College Writing Midterm

Uncle Barry and his Encyclopedia of Useless Info ("Annoying Ways People Use Sources")

using too many quotes in a row

"Moreover" approach (Harris)

"Moreover" can be used as a catchword for coming to terms with another text, it can help indicate what a writer does well but also to suggest what he or she has left undone

Main point "How to Read Like A Writer"

When you read like a writer, "You are reading to learn about writing"

I Can't Find the Stupid Link ("Annoying Ways People Use Sources")

no connection between the first letter of a parenthetical citation and the first letter of a works cited entry

Mumbo jumbo (Trimble's "Writing With Style")

"mumbo jumbo" = writing for yourself, grunts of the mind *Turns into prose when you begin writing for the reader To fix mumbo jumbo - shorter words and shorter sentences When you've finished reading - reread it twice, first as an average reader, and second as your worst enemy

Sentences (Trimble's "Readability")

- If you have three long sentences in a row, make the fourth one short - Don't be afraid of short sentences - Last sentence illustrates the literary knuckleball and an axiosm in aesthetics - Connect each sentence to the one before and the one after

Paragraphs (Trimble's "Readability")

- Paragraph variety - Labored paragraph: think "how would I say this to a friend," read paragraphs of writer whose style you like

Wording (Trimble's "Readability")

- Professionals quote, amateurs paraphrase - More abstract argument, the more "word pictures" - Minimize adjectives and adverbs - Use fewest and simplest words possible

Three ways to respond to sources (G&B)

1. Disagree and explain why 2. Agree but with a difference 3. Agree and disagree simultaneously

Main point "Googlepedia"

Address the ways writers can use Google and Wikipedia as sources, rather than ignore them as legitimate options

What are the ultimate reasons for bad writing (Trimble's "Writing With Style")

1. "Unconscious writing" 2. When the writer thinks primarily of themselves and thus writers primarily for themselves 3. Doesn't think of the future reader 4. Total self-orientation

What is a literature review (Library Literature Review Tutorial)

1. "re"-view or "look again" at what has already been written about a topic 2. Usually in the introduction to an essay or research report 3. Compilation of research that has been published on a topic by recognized scholars and researchers 4. Defined by a guiding topic 5. Proves background for the problem 6. Usually one section of an academic research paper

Veteran Notes for Trimble's "Writing With Style"

1. All writing is communication 2. Good writing is good manners 3. Writing is the art of creating desired effects 4. Assume reader waiting for excuse to tune out

Repercussions of battle-like intellectual arguments (Tannen's "Agonism in the Academy")

1. Animosity 2. Poisons our relations 3. Corrupts research integrity 4. Corrosive to human spirit

How is agonism bad (Tannen's "Agonism in the Academy")

1. Assign scholarly work to students and invite them to tear it apart 2. Intellectual argument = like a battle 3. Students only learn arrogance and narrow-mindedness 4. Students don't learn to develop high-level ideas

What are the several attitudes shared by clear writer (Trimble's "Writing With Style")

1. Assume chief job is to communicate 2. Assume reader will misconstrue whatever isn't plainly stated 3. Assume even profoundest ideas are capable of being expressed clearly 4. Accepted that 9/10ths of writing is rewriting 5. Sticklers for continuity

How is a literature review organized (Library Research Tutorial)

1. Broad issues and background 2. Theme/s of your research 3. Direct relevance

What are the desired effects the essay writer wants to have on the reader (Trimble's "Writing With Style")

1. Buy your ideas 2. Buy you as a source

What is the ultimate way to win readers (Trimble's "Writing With Style")

1. By courteously serving them 2. To serve well is to sell well, and to sell well is to serve well

What are the alternatives to battle-like arguments (Tannen's "Agonism in the Academy")

1. Change "doubting game" to "believing game" (look for strengths not faults) 2. Suspend disbelief 3. Critical thinking as a barn raising, instead of a boxing match

How do you serve the reader (Trimble's "Writing With Style")

