3. Would you call yourself a writer? Why or why not?
I would to love to say that I consider myself to be a writer at this point in time but I just do not know if I can do that. I feel that if I call myself at a writer that I am in some way cheating. I haven't been published or wrote something that I would ever consider trying to publish. I still find myself struggling to be confident with what I am writing even if I know the topic or genre like the back of my hand. I often find myself questioning the reason behind my writing. I love writing and is something that brings me both happiness and comfort so hopefully someday I will be in a position in which I will truly be able to call myself a writer. It's always nice to start off on a nice depressing note.
4. What particular knowledge have you acquired about writing, rhetoric, or learning that you value most?
The most valuable knowledge that I have gained is the importance of writing about topics that you have an actual interest in. I would often picks topics that were relevant socially or politically to what was happening in our world which is important but I generally had very little personal connection or interest in them. This would make writing an absolute chore. I have instead more recently chosen to write pieces that have both exigency as well as being interesting to me. This has helped me to push my ideas and writing outside of the box as it can be difficult to select topics that not much analysis has been done on before. An example of this was last semester when I wrote a Deconstructional Criticism of a shoe. It was incredibly difficult but it really pushed me to look at things in a different view and because I enjoyed the topic I actually enjoyed the challenge.
7. Are you typically a one-draft or multi-draft writer? Why?
For the most part I am a multi-draft writer. This comes from the way in which I generally write which is basically just get all of my ideas out on the paper at one time. I sit down and just throw all of my ideas out there. It's just pure stream of conscious so the first draft is often rough around the edges and will definitely require a thorough clean up. This method works for me in that it allows me to get all of my ideas out on paper and then sifting through what works and what does not work. I do not sit staring at the page trying to get everything perfect the first time.
8. What would be your dream job after school?
Along with taking English classes I have been taking Japanese classes and would like to at some point combine them. I am planning on applying to the JET(Japan Exchange and Teaching) program after graduating and hopefully teaching English in Japan for a couple of years. It has always been something that I thought would be just a great experience. After that I plan on attending Law School. My father is a prosecuting attorney and after watching him during trials and learning about the experiences and knowledge he gained from these experiences it has became a goal of mine to become a lawyer, though I do not think that I would be all that interested in being a criminal lawyer.
Hi Patrick,
ReplyDeleteI want to hear more about the "deconstructional criticism" of a shoe. I'll try to remember to ask you in class. I was struck by your comments about feeling like you're "cheating" to call yourself a writer; that's something I felt for a long time as well. Jeff had a good take on that in his post--quite simply, writers are people who write. Over the years, I've been around a lot of who call themselves writers, but don't have a writing practice, and this seems key. Writers are people who have found a way to regularly get words down, and what makes this possible is that they have found pleasure in the process. As the African-American writer Amiri Baraka once said about art, "hunting is not those heads on the wall." That you love writing makes all the difference because it enables you to actually do the work.
Hi Patrick, thanks for your post. Right off the bat, I agree with what Dr. Ballenger wrote in response to what you say about whether you consider yourself a writer or not. You enjoy writing, you practice it, and you state that you love writing as it brings you happiness and comfort. In response to your Q7, I'm curious if you've always been a multi-draft writer? Lately, I also try to go the route of getting all my thoughts and ideas on the page as early as possible, while worrying about the revision later. I think this is the best way to begin for myself because it leaves me with the most to work with in revision (that isn't to say we don't come up with great things to add later, however). I used to try writing brilliantly in first drafts, revising as I went along, and I know that robbed those pieces of their potential. From what I've read in your responses here, I'd say you're a writer, and a fairly mature one at that.
ReplyDeletePatrick, I agree with your standpoint on writing about subjects you are passionate in and I feel much of the same way, however, I also find this can be a double-edged sword because sometimes the more passionate I am the more locked into a position or point of view and I find it much harder to be objective and explore the topic as thoroughly as I probably should. Do you think passion can at times hinder our perspective and ability to be open minded?
ReplyDeletePatrick, I also agree that it's best to write about topics you are passionate about, although Becca poses a good question. For me, researching something I am passionate about does not hinder my ability to be open minded because I am motivated to understand all sides of the issue. Circling back to your response on being a writer, I totally understand your reservations and sometimes I feel the same way, like I am not qualified to speak on an issue even if I have something valuable to say. I learned to just go for it even if I'm not initially confident because I will trick myself into it. I don't know if that made sense but I'll move to one more comment. In my post I wrote about the anxiety I experience as part of the invention process and believe most of it stems from being a single draft writer. My technical brain wants that the first draft perfect, which is a barrier for invention. My best writing is when I have written bad first drafts, let my ideas flow freely and saved the revision for later. This is not my first tendency but something I am working on. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThe conversation here about writing what one is "passionate" about is interesting. Both Addie and Becca raise a good point--passion can mean a kind of single-mindedness that makes it difficult to entertain other ways of seeing. But I wonder if that doesn't assume a writer already knows what she thinks. I'd suggest another way of looking at passion: curiosity. Uncertainty about what we think, and the desire to figure that out, is the kind of passion I celebrate as a writer. I'd argue it's a central part of narrative thinking, too: inquiry that is driven by questions, not answers, which drives us to story both our thinking and our experience.
ReplyDeleteThis "Deconstructional Criticism of a shoe" sounds fascinating and I totally want to read it. I'm also loving this continuing conversation about being a single draft writer and how that can hinder the writing process. Like Addie says, I totally believe that is a "barrier for invention" and I also have a really hard time pulling myself away from that mindset. Have any of y'all read the piece "Shitty First Drafts" by Anne Lamott? It's so good. Bird by Bird is an amazing book on writing, I've had to read it twice for class.
ReplyDeleteSide note: Patrick, I have a friend who joined the JET program and he's been a teacher in Japan for a couple years now. From what I've heard, it's an amazing experience and I wish you all the luck!
Here's a link to a pdf of "Shitty First Drafts" if y'all are interested. I also have a copy of the book if anyone wants to borrow!
Deletehttps://wrd.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/1-Shitty%20First%20Drafts.pdf