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Author: Mike rose
By: Chris Strange, Evelyn Sosa, and Sarah Mason
1. Rules are necessary “we wouldn’t be able to function without them.” (239)
2. Writing is a problem solving process
3. Rules are not algorithms, to be followed strictly
4. Rules are, instead, heuristics to help guide writers
1. The article brings to attention the confines created by standard rules of writing. Rules are a contribution to writers block but are necessary to make help make good writing. While they are important constructs needed to produce a well written piece, writers that stick to these rules are often hesitant to change the way the approach writing. Students who are able to look at general rules of writing as simple injunctions have an easier time being able to compose and bend the rules to fit what they write.
2. Following rules too strictly tends to make writers feel “blocked,” while using rules as a guide helps strengthen writers’ work and allow them to flow more easily.
#1--“One paper included a paragraph on an issue that was never mentioned in the topic paragraph…[the author] knew very well that it didn’t fit, but she believed she had to include it to round out the paper. ‘You must always have three or more points in an essay. If the essay has less, then it’s not strong.’” (242)
#2-- "...these rules do notallow a flexible penetration into the nature of the problem. It is this transformation of heuristic into algorithm that contributes to the writers block..." (246)
1. Following the rules too strictly will lead to writer’s block
2. There are ways to get past writers block.
He talks about how Ruth was always told exactly how she had to write and if she couldn’t do it that way then she was wrong and might as well not even go on. My English teachers in high school pretty much said the same thing and would count off it wasn’t exactly how they taught us but now that I am in college the way I was writing before is totally acceptable. (Sarah)
-cognitive- based on or capable of being reduced to empirical factual knowledge
-solution period- a time when stress and search end and the writer is finally done and a conclusion or answer has been reached.
-heuristic-enabling a person to discover or learn something for themselves
-algorithm-a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations
I connected with Ruth in the sense that I was always taught to "grab the readers attention" at the beginning of an essay which makes it difficult for me to start most of the time. I never know how to begin the essay. (Evelyn)
Laurel talks about needing to have three points in an essay for it to be good. (Chris)