Writing Log 2A HOTSPOTS

PART ONE:

When reading this chapter, I learned a lot about all the different kinds of writing styles. The first hotspot I chose to talk about was, “In our experience, beginning college writers are often discomforted by the ambiguity of the rules governing writing” (p.6, A&B, 5^th paragraph). This is how I felt coming into college, I was so nervous to write any type of paper because I was unaware of what the professor would be expecting. There are so many rules when it comes to writing, whether you have a specific genre, using the right type of language, or simply writing in the correct pattern. When writing in college, the professor expects us to go above and beyond, meaning we have to be open-ended. When I say we have to be open ended I mean that we must answer every question that comes to mind, we are supposed to reach out and answer the questions of the audience and readers on the subject matter being presented to them. The next hotspot that stuck out to me was, “Good Writing varies along a continuum from closed to open forms” (p.26, A&B). This was interesting to me because I was unaware that there was even a continuum for writing styles. The different styles along the continuum have to do with how the thesis is delivered in the essay or speech. At the closed end of the form, the essay is thesis based from top-down structure. The thesis is stated and the following topics are based off of the original thesis. When going towards the open form, the narrative is no longer thesis based, but theme based.

When reading this chapter, as I said above I realized much about myself as a writer. When I would write papers before, I would stay towards the closed form on the continuum because that was all I knew how to do. I wouldn’t try and answer questions from the audience about the subject matter; I would just base my writing off of my thesis statement. I never knew that there were different reasons for writing, where teachers expected you to go above and beyond to answer rising questions. When reading this chapter I also realized that I too would ask a teacher a question, hoping to get just the direct answer and not a debate or discussion in class. When in college the teacher will answer your question with another question, simply to get yourself thinking. Based on how I used to present speeches, my audience may perceive me as not as intelligent because I used to do the bare minimum. Now I realized in order to reach my fullest potential as a writer and speaker, I must go above and beyond to get my audience thinking.

PART TWO:

The first hotspot I chose to talk about from this chapter was, “Learning to wallow in complexity”, (p.29, A&B, Paragraph 3). This is an interesting statement because this is exactly how I feel college professors would like us all to think. When we ask them a question, I feel as though they are hoping we come to realize the real answer. The meaning behind the wallow in complexity statement is for students to work their way out of the problem. Most new college students don’t learn to wallow their way out, and simply just comprehend the material in the readings and react to it. They generally shut down all of their creative thinking and just go straight for closure to the problem. While what is really wanted out of the student is to be able to comprehend the material learned, but also to attach it to a bigger meaning. Throughout this chapter, there are four more key concepts to which they want us to learn. All of the concepts are to help us become more proficient writers. One of the concepts is to use exploratory strategies to think critically about the subject-matter. When reading this concept, a hotspot came to me, “Another effective was to explore the complexity of a topic is through face-to-face discussions with others”, (p.35, A&B, paragraph 1). I chose this hotspot because not all face-to-face discussion groups are successful. Last quarter I was in a history class and we had a discussion group every Thursday, where we would bring a paper, proving that we read the reading for the week and we had to talk about what we wrote. Not ever did everyone in the class participate in the class discussion, even though it was worth participation points. When the classmates talked, people would disagree with what the other person was saying, and it would become a battle of who was right and who was wrong. In the reading, it said the best way to have a face-to-face discussion is to have dialectic talk, which means people who have different views on a subject try and understand each other. This chapter continued to talk about the placement of thesis statements within a writing, to make it a closed or open form. When people develop a thesis statement, they can leave it open ended to develop a question, or develop a thesis statement that is supported by different points throughout your essay.

