2. What was your most instructive failure?
My most instructive failure during my college experience was attempting to create a video for the final project in my communication in the small group class. Although the final project was about our understanding of class concepts like systems theory, we ended up spending too much time on video editing because the software we were using was advanced and confusing. I remember one frustrating afternoon turned night at the library trying to make everything download properly and when I showed up to class to present the next day found that it actually did not. This failure taught me to use my knowledge of rhetoric and genre to create a back up plan, or adapt important material to a different form in case issues like technical difficulties arise. Reflecting back on the experience, I could have used that night in the library to collaborate with my group on a different way to present the information outside of a video as a back up.
3. Would you call yourself a writer? Why or why not?
I call myself a writer because it is part of my identity. Personally I write for relief when I'm feeling anxious, to document a beautiful moment to reflect back on later, to indulge my creativity and to speak my mind on issues that matter as an engaged civic participant. I believe writing and reading is a way to contribute to a larger human conversation that transcends time and space, a mode of communication that is not instant but still very powerful. Writing is also a large part of my professional identity since I market my writing skills and experience on LinkedIn and online writing portfolio for potential employers and graduate programs.
4. What particular knowledge have you acquired about writing, rhetoric, or learning that you value most?
I value my study of writing and rhetoric because it challenges me to question my current behaviors and ideology that governs them. Studying rhetoric, theory and criticism has trained me how to think critically and question the way things are. I plan to study the history of Western thought from ancient Greece to now, specifically the interplay between ideology and politics because it's interesting to me how the ideological state apparatus governs individuals' actions to conform to the dominant narrative. This knowledge helped me not accept everything the way it's presented and realize it's good to be uncomfortable because there is always something that could be done to improve the quality of life for others in the world.
5. What kinds of writing do you find most challenging?
I believe I am a multifaceted writer but the genre most challenging to me is fiction. I love the idea of fiction writing but the possibilities are endless and that causes me some anxiety. Sometimes I will get an idea for a fiction story and develop an outline but because there are so many possibilities I get overwhelmed and never finish my story. I am in intermediate fiction writing this semester and plan to improve my skills in that genre. I believe I am strongest in nonfiction and my favorite genre is rhetorical and literary criticism. I also love science fiction, anything dystopia, and poetry.
6. What parts of the writing process cause the most anxiety and/or the most joy?
Like mentioned before, the endless possibilities in fiction writing causes me some anxiety. Other parts of the writing process that gives me anxiety is getting started and the revision process. Getting started causes me anxiety because I have nothing to work with already; it is a situation requiring creative invention. Once I do start and allow myself to be creative, even when writing nonfiction, I feel much better. It's just the initial jump feels intimidating. The revision process causes anxiety because I never know when to stop, I feel like my work can constantly be improved. The part of the writing process that gives me joy is finishing a piece and sharing it with others. This part used to cause me anxiety but after four years as an English major I have learned my strongest work is a product of peer workshops and revision.
Hi Addie,
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that stood out for me here was your comment about how the study of theory and criticism helped you to "question the way things are," including your own ideology and behaviors. As I thought about that, it struck me that you nicely articulated the purpose of a liberal arts education-, which is to give students the tools to "see through" ideas that seem settled, and understand how language and authority make things they way they are. At your age, I didn't have nearly as sophisticated understanding of the importance of theory and criticism as you do. I'd like to hear more about the challenges you find with invention in the writing process. Though it's not unusual to feel anxiety about producing material when faced with a blank page, I wonder whether you've experimented with a range of invention strategies, including writing badly, producing fast drafts, listing, and so on. This is a topic I'd like to discuss as a group, and maybe you can get us started. I taught a class last semester (ask Jeff and Becca) that focused on revision theory and practice, and one of the things that became apparent was how impoverished our understanding is of revision strategies. Do you feel like you were taught how to revise in a range of genres?
Dr. Ballenger,
DeleteI think invention strategies would be a great topic for class discussion. I have not tried the strategies you mentioned and believe they would help in my writing process. I have been taught some revision strategies but not in a range of genres and would greatly benefit from a discussion on them, for my understanding is definitely impoverished. See you Tuesday!
Hi Addie, thanks for your post. It surprised me to read that you find fiction to be most challenging, which I think is the easiest for me because I can be utterly creative while drawing upon real life experiences. Fiction, to me, is like writing non-fiction on crack because I can throw truth out the window. Wouldn't it be a hoot to find out that you're great at it, while I'm just plain terrible, haha. I'd like to address what you bring up with that declaration, which is how you feel anxiety about it because the possibilities are endless. On the flipside, finding and ending (in any genre, minus poetry) is what causes me the most anxiety. I have a lot of unfinished work, but because of some acquired revision theory and practice tools, I can finally go back and see about either finishing, or not. You say you like finishing a piece and sharing it with others, which is great. You say your writing has benefitted from workshops na peer review - how do you feel about sharing your early drafts with people? Is it easy, or does it cause anxiety because of its roughness?
ReplyDeleteGreat question, Jeffrey. I do get a sense of anxiety sharing early drafts with others because of its roughness but I know doing so will only improve my writing. How do you feel about sharing work with others?
ReplyDeleteOh man, so many of my academic failures have happened during group projects. I feel your pain! I also love your answer on why you call yourself a writer - because it's part of your identity. Writing isn't just something I do, it's what I am, and it's linked to so many parts of me! Your point that it "transcends time and space" as a kind of communication "that is not instant but still very powerful" is AWESOME. You found a great way to put that feeling I always have into words.
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