Okay, I’m convinced, writing is good!
To be honest, there was a time not too long ago when I thought of writing as something to do for those with nothing useful to do; for me the only thing that could explain the plethora of arguments that people bring up in writing was lack of anything meaningful to talk about or do. Of course in my life I had enjoyed many benefits from the works of great writers, most notably John Erickson in his marvelous Hank the Cowdog series and of course J.K. Rowley’s Harry Potter books, but I hadn’t given that much thought.
I think the most useful thing WRTG 150 has given me is a desire to write better and a little bit more understanding why writing is important for everyone. I can’t say I enjoy writing or that I’m an expert, but at least now I understand why so many people care about writing so much.
Anyone who knows anything of significance or importance concerning absolutely any topic ought to be able present it in a way that would help other people understand and use it. Learning to write well is not just about learning to write with correct grammar and punctuation or to have good handwriting (although these may be useful as well); it’s about learning to make an argument, presenting and analyzing information that others’ may find useful. The mechanics of writing are merely a means to the end of communicating more effectively; I guess until one really sees this end the means seem ridiculously pointless and totally dull, as they did to me.
To me it seems like the only people who don’t need to know how to write are those who have either no knowledge worth passing on (which in my opinion is impossible) and/or those who don’t have any opinions, don’t care at all about anything (also highly unlikely). While we are all at different levels of proficiency in these two areas, everyone has something to offer just as everyone can benefit from others’ unique perspectives.
It is sad that there is so much misunderstanding the world, so much miscommunication that leads to all kinds of disastrous consequences. If only we could all just listen to our English teachers and try to realize the need to write well and properly influence others with whatever good we can offer them, which is bound to be something.
To be honest, there was a time not too long ago when I thought of writing as something to do for those with nothing useful to do; for me the only thing that could explain the plethora of arguments that people bring up in writing was lack of anything meaningful to talk about or do. Of course in my life I had enjoyed many benefits from the works of great writers, most notably John Erickson in his marvelous Hank the Cowdog series and of course J.K. Rowley’s Harry Potter books, but I hadn’t given that much thought.
I think the most useful thing WRTG 150 has given me is a desire to write better and a little bit more understanding why writing is important for everyone. I can’t say I enjoy writing or that I’m an expert, but at least now I understand why so many people care about writing so much.
Anyone who knows anything of significance or importance concerning absolutely any topic ought to be able present it in a way that would help other people understand and use it. Learning to write well is not just about learning to write with correct grammar and punctuation or to have good handwriting (although these may be useful as well); it’s about learning to make an argument, presenting and analyzing information that others’ may find useful. The mechanics of writing are merely a means to the end of communicating more effectively; I guess until one really sees this end the means seem ridiculously pointless and totally dull, as they did to me.
To me it seems like the only people who don’t need to know how to write are those who have either no knowledge worth passing on (which in my opinion is impossible) and/or those who don’t have any opinions, don’t care at all about anything (also highly unlikely). While we are all at different levels of proficiency in these two areas, everyone has something to offer just as everyone can benefit from others’ unique perspectives.
It is sad that there is so much misunderstanding the world, so much miscommunication that leads to all kinds of disastrous consequences. If only we could all just listen to our English teachers and try to realize the need to write well and properly influence others with whatever good we can offer them, which is bound to be something.
I share your feelings. This class has taught me a lot about how absolutely necessary writing and communication is for a good society and pretty much for a good life.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved this! I really liked your use of lists.
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