Finding time to sit down and write seems to be a common problem in the world of writing. So many different types of distractions exist. If you find that you write better at home (as opposed to say a coffee house or the library), there is the constant siren call of the television, games on the computer, or if you happen to live with a roommate or spouse, the temptation to talk or hang out. Then again, if you happen to work more efficiently in a public area, different distractions emerge...people watching, delicious coffee beverages, and acquaintances looking to talk for a couple of hours. I personally find that I work best in my apartment. In order to increase the amount much work I am able to complete, I make sure that I take care of everything before I sit down to work. I set a goal start time for myself (usually on the hour but sometimes on the half hour), and when that time approaches, I sit down and work, usually at the bar area of my kitchen. I am able to work for relatively long stretches of time, but after about two and a half hours, I begin to lose momentum and need to take at least an hour break before any other work of quality will be produced.
A major concern in time management I recognize as pertinent for me involves my job. Currently, I am forced to block of certain amounts of time on my schedule due to class and travel time. However, when I am working on my thesis, my schedule will appear to be wide open, and I will want to schedule students during any open time in order to inflate my bank account. I work best during mid-morning/early afternoon, which is convenient as I can only work with students when they are out of school at 3:00 or so, but I will need to get into the mentality that on some days, thesis writing writing and research will need to take precedence over the SAT and the ACT.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Post #3
Much of our assigned reading this week from The Craft of Research contained aspects of writing that have been covered many times in practice and instruction, but it is always important to remind ourselves that we need to be clear and use support in our written and verbal claims. I had never heard the title “warrants” in any of my writing instruction up until this point, but I recognize the general concept and recognize that it is an area of writing I must treat carefully.
For many writers, the problem with warrants occurs when they leave them out of their writing because they assume that the connections between the points being made are clear to the readers. I feel like I fall on the opposite end of the spectrum from this total assumption of understanding; I tend to over-qualify claims and definitions in my argument. When I read a journal article, I appreciate the author providing definitions for terms or context for an author’s work, especially if I am not as familiar with the time period, author, or writing style as I probably should be to read the article. When I write with my target audience (right now, teachers and in the future, other scholars in my general field) in mind, I attempt to only provide information or warrants that would not be obvious to me if I were reading an article on the same topic written by another author. I am very thankful when I read these types of explanations in the numerous journal articles I read in graduate school and in the articles I’ve read over the years. The problem for me occurs when I try to consider my article outside of the context of Salinger, American literature, or 20th century literature. Leaving out warrants and definitions can be detrimental to all readers, but I feel like including too much information (context, definitions, warrants) can decrease my authority because my essay appears too simplistic or patronizing. Once again, as I feel like I am constantly saying to myself in this blog and in everyday academic life, I must find a way to find the balance that many academic scholars have found through time, practice, and feedback.
For many writers, the problem with warrants occurs when they leave them out of their writing because they assume that the connections between the points being made are clear to the readers. I feel like I fall on the opposite end of the spectrum from this total assumption of understanding; I tend to over-qualify claims and definitions in my argument. When I read a journal article, I appreciate the author providing definitions for terms or context for an author’s work, especially if I am not as familiar with the time period, author, or writing style as I probably should be to read the article. When I write with my target audience (right now, teachers and in the future, other scholars in my general field) in mind, I attempt to only provide information or warrants that would not be obvious to me if I were reading an article on the same topic written by another author. I am very thankful when I read these types of explanations in the numerous journal articles I read in graduate school and in the articles I’ve read over the years. The problem for me occurs when I try to consider my article outside of the context of Salinger, American literature, or 20th century literature. Leaving out warrants and definitions can be detrimental to all readers, but I feel like including too much information (context, definitions, warrants) can decrease my authority because my essay appears too simplistic or patronizing. Once again, as I feel like I am constantly saying to myself in this blog and in everyday academic life, I must find a way to find the balance that many academic scholars have found through time, practice, and feedback.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Post #2
The “so what” question seems to be the question that will constantly plague me in my literary career. This question is the first I must answer in my quest to formulate a topic for my thesis, write the thesis, and defend the argument I make in the thesis. Then, (if I can find myself in the lucky position) when I am working in an institution, I will also have to defend the fact that English is an important discipline worthy of a position in the faculty body and of funding from the university. The number of people who asked what I was going to do with a BA in English increased exponentially as I approached graduation, and my enrollment in graduate school has not lessened the questions I receive about the future and what I’m going to do with my degree..."teach?” The “hard” sciences typically receive much more respect and monetary support from the university or college than the disciplines that are unable to produce a concrete product or service.
