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DĄüQdÜŁŲT'k^q¤KXKČĒ/ƒÄN‚ŚŠCąłdHØ„Č²¼¼’ĻZ.Ā•M…#!F UNg %µ 0(» w@ć 4# 7 F mH _ 0@g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g 0L§ ˜Canon LBP-4ąȐČą0xÖĆ9 Z‹6Times New Roman RegularX($”” īEļšUńUņóEōõEö÷[QÆy!Ą…‚Ē3|x÷’U‹’ĄĄĄ 2ßb0Quick ššą0 ą>ßb$Large Circleššą0 ąŻ ƒ!ŻŻ  Ż›Ń  Ńą@œœģąVIRTUAL€¢GEWERTH£'S€GUIDEˆĢą@N N ģąTO€WRITING€THAT€DOES€NOT€SUCKˆĢĢĢINTRODUCTIONĢĢThe€idea€of€writing€anything€more€complex€than€a€"To€Do"€list€for€a€course€strikes€some€studentsĻwith€an€inordinate€amount€of€fear,€while€leading€others€to€the€rapid€conclusion€that€the€course€isĻmore€trouble€than€œit's›€worth.€Those€students€in€the€latter€category€generally€drop€the€class€afterĻtaking€one€look€at€the€syllabus,€so€we€need€not€concern€ourselves€with€them.€(Be€sure€to€say€"Hi"Ļto€them€the€next€time€you€pull€up€to€the€fast€food€drive€thru€window;€for€this€is€where€studentsĻwho€take€the€easy€way€out€generally€end€up.)ĢĢFor€who€decide€to€stick€with€the€course€ņņdespiteóó€an€onerous€writing€requirement,€and€who€are€fullŠ ¬ü  Šof€woe€as€a€consequence,€take€heart,€and€fear€not,€for€Virtual€¢Gewerth£€offers€the€following€guideĻto€good€writing€(or,€at€least,€to€writing€that€does€not€suck).€The€¢VGGTWTDNS£€is€a€semi„¼organized,€semi„regularly€updated€collection€of€observations,€suggestions,€tips,€and€an€occasionalĻrule€or€two,€about€the€mechanics,€the€process,€the€outcome€of€writing,€and€the€joy€of€havingĻwritten.ĢĢMost€of€what€follows€is€drawn€from€the€personal€experience€of€The€Real€¢Gewerth£€and€otherĻacademic€types€like€him€who,€when€you€think€about€it,€write€for€a€living.€The€¢VGGTWTDNS£€alsoĻdraws€lessons€from€the€bad€writing€that€¢TRG£€and€his€academic€friends€have€seen€over€the€years.ĢĢBe€advised€that€¢TRG£€is€a€dour,€cynical€and€judgmental€type€who,€at€base,€€ņņis€not€a€nice€personóó.Š Š  ŠConsequently,€what€follows€is€not€couched€in€touch„¢feely£,€all„ideas„are„equally„good,€writing„as„¼an„outlet„for„creativity„and„a„way„to„build„self„esteem€psychobabble.€The€rules€set€down€here€areĻregarded€as€setting€out€the€absolute€minimum€expectations€for€college€level€writing€aimed€at€aĻprofessional€audience.€And,€as€described€below,€ņņbad€things€can€happen€if€they€are€not€followed.óóŠ €Š ŠĢņ ņą  ąRULE€NUMBER€1:€TALKING€AND€WRITING€ARE€DIFFERENTó óŠ X Ø ŠĢDespite€the€apparent€obviousness€of€this€rule,€it€is€lost€on€a€distressingly€large€number€of€students.ĻA€great€deal€of€bad€student€writing€reads€as€if€the€student€is€talking€his€way€through€theĻassignment€or€the€paper,€pouring€out€long,€run€on€sentences,€full€of€informal€words€and€phrasesĻthat€are€more€appropriate€for€ņņconversationóó€thanņņ€writing.óó€Someone€who€does€not€pay€attention€toŠ ō$D # Šthis€rule€tends€to€write€sentences€like€this:ĢĢą8  ąTheir€[sic]€is€¢alot£€of€concern€about€crime€¢nowdays£,€it€is€going€up€œeverywhere›€andĻpeople€are€afraid€and€are€buying€more€guns,€and€calling€on€more€criminals€to€die.Š Š Š  ŠĢThis€is€an€example€of€Writing€That€Sucks.€€Appearing€as€the€opening€sentence€in€a€term€paper,€itĻis€a€tragic€error€that€will€result€in€a€bad€grade.€Appearing€as€an€opening€sentence€on€the€writingĻportion€of€a€promotion€examination,€it€is€a€tragic€error€that€will€result€in€the€better€job€going€toĻsomeone€else.€Appearing€as€the€opening€sentence€of€a€report€written€for€a€supervisor,€it€is€a€tragicŠ @-(, Šerror€that€will,€in€all€probability,€€lead€to€the€an€alternate€career€in€the€food€service€industry€(driveĻthru€division).ĢĢLet's€analyze€what's€wrong.