I hated drafts when I was younger, and to some extent I'm still not very happy with them. In junior high and high school, I could always get away with turning in a first draft. And why not? They were pretty good papers or stories. I would write one up, fulfilling all the requirements, expressing all my ideas, and finishing it just the way I liked it. I might read over the pages a time or two but all in all, I didn't want to change it. So, when we had to come up with drafts for class to go through "The Writing Process", I would make a change or two, maybe ask another person to read it over, and then largely ignore their comments. It wasn't that I was mean or lazy...well okay maybe I was a little lazy, but aren't all students? I just don't like changing my work. I write from the hip and usually I feel my first words say it best.
Only in college have I begun to experience the need to revise and edit, only when my work has reached a new level of seriousness and professionalism. I still have trouble with the process, but I am finding that it is not only necessary, but it makes my writing better- which is the true goal. I think it is especially helpful to be able to talk to someone about the revisions and editing, to workshop if you will, rather than looking at a few red marks on a page (symbols for grammatical errors I don't even understand coupled with scathing remarks about my prose).
I think that when I'm a teacher that will be my policy. To talk over as many of the edits as I can, to encourage students to have me explain my process. I know I'm still bad at editing, but I'm hoping our class can help me work on that... not only to improve my own writing, but also to improve the way I can teach writing to others.
Alex Rummelhart
I can totally relate to this post! It is hard to put yourself on paper, to be told it isn't somehow done the right way. I love your policy on sitting with your students to explain your editing suggestions. I would love this to be part of the class as well- I was hoping it would be when I signed up. I think there is need to uphold the craft of writing as an art- while also upholding rules of writing!
ReplyDeleteDrafting and editing is particularly difficult when its a memoir essay. Since you were there when your story happened, your memory is biased, so it's tough to figure out what details are necessary. Feedback is helpful so you can get an idea whether the tone and flow of your memory are satisfactory. Unfortunately, sharing a memoir is much more intimate than sharing any other paper, and for me at least, it's a little terrifying. good luck!
ReplyDeleteI had a similar experience to the one you described in this post. I typically hated revising in high school and would simply reread my writing a few times before calling it "good." It was only during my college years when I truly understood the necessity for drafting. I think I will try being candid with my students about drafting. Like you said, hopefully honest discussions about drafting will encourage students to confront and overcome their frustrations with the process.
ReplyDeleteI have always hated revising. Although, and I am sure you know this, the revising process can really make a difference in writing, but I am not the best editor either. I really like that you are thinking of making that policy apart of you classroom. I think the students will benefit from it!
ReplyDeleteI haven't had the epiphany yet: I still very much hate editing. I dread doing it. I don't know what to change, why to change it, or how to go about making a piece better. Sure, I read and re-read a piece, sometimes changing entire sections but I have a hard time "killing the darlings," particularly in creative writing. Editting is truly something I want to learn to do well. Bring on the epiphany!
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