1. Cultivate a psychological sense 2. School yourself to be other-oriented

How do writers win their readers (Trimble's "Writing With Style")

1. Have something to say that's worth their attention 2. Be sold on its validity and importance yourself so you can pitch it with conviction 3. Furnish strong arguments that are well supported with concrete proof 4. Use confident language 5. Serving them well: phrase your thoughts clearly, speak to your point, anticipate their reactions, offer them variety and wit, talk to them in a warm and open manner

Why should we refocus our attention (Tannen's "Agonism in the Academy")

1. Learn more form each other 2. Heard more clearly by others 3. Attract more varied talents 4. Restore measure of humanity

How is discussion better than a debate (Tannen's "Agonism in the Academy")

1. More participation 2. Deeper, more accurate understanding 3. Learn respect and open-minded inquiry 4. Compare and contrast different interpretations

Ways to refine your search in Searchbox (Library Research Tutorial)

1. Narrow by discipline, content, or publication date 2. Evaluate the strength of keywords 3. Find out if you are on the right track by reading the abstracts of some of the articles

What is Tannen's opinion on debates (Tannen's "Agonism in the Academy")

1. Not educational 2. No full participation 3. Students participating don't have substantial points 4. Don't synthesize when they should

Effects of agonism (in graduate programs) (Tannen's "Agonism in the Academy")

1. Praise tearing down others 2. Uncomfortable with tearing down others they drop out - potential scholars lost - remaining scholars are those willing to tear others down - everyone feels vulnerable and defensive - less willing to suggest new ideas, offer perspectives, or question received wisdom 3. Scholars have hard time getting policymakers' attention to their research

Four stages of the "visions" process (Murray's Internal Revision)

1. Prevision (for you) - reading, research, talking, note taking 2. Vision (for you) - zero draft 3. Internal revision (for you) - content, form, language, voice/attitude 4. External revision (for reader) - style, clarity, language, conventions, mechanics, etc.

Four stages of developing a literature review (Library Research Tutorial)

1. Problem formulation 2. Literature search 3. Data evaluation 4. Analysis and interpretation

What is Agonism (Tannen's "Agonism in the Academy")

1. Programmed contentiousness 2. Ceremonial combat 3. Ritualized opposition 4. To show off intelligence, people criticize, find fault, and attack 5. Prevalent in academic and bad for it

Intellectual inquiry/argument is like a battle (Tannen's "Agonism in the Academy")

1. Scholarly exchange is like a shootout 2. Feels like hero in a western movie 3. Praised for tearing down others 4. Academic experience = admiration, bloodlust, and moral self congratulation 5. Divide researchers into warring camps

Why do people write a literature review (Library Research Tutorial)

1. See what has and has not been investigated 2. Identify data sources other researchers have used 3. Learn how others have defined and measured key concepts 4. Develop alternative research projects 5. Put your work into perspective 6. Contribute to the field by moving research forward 7. Demonstrate your understanding 8. Provide evidence that may be used to support your own findings

Best ways to promote authentic and readable style (Trimble's "Readability")

1. View reader as companionable friend 2. Write like you're talking to a friend

Two major questions that should be answered by the end of an essay (G&B)

1. Who cares? 2. So what?

Novice Notes for Trimble's "Writing With Style"

1. Writing is a conversation between people 2. Writing involves thinking of the reader 3. Success of communication depends solely on how reader receives it 4. It has to be as subject to the basic rules of good manners as any other human relationship 5. Big break = when the writer begins to comprehend social implications of what they're doing with their writing

Advantages/disadvantages of Searchbox (Library Research Tutorial)

Advantages: access to millions of article and a quick easy search with keywords Disadvantages: so many results that i can be difficult to narrow them (lot of stuff you don't need)

Popular source (Library Research Tutorial)

Articles published in magazines and newspapers written for a general audience Characteristics: No original research, no required/assumed specialized knowledge, specialized vocab is explained, pictures/advertisements are common, no works cited or in-text citations Why to use: understand a complex topic, current event, information to a specific locale, opinions on an issue

Scholarly source (Library Research Tutorial)

