Writing Log 2A Hotspots Pt 2

My first chapter 2 hotspot came from the last paragraph on page 32: “To freewrite, put pen to paper (or sit at your computer screen, perhaps turning off the monitor so that you can't see what you are writing) and write eapidly, nonstop, for ten to fifteen minutes at a stretch.” This is somewhat of a literary version of brainstorming that lets you just write down what is on your mind and practice writing. As simple as it sounds, I would have a hard time doing something like this, especially if my computer was in front of me, because I would easily become distracted. Although I do agree that it could be a good way to “get the juices flowing”, I also think that it would likely hinder my writing process because I would get off topic and stray from the subject rather than writing the actual paper that I was pre-writing for. I would also have difficulty because I would want to edit my writing rather than simply pouring out my thoughts and brainstorming.

My second hot spot in chapter 2 is simply the entire concept of “using points and particulars when you revise” on page 47. The book says that readers (or the teacher) may give advice by telling the writer to develop a section more fully or by asking what the point of part of a paper is. Although these comments are meant to guide and assist the writer, I feel as though they are still rather vague. They simply tell the writer what to clarify or develop, not how to do it. I have found that these kinds of comments can sometimes do more harm than help if the writer misinterprets them and ends up changing the paper in a harmful way. However, I agree that that they can be useful and that they do work to assist a writer most of the time.