Writing is not a one-dimensional art. As Elizabeth Wardle points out in her piece “You Can’t Teach “Writing in General,”’ “Writing is always in particular.” In my opinion, this is the greatest way to put it into tangible terms. Writing is a challenging conundrum that needs to be approached by the writer in the same way that a detective works through a case: by searching for omitted information and narrative gaps. This method, according to Catherine Savini in “Looking for Trouble: Finding Your Way into a Writing Assignment,” is seeking out the difficulty in an assignment before beginning. When I first heard about this strategy, I wondered how searching for difficulties might lead to a solution. However, after reading Savini’s piece, I realized that as writers, searching for problems and the unknown questions will break down our assignments into a more manageable task.
When investigating a case, detectives search for witnesses and clues. While some may result in dead ends, others will offer answers and clarification on the situation in question. Now that the puzzle pieces have been put together, the large enigma becomes a straightforward case that can be solved. In the same way, by probing further into an assignment and posing insightful questions, writers can receive clarity and overcome any roadblocks they might stumble across when writing. This helped me to further understand Wardle’s contention that writing is not general. Writing is intricate and particular to each person and circumstance. It is adaptable, stubborn, beautiful, and alive.
Regarding Savini’s article, some fruitful questions I would pose to her regarding her article are: Do you want to incorporate this technique into the writing curriculum similar to Wardle? Or are you merely offering advice to writers? What are the long-term effects of implementing this type of approach? How do students’ writing and thinking skills improve? What about writing projects with certain parameters, like word or time limits? Can this method still be employed in spite of these limitations?
There will always be questions to ask about writing. As such, the secret to writing requires you to be willing to delve further into your thoughts. If you reach a dead end, go back and attempt a different approach. When writing, I have found that with every obstacle you encounter, you are that many steps closer to your desired destination.
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