Vous êtes sur la page 1sur 3

Dustin Hipps Adam Padgett English 1102 April 8th, 2013

Writing Theory

Comment [AP1]: Can you come up with a more creative title?

A paper can be defined as good in several different ways. It is nearly impossible to have one set of classifications when it comes to this. One person could consider a paper excellent, and another person could consider the same paper terrible. It is all based on the opinion of the reader. For example, I may think I did a great job on a paper and deserve a 100 for that, and my English professor could think it needs some work and give me a 75 on it. If this happened to be the case it would be obvious that we have different outlooks on writing. Throughout grade school you are taught things that make a paper good, such as: having a thesis, limiting run-on sentences, being grammatically correct, carrying a conversation, etc. Although these are good tips it doesnt necessarily mean that your paper is good just because you included them. When the topic of a good paper, and appreciating writing is brought up I often refer to music. Not everyone likes rap music or country music, so this could cause someone to think rap music and country music is are terrible. Personally I enjoy a lot of different types of music, but one genre that I do not like is classical music. It is extremely hard for me to listen to composers such as Beethoven and Bach. I am able to appreciate their talent, but I avoid listening to that genre of music if possible. Youre

Comment [AP2]: Okay, so you are writing only in the context of academic papers?

Comment [AP3]: Is that the only conclusion? So by that reasoning, every workshop you participate in, you would disregard any negative criticism.

Comment [AP4]: Okay, so then what definition might you propose?

probably beginning to wonder how this relates to writing and literature. The way that I relate writing and literature to music is like this. Poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and academic are four completely different genres, just like rap, country, classical, and rock are. There are some people that love poetry with a passion, and then there are people like myself that despise it. I know that rap can be considered a form of poetry, but to me they are not even in the same ballpark. I enjoy reading fiction stories, The Giver, and Calico Joe are two books that I have enjoyed. However, my favorite book is Josh Hamiltons biography, Beyond Belief. I am able to enjoy books such as these, but that doesnt mean I like all fiction and non-fiction books and I am sure that there are people that dont like books like these. This also can apply to music. Whether or not a book is good cant be defined by one persons opinion. What one person enjoys and thinks is important in writing could be someone elses last priority. I like a good story that flows well; a thesis statement is not very high on my list of priorities. I feel like an academic paper, news article, story, or any other form of writing shouldnt be considered bad just because the thesis statement isnt clear. However, being grammatically correct is high on my priority list. I cannot stand to read a paper that has grammatical errors such as using words in the wrong form like: theyre, their, and there, are and our, too, to, and two. I understand and accept that this bothers me a lot more than it may bother other people, but it is one of my pet peeves and I cannot help that. Another aspect of writing that is on my list of priorities is a story or paper that flows well and is easy to read. Nothing is worse than having to reread a page or paragraph over and over just to comprehend it because it is boring. Honestly, I do not usually enjoy reading. If Im going to read something I want it to be interesting, not boring. It is hard enough to
Comment [AP5]: Okay, I think I see what you are saying. But I feel like this is a cop out. You seem to be making that argument that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But when ever we see bad writing that is truly bad writing, we can all identify it. I think youre talking about taste. there is some rap that I can recognize its artistry, but I still dont prefer to listen to it on my ipod, because it doesnt fit my tastes. I really want you to make a claim here. what things do you value when you write something? Comment [AP6]: What does this mean? Comment [AP7]: Why? Isnt it high of the priority list of professors? Comment [AP8]: Why? Comment [AP9]: How can you prioritize these things? So are you arguing for style over substance?

make myself read an interesting piece of writing, let alone one that is boring. When I write a paper my main objective is to cover the guidelines and keep the readers attention. It is a lot easier to read something when you are engaged in the story. It makes you want to continue reading, which is always a good thing. Dustin, I think you make some very interesting claims here. Claims that might raise the eyebrows of a lot of teachers/professors. I want to know more of why you believe these things. You say a thesis isnt important, so you need to tell me (and convince me) why you think this. Additionally, your thesis isnt clear. I really cant get a sense of what this paper is supposed to be about, specifically. I know its about writing, but I need more. I need a claim. A thesis is your anchor, without it, the writing tends to meander off with no sense of purpose. This paper short by more than half the required word count. Dig deeper here. give me more substance.
Formatted: Left

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi