogue, takes out unneeded description, and corrects structural errors.Harry Shaw said,“There is no such thing as good writing. There is only good rewriting.” (125)

Editing and proofreading are also a part of the rewriting process and they are often confused with each other. They are similar but each has their own separate functions. In Diana Hacker’s A Writers Reference, it says editing focuses on refining grammar, punctuation, and mechanics on the draft (21). It is not just adding missing words as some might think. Editing takes place after the work has been through revision and rewriting. Often a piece of work will go through revision and rewriting several times before it gets to the editing stage. The writer should edit hisown work by reading it backwards, sentence by sentence. This will make sentences that do not make sense stand out. Someone other then the writer should also edit the work. Peer editing is having the student writers check each other’s work. It is commonplace in colleges because it is a useful tool. It not only helps the writers, but the peer editors as well. In publishing, this job goes to a copyeditor. Copyeditors also check facts to make sure they are accurate. The Bedford Guide for College Writers says that “sometimes as a writer you pay more attention to what you want to say than to how you say it” (A-2). That is why it is always good to have a fresh opinion. Computers are very helpful in editing too. Some programs correct commonly misspelled words automatically. The spelling and grammar check feature usually makes suggestions on alternative spelling and punctuation errors. Even though it can be very helpful, do not depend on the computer to be the sole editor. It will not detect all errors.

Proofreading,like editing,is checking for errors, but the errors checked for in proofreading are on the final draft and should be oversights at this point. Brereton states that these oversights will not be in ideas or paragraph development, but in spelling, faulty punctuation, incorrect capitalization, and words left out.Proofreading is the final step in the writing process, and therefore is very important. Brereton also says that there are five things to remember when proofreading and they are:

  • Save plenty of time. [It is] best to put your rewritten paper away for a while and come back to it fresh for a final proofreading. That way you will be able to see it with new eyes and perhaps spot mistakes that slipped by.
  • Read the paper as slowly as possible. You may not think you’re a speedy reader, but when it comes to your own work you are. You rush through it because you already know what is in it. [Nevertheless], you should be looking for careless errors, slips of the pen. You will never find them unless you read word by word, sometimes even letter by letter. (For bad cases of carelessness, one technique is to put a pencil dot under every letter to force the eye to go slowly.)
  • Read the paper [aloud].Sometimes, by saying aloud every word, you can see what is missing. ([However], this won’t work if you read too fast; again reading slowly is the key.)
  • Have a friend read the paper to you.Another set of eyes can remove many errors.
  • Know what you usually get wrong.Do you confuse “its” and “it’s”? Then look carefully every time you see them in your paper...Your instructor’s comments and markings on previous essays are the best guide to your problem areas…These problems are guaranteed to remain with you unless you make an attempt to cope with them. The first step toward coping is to know where the trouble lies. (88)

It is much easier to proofread someone else’s writing. One looks for mistakes in the writing of others and is sometimes blind to their own. Possessing strong language and reading skills will make proofreading easier. Not just reading, but proofreading will detect careless errors.

Good writing is a combination of one’s taste and having a good writing process. Individual taste is what drives people to read. If all there was to read was Shakespeare there would be many non-readers in the world today. Fortunately, for everyone there are millions of authors with all different writing styles and ideas to give the readers what they want. Having different types of things to read is a great learning tool. No matter what genre, the writing process is all the same. Reading, in one form or another, is found in all three of Hall’s steps to achieve good writing. This makes reading a very significant factor. Pre writing, another of Hall’s steps, is essential in opening doors to allow ideas to flow and to create a basis for writing. Then, all that is left is to write and rewrite and write some more. Rewriting may take as long, or longer, then the actual writing but, it is also just as important. Good writing allows the writer to be taken seriously, and being taken seriously is imperative in communicating ideas. If a person's writing is awkward and clumsy, readers get the mistaken notion the person is that way, too.

Works Cited

Brereton, John C. A Plan for Writing.New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1978.

Elbow, Peter. Writing with Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process. New York: OxfordUniversity Press, 1981.

Hacker, Diana. AWriter’s Reference. 5thed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003.

Hall, Donald. Writing Well. 3rd Ed. Boston/Toronto: Little, Brown, c1979.

Kennedy, X.J and Dorothy M., and Sylvia A. Holladay. The Bedford Guide for College Writers. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2002.

Reinking, James A., Andrew W. Hart, and Robert von der Osten. Strategies for Successful Writing: ARhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, and Handbook. 5th Ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, c1999.

Shaw, Harry. 20 Steps to Better Writing. Totowa,N.J.: Littlefield, Adams, 1982, c1975.

Sturges, Jeff. Course Procedure Sheet: English 101: Composition. Sierra Vista, AZ: CochiseCommunity College, Fall 2004