Articles published in scholarly journals are written for a scholarly audience. Characteristics: Original research is reported, specialized knowledge and vocabulary is required/assumed, no advertisements and rarely pictures, works cited and in-text citations included Why to use: background information, qualitative/quantitative information, research from an expert, scholarly analysis

Comparing writer to an infant (Trimble's "Writing With Style")

Both learning - gradual process of socialization and deepening awareness - Infant: realizing world exists beyond themselves - Writer: realizing a reader is going to be reading their work Both develop - objectivity, empathy, and courtesy Both reach end mark when fully developed - Infant: social sensitivity, truly civilized person - Writer: readable style, truly civilized author

Challenge of a writer and supreme challenge (Trimble's "Writing With Style")

Challenge: avoid giving reader excuse to tune out Supreme challenge: make reader forget other things they wanted to do How to deal with it: empathy and anticipation

What does he say on "Trust your material" (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

Don't annoy readers by over-explaining, let the material speak for itself and let the readers come to their own conclusion

What does he say on credibility (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

Don't inflate, if the reader catches you in one bogus statement they won't believe anything you say

"Entering the conversation" (G&B)

Engaging in academic writing and expressing your own ideas as a response to what others have said

Examples of agonism (Tannen's "Agonism in the Academy")

Framework of scholarly papers - only to prove others wrong - citing opponent's weakest example or oversimplifying - citing evidence that only supports their argument

What does he say on quickest fix (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

If you can't fix a sentence, you can usually just delete the troublesome element

"What the Redskins and Fashion World Share" - Givhan

In a continuously-integrating world, "cross-pollination" is becoming more and more of an debate; some believe it is violating individual cultures and should be limited, while others think that copying (and interpreting) certain cultures is not offensive in the scope of pop culture.

"Orphans, Refugees, and Architectural Space: The Dream of the Grand Budapest Hotel" - Bernstein

In spite of pop culture and industrialization, the forces of (sub)urbanization have emotion as a central focus; the places we inhabit are as much a part of the fabric of our personality as our actions are of our inhabitations. "Home is (really) where the heart is," as man-made creations elicit unexpected emotional responses.

Difference between internal/external revision (Murray's Internal Revision)

Internal revision - for yourself, focused on content, form, language, voice/attitude External revision - for our audience, focused on style, clarity, language, mechanics, conventions of form/genre

Three things that a writer develops (Trimble's "Writing With Style")

Objectivity: awareness of self from reader's POV Empathy: capacity to put self in mind of reader Courtesy: appreciation of reader's rights and feelings

What does he say on paragraphs (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

Keep them short, but remember to vary length

Main point "Reading Games"

Learning to "read smarter, not harder"

What does he say on mood changers (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

Let the reader know as soon as possible when shifting mood (start with but, yet, etc.)

What does Trimble compare unconscious writing to? (Trimble's "Writing With Style")

Like sitting in chair away from the listener, mumbling to a wall, and heading home without looking back

Office hour/location (Syllabus)

Location: Battelle-Tompkins Office 245 Hours: 1-3pm Monday/Thursday

"5 Ways Movies Are Controlling Your Brain" - Wong

Movies (and other pop culture examples) are more influential in shaping our actions than we think for five substantive reasons: "fact" and "fiction" in movies are difficult (even impossible at times) to distinguish, storylines in movies are effective stimulants for humans to emulate, directors' motives motivate the audience to follow their (the directors') beliefs, pop culture permeates everyday life so much that we use it as a guide, and our natural tendency is to string together our experiences like how we see them in pop culture (like a "story").

What does he say on creeping nounism (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

One verb > one noun > string of nouns

"Destiny's Unintended Critique of Consumerism" - Parkin

Pop culture is a reflection of the society it panders to. We attempt to live in the society that pop culture creates, despite our efforts to distinguish and delineate the similarities between the two, affecting our perception of reality with triviality — shooting monsters and exploring dungeons is now something we envision ourselves doing as we meander through our everyday lives.

