The Importance of Writing

Navigating Challenging Assignments

As I stare at this blank sheet of paper, attempting to articulate the conflicting thoughts I have for my first assignment of this class, I am baffled but eagerly astonished at the fact that I am having the same issues Catherine Savini outlined in her article, “Looking For Trouble: Finding Your Way into a Writing Assignment.” The majority of us enrolled in this course are probably here for one reason: to become a better writer. Yet, in such a general goal, we are all cognizant of the difficulties of writing, whether it is for a personal journal or a class assignment, but still so fond and thrilled to write. So, how shall we overcome writer’s block when starting an assignment? Finding problems, more problems, and you guessed it, even more problems!

Seeking Issues Within An Assignment

Savini highlights why, when struggling with a writing assignment, students should seek issues with the assignments. In doing so, this can help a writer generate ideas and become a better writer. Of course, this is easier said than done, as many steps are involved when deciding what constitutes a meaningful, fruitful question. Writing must be interactive thinkers, eschewing facile answers and creating a newfound solution that leads to valuable insight. “Integrative thinkers embrace complexity… they tap into the tension between two opposing ideas to produce a third idea,” asserted Savini. This, here, I believe, accurately describes how writers should view challenge assignments. We should seek to find problems, but there are always problems that can lead to a dead-end solution, so we must indulge in the idea of creating a deeper, profound question, which can lead us to success in our writing.

The Vital Four

Furthermore, in trying to create and find problems, there are four steps we should reference: noticing, articulating a problem and its details, posting fruitful questions, and identifying what is at stake. Noticing is as it sounds. We are always analyzing different texts, but we must notice what and how the author is conveying a message. We should be keen on identifying particular words, concepts, and ideas, as Savini says, but I would like to add that we should notice the smaller things that many people tend to forget. We should view the syntax and diction and ask why the text is written like that. Did we see any signs of any colloquial language? It is always good to notice these things in texts because they can lead us to find a problem quickly. The chances are slim, but it is a great first step that should be habitual to writers. After noticing, we must now seek to pursue a question. From the text, I think the best way to know is if the question is leading you to new ideas or insight. These questions, more often than not, cannot be answered with a “yes” or “no.” This is not necessarily asserting that questions with these answers cannot bear fruit, but try to build the complexity of the question to where it is not answered that way and then re-assess its validity. Also, when creating fruitful questions, take account of the question’s feasibility– how practical and reasonable are these questions. Can they be answered within the allotted time given for an assignment deadline? These are all important questions that can help a writer navigate through assignments.

Determining Worthwhile Questions

When attempting to find a fruitful question that is worth asking, we should ask ourselves why this question is worth pursuing. What is at stake– “What will you gain from answering your question or what will be lost if you do not answer your question?” If you can answer that, your question is probably going to lead to a well-written assignment. Now, we still know how difficult it is to concisely explain what is at stake about a problem we concluded, but this is, I can say, the beauty of writing. All these helpful steps that Savini highlights in navigating challenging writing assignments show the complexity of writing. These steps are not easy, nor should we stress if we cannot follow the correct orders. It takes time and practice for this to be second nature, and even then, I can still assure you that writing will not be less painful. However, these steps will certainly help the process.

The Benefits of Accepting Challenge Writing Assignments

So, I suppose, for future notice as aspiring writers, we take what Savini claims seriously in her text because, despite its simplicity, it is beneficial. This will not automatically make any of us into a ‘great writer,’ but it will direct us towards that path. Demonstrating the aptitude to take on challenging assignments and problems will benefit students in the classroom and professional setting. In Sharon McGee’s paper “Analyzing Literature: A Guide For Students,” she also mentions the importance of analyzing texts and how they help beyond the classroom. “…The skills that you bring both to analyzing literature and writing about it are applicable to situations outside the classroom and to other writing assignments within the classroom. Being able to construct a reasonable claim, supported by evidence and logic, is essential…” Writing is complex and even more difficult when an assignment has your brain in a spiral– if that happens to be the case, try to familiarize yourself with the text and look for any sort of issues with the assignment. These are not the only things that can be done to de-stress when struggling with writer’s block, but they are integral.

Wardle’s Blasphemous Claim

In Elizabeth Wardle’s “You Can’t Teach Writing in General,” she asserts that there is no such thing as writing in general. Honestly, before reading this text, I had my doubts about the claim, and I still do. I can concur with Wardle’s opinion that writing cannot be done ‘generally’ because it is always in particular. However, I must repudiate the idea that writing cannot be taught. I mean, of course, all of this is opinionated, but I think that claim is laughable. We were all taught to write, from the basics of understanding scribal skills to the more complex aspects of writing. Perhaps the title of this text can lead to misapprehensions for many people, myself included because I understand the concept of not being able to write without purpose. But can we not arrive at this conclusion for many other things? It is difficult in all aspects to do something without a direct purpose or for an audience. Everything is done with intent: writing, reading, speaking, analyzing text, or enjoying a hobby– there is always an end goal– We cannot say because there is intent in writing that it cannot be taught.

Writing Can Be Taught

Moreover, I cannot speak for my peers, but I can confirm that when I write, I tend to use everything I was taught about what constitutes a well-written piece. There is no magic formula for writing, as Wardle says, but these things I have learned since grade school and up to college happen to be habitual. This does not mean I am referencing old papers to help me in new situations because writing does not work like this– and also, where is the excitement in that? To become a better writer, we must be willing to struggle and find new ways to overcome challenges. We are constantly learning, and there is always room for improvement in our writing skills. Indeed, writing cannot be done generally, but it certainly can be taught.