3.28 Revision!

Revision memo:  You started class by writing a revision memo in response to the comments I wrote to your text.  This memo was for you, and in it you noted what you agreed with, what you disagreed with, what you didn't understand - and anything else that seemed important for you to think about.

Patterns (from the class as a whole)  in process drafts:  I then gave you some general feedback about what kinds of revisions drafts by the class as a whole would benefit from.  This list includes work on the introduction and conclusion; making clear distinctions between style (what is on the page) and process (how you write what ends up on the page) and discarding material focused on style (this essay is focused on process); use of specific examples (MORE!), organization (we discussed different organizational strategies- 1) going through each different process from beginning to end; 2) talking about invention across processes, then drafting across processes, revision across processes, and then reflecting on exceptions across processes), and making a series of clear observations/points with respect to your writing process.  These observations/points should go beyond the obvious (=> I need to revise more) and get into planning how to change (what is the source of resistance to revision?  how can it be overcome?  what kinds of revision practices feel like you might WANT to do them - it is OK to refer to the handouts. . .).

Bishop.

We talked in depth about the tensions Bishop points out in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic goals and demands imposed on your writing.  Extrinsic demands are from the outside - put on you by others in ways that make you feel like the writing does not really belong to you.  Intrinsic goals are about what you want out of writing for yourself.

We came up with the following lists.
Extrinsic demands:
due dates
assignment criteria: constraints on content and organization, language style, content requirements, length, focus,
outline/templates;
citation-formatting;
stylistic demands,
grammar-correctness, ideas,
outside references,
standards for evidence + authority
* taking risks
*engaging in meaningful learning

Intrinsic goals
being able to distinguis genres
have authority w/i different genres
identify personal style
get "better"
better editing skills
take risks
grow as a writer
vocabulary
meet external + internal expectations (at the same time)
achieve credibility
clarity/precision of language

Bishop's essay makes the point that despite the conflicts between these two sets of goals/expectations- everything you write is YOUR writing.  It belongs to you and you will grow through its practice in terms of what you put into it.  The rest of her essay is a discussion of creating fat, generous, full-breath drafts that offer lots of room for experimenting and growing = revising.  Revision is growing.  And thinking.

You then broke into groups and placed your self into one of Bishop's 4 stages - and picked two practices from her stages. = and gave them a shot.

Ostram
I gave a very bried presentation on Ostram's essay.  His essay talks about the different ways writers see themselves (p. 29) and points out that most of us see ourselves in many different ways as we write=> that we have many, conflicting writing selves who direct our relationships to and feelings about our writing.

He then goes on to suggest that our relationship to revising can be intentionally shaped by stepping into different selves/personae.  These selves define specific relationships to writing and allow us to see our work in new ways.  I suggested that you read through these selves (masks = from theater, where the performer sybollically becomes a different character) and step into masks that you feel would allow you to re-vision your work constructively.


For next week:  turn in the final draft of your process narrative.  Due as an attachment to the Writing account.
We will talk about Gee (which we didn't get to this week); and about "History of Writing Technologies," Brian Gabrial, "Through the Door: Digital Production," Scott McCloud.


I will also introduce the portfolio project.



Great class and see you next week.

3. 14=> 3.28 Process narrative + process reading.

You turned in your process narratives.  I have most of them, if you have not yet turned yours in - send it before the weekend and I will provide *written* comments by 3.28  (since I missed class on 3.14).

In class on 3.28 we will catch up in terms of the process narrative, go over Bishop and Ostram (readings from last class) and we will talk about  James Gee (now available in the online readings list=> Introduction to Social Linguistics & Literacies).

Have a great break!

3.7 Conferences for process narrative

** Notes from today's class were published in the previous post.

Wednesday March 14
10:00 Liana
11:40 Allyson
1:00 Yasmin
1:20 Daniel
1:40 Arlette
4:30 Jessica
4:45  Brigit
5:00 Marietta

Thursday, March 15
10:45  Nahimot
1:15 Allison
3:30 Sarah
3:45  Sara
4:00 Alison

Erin - break for ENG 3029 (though I may be pretty braindead - we will give it a try).

3.7 Cooking for process narrative

Today's entire class was spent on braintroming for the process narrative. We used  techniques described by Elbow's chapter on cooking to guide our work so that in a sense - we not only talked about cooking as an abstraction - you explored and enacted the processes it entails.