"What's Really Behind the Ridiculing of Renee Zellweger's Face" - Peterson

Pop culture is not timeless; artifacts from the past are invariably and inevitably interpreted in a present-day lens, despite their purpose and intended effect in the era they were created. Pop culture is thus, sometimes unfortunately, an accumulation of the forces that preceded it — and established the criteria it was to be compared to.

Adverbs (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

Replace adverbs with verbs that connote the adverb whenever possible

Adjectives (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

Replace with nouns that connote the adjective whenever possible

"The Upside-Down Appeal of Downton Abbey" - Chocano

Some examples of pop culture are attractive because they provide an alternative to the current societal structure; it is interesting (and compelling) to consider what society might look like, even if the alternative is derogatory and depressing.

Subject Guides/Why to use Databases (Library Research Tutorial)

Subject guides - information on a topic compiled into guides by librarians, help you to find information and sources based on your subject, subject guides are areas which you can use to narrow your search Databases - when you have a paper focused in one subject and need to narrow the results

"Breaking Bald" - Semley

The "pop fatalism" of being bald is that "baldness" is power, not weakness. "Baldness" is one example of taking initiative to overcome weakness, and the narrative that comes with such authority pervades the consumerism of contemporary American society.

"What Every American Should Know: Defining Cultural Literacy for an Increasingly Diverse Nation" - Liu

The dynamic in contemporary American society must be defined by the "Founding Principles" upon which they originated. We can only see pop culture through the history that preceded it, as the cause-and-effect principle demonstrates that every phenomenon in modern-day lingo came from something else — something we must clearly define.

"Domestic Divo" - Swenson

The media popularization of cooking in the home has placed into question the "gender roles" inherent in cooking — and other household duties — and reflected the change in American society over the last century. The "glass ceiling" has deteriorated as more and more men have taken up cooking and other activities formerly seen as part of the women's domain.

Trade/professional sources (Library Research Tutorial)

Trade or professional sources are written for an audience of professionals in the field. Can resemble scholarly or popular sources. Characteristics: Do no include original research, specialized knowledge is assumed/required, pictures are common, works cited may or may not be included Why to use: Find information on a profession, need business information, see what issues are current in a profession

Verbs (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

Use active verbs with the best imagery

WLRC catalog (Library Research Tutorial)

Washington Library Research Consortium - collection of books shared by the major universities (AU, GW, GU, GM, CUA, etc.)

Am I in the Right Movie? ("Annoying Ways People Use Sources")

failing to integrate a quote into the grammar of the preceding sentence

Dating Spiderman ("Annoying Ways People Use Sources")

starting or ending a paragraph with a quote

What does he say on punctuation (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

( . ) reach it sooner, short sentences are best ( ! ) construct sentences to emphasize what you want instead ( ; ) use sparingly (slows momentum of writing) ( - )use it to either amplify second part of sentence or the thought in the first, or set apart a parenthetical in a longer sentence ( : ) use for a brief half before an itemized list

Project vs. thesis (Harris)

- Examining a thesis assumes that the position is constructed to be fixed or static - An author's project is more complex than a main idea (it is a plan of work, to a set of ideas and questions that a writer "throws forward")

What are some mistakes people make when integrating source material (G&B)

1. "Hit and run" quoter - not integrating or explaining the quote 2. Not properly explaining to readers what their opinion is on the source 3. "Orwell asserts an idea that" or "A quote by Shakespeare says"- introductory and misleading

Ways to use "voice markers" (G&B)

1. "Or so it would seem"- shows that he doesn't necessarily agree 2. Declaring your own position 3. "Yet"- indicating a shift to his own views illustrating voice and tone shifts

Different ways to respond to naysayers (G&B)

1. Agree with a part while challenging only the part you dispute 2. Make concessions while still standing your ground 3. Persuade readers, don't bully them 4. Make sure counterarguments aren't more convincing than your arguments

Three things you look for when you're defining the author's project (Harris)