PART THREE:

At the beginning of the third chapter the hotspot that stuck out to me was, “Messages persuade through their angle of vision”, (p.50, A&B, Concept 8). This is true because when thinking about all the different types of paper, we realize everyone has their own person view towards the same subject matter. In class if we were all told to write about what we believe stem cells represent, everyone would have their own opinion. Sure there may be some similarities, but people view things differently throughout our daily lives. Another example of people having their own angle of vision would be if the whole class was to write on their ideal woman/man. This ties into what we have been talking about in class. When people think about the ideal woman, some may not be able to because there are so many things a woman can do to alter her appearance. In class someone said that there is an ideal woman hairstyle, which would be a pony tail. To some, this is not considered to be the ideal hairstyle because women, when thinking of what to do with their hair, think about the highlights, if it will be a low pony tail, or a high one, pinned backed bangs, or not. There are many views towards such a small subject, which makes it unique when we hear from one person’s angle of vision. Another concept which is talked about in this chapter has to do with logos, pathos, and ethos. “We encourage you to ask questions about the appeals to logos, ethos, and pathos every time you examine a text”, (p.56, A&B, paragraph 3). Last quarter I was in a public speaking class and we had to make sure that each speech had credibility supported by logos, ethos, and pathos. When writing an essay or speech it is important that there is credibility behind what you are saying, so your audience trusts what you are telling them. Pathos in writing is important because it ties into the audience or readers emotions. Linking facts to emotions or ethos is an easier way for the audience to remember what was being said to them.

Writing log 2A

I found my first hot spot of Chapter 1 on page 6. It reads: "Thus writing isn't just a way to express thought; it is a way to do the thinking itself." I chose this as one of my hot spots because I felt that this sentence, along with the paragraph as a whole, explains what writing is in a very profound way. It explains that writing is a thought process in itself. It explains that unlike when you are speaking, writing gives you time to think deeply before you actually express your ideas. Writing is a way to communicate your ideas, but with "a deeper, clearer, and more complex level of thought," (page 6).

The second hot spot that I am going to use from the first chapter is on page 20. I am using Table 1.1 as my hot spot. I never realized how many different options there were when it came to writing. The table is also very easy to follow. It would make it easy to write a good paper. If you know what you want the aim of your paper to be, you can figure out what the focus of your writing should be, the relationship to the audience, and the forms and genre's, and vice versa.

After reading Chapter 2, I found two hot spots. The first one is found on page 30. It reads: "A C paper and an A paper may have the same "answer" (identical thesis statements) but the C writer may have waded only ankle deep into the mud of complexity, whereas the A writer wallowed in it and worked a way out." I thought that the choice of words the authors used were very interesting. They explained the difference between an A paper and a C paper very well, using a metaphor that was witty.

The second hot spot that I chose is found on page 32. It is the section that is entitled "Freewriting." I chose this as a hot spot because i find the concept of free writing very interesting. I enjoy free writing. I enjoy looking back at my writings and noticing different themes, or noticing how my writing flows from one thing to another, connecting different ideas. I also like to look back and see how I organized the paper. Depending on the topic, or questions I have to answer, the organization of the paper will probably be different.

While reading Chapter 3, I found my first hot spot on page 50. It reads: "An angle of vision-which might also be called a lens, a filter, a perspective, a bias, a point of view-is persuasive because it controls what the reader "sees."" I agree with this because even slight words that the writer uses, will let a reader come to their own conclusion on what the writer truly means or what their opinion is on the subject. A writer can create so many different angles of vision just by using different words or phrases.

The second hot spot that I found in Chapter 3 was on page 60. It reads: "Not only do visual images have rhetorical power, but so do many of our consumer choices." I found this section very interesting. It is amusing to compare the difference between humans and different species of animals. Humans are the only species that "by nature respond to symbols." We pay attention so much to what other people are wearing and the different symbols that people use.

