Please, Paragraph Responsibly!

Have you ever read an article in which all of the sentences and paragraphs were the same length? . . .yawn. While each sentence in a paragraph should (obviously) cover the same topic and move in a sequence, writers have a sense of freedom in their ability to break up long paragraphs into parts. Mr. Clark points out that although it is essential for writers to break up unnecessarily long paragraphs, they should not "paste together paragraphs that are short and disconnected." While the purpose of paragraphing is to give the reader a rest, “a succession of very short ones is as irritating as very long ones are wearisome.” So what is the ideal paragraph length?! There is no perfect paragraph length applicable to every paper, however, there are some things to consider when developing your paragraphs. Mr. Clark states that “in a long paragraph, the writer can develop an argument or build a narrative.” If a long paragraph is followed by a shorter one then the writer can “bring the reader to a sudden, dramatic stop.” If a 7-sentence paragraph is followed by a 5-word paragraph the reader might be hit with a surprise. Now that you know what results from short and long paragraphs, it is essential for every writer to keep in mind one important fact: “too many paragraphs of [the same] length eradicated the white space on a page, and white space is [the reader’s] and the writer’s friend.” Mr. Clark also believes that a reader will address a reading assignment more readily if they notice that they will have multiple breathing spaces or reflective pauses due to the paragraphs (which seem like a much more manageable task when compared to “a marathon race”).

Now that I think about it, that long paragraph I just typed is pretty ironic!

Story Teller or Reporter

Every writer knows the importance of writing for content, audience, and purpose. An important aspect of writing is to write appropriately for the genre of the piece. Obviously, you would write an obituary much differently than you would write a script for a standup comedy act. While writers are accountable for writing for purpose, it is also the writer’s responsibility to know the difference between similar genres. Mr. Clark furthers this belief by specifying the difference between reports and stories: “Reports convey information. Stories create experience.” He also challenges the popular assumptions that reports need to be dull and stories need to be interesting. He says their level of enticement isn’t the main difference between them.
 Mr. Clark exemplifies the difference:
Report: “The school board will meet Thursday to discuss the new desegregation plan.”
Story: “Wanda Mitchell shook her fist at the school board chairman, tears streaming down her face.”

Mr. Clark emphasizes the importance of looking at the five Ws and H. I have set up a chart to show the difference between those aspects in stories and reports:

REPORT	STORY
WHO	CHARACTER
WHAT	ACTION
WHERE	SETTING
WHEN	CHRONOLOGY
WHY	CAUSE/MOTIVE
HOW	PROCESS

The first step in this process is to decide whether the assignment calls for a story approach or a more report-based focus. The next step is to remember the difference the two and write appropriately.

He who fails to plan, plans to fail

Those of you who know me know that I basically live out of my planner. You can flip through the used pages in my planner and (through lines and X’s to cross off the completed tasks) you could essentially discover exactly what I have been doing, as well as when, where, and with whom I was with. I carry my list-making skills and desire to plan ahead to my writing assignments as well. For me, when I have all of my ideas written on paper in the order I want to present them, it's so much easier to create my actual paper. When given a big assignment, like the WID paper, for example, I always start by creating a plan and an outline. I advise my tutees to do the same. I have noticed that some tutees feel over whelmed when they have all of their ideas scattered in their head but they just don’t know where to start. I usually suggest the formal outline that I have been taught for many years:

I.

                A.
                                i.
                                ii.
                                iii.

                B.

                                i.
                                ii.
                                iii.

                C.

II.

A.     

While Mr. Clark admits that he doesn’t work from a formal outline, he still writes a plan. He claims that “an informal plan is nothing more than the Roman numerals required by a formal outline” which serve to help him see the big parts of the story. Mr. Clark exemplified his advice by creating a plan for an obituary of Ray Bolger, the scarecrow of The Wizard of Oz:

“I. Lead with image and dialogue from Oz.
II. Great moments in his dance career other than Oz.
III. His signature song: ‘Once in Love with Amy.’
IV. His youth: how he became a dancer.
V. His television career.
VI. A final image from Oz.”

The next time you hear the moans and groans and sighs from a tutee, fellow classmate or struggling friend after you have suggested that they should write an outline, propose the creation of a plan instead!

To Do: Write a To Do List

Almost everyone can say they have had at least one experience with procrastination . . . Just ask me or my fellow senioritis-victim classmates how far we are in our final projects. Even in the process of starting this post I already managed to check my e-mail, Twitter, and Facebook. The main reasons people delay the completion of their tasks is due to laziness and/or a lack of interest, time and motivation. Some people (especially journalists with approaching deadlines) may view procrastination as their worst enemy. Mr. Clark, however, views procrastination as a good thing when it comes to writing.

Mr. Clark believes writers “experience procrastination as a vice, not a virtue” as they should strive to view the delay not as “something destructive, but as something constructive, even necessary.” If you rename “procrastination” with “rehearsal” it automatically becomes a necessary aspect of any type of presentation, including written ones. Mr. Clark believes that successful authors “write stories in their heads” during their so called periods of procrastination. If you take advantage of the precious twenty minutes in the car or of the silence in a room while you pour some coffee, use the bathroom, or stare off into space, you could essentially write your story in your head. I know if I have an assignment to complete by the end of the night then I think about how to approach the assignment or what to include in it while I’m in the shower or brushing my teeth or even picking out tomorrow’s outfit.