1. Aims (what the writer is trying to achieve, the position being take, issues or problems explored) 2. Methods (how the writer relates examples to ideas, connecting one claim to the next, and building a sense of continuity and flow) 3. Materials (where did the writer go for examples and evidence, which texts are cited and discussed, what experiences or events are described)

Why is it important to plant naysayers (G&B)

1. Anticipate objections 2. Enhances credibility 3. Disarm critics with "preemptive strike" 4. Shows respect for readers

Clutter (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

1. Any piece of writing which isn't doing useful work 2. Includes "unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills, and meaningless jargon" 3. Metaphors "Clutter is the disease of American writing." "Fighting clutter is like fighting weeds - the writer is always slightly behind." "Clutter is the laborious phrase that has pushed out the short word that means the same thing." "Clutter is political correctness gone amok." "Clutter is the official language used by corporations to hide their mistakes."

Do's of writing good reviews (Owl Criticism - Baxter)

1. Assert the work under review is of importance 2. Look at/describe the formal properties of the work (Craft) 3. Show what a work is about in relation to the form in which the subject matter has been shaped 4. Put it in a wider cultural context 5. Only review it if the jury is still out 6. Cite evidence

How to earn an A (Syllabus)

1. Attend all classes with notes and be prepared to discuss readings 2. Add to the conversation in class and work with classmates inside and outside of the classroom 3. Make an effort to improve writing, reading, and critical thinking skills

Course Learning Objectives (Syllabus)

1. Become critical readers 2. Become academic writers 3. Become critical thinkers

What are the five ways to quote (Harris)

1. Block quotes 2. In-text quotes 3. Scare quotes 4. Epigraphs 5. Allusion

Difference between borrowing and extending (Harris)

1. Borrowing: borrowing a term or idea from another writer to use in thinking though the subject; quick, tactical use of other texts 2. Extending: link to the position and pushing beyond it

What does it mean to assess uses and limitations (Harris)

1. Center on a weighing of options or sorting of possibilities rather than deciding if the author is right or wrong 2. Mix of skepticism and generosity 3. Look for gaps or difficulties in perspectives and try to understand the strengths of those not admired

Strategies for achieving unity (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

1. Choose your pronoun, tense, mood and stick to it 2. Think small and specific Metaphors: "Unity is the anchor of good writing"

Questions to ask before reading ("How to Read Like A Writer")

1. Do you know the author's purpose for the piece of writing? 2. Do you know who the intended audience is for this piece of writing? 3. In what genre is this written? 4. Is this a published or student-produced piece of writing? 5. Is this the kind of writing you will be assigned to write yourself?

What does he say on sexism (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

1. Don't be patronizing 2. Qualifying with female terms is unnecessary 3. Don't make women the possessions of men 4. Don't add -ess or use the second-class role of implications 5. Instead of "he," use "she" "they" "we" etc. Don't use "s/he"

Ways to introduce naysayers (G&B)

1. Entertaining objections 2. Naming your naysayers 3. Introducing objections informally (framing objections in the form of questions, let the naysayer speak directly, cut directly to naysayer's view)

Why you can use "I" (G&B)

1. Expressing ill-considered opinions is a starting point to more reasoned perspectives 2. Not an effective way of curbing subjectivity 3. Prohibiting "I" hampers student's ability to differentiate their views from others

Reasons for disagreeing (G&B)

1. Fails to take into account relevant factors 2. Based on faulty or incomplete evidence 3. Based on flawed logic 4. Is contradictory 5. Overlooks what you think is the real issue 6. Based on questionable assumptions

Genres of writing (Syllabus)

1. Feature article 2. Literature review 3. Scholarly essay

What are some reasons for using a quotation (Harris)

1. Flashpoints 2. Brake on paraphrase 3. Intensify paraphrase

What are good ways to enter class discussions (G&B)

1. Frame your comments as a response to something else that has been said already 2. Indicate explicitly that you are going to change the subject 3.Be even more explicit than you would be in writing

Four ways you can agree and disagree simultaneously (G&B)