hot spots

While reading the first chapter in The Allen and Bacon Guide To Writing, I found two hotspots that interested me. The first hotspot was on page 20. The page was a whole list of rhetorical aims like explore or inquire, inform or explain, analyze, synthesize or interpret, persuading and reflecting. This interested me because I didn't know there were so many rhetorical aims to choose from. Each one has it's own focus of writing and relationship to the audience you are trying to relate to. For example, if you use the rhetorical aim that informs or explains, you provide knowledge and example that you want your audience to know about. If you use the persuading aim, you try to convince your readers to accept and understand what you believe about the situation. You're trying to change the minds of the people who think differently than you. I find it interesting that there are so many ways that you can write a paper and each way has a specific name and focus.
My other hotspot is on page 9. The page explains the difference between closed and open forms of writing. Closed form writing is usually a paper written in school filled with facts and structure. Open formed writing doesn't really have a focus and is more “free”. There is no clear structure and it's more like a story type of writing. This was interesting to me because, I knew there were different ways to write about certain things, but I didn't know that there was a name for a specific type of writing or when to use each one. I haven't really written in open form because most of my papers are for school. After reading the examples of the closed and open forms, I thought that the open form was more interesting to read.
One of two of my hotspots is on page 32. It was when the book talked about freewriting and just letting your ideas come to you as you type or write away. I think this was one of my hotspots because, like I said before, this is what I do. I think freewriting is fun. I like looking at all the thoughts that I had after I'm finished. Sometimes it's weird to see how one thought lead to another and to see how my brain connects certain ideas. I like when the book says to “perhaps turning off the monitor so that you can't see what you are writing.” This sounds like something I want to try. It would make things more exciting.
The second hotspot of mine was on page 42. This was when the book gives you two ways to surprise your readers. My hotspot was when the book gave the idea of giving your thesis tension. I like this because it's something that I now want to use in my writing. I think writing this gives the common example of things but then hits you with a completely different way to look or think about the subject. I think common views get old and there are always different ways to think about things just some people choose not to.
A hotspot of mine was on page 50. I liked the thought exercise on the angle of vision. I thought that the example was a good one. It said “suppose you attended on Friday night and two people ask what you did on Friday. One is your best friend, the other is your grandma. How would your descriptions of Friday night differ?” I liked this example because it's something that can very easily happen so it was easy to relate to. It also made me think about what I would say. I also liked where the book said that “ there is always more than one way to tell the same story.” This just makes me think about all the stories I've heard and how they could easily be told a different story and if the story caused trouble, it may have been able to be avoided.
My second hotspot is on page 60. I just thought it was weird that the book compared human flirting to peacocks flirting. It was odd. I also liked how it explained about the choices we make about the clothes we wear when flirting and peacocks have no choice at all. Our choices show our identity and project us the way we want to be seen.

Hot Spots Writing Log 2A

CHAPTER ONE

The first hot spot I chose was on page 13. It talks about how historian Rodney Kilcup says that writers should begin with a “good interesting question” to help develop a thesis. For Kilcup, a good question sets the writer on a path of inquiry, critical thinking, analysis, and argument. I chose this statement because I really liked how it explained the importance of a thesis statement. For me, thesis statements are the hardest things to come up with and they are also the most important part of your paper. As Kilcup simply puts a “good interesting question” is all you need to start off with and to help make your paper flow and to help you go in a direction for your paper that is good and clear.

The next hotspot I chose was on page 23. It says, “To appreciate the importance of audience, consider how a change in audience can affect the content of a piece.” This helps you think about not only how to reach people your mainly aiming for, but how to also help grab the attention of a minority in the situation. This idea can be very helpful when trying to write a persuasive paper or article to reach a vast majority of people.

CHAPTER 2

My first hotspot was on page 42. It talks about the idea on tension in surprising a reader in your thesis statement. What is meant by “tension” is the reader’s sensation of being pulled away from familiar ideas towards a new, unfamiliar one. You can do this by stating a fact believed by many, and then stating what you are trying to show. This helps to get the readers attention. I believe that this is a great concept to know because it not only grabs the readers attention, but it gets them interested in your paper. It helps give depth to your thesis. This also gives them a reason to read on because they might be interested in a different idea then what they originally thought.

My next hotspot was on page 45 and has a sentence that states, “A strong thesis, then, must both surprise the reader and be supported by convincing particulars.” This idea made me think about how not only do you need to have a good “eye-catching” sentence, but it must also make the reader believe that it is supported by ideas and facts. A tabloid is an example of something that catches your eye, but once you read further and realize it has no credibility, you no longer take the idea seriously. In writing a paper you need to show that not only what your writing is interesting, but that it can also be backed up. This helps the overall persuasion of the paper.

CHAPTER 3

My first hotspot was on page 50 and the sentence states, “There is always more then one way to tell the same story, and no single way of telling it constitutes the whole truth.” I liked this because it made me think. People tend to chose the way they tell a story based on the audience and on how they want to have an audience see their particular point of view better than another one. This idea helped me to think about when I read certain writings that I should be more critical and try and see how what there saying might be bias towards what they want me to think about. It makes me think about how to do this is in a good way in my writing as well.

