My Theory of Writing
My idea of writing and how it has changed throughout the quarter.
Writing is a way to express yourself and effectively send a message to your reader. There are many different genres that are included in writing and send messages to the readers in many different ways. Writing is how well you are able to send a message and still be able to express yourself through the writing.
Key Terms for Writing
Genre is a rhetorical action in response to a situation. Through the readings in our textbook I was able to create my own definition of genre. The genre helps narrow down a piece of writing into one area. There are plenty of different genres that can be combined but most of the genres are split and help us to understand the situation in the writing better.
Audience is who the writer is writing for. When writing you need to know the intended audience that way you know how to send your message efficiently to readers. Some genres are better suit depending on the intended audience. For example, a social media post would be most efficient to reach college students as opposed to older generations because more college students use that genre of communication.
Exigence- All forms of writing have an exigence. Exigence is the problem, issue, or situation that caused the writing. The exigence helps the audience further understand the purpose of the writing and what the writers intentions were for the piece of writing.
Message- Through writing the writer always has an intended message they want the reader to take away after reading the piece. Writers are able to send their message through many different forms of genres, which allows every writer the ability to use their own creative take on how they are going to get their message across to the audience.
Discourse- All forms of writings have their own forms of discourses. Discourse is the language being used to help the reader further understand the purpose/message of the writing. Certain genres have different forms of discourse languages to help the writer achieve their goal.
Constraints- All writers experience different constraints while writing. Constraints are ways that limit the way the author is able to send their message to their readers. Many writers have to be creative and find ways around the constraints to accomplish their goal for their writing.
Drafting- All writings start as draft. There is always ways to make your writing better, things to add or things to take away. I think that drafting, revising, and editing are all very similar processes. These processes are all to help the writer better their piece of work. This can be done through many ways such as: researching, peer editing, feedback from a professor, and much more. These steps are very important ones during the writing process.
Thoughts on Writing Before WRD 103
Before taking WRD 103 my definition and view on writing was completely different. In high school, I wrote most of papers with the intentions of just getting it done and meeting the requirements that my teacher had given me. I never was able to express myself or show my creative side through my writings.
My first key terms map reflects how my thoughts on writing changed after just a few class periods. I have words like creativity and individual on the map those are two words I would have never thought to add before. Through class discussion and readings from class I was able to form a better definition of writing within the first couple class periods.
Through the projects and readings I have done in this class, I have gained a better understanding on what writing is and it’s definition. I have realized that their is no correct way of writing and that everyone has a different way of understanding a writing. Every writer is going to express their message in different ways. Along with that, before the class I never saw things like social media posts or emails as different forms of writings but because each of these has an intended message for the reader they can be considered different modes of communication through writing.
Looking at the my first map compared to my third/final shows me how my idea of writing grew and developed throughout the quarter. My first map was basic information of what writing is. On my third map I included some of those terms as well but I also included more on the steps it takes to create an efficient writing. Most of these terms I have learned through readings and reading responses. Along with the readings, I felt like Project 1 introduced to me to different steps I should take while writing to help me become a more efficient writer.
Contributions to my Theory of Writing
Class readings/reading responses- For me the readings in the textbooks introduced to me to news ways of thinking about writing. The class reading that contributed to my theory of writing the most was WAW pages 1–30 and 56–59. These were the first readings we did for class, the readings introduced what we were going to be learning about class and new ways of thinking. Through these readings and the reading response I was able to develop a better understanding of what writing is and showed me that everyone has their own definition of writing.
Project Three- This project showed me that writing doesn’t always have to be in a form of an essay. For Project Three I chose to make a flyer. Before this class I would have never thought of a flyer as a genre in writing. This project helped me open my eyes to new genres and ways to send a message to the audience. I was able to use my creative side and create a flyer that is a fun way to appeal to a bigger audience. Most college kids wouldn’t want to take the time to read an essay on Alpha Kappa Psi’s rush process so being able to use a different genre that appeals to a greater audience was something this project introduced me too.
Writing Theory and Writing Process
My writing process has stayed mostly the same, but some new steps have been added, as my writing theory has grown and developed. I have always drafted and revised my writings before turning them in. Along with that I know that I write best when I am in a space surrounded by others working. I normally like to go to a coffee shop and get my work done there, I find that I am more productive when I am around others that are also working.
Even though my writing process hasn’t changed much, I have added the step of peer editing to my writing process. I learned through this class that it is important to have others read your drafts. This helps me realize what I could add or take away to help my message/purpose of the piece become clearer. I found comments from Megan to be helpful in making my writings better. As I look back at my writing process I have added small steps to make my process more efficient.
Writing Theory Transferred to Other Situations
My new theory of writing will help with not only future essays but also future writings in different genres. I have learned how to show my creative side while still sending a clear message to my audience. Along with that, I learned that different genres could be more effective depending on the audience which is something I will use in the future. My writing theory will continue to grow through future class and writing experiences.