1. Go beyond the typical "is too/is not exchanges" (childlike) 2. Make a complicated and nuanced argument 3. Can be tipped subtly towards agreement or disagreement 4. Speculative position (weighing pros and cons of a position)

"Forwarding" as a means of sources (Harris)

1. Highlights the social aspects of intellectual work and the ways in which academic writing responds to the text and ideas of others 2. Suggest that the goal of such writing is not to have the final word of a subject or to bring the discussion to a close, but to push it forward and say something new 3. Civil tone/dialogue rather then debate

Four ways to forward (Harris)

1. Illustrating 2. Authorizing 3. Borrowing 4. Extending Authorizing, borrowing, and extending are the ways of helping readers think "with" the topic Illustrating helps readers think "about" the topic

Strategies to get past the myth of the Inspired Writer

1. Imitate the form and organization of other successful pieces of writing, as well as how they "engage with, explore, and extend ideas" 2. Share your work with someone else, especially someone who you think seems to write better than you 3. Tell the inspired writer to "shut up"

Tips for how to introduce source material (G&B)

1. Introduce "standard views" 2. Make what "they say" what you say 3. Something implied or assumed 4. Ongoing debate

Reasons why instructors don't want you to use Wikipedia ("Wikipedia is Good For You")

1. It is open to participation by anyone 2. Its changeability 3. Instructors want you to read more than just a general overview of a subject that Encyclopedia articles provide

Conclusion ("Reading Games")

1. It will typically summarize 2. Slight re-phrasing can help you understand the author's argument in an important, new way 3. Authors indicate the limitations of their work and unanswered questions

Strategies for preparing/creating a good ending (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

1. Last sentence is the most important 2. Don't end with a compressed version of what you've already said 3. Take your readers by surprise 4. Bring the story full circle 5. Surprise is a great way to end 6. Send the reader away quickly and with an arresting thought to take along Metaphors: Avoid progressing to outline "Roman Numeral II" Last sentence is "like the curtain in a theatrical comedy"

Strategies for preparing/creating a good lead (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

1. Let readers know what they're in for 2. Aim to hook your readers from the first sentence 3. Every paragraph in your lead should amplify the one preceding it 4. Take special care with the last sentence of every paragraph 5. Salvation often lies in odd facts the author can find 6. Collect more material than you will lose 7. Look for your material everywhere, not just the usual sources

What you should be writing as you are reading ("How to Read Like A Writer")

1. Mark up the text 2. Make comments in the margins 3. Write yourself notes and summaries during/after reading 4. Look at the techniques, if they're effective, advantages/disadvantages if you tried the technique in your writing

Reasons for agreeing with a difference (G&B)

1. Point out unnoticed evidence. 2. Cite personal evidence. 3. Accessible translation of challenging views.

Strategies to care about words (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

1. Read writers you like 2. Look up words you don't know 3. Don't be afraid to use a thesaurus 4. Pay attention to how words sound 5. Remember "words are the only tools you've got" and "somebody is out there listening"

Reasons for introducing source material (G&B)

1. Remember you are entering into an existing conversation 2. Explain what your view on the source is 3. Make clear to the reader your reasons for using the source

Don'ts of writing good reviews (Owl Criticism - Baxter)

1. Review the plot 2. Be extreme 3. Write to be shocking/write hype

Formatting a works cited page (MLA and Lunsford)

1. Start list of sources on separate page after the text of the document 2. Continue consecutive numbering of pages 3. Center heading Works Cited, on top of page with one inch margin 4. Begin entry flush on left margin, indent subsequent lines, double space all sources. 5. List alphabetically 6. Author's last name comma first name (2 or more authors subsequent authors go first name last name) 7. Capitalize every important word 8. In general, use a period and space after each entry 9. (Book) list city and publication followed by colon and shortened form of Publisher's name 10. List dates of publication and access 11. Give the medium 12. List page numbers for larger works

The Introduction ("Reading Games")

1. The introduction will not only summarize the whole piece, present the main idea, and tell us why we should care 2. Offers a road map for the rest of the article 3. Helps you have a general understanding of the direction of the article