€First,€the€sentence€is€woefully€disorganized€and€disjointed.€YouĻsimply€cannot€tell€from€the€sentence€what€point€the€author€is€trying€to€make,€or€what€theĻremainder€of€the€document€is€going€to€be€about.€Is€what€follows€going€to€be€about€people's€fearĻof€crime?€The€fact€that€a€significant€segment€of€the€population€owns€weapons?€CapitalĻpunishment?ĢĢSecond,€there€are€large,€gaping€and€obvious€mistakes€in€the€sentence€that€no€college€studentĻshould€be€making.€The€first€word€of€the€sentence,€"Their€"€should€be€"There."€œIn€addition,€the›Ļcolloquial€term€œ"alot"€(used,€in›€this€case,€in€place€œof›€œthe€more€formal€phrase€"a›€great€deal€œof")€isĻmispelled€(it's€two€words„„a€lot„„not€one),€and€in€fact,€shouldn't€be€used€at€all€since€it€is€tooĻinformal€an€expression€to€be€used€in€a€formal€paper€directed€at€a€professional€audience.ĢĢņ ņTalking€and€writing€are€different.ó 󛀜Speaking€to€someone€in€conversation€is€a€spontaneous,Š „Ō  Šinstantaneous,€ephemeral€event.€When€you€talk€you€think€(i.e.€formulate€your€ideas)€and€do€(talk)Ļat€the€same€time.€Because€talking€is€done€"on€the€fly"€the€strict€rules€of€grammar,€punctuation,Ļsyntax,€stucture€and€style€that€necessarily€govern€written€communication,€either€don't€apply,€orĻapply€more€loosely€to€speech.€Moreover,€when€you€speak€to€someone,€you€have€the€benefit€of€theĻfeedback€given€to€the€person€who€is€listening€to€you€(e.g.€a€nod€is€taken€as€understanding€orĻagreement€or€approval€of€your€statements,€while€a€puzzled€look,€or€a€"What?"€makes€youĻbacktrack€and€restate€your€thoughts).ĢĢOn€the€other€hand,€good€writing€is€neither€spontaneous,€instantaeous€or€ephemeral.€Since€writingĻtakes€time,€it€is€expected€that€the€thoughts€underlying€the€writing€will€be€organized,€logical,€andĻcomplete.€Since€writing€takes€effort,€it€is€expected€that€authors€will€select€the€words€that€they€useĻwith€precision€and€care,€so€that€what€is€written€reflects€what€is€meant.€Moreover,€since€authors€doĻnot€have€the€benefit€of€the€immediate€feedback€of€a€listener,€it€is€expected€that€authors€will,€toĻsome€extent,€try€to€anticipate€the€likely€effect€that€the€choice€of€words€will€have€on€the€reader,Ļand€alter€those€word€choices€accordingly.€Finally,€since€the€sole€purpose€of€writing€is€to€renderĻhuman€thought€permanent€and€timeless,€it€is€expected€that€authors€will€render€these€permanentĻrecords€cleanly€and€clearly€by€attending€€closely€to€matters€of€correct€spelling,€punctuation,Ļgrammar,€and€format.ĢĢAssuming€that€Rule€1€is€true,€and€writing€is€different€than€talking,€what€can€students€do€to€makeĻsure€that€what€they€write€doesn't€sound€like€conversation€run€amok?€Well,€I€would€suggest€theĻfollowing:ĢĢŻ‚„ßb’ŻŻ  Żą8  ąŻ‚„ßb‡Żššą0` Š Š ąŻ  ŻRecognize€that,€above€all,€writing€takes€time€and€effort€and€care.Żƒ„ßb‡®݌ŠØ(ų#'` Š ` Š  ŠŒŻ  ŻĢDon't€ņņeveróó€procrastinate€on€a€writing€project.€Allow€more€time€than€you€think€you'll€need€toŠ €*Š%) Šorganize€your€thoughts;€then€draft€and€redraft€and€do€it€all€over€again,€and€finally€edit€andĻproofread€the€final€product€until€it's€perfect.ĢŠ D-”(, ŠŻ‚„ßb’ŻŻ  Żą8  ąŻ‚„ßb„Żššą0` Š Š ąŻ  ŻWhen€you've€got€a€draft€that€you're€starting€to€like,€go€into€a€room€aloneŠ ° Šand€read€it€out€loud.Żƒ„ßb„«݌Š ` Š ` Š  ŠŒŻ  ŻĢI€know€this€sounds€paradoxical,€after€everything€I've€said€about€writing€being€different€thanĻtalking.€So€sue€me.€But,€strangely€enough,€reading€something€that€you've€written€out€loud€canĻbring€out€writing€problems€that€you€may€not€notice€otherwise.€€As€you€read,€listen€to€what€you'reĻsaying.€Do€the€sentences€you've€written€say€what€you€meant€them€to?