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More handpicked essays just for you.
Reading and writing skills
Reading and writing skills
Reading and writing skills
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In Stephen King’s essay, “On Writing” he stresses the importance of reading as an invaluable tool to improve one’s writing. However, why does being a good writer matter to someone who is not a writer? In the New York Times article, “What Good Writing Indicates, and Doesn’t,” Brock Haussamen writes that “good writing—writing that is clear and interesting and free of most surface errors—is a reliable indicator of certain job-rated abilities.” Enhanced writing skills, developed by extensive reading, showcase job-related abilities, improve written and verbal communication skills and can lead to advancement in the workplace. According to King it is crucial that an individual read in order to develop solid writing skills. His essay is
“Where Is It Written?”, by Adam Schwartz, is a story about Sam. A young man living in a hard time because his parents are divorced. Sam first told his dad to sue his mother. Then his mom schedules an appointment with a psychologist. Finally, he cared for his mom like she did to him. Coming of age is an important time in which a person becomes more mature and thinks differently about someone/something. Another way to see a person coming of age is when a person starts to develop and see things as an adult. Sam came of age because in the beginning and the middle he didn’t like his mom. However, all the problems that went on between them. He knew his mom cared for him and he understood her in the end when she said that, that was her son and she also deserves to be in the family picture. Sam in the end wants to change her but he knows his mom won’t ever
Danny Kaye, famous actor and comedian, once said, "To travel is to take a journey into yourself". He is suggesting that by seeing a new part of the world, one is inevitably confronted with deeper realizations about one’s self. Thomas C. Foster, author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, would likely agree. In his book, he argues that every trip in literature is actually a quest. The word "quest" conjures images of knights in shining armor, princesses, and dragons, but Foster uses the word in a more archetypal sense. A journey, Foster says, needs only to fit five relatively simple criteria to be considered a quest (1-3). Quoyle, the protagonist of Annie Proulx's novel, The Shipping News, undergoes a life-changing journey that clearly meets all necessary criteria set forth by Foster to be regarded as a quest.
I am more knowledgeable about invention, arrangement, style, and delivery, all in which create a masterful piece of text. A few examples, I have learned to organize and construct my thoughts and ideas clearer. I have been taught to use stronger transitions and focus more on the delivery and content of the body element of essays. Further, the instructions and advice I have received throughout this term have influenced my understanding of the purpose of writing. My outlook on writing has been modified by shifting my perception of writing from, writing to prove I am a good writer by perceiving it as using “fluffy” or BIG words to impress my audience. I grew to understanding that good writing’s purpose is to engage the writer by mind-striking ideas and arguments, which therefore will prove and title me as a “good writer”.
In this day and age, writing is being portrayed through various mediums, such as film and television. Some of those portrayals depict writing as both good and bad depending on the situation that is present. Authors such as, by E. Shelley Reid, Kevin Roozen, and Anne Lamott all write about important writing concepts that are being depicted in films, like Freedom Writers. The film Freedom Writers shows a positive and accurate portrayal of writing in the sense that the writers should have a connection to what they are writing about, writing is a form of communication, and that writing does not have to be perfect the first time.
Several people have trouble writing college level essays and believe that they are unable to improve their writing skills. In “the Inspired Writer vs. The Real Writer,” Sarah Allen argues how no one is born naturally good at writing. Sarah Allen also states how even professional writers have trouble with the task of writing. Others, such as Lennie Irvin, agree. In Irvin’s article “What is ‘Academic’ Writing?” states how there are misconceptions about writing. Furthermore, Mike Bunn’s article “How to Read Like a Writer” shows ways on how one can improve their writing skills. Allen, Bunn, and Irvin are correct to say how no one is born naturally good writers. Now that we know this, we should find ways to help improve our writing skills, and
Many people think that reading more can help them to think and develop before writing something. Others might think that they don’t need to read and or write that it can really help them to brainstorm things a lot quicker and to develop their own ideas immediately (right away). The author’s purpose of Stephen King’s essay, Reading to Write, is to understand the concepts, strategies and understandings of how to always read first and then start something. The importance of this essay is to understand and comprehend our reading and writing skills by brainstorming our ideas and thoughts a lot quicker. In other words, we must always try to read first before we can brainstorm some ideas and to think before we write something. There are many reasons why I chose Stephen King’s essay, Reading to Write, by many ways that reading can help you to comprehend, writing, can help you to evaluate and summarize things after reading a passage, if you read, it can help you to write things better and as you read, it can help you to think and evaluate of what to write about.
...s educational system on traditionalism that focuses on fluency, appreciation, and comprehension. King states, “no one can be as intellectually slothful as a really smart person” (138). As a whole we are “creatures of habit”, thus resisting changes in the traditional sphere of academics. King uses his spin on popular culture to engage future readers and inspire the next generation of writers. “Some of this book—perhaps too much—has been about how I learned to do it. Much of it has been about how you can do it better. The rest of it—and perhaps the best of it—is a permission slip: you can, you should, and if you're brave enough to start, you will.” (King 269-270). “On Writing” is a poignant, educated, and inspiring book, a book that is sure to help hundreds of struggling writers and will motivate others who may pick up the book not for inspiration, but mere curiosity.