Parts of the abstract ("Reading Games")

1. The main problem or question 2. The approach 3. The shiny new thing the article does 4. Why people who are already invested in this field should care

Components to help you understand ("Reading Games")

1. The title 2. The abstract 3. The introduction 4. Section headings 5. Conclusion

What does it mean to "entertain" an objection (G&B)

1. Thinking about potential counterarguments 2. Embracing the voice and writing it into your own text 3. Giving the objection a fair amount of time to be examined 4. Nameless, faceless naysayer (not addressing one particular person)

Difference between jargon and usage (specific object rule) (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

1. Unless it refers to a specific object, don't use it 2. Example: The difference between printout and input - "A printout is a specific object that a computer emits. Before the advent of computers it wasn't needed; now it is. But it has stayed where it belongs. Not so with "input" which was coined to describe the information that's fed to a computer.

Strategies to improve your research process ("Googlepedia")

1. Use Wikipedia to get a sense of the topic and identify additional search terms 2. Use Google to get a broader sense of the topic as well as verify information and test out search terms you found in Wikipedia 3. Search Google using quotation marks, use Google Scholar, do a limited search 4. Use CRAAP test (currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, purpose) 5. Search in college's library research databases and general academic databases

Ways Wikipedia can help you with research and writing ("Wikipedia is Good For You")

1. Use it as a source of: ideas, links to other texts, search terms 2. Use it as a process guide to remember/understand some of the tasks that are part of good research-based writing like: reviewing, revising, and sharing

Why is it important to write for yourself (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

1. Use your skill as a writer to express your personality. 2. "You are writing primarily to please yourself, and if you go about it with enjoyment you will also entertain the readers who are worth writing for." 3. Examples - "The Hen" "Monkey Trial" 'How to Survive In Your Native Land"

What are some good questions to ask when you read (G&B)

1. What is the author's argument? 2. What other arguments is the writer responding to? 3. Is the writer disagreeing or agreeing with something, and if so what? 4. What is motivating the writer's argument? 5. Are there other ideas that you have encountered in this class or elsewhere that might be pertinent?

Questions to ask as you read ("How to Read Like A Writer")

1. What is the author's purpose/intended audience? 2. How effective is the language the author uses? 3. What kinds of evidence does the author use to support his/her claims? 4. Is the evidence appropriate/effective? 5. Are there places in the writing that you find confusing?

What to consider in terms of audience ("Reading Games")

1. When the writer sat down to write the reading, who is he/she talking to? 2. Writers of scholarly sources don't think about a general audience, they think about scholarly audiences 3. Look at publication venue 4. If you are not the primary audience consider: the author will assume primary knowledge that you likely don't have, don't be surprised if you find that the writing doesn't appeal to you

Main point "Wikipedia is Good For You"

1. Wikipedia can actually "provide information to assist you with and model some of the activities frequently characteristic of college-level, research-based writing." 2. Some of the practices involved in successfully writing a Wikipedia article are also involved in writing a research-based text for college courses: reviewing, conversing, revising, and sharing.

Why should you care about the words you choose (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

1. Writers who overuse cliches and only write what the reader expect are hacks and are avoided by readers 2. You want your writing to be fresh and exciting 3. Avoid journalese Metaphors: "The race in writing is not to be swift but to be original"

Why do you need to write for your audience (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

1. Writing for your audience is a matter of craft in which you are mastering a precise skill 2. Readers will stop reading if you make them work too hard Metaphors: "The reader is an impatient bird, perched on the thin edge of distraction or sleep."

Handing in Papers Late (Syllabus)

1. You hand papers in late, but it is discouraged. 2. No papers via email unless allowed or instructed to 3. A late paper can be turned in one class after due date, results in one letter grade reduction 4. If you can't give to prof directly, put in vertical file b/w 8:30-5:00 outside her office, must be date stamped and logged in 5. Don't leave papers in mailbox or under door

Tips for writing good marginal comments (Syllabus)

1. using "I" statements 2. Explain how you felt when you read the idea 3. Offer specific suggestions 4. Be sure to praise as well as critique

Attendance policy (Syllabus)

3+ unexcused absences may be grounds for failure, tardiness or leaving class early can count as an absence. Prepare for class even if school is closed. If you have to miss class, let professor know beforehand in writing. If you miss a class workshop, you grade will drop a full letter.