€Are€some€kind€ofĻconfusing?Are€the€ideas€presented€in€your€paper€in€some€sort€of€logical€order,€or€do€they€jumpĻaround€more€than€Barney€on€speed?€Remember,€you're€the€author€and€if€you're€confused,€yourĻreader€will€be€baffled.€It's€not€his€job€to€figure€out€what€the€hell€it€was€you€were€trying€to€say.ĢĢŻ‚„ßb’ŻŻ  Żą8  ąŻ‚„ßb#Żššą0` Š Š ąŻ  ŻAlso,€when€you're€reading€your€writing€out€loud,€take€the€breath€test.Żƒ„ßb#J݌ŠŌ$ ` Š ` Š  ŠŒŻ  ŻĢThis€has€nothing€at€all€to€do€with€oral€hygiene,€but€it€is€a€sure€cure€for€a€sentence€that€keeps€goingĻand€going€and€goingandgoingandgoing.€The€breath€test€assumes€that€oneņņ€normal€óóbreath€shouldŠ ˜č  Šprovide€sufficient€air€to€read€one€good€sentence€out€loud.€Breathe.€Read.€If€you€run€out€of€breathĻbefore€you€run€out€of€sentence,€fix€the€sentence.ĢĢThere€are€two€other€things€that€you€can€do€to€improve€your€writing,€but€these€won't€help€youĻbecome€a€better€writer€over€night.ĢĢŻ‚„ßb’ŻŻ  Żą  ąŻ‚„ßbżŻššą0 ` ąŻ  Ż€Long€term€solution€#1„„read€more.Żƒ„ßbż$ ݌Š \` (#` (# ŠŒŻ  ŻĢPeople€who€write€well€also€tend€to€read€voraciously.€So,€if€you€really€want€to€improve€yourĻwriting,€and€not€be€filled€with€dread€every€time€you€have€to€do€it,€read€more.€Read€anything€thatĻinterests€you„„newspapers,€novels,€plays,€poems,€whatever.€Occasionally,€pick€up€something€thatĻdoesn't€look€interesting€and€try€to€read€that„„you€may€be€surprised.€Also,€read€whenever€it's€safeĻand€convenient„„at€breakfast€or€lunch,€while€you're€on€that€treadmill€or€stationary€bike,€or€evenĻthe€old€standby„„in€the€bathroom.€Whatever€you€do,€don't€turn€it€into€a€contest€or€a€chore.€Don'tĻset€quotas€or€block€out€special€time€or€feel€bad€if€it's€taking€you€all€year€to€get€through€Tolstoy'sĻņņWar€and€Peace.€óóJust€do€it,€a€little€at€a€time,€a€little€every€day.€This€kind€of€reading,€for€pleasure,Š X Ø Šand€not€as€part€of€some€course€assignment,€shoud€be€done€spontaneously€and€evenĻpromiscuously,€but€above€all€regularly.ĢĢReading€a€lot€helps€writing€because,€when€you€read,€in€addition€to€soaking€up€new€ideas,€and€newĻwords,€you€subconsciously€soak€up€the€underlying€structure€of€good€writing.€You€say€you'veĻnever€understood€the€difference€between€the€words,€there,€their€and€they're?€Read€a€dozen€novelsĢ„„each€one€chock€full€of€those€three€annoying€words„„and€you'll€begin€to€see€when€it€should€beĻ"there"€and€when€it€should€be€"their"€and€when€it€should€be€"they're."€For€the€nonpregnant€amongĻyou,€are€contractions€a€problem?€Do€you€always€write€would'nt€and€could'nt?€Read€enough€andĻyou'll€never€write€would'nt€or€could'nt€again,€because€after€seeing€them€over€and€over€again€you'llĻrealize€that€the€proper€form€of€a€contraction€is€wouldn't€or€couldn't.Š  |*Ģ%) ŠŻ‚„ßb’ŻŻ  Żą  ąŻ‚„ßbU'Żššą0 ` ąŻ  ŻLong€term€solution€#2„„write€more.Żƒ„ßbU'|'݌а` (#` (# ŠŒŻ  ŻĢAll€skills„„driving€a€car,€playing€a€guitar€or€writing„„are€the€crystalization€of€thought€and€action.ĻTo€simultaneously€think€and€act€effortlessly€enough€to€keep€your€car€on€the€road,€to€play€ņņStairwayŠ tÄ Što€Heavenóó,€or€to€bangńčńńäńngingńäńńčń€out€a€term€paper€that€DOES€NOT€SUCKńéń€requires€commitmentńéńńźńńéń€ńéńńźńńėń,€practiceŠ `° Šand€discipline.€The€only€way€one€can€learn€to€write€better€is€to€ńėńńģńńėńcomińėńńģńńķńwńķńńīńńķńińķńńīńńļńrite.ńļńńšńńšńńńńĢńńńńšńńšńńńńĢńńńńšńńšńńńńą@$$ģąńńńńšńńšńńńńņ ņńńńńņńRUńņńńóńńņńELńņńńóńńōńLE€NUMBER€2ńōńńõńńōń;ńōńńõńńöń:€PEOPLE€JUDGE€YOUńöńń÷ńó óņ ņń÷ńńöń€BY€WHAT€YOU€WRITEńöńńńńó óńńńńšńˆŠ $ t ŠĢńšńĢĢĢĢ›’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’