After reading an essay, ‘On Writing’ by Stephen King, I was highly interested in King’s opinion about the necessity of reading and writing frequently in order to become a good writer. In King’s essay he talks about how he does not read to study and that he simply reads just to read; however, King does point out that though he is not reading to study there is still a learning process happening with everything he reads. “Every book you pick up has its own lesson or lessons, and quite often the bad books have more to teach than the good ones.” (King) Why does King have this opinion about books?
Although the greater picture is that reading is fundamental, the two authors have a few different messages that they seek to communicate to their audiences. “The Joy of Reading and Writing” depicts how reading serves as a mechanism to escape the preconceived notions that constrain several groups of people from establishing themselves and achieving success in their lifetimes. “Reading to Write,” on the other hand, offers a valuable advice to aspiring writers. The author suggests that one has to read, read, and read before he or she can become a writer. Moreover, he holds an interesting opinion concerning mediocre writing. He says, “Every book you pick has its own lesson or lessons, and quite often the bad books have more to teach than the good ones” (p.221). Although these two essays differ in their contents and messages, the authors use the same rhetorical mode to write their essays. Both are process analyses, meaning that they develop their main argument and provide justification for it step by step. By employing this technique, the two authors create essays that are thoughtful, well supported, and easy to understand. In addition, Alexie and King both add a little personal touch to their writings as they include personal anecdotes. This has the effect of providing support for their arguments. Although the two essays have fairly different messages, the authors make use of anecdotes and structure their writing in a somewhat similar
There are two things in life one must understand in order to survive: One, it is better to give than to receive. Two, you cannot save people, you just have to learn to love them. Life is a beautiful horror film that we live everyday. With time, we as humans learn things we never knew, and forget things we once understood. We have this tendency to want to take control of EVERY situation, and sometimes ignore the fact that some things are completely out of our control. The say the as we age, we also gain wisdom, and while this is true, it is only true to an extent. In “The Writer” by Richard Wilbur, we are able to see the fact that life is a struggle that we cannot avoid, how easy it is to forget what it’s like to struggle, and what it is like to stand idly by while watching others go through times of turbulence.
Steven King has long been known as one of the greatest authors of all time. He has been labeled "the King of Horror" and won many awards including the Medal of Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, 6 Bram Stoker awards, 6 Horror Guild awards, 5 Locus Awards, 3 World Fantasy Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004), the 1996 O. Henry award, a Hugo Award in 1982 for the non-fiction Danse Macabre. He was given a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003 by the Horror Writers' Association and, controversially, a Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from the National Book Foundation in 2003. Upon giving the Medal to King the National Book Foundation said, But to every comment there is always a critc that has something negative to say, like Harold Bloom for instance who stated,
In this book, Julie Barenson is a young widow, whose husband Jim died earlier from cancer. Her husband left her two unexpected gifts. The first was a Great Dane puppy name Singer (this gift was delivered the first Christmas after his passing) and the other gift was his promise that he would always be watching over her. About four years after his passing, Julie is twenty-nine years old and is too young to have given up on love just yet. She may be ready to risk caring for someone again but she just can't figure out who that person is yet. She starts dating Richard Franklin, a sophisticated, handsome engineer who treats Julie like a queen. The other person she has an option to date is Mike Harris, the down-to-earth guy who was her husband's best friend.
writing” by R. Ramsey, the ability to write competently is a requirement for success in any field.
I agree with Holland’s claim because it affects me and all the other college students and job seekers. I believe that more should be done in school so that I am prepared when I start looking for a job. I believe that schools should offer more creative writing classes. In the article “A Passionate Unapologetic Plea for Creative Writing in Schools” written by Rebecca Wallace-Seagall, she states “If young people are not learning to write while exploring personal narratives and short fiction, it is because we as educators need more training- or the specifics of the curriculum need development”. I think that if I had more writing classes I would be more prepared and do better in higher level English classes. In my own experiences I found that reading
In my personal reference, Romanticism is a kind of literature from the eighteenth century that put its focus on nature and imaginative ideals. The Romantic Movement was a reaction to the Age of Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. This movement consisted of many changes in society during the eighteenth century and it went against the ideals of urban environments that were popping up all around during this time by focussing on nature. The Romantic features that are seen in the book The Scarlet Letter are the ideals of individualism and truth, and not falling into society’s ways and judgements. This book was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the year 1850. This book was about Hester Prynne, a woman living in Boston, who commits a sin in her Puritan community. Hester is an adulterer, who sleeps with the town’s Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester admits to this adultery and has her child Pearl, but Dimmesdale hides in the shadows to live a life full of guilt and suffering. Little does he know, this suffering will be made worse and worse by Roger Chillingworth, the husband of Hester, who befriends him. Out of all of the characters in this book, Hester Prynne reflects the ideals of Romanticism the best.