Of course everyone knows that if a class of high school students is given a writing assignment due on the 14^th of May it is very likely that a majority of them will start their papers on the 12^th or 13^th. Mr. Clark says the alternative to a student staying up until 2 a.m. writing their paper is to “reframe periods of inaction into forms of rehearsal.” By writing your paper in your head before you go for the pen and pad, you can kill two birds with one stone: you still get to complete your need to procrastinate, and you still may be able to knock out the paper quick enough to get to bed at a decent hour.

Mr. Clark restates the importance of writing in your head:

“The writer must not write in order to write. To write quickly, you must write slowly. To write with your hands, you must write in your head.”

So the next time your teacher or parent accuses you of procrastinating, just simply inform them of your intense rehearsal session!

Practice Makes Perfect, Readers Make Writers

Some writers claim they hate reading. Some readers claim to despise writing. This is ironic considering it only makes sense that good readers make good writers. Of course, whenever we get new assignments we have to read for content. If we have to write a persuasive paper about Obama's presidency, we would research his term. If we have to write about how social networks affect relationships, we would research statistics about Facebook and Twitter.  But what most writers over look is the significance of reading for form. Mr. Clark accurately exemplifies that importance: "If you want to write better photo captions, read old issues of LIFE magazine. If you want to become a better explainer, read a good cookbook. If you want to write a screenplay about a superhero, read stacks of comic books."

To become a smarter writer, you should continue to learn by reading the work you admire or strive to mimic. That way, you can see "how it works". In Advanced Composition the tutors got to practice this idea by mimicking the writing style of an author of our choice. But what writers don’t realize is that as they read, they subconsciously pick up on the writing style and technique of the authors of the material they are reading. They also take into consideration the form and structure of the piece. Mr. Clark believes that contrary to popular habit, “when you find you can’t put a story down, you should put the story down. Put it down and think about how it works.” This may seem tedious when you’re anxious to knock out your writing assignment but to be a better writer, you should read relevant material in preparation of your own writing not only for content, but for form as well.

This or That and Here or There

You know when you have or need to write or create a story or letter and there are many or multiple similar or same words or phrases that express or represent the same or exact idea or message that you are trying or attempting to portray or present and then the result or outcome is an overworded or busy result or product? ;)

I have noticed that the most common flaw in my writing is my wordiness or loquaciousness. So what do you do when you're in love with your words but just need to get to the point? Of course Roy Peter Clark has the answer for us!

To represent his stance on the matter, Clark quoted William Strunk, author of The Elements of Style:

"A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that he make every word tell."

Clark places importance on making every word count by "cutting the big stuff" as "brevity comes from selection, not compression" (50). He paints a picture of this process by advising to "begin by pruning he big limbs. You can shake out the dead leaves later" (51). Clark then made the word elimination process easier by categorizing "Targets for Cuts":

• "Adverbs that intensify rather than modify: just, certainly, entirely, extremely, completely, exactly.
• Prepositional phrases that repeat the obvious: in the story, in the article, in the movie, in the city.
• Abstract nouns that hide active verbs: consideration becomes considers; judgement becomes judges; observation becomes observes.
• Restatements: a sultry, humid afternoon." (52)

BEFORE:                                                                                     AFTER:

You Besta Explain Yo-Self

Everyone knows that bitterness that uncontrollably strews up in your mind when you receive a paper back from your teacher with a big D circled in red ink on the top of the page. That feeling, for me at least, quickly turns from bitterness to angriness to the resented sensation of being defeated, especially if I was expecting that D to be a few letters higher in the alphabet.  Of course I’m not talking about the criticism you would receive if you wrote a persuasive paper arguing that Martin Luther King Jr. was a member of the KKK. I am referring to the criticism regarding your own writing styles, techniques and decisions. Criticism in writing is especially haunting because unlike science or math, there usually isn’t one, clear, correct answer due to the ambiguity that comes with each text and the flexibility and the range of options that come with each writing decision.
Thankfully, Clark thought to cover this touchy matter in his chapter titled “Learn from your critics. Tolerate even unreasonable criticism.” Clark argues that negative criticism could be “priceless if you learn how to use it” as he claims that with the right frame of mind, you can “transform criticism that is nasty, petty, insincere, biased, and even profane, into gold” (236). Clark declares the only way to do this is to convert debate into conversation as he notes the difference between the two: “in a debate, one side listens only to find a counterargument. In a conversation, there is give and take.” In a debate, there is a winner and a loser but in a conversation, both sides could learn something useful.
 After reading Clark’s insightful chapter covering a relative topic to an Advanced Composition, IB English II, and Writing Center student, I have a better understanding on how to handle negative criticism:

1.      Decide if the argument is useless or not: There can be no arguing about matters of taste.(Matters of taste include but are not limited to: my chili is too spicy, this room is too hot, this book is too long, etc.)

2.      Never defend your work. Instead, explain what you were trying to accomplish. Explanations will work to “turn a debate (which the writer will lose) into a conversation (in which the critic might convert from adversary to ally)” (237).

3.      Transform arguments into conversations.

Example:
Criticism: “Christina, you post a picture with every blog that you write. It distracts the reader from the message you are trying to convey and it makes you seem less reliable.”

Explanation: “I understand that in your opinion my blog would be more formal sans images. However, I was just trying to appeal to a wide span of audience and had hopes that pictures would entice and attract new, curious readers who weren’t initially hooked from my blog titles or claims.”

Of course it's always a good idea to consider alternative opinions and ideas. However, instead of becoming offeneded and defensive when receiving criticism, just explain yourself!