Chapter 3: Common Writing Assignments

Writing about writing is one of the hardest things for me to do.

First you have to summarize in your own words. For me, I know the plot and the key points, but putting it on paper is tough. It's like the summary is floating around in my head and I know it, nut telling someone else the plot line is tough. Have you ever tried to tell someone a story, got halfway through, and then said "no, no wait--I forgot something!" Well, that's what its like for me when writing down a summary.

Explicating is even worse! Making my thoughts clear--its so difficult! I can pick up on figurative language and syntax but it seems obvious to me, so expressing it in my own words seems redundant--like I'm missing something.

Analysis is my favorite. Picking apart the the characters and their layers and why they are the way they are. Brilliant.

Compare and contrast: Easy. There is always something similar within works and always something that is not. There are so many aspects to a story that gives so much room to compare and contrast. For example, characters, plot, imagery, symbolism, etc.

Essay exams: This portion of the chapter really helped me think about writing in class essays and how to approach them. Being prepared with the material is a definite plus when it comes to writing the essay. Rushing through an essay is something most people do, but sometimes taking too much time on an essay kills your score. Outlining your essay in your head is important under pressure--most people can't handle it.