Strunk and White: First Impressions

My first impressions of The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White were mixed.  This book is great for reference purposes in writing, and for those questions of whether a sentence sounds better one way or another, but I think that a lot of it is objective.  Also, for looking like a really short book it did take a while to read, but that was my own fault for not starting it earlier and reading it in sections. 

The chapters of this book that I found most helpful were probably the first one, "Elementary Rules of Usage," and the fourth one, "Words and Expressions Commonly Misused."   The first chapter is an especially good tool of reference when writing, since there are so many things to think about that it is difficult to remember all of them.  I liked the first rule about adding "'s" to nouns because it was always something that I was told not to do if the noun itself ended in s.  I see here that it is arbitrary, but recommended to use "'s" anyway.   Another that I found helpful was the paragraph on "effect" from chapter four.  This chapter told me that effect means the result, and affect is an influence (71).  I have had difficulty deciding which to use, and those definitions should eliminate any further hesitation in choosing one or the other.  

Despite most of the book's helpful nature, there were a couple of things that I found strange and also somewhat humorous.  White mentioned this in his introduction, and it was also mentioned later in the book, that Strunk hated the phrase "the fact that...."  I found that particularly amusing, because it is used in writing quite often.  I agree that there are times when it is not needed, such as the examples in the book "the fact that he had not succeeded" and " the fact that I had arrived" (40), but there are also times when it can be useful.  There are situations when "the fact that" can convey that what is being said is fact, and not just something assumed or made up.  For instance, saying "my decision was based on the fact that..." can introduce an important fact.  It is hard to explain exactly what I am saying, but I think that example will suffice.  

One other part of the book that I found strange  was rule number seventeen, "Omit needless words" (39).  This rule seems more arbitrary than any other.  By omitting words that aren't technically necessary, it is possible to remove all feeling from the writing.  For example, I could have removed the word "technically" from the previous sentence, and it would have made perfect sense but wouldn't convey exactly what I am trying to say.  It is necessary to make words earn their place in a piece, but not so much so that there is nothing extra to establish flow or the desired amount of formality or colloquialism.  Strunk does mention that it should not be taken to the extreme, but even some of the examples seemed more concise than was necessary.  

Overall this book was helpful and will most likely improve my writing.  I purchased the illustrated version, which did help in making the material more interesting and the book itself more visually pleasing.  I would recommend this book to other students and writers, though I would tell them to take it "with a grain of salt."      

Peer Review Recap Part 1

I have to put a disclaimer on this:  I have only reviewed one paper and had one review, so I haven't had that much experience with the review process yet.  However, since this assignment is due tonight I will have to complete it.

My experience with the reviewing process has been mixed.  I like Google Docs and am glad to have started using it, because it does make sharing documents so much easier.  The problem is getting the process down.  Up until tonight, only 2 of us had our papers posted with the group members as collaborators (this includes mine, which I admit I did post late).  Unfortunately, this means that I have only had one paper to edit so far.  

I did find the editing process to be easier electronically, because it is both faster and more efficient.  It is possible to insert corrections and suggestions where you want them, instead of in the margins of a hard copy where they might be more confusing. It is also nice to have the paper and comments right on the computer, since that is where the revisions and final copy will be made.  

My paper has been edited by one group member so far, and the comments are very helpful.  I'm hoping that other group members will edit it and those comments will go to good use as well when completing the revisions.  I also hope that all papers get posted soon so that I can contribute and give feedback.  Now that we're all beginning to get used to Google Docs, I think things will go much smoother the next time we use it.    

Writing Technologies

Hmm... it is difficult to think of all of the writing tools I use on a daily basis.  I guess the most obvious that I'm using right now is my MacBook (well I guess technically the keyboard is the writing tool).  I use it for everything from note-taking in some classes to writing stories, essays, emails, and countless other documents.    

I also use pens and notebooks regularly in my classes for taking notes.  I find that pens usually look more professional than pencils, and don't smudge as much if the document is something that I'll be looking at a fair amount.  The only downside is that I have to carry white-out in case of mistakes because scribble marks annoy me if they are on any important assignment.  I don't know if white-out is considered a writing tool since it technically removes the writing, but I guess it could be.

I use highlighters on occasion, mostly just for highlighting important things in my notes.  I use all different colors so that things stand out (and it just looks nice:), though I can't say that I like the yellow ones that much because sometimes they show the pen or pencil smears.

My writing tools have changed quite a bit through the years.  I basically only used computers in school until around fourth grade when I got my own, and that was basically for games.  I got a regular desktop computer later on, then my first laptop, and finally this one.  Now my computer is one of my primary writing tools.  

I used to use the typical wooden pencil in elementary school, and then I'd have to sharpen them and they would wear down pretty quickly.  I much prefer mechanical pencils now, especially the cheap kind that look a bit like a regular pencil and have a pink eraser (like the more old-fashioned type) that actually works.  There is nothing worse than a crappy eraser that smears the lead all over the page.  

The pens that I used to use were also different.  Most were the plain kind-like the Bic ones- that were fine for as much as I used to use pens.  I hardly used pens at all until 5th or 6th grade, and even in high school I didn't use them nearly as much as I do now in college. Now I like the pens with comfy squishy grips, since I sometimes have to write fast and they don't make my hand hurt as much.  Also, most of them are refillable and that means less plastic in landfills.  

Overall, I guess my writing tools have been essentially the same concepts; they have just evolved over time, as all technology does.  

    

            

What is Style?

Style is an extremely broad term that can mean a number of things.  It is formally defined as a "specific or characteristic manner of expression, execution, construction, or design, in any art, period, work, employment, etc."  That is one of many definitions of style in Webster's New World College Dictionary, because it has many forms.  Style is arbitrary; everyone has their own individual idea of what style is.  I would define style loosely as how someone does something.  It could be how a person writes, dresses, dances, etc.   

There are many forms of style in writing.  One of them is how the writing appears; each of these fonts is a style.  Another style in writing involves things like word choice, the amount of formality, and other things like that.  Style can determine a person's place in the writing field, whether it be in journalism, creative writing, or some type of professional writing, based on their chosen media.  

Basically, style is something that everyone forms for themselves, through their background and interests.  It takes a while to develop personal style, and sometimes even longer for a person to discover what makes something his or her own style.   

   

"Getting Started" post

So right now I'm just checking out the whole blogging thing, which is actually pretty interesting.   The new semester just started, and it's been incredibly busy already!  I'm sure it'll be fine once I get used to all of my new classes.  I've added some pictures here just to experiment with formatting.

 

This is Cedric, my adorable and somewhat crazy cat.   He will be sitting on our laps one moment, and running full throttle throughout the house in the the next.

Here is Dusty, my chinchilla.  He is very difficult to photograph, because he doesn't usually sit still!  I got lucky this once:)  

-Katie