Extended Definition paper

I chose the word "need" because it seems to have a clear meaning, but the meaning is changed by each individual person. The way it is changed is to how each person sees something as a necessity. This brings up the idea of the validity of what a "need" actually is. Since "need" changes in so many ways especially in the present time, I think it will be a good word to do an extended definition paper on.

Editorial Topic

My topic is about the effects that working while in school has on college students. This is very relevant to OU students because many of them do have jobs outside of school. The reasons these students work while going to school may vary, but it seems to have an effect on their lives as long as effect on the quality of work they produce on their college studies.

Persuasive Strategies

The first strategy that I find most persuasive is the use of examples. I often find that it creates a better sense of understanding for both the writer and the reader. It surrounds the reader with the reasons explained in the article and also with other reasons that may develop in the readers mind as a result of the examples.

The second strategy that I find more persuasive is the use of statistics. I feel that the use of these provide good solid proof to the validity of the article. However, it must be made sure that the statistics are valid.

Standards for Revising

During revision of a piece of work, I think it is the job of the person revising to do a take into consideration a few things. I think the person revising needs to think about the way the writer has presented the paper, and if it works well towards the purpose of the writing.

Like the article says, I also think it is important to give good feedback for the writer to examine and decide whether they agree with it or not. Point out some possible weaknesses and also point out what you feel works well in the writing.

On Writing Toolbox

King has brought us to the idea that writing is like a toolbox. The things needed in writing are sort of stacked in layers. Most commonly used and needed items are at the top like good grammar and vocabulary. Below these layers of the tool box come things like the structure of the writing and the style. Once these layers are completed, the writing can be completed and sent out as a well-formed piece of work.

A Brief History of Memoir-Bashing

As a memoir writer, one is expected to tell the truth by the readers point of view. This article hints that a writer may expand the truth in order for the memoir to sound different than other average memoirs that have been written before. This is because in todays times, there are many more memoirs to read than there had been before, when autobiographies were the only thing being written.

Readers must be interested and attached to the memoir in order to speak highly of the writing. They speak of a certain personal life experience rather than a whole life experience which is generally the point of an autobiography.

First Person Female

This writer is faced with the obstacle of writing in first-person as a female, it has become harder than usual because the writer is a male. The basic idea that comes across in this article is that it is easier to write in first-person using the the writers own gender.

The writer must learn to think and feel as if they were of the opposite gender to create a legitimate story. It seems to be a longer process than usual as the writer must almost become the character before they can write the story.

The Ecstasy of Influence

The style of a persons writing may have been influenced by another persons writing or thoughts. This could even happen without the writer knowing that their ideas have been derived from somebody else besides them self. So the question arises to one of how is plagiarism viewed from a perspective of being unknown to the writer.

A persons writing may be influenced by another persons views in which they are interested in or agree with. When a writer puts his or her ideas on paper for the world to read, it may influence others to follow those ideas. These people may then include them in their own thoughts and writings.

Even after this is done, it will not be considered plagiarizing because it is not a direct copy from someone else's work. The writer has merely been influenced by the other persons thoughts and ideas.

The Tower of Babel and the Teaching of Grammar: Writing Instruction for a New Century

The article speaks about how grammar can be looked at from many different angles. How grammar has been viewed and changed over the years and how it has been taught all over the place is discussed in this writing.

Although many people may struggle with grammar, they do have the foundation of being able to perfect it by using what they already know. The way they use grammar in their own speech can be worked on to learn the fundamental correctness of grammar.

Grammar instruction has been fading according to this article, as schools and teachers are starting to accept the common English of their students to be correct, although they may be breaking many rules in grammar usage. Grammar is being taught less and less as schools focus on perfecting students in other areas and subjects.

Awhile ago, Grammar had more prestige and was considered more important than it is today. It was considered a fundamental building block of knowledge, as where now it may not even be considered that necessary at all to some people, teachers, or educational foundations.

Write Till You Drop

When Annie Dillard says, "Write like you will die tomorrow," she means some of many things. Basically, write what is on your mind, what is unique to you, and don't hold it in until a later writing. If you have something good to write about, do not even put it off until later in your current writing, let alone for another completely different writing in the future.

Some things unique to you and your writing will entice people in different ways than other things they have heard many times over will. Speak what is on your mind because there is only one of you, and once you are gone, so are your thoughts and ideas, unless you have written them down.

She mentions some rather famous people and explains how they became popular not by speaking of normal everyday things. They used topics and ideas unique to them, and wrote them down. This has separated them from other writers and caused them to become popular.