Most of our educational writing takes away our voice and keeps us trapped within a section of writing knowledge. As soon as we start writing journey, we are told a list of things that we can’t do. For example we can’t use I or include our own opinions in what we write. Constantly being told how it should look and what we have to include leaves little room for owning the authority in our writing.
Ann M. Penrose and Cheryl Geisler’s article Reading and Writing Without Authority provides insight on how reading and writing skills can and will differ based on experience. Someone who writes with authority will include their own thoughts and question the question that has been posed. Whereas someone who doesn’t won’t challenge the question or try to insert themselves into the conversation.
When a writer doesn’t include their own narrative or challenge the ideas proposed then is the writer really writing. Ann M. Penrose and Cheryl Geisler state “… author as reporter rather than writer“ (512). Which in my opinion means that the writer isn’t standing by any point and doesn’t offer his or her own voice and ideas. They are writing with a sole purpose to inform the reader rather than creating new viewpoints for a reader to have.
Personally I feel like I write like a writer with and without authority. Depending on the topic at hand I too can write and carry out the reading and writing process like Roger but I could also be like Janet. At this exact moment I feel more like a ‘Janet’ writer rather than a ‘Roger’ writer. While I know I have done strong points I feel like Janet in the sense that I only picked information that carried my side of the conversation. I may have added my own opinions when I felt it mattered but I could be lacking in some areas that could help present me as more of a Roger type of writer.
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