This semester I'm taking a required writing class called Composition and Research. One of our first assignments was to write a "writer's biography". We were to discuss how we perceive ourselves as writers, our strengths, our weaknesses, and how we want to improve. In my essay I mentioned that writing for class is painful and painstaking. I'm paralyzingly self-critical. But the more I think about it and the more time I put into this class, the more I realize how desperately I want to become a good writer. At the end of my paper, Dr. Beal wrote, "Think confident." That was all.
Today I got back my first big writing assignment. I put a lot of time into it, but knew it wasn't particularly good. I got a B+. This is okay. It wasn't that great. But I'm troubled because I don't know how to improve it. Dr. Beal wrote, "Good work. To improve, work on style."
Work on style?
Think confident?
What should I do?
I guess writing is like playing the piano. You won't improve unless you practice. But how can I improve without more specific guidance? How do I know what's weak about my writing if I'm not told?
5 comments:
You should drop by Dr. Beal's office hours. A lot of profs do a better job talking in person than writing comments.
Also, I'm sorry. That is tremendously frustrating.
I find it ironic that a writing prof would write, "Think confident." -ly! save the adverb! Come on people!
Thanks for the good advice, Sarah. I was going to stop by her office after class today, but I lost my nerve. It should happen tomorrow or Friday.
Preach it, Jeremy!
So I stopped by to see Dr. Beal. She said I have a good prose style and her comments to "improve style" were referring to a specific issue she had pointed out.
So I feel encouraged.
But I still want more advice and criticism. I guess Dr. Beal says and sees things generally and I'm interested in details. Do I have the exact word? The phrase worded in the best way? How can what I said be said better?
I want a writing mentor. (-:
confident was meant to be an adjective.
like: think pink. your thinking isn't supposed to be pinkly. it's supposed to surround your thoughts.
or, How shall we design this room? Think Romanesque. it's an adjective.
(that's what i think, anyways)
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