What is writing as rewriting (Harris)

All creativity and originality is intertwined in or has its roots in the work of others - in "response, reuse, and rewriting"

What does he say on that vs. which (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

Always use "that" unless it makes your meaning ambiguous, use "which" when your sentence needs a comma

Little qualifiers (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

Be bold, cut out words like "a bit," "sort of," "quite," etc. to make writing confident

What does it mean to note "keywords and passages" (Harris)

Citing key passages from the text to define the project of the writer

Assignment 1 (Syllabus)

Feature article - makes an argument and includes a variety of researched siroccos. It explores a topic from different angles. Organization is often surprising and is used strategically. Written to a general audience and the paragraph style and syntax help to reinforce the thesis.

Main point "Annoying Ways People Use Sources"

It is important to communicate with your reader in a way that does not annoy, confuse, or frustrate them, as well as anticipate certain annoyances the reader might have with your writing. In this way, signals, especially in terms of sourcing, are necessary in order to alert readers of your intentions so that you are not perceived as rude or uneducated.

What does he say on contractions (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

Makes style warm, but don't invent contractions

Difference between reading like a writer and "normal" writing ("How to Read Like A Writer")

Most of the time we read for information, but when you read like a writer you want to learn how a piece was built

Assignment 3 (Syllabus)

Researched argument - makes an explicit argument and uses mainly scholarly sources. It explores the topic from a specific point of view and the organization is linear. It's written for a specific scholarly audience. Paragraph style and syntax follow the practices of academic discipline.

What does he say on overstatement (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

Ruins humor - use sparingly

What does it mean to "come to terms" with a source (Harris)

Settling of accounts or negotiation between the reader and writer Three moves 1. Define the project of the writer in your own terms" 2. Note keywords or passages in the text 3. Assess the uses and limits of this approach

First page of an essay (MLA and Lunsford)

The first page of an essay should include from the left margin: your name, the instructor's name, the course name and number, and the date (in that order). The lines in between should be double-spaced. Double space again for title, which should be centered on the page, and then double space before the text

Main point "Inspired Writer vs. Real Writer"

There is an expectation that good writing comes naturally, but that is not true. Rather, treat writing as a practice, an antagonistic one at that, and know that even the most skilled writers still get frustrated with their work.

What does he say on concept nouns (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

Use verbs instead of concept nouns, bad sentences have no person or verb

How can you write for yourself and the audience simultaneously (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

Use your skill in writing to convey your message clearly to the audience, use that skill to express your personality and entertain yourself

What are signal verbs (G&B)

Verbs tailored to suit the precise actions you're describing (ex. insist, argue, assert, extol etc.)

Positive opposition (Harris)

Words and values that don't contradict each other yet still exist in some real and ongoing tension

Writing as work (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

Writing isn't easy or fun, and it requires a lot of careful revision. The professional writer has a schedule and stick to it.

What does he say on rewriting (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

Writing needs lots of tinkering to make the narrative as clear as possible for the reader

How to cut out clutter and still sound like yourself (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

You have to strip your writing down before building it back up. Removing clutter helps you find your voice underneath all the pomp. Be yourself - write in the first person to sound natural. Metaphors: "There is no style store" Carpentry (pg 18) "Trying to add style is like adding a toupee."

What does he say on "Go with your interests" (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

You'll write better about things you like because you have a passion for the subject already

What does he say on agonism (On Writing Well - William Zinsser)

Your only contest is with yourself, don't write to "beat" others

I Swear I Did Some Research ("Annoying Ways People Use Sources")

dropping in a citation without making it clear what information came from that source

Armadillo Roadkill ("Annoying Ways People Use Sources")

dropping in a quote without introducing it first