I double majored in Psychology during my undergraduate education, and I saw how even that discipline is viewed with a milder form of the same skepticism and questioning that English, Sociology, Philosophy, and History scholars encounter. I am extremely interested in the human condition and the way people think (as most literary scholars are), and I think that my interest in Psychology was an extension of the interest in the inner workings of characters in novels. I am not sure if or how I will employ this secondary specialty in my work; Freud and Jung, major figures in the psychoanalytic world, are looked upon as charming relics in the modern Psychology world, studied as interesting historical theories that have little relevance in the modern therapeutic environment. However, Salinger, the proposed author of my thesis work, creates complex layered characters who can be viewed from these specific vantage points. However, what would be the importance of identifying the “shadow” or diagnosing a character with an oral fixation if the theories are not relevant to how the world functions today?
I double majored in Psychology during my undergraduate education, and I saw how even that discipline is viewed with a milder form of the same skepticism and questioning that English, Sociology, Philosophy, and History scholars encounter. I am extremely interested in the human condition and the way people think (as most literary scholars are), and I think that my interest in Psychology was an extension of the interest in the inner workings of characters in novels. I am not sure if or how I will employ this secondary specialty in my work; Freud and Jung, major figures in the psychoanalytic world, are looked upon as charming relics in the modern Psychology world, studied as interesting historical theories that have little relevance in the modern therapeutic environment. However, Salinger, the proposed author of my thesis work, creates complex layered characters who can be viewed from these specific vantage points. However, what would be the importance of identifying the “shadow” or diagnosing a character with an oral fixation if the theories are not relevant to how the world functions today?
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Post #1
Taking this Pro-Seminar class and reading the assigned chapters has really caused me to question what kind of writer I am and what the process is that I employ when trying to create an essay of quality. I’ve heard many complaints from classmates in both undergrad and grad school that they know what to write, but they are simply unable to get their thoughts down on the page or are unable to feel the push to get something done. However, for me, getting words down on the page is not the aspect of writing that perplexes me. The most difficult facet of writing for me is my inability to decide exactly what I want to write about. I experience this difficulty in concretely expressing myself or making decisions in many different aspects of my life...simply composing an e-mail or deciding to where to eat can take longer than is socially acceptable. (Deciding the topic for this blog post took a slightly ridiculous amount of time as well.) However, of most relevance for this blog and for where I hope to go in my life and in my career is the nervous feeling in my gut that I encounter every time I see the assignment of an “original research essay.”
I don’t think that my difficulty in getting started on my writing comes from a lack of interest in my topic. Certainly, this can be the case when dealing with writing assignments for classes that I am taking to fulfill requirements, but I experience this even when I am in a class in my area, writing on my favorite book in the world. Eventually, I have a “Eureka!” moment and a topic comes to me, usually a little later in the semester than I would prefer, but something I would really like to improve upon would be arriving at these moments in a less excruciating and procrastinatory manner. I know that I want to write my thesis on J.D. Salinger’s collection of short stories, Nine Stories, and judging by my track record with coming up with topics so far, I should begin this process sooner rather than later.
I don’t think that my difficulty in getting started on my writing comes from a lack of interest in my topic. Certainly, this can be the case when dealing with writing assignments for classes that I am taking to fulfill requirements, but I experience this even when I am in a class in my area, writing on my favorite book in the world. Eventually, I have a “Eureka!” moment and a topic comes to me, usually a little later in the semester than I would prefer, but something I would really like to improve upon would be arriving at these moments in a less excruciating and procrastinatory manner. I know that I want to write my thesis on J.D. Salinger’s collection of short stories, Nine Stories, and judging by my track record with coming up with topics so far, I should begin this process sooner rather than later.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)