Cooking experiments

1. Interacting with others
After reviewing the assignment - we started with cooking through talking to others.
In groups you had a discussion focused on :

• how do you write
• what strengths and challenges arise from this process?
• reflections on what you might change

You then wrote a one-sentence summary to describe your writing process.  Some summaries included:

• Straight forward = sit down and write in one stretch
• Process differs by feelings
• For material uninterested = straight forward BUT  for material deeply interested in = much more preparation and thinking
• Organic = spur of the moment => can’t pre-write, it either comes out or it doesn’t honest/ from the heart – but unorganized = freewrwite with fix later
• Detail oriented – can help to make effective texture – but can lose focus
• Strategic = planning + thinking = go back to story – can do too much (lose rawness) or too little
• Consciously aware of audience

2. . Exploration of conflicts:You used your one sentence description of how you write and then thoughtabout times when you wrote differently, or when your experience of success was related to a different writing process, or when your parts of your process both were and were not the way you said they were. . .look for writing practices you actually use that do NOT fit into your general characterization.

For example, in my one-sentence description I had described myself as an "unconscious" writer where I have to trust that my meaning will be there - yet at so many points in my process I actively & consciously analyze my writing (through reverse outlines) or use model texts as templates for how to present meanings, or


3. Moving between working ideas and working in words.  In our discussion of "spring break" we noticed how moving back and forth among different ways to "say" what we felt about spring break  - we moved toward an opening statement that "spring break should be sooner" to a statement that spring break for universities should all be at the same time because. . . "  It took a number of statements - back and forth to get there - and new "ideas" were introduced with each new way of "saying" what we meant.

4. Exploring metaphors.  As Brigit was talking about moving back & forth between ideas and words - she mentioned that she had come up with a list of metaphors for what she did when she wrote.  Her metaphoric positions to write from - along with metaphors from some of the rest of us in the class included:

• a philosopher
• a chemical engineer
• a war/writing strategist
• a mother
• a ship on the ocean
• a musician
• an artist (painter)

Each of these metaphors for writing identities suggests different ways to thinking and acting -as well as different relatinships to writing.  They open up ideas that you can then look for conflicts and connections that reflect what you actually do when you write.  They are ways to help you define your process in more detail - and to distinguish your process from other general approaches.  This sets you up to present both a more nuanced description of how you actually write, and therefore puts you in a better position to think about strengths and weaknesses, and what (and how)you want to change.

5 Switching up perspective or mode;
In teaching writing - patterns for writiing are sometimes defined in terms of mode.  These modes are generally identified as: narrative, persuasive, expolition, definition, slassification, description, analysis.

Each mode emphasizes particular forms, particular language choices, & certain kinds of focus & voice.  For example, we identified "once upon a time" and "he said. . ." and "and then . . ." and "then they lived happlily ever after" as some of the kinds of language moves (even if these are not the specific words) associated with narrative.  For persuasive writing, you identified words & phrases like therefore, because, this shows that, andand  it is proved, and we pointed out that most persuasive writing has a thesis statement - whereas stories definitely don't.

Switching your writing from one mode to another help writers see their ideas differently, and it can help them write (for example, if you have trouble writing persuasive essays - try it first as a story).  Elbow points out the switching perspective in terms of subject position (from I to we, or third person onmniscient to second person) or other features can also open up new information and relationships.

So - you have spent some time with Elbow, and you will have these strategies as resources - if you even get stuck or need a way to dig something out of what you have written that you feel is there - but you have not yet been able to say directly.  I know this wasn't the most favorite class for some of you - so thank you for your patience, and I am looking forward to see what comes up in your process narratives.

For next week.

Read: Wendy Bishop’s “Revising Out and Revising In.”  Hans Ostrom’s “The Masks of Revision.”  (posted in the course library

Write: 

• Post your brainstorming notes from work in class today - and any other brainstorming you have done to your portfolio (create a new page (7. Process narrative, as in the sample portfolio).
• Complete your first draft for the process narrative and 1) post it at your course portfolio; and 2) send it to me. 

Thanks for the good class and see you next week. 

Literacy narratives

I've almost got all of your literacy narratives marked and they are wonderful.  I will have them back to you by class on Wednesday.