My next hotspot was on page 61 where a simple sentence that said, “The way you dress communicates where you fit.” This is something that I completely agree with. You select the clothes you wear based on how you want to be perceived. This in turn serves as your identity and where you fit-in in life. This whole idea goes back to the idea of how visual images have rhetorical power as well. Relating these two ideas of visual images having rhetorical power with our consumer choices helps us to analyze the importance of visual images and the power they have over us.

Megan Vaccarella

hot spots

The writer’s challenge is to determine which sort of writing is the most appropriate in a given situation”(10). I chose this as my first hot spot because it clearly defines what we a writers need to accomplish. There are so many different settings that we need to learn how to write differently for. For example, in a professional setting and with friends our papers will be directed to a different audience. I think this is important because it reminds us to keep our papers directed to the right audience and to always no what setting your paper is for in order for the audience to be able to become interested and relate to the subject matter.

My second hot spot is found on page 23. “ To appreciate the importance of and audience, consider how a change in audience can affect the content of a piece”(23). This is saying to always know who your audience is and to make sure they can relate to the topic of the piece of writing. I chose this hot spot because it relates to my first hot spot. It shows how in a different setting the way you write will be different. It shows to always know who will be reading or listening to your piece of writing and will they be able to relate? Audience members need something to keep them interested so make sure the piece is directed towards them. This Chapter made me think about how I need to work on creating a thesis that will be engaging for readers. I need to focus more on who I am directing my paper towards. As a communicator I think I am doing a good job, I know what I need to work on and it mostly includes keeping my audience hooked, and creating a piece that will be appropriate for the setting. In different audiences I would dress differently. I would be more professional with different settings or serious papers. Depending on the audiences overall age I would most likely put things in more complex or less complex ways. My subject matter would also vary in order to make sure my audience can relate. Over all I would definitely need to determine what would be appropriate or not in any given situation.

In chapter two my first hot spot was found on page 30. “ The kinds of problems vary from discipline to discipline, but they all require the reader to use reasons and evidence to support a tentative solution.” Although there are many different problems and prompts writers have there is always a similar way of answering or solving the problem. I chose this hot spot because it shows writers must know what they are talking about when writing a piece. They must use research and have evidence there facts are correct and the information they are talking about is correct. I think this is importance because it shows writers must be able to prove they know what they are talking about.

“A strong thesis statement surprises readers with something new or challenging”(41). This is my second hot spot that I think is very important. This is saying how in order too keep your readers engaged right from the start of your paper you need to have a creative thesis. I chose this hot spot because it will get your paper off to a good interesting start right from the beginning. Readers need something right of the bat to make them ask questions and make them want to read more by creating a good thesis this is possible. This is a main concept of this chapter and I believe if your paper gets off to the wrong start it will continue in that direction so this is very important for success.

“One way that messages persuade is through their “angle of vision,” which is formed by the way the writer selects or omits details, chooses words with intended connotations, uses sentence structure and overall organization to emphasize certain points and de-emphasize others, adopts one kind of tone rather than another and so forth” (50). This is my first hot spot in chapter three. This introduces what different perspectives are and introduces bias,lens and filters. I chose this as my first hot spot because it gets the point across that in order to persuade a reader you need to watch your wording and the specific details you put in or leave out. Writers may choose more positive or negative words when talking about a subject matter in order to leave your readers in the mindset of your persecutive. I think this is very important because it shows how each detail matters and includes different things writers need to watch when writing in a specific point of view.

“In order to win people’s consideration of their ideas, writers or speakers can appeal to what the classical philosopher Aristotle called logos, ethos and pathos”(55). This is my second hot spot in chapter three. This is saying that writers need to appeal to reason, to the character of the speaker/ writer and to sympathies, beliefs and values. I chose this and my hot spot because it shows in order to change and opinion of someone or to encourage and opinion to stay you need to be able to relate to them. Using these three things will help you hit the main points in order to relate to your specific audience. I think this is important because by using these techniques you will be able to become more competent in writing rhetorically.