What Life is Like Without Reading Fiction

     As a biology major, I don't get to read much of anything that doesn't involve science. All the material I read involves scientific fact and science articles and proven hypotheses of science experiments. (I also get to see a ton of equations - I am required to take math up to Calculus II). I can honestly say that it leaves me with a very suppressed feeling; I feel as though I never have time to read or write anything that I want to read. I actually miss writing structured papers with a thesis and body paragraphs, as sad as it sounds. Don't get me wrong, I love what I am doing - organic chemistry is particularly interesting to me - but I feel deprived of creativity without reading.
     The last book I read was called Power Failure by Mimi Swartz. It was about the collapse of Enron and all the shady things that the company did. I know that sounds like a total drag but seriously, it's crazy to read about such appalling and true events, and how people could have been so heartless. I would definitely recommend it to people who are looking for a little boost in their economic education.
     Though I like educational books, I love a good classic novel. There is so much you can learn from the characters and they have such good stories; some authors have the ability to pull you in and make the main character's struggles your struggles. Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights are my favorites by far and large; the Brontë sisters wrote with such eloquence and imagination. I honestly wish we still spoke the way they did back then; I feel like people in general expressed so much more with their words then than we do now.
     The main point of all this is that I signed myself up for a class. It's a free class, and there is no consequence if I do not follow through with completing the material. I don't get credit, but I do get a certificate of completion if I do it all. It is a class where we read sci-fi and fantasy novels and write short essays on them. I feel as though if I have an incentive to read, I will definitely make the time for it. I looked at the syllabus and we will be reading Children's and Household Tales by the Grimm Brothers, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and Dracula by Bram Stoker. Sadly, I am ridiculously overjoyed at the prospect of reading these novels and having the chance to write about them. It is something I truly miss! Also, the course I am taking is through coursera.org. They have tons of free classes, no catch - you should check it out if you want to branch outside of (or expand your knowledge inside of) your major.

-Bri

What is the most difficult part of writing?

What is the most difficult part of writing?


Without a doubt, getting started is the most difficult thing about writing. Note-taking and outlining are definitely important to the writing process, but sitting down and writing that all important first draft is where the real heavy lifting comes in. Often times, I find that what keeps me from getting started is the anxiety that I don’t know what I’m going to say or even how I feel about the topic, but then I remind myself that it’s because I’m uncertain about a topic that I want to write about it.

In most Composition and English classes, teachers often focus on what final drafts should look like without taking the time to talk about the process of getting to those final drafts. No one gets it right the first time. No one. Not your fellow students, not your teachers, not even the writers we’ve all had to read in high school and college survey classes. However, if you don’t at least try for a decent first draft, then there can’t be a brilliant final draft.

First drafts may be laborious, but it’s where the most exploration and insight comes from. It’s your chance to take risks, make mistakes, and make discoveries. First drafts give you a more vivid sense of how you’ll need to organize your essay and the scope of your argument (Is my thesis too broad? Not broad enough?) than an outline; a new argument might open up to you or you might find a gap in your argument that requires more you to do more research or think about your topic different. By the end of it, you’ll be more sure of your thesis or you might throw away the old one and have a new, better, stronger thesis!

The reason we write isn’t just to bring insight to our readers, but also to make our own discoveries and answer our own questions. First drafts are where those discoveries and answers begin. So, while getting started is the most difficult part of the writing process for me, it’s also the most rewarding.

--Rich

Writing Center in the Parent Newsletter!

This interview will appear in the next Roosevelt Parent Newsletter!

The Writing Center provides one-on-one peer tutoring to all writers in the university community. The following is a discussion between two tutors at the Roosevelt Writing Center. Eleanor Peck is a senior who has worked in the center for two years and is majoring in Political Science. Mooni Abdus-Salam is also in her fourth year and this her first semester working at the writing center. She is an English major and Hispanic Studies minor.

Eleanor: Hello Parents! I love working at the writing center because it is great to help students learn how to revise their papers and find their voice within their writing. What’s your favorite part of working here Mooni?

Mooni: My favorite part is finding out what classes are about through the things that students write. Last week a student came in who was getting her Master’s in Public Administration and she had to write an annotated bibliography which was the precursor to a huge paper she had to write. It was interesting to learn what the teacher expected in graduate level courses and how to cite in a different format. I like working here because I learn as I tutor.

Eleanor: I agree. I love reading papers from classes I never would have taken, but still find interesting. What I also enjoy about working here is the writing community. I have started to enjoy writing more from working here, because I am surrounded by people who love to write.

Mooni: Me too! However, I do wish one thing was different. I wish more students realized the writing center isn't just for people who are struggling, but it is for anyone.

Eleanor: Exactly. Students don’t realize that we tutors get help with our writing all the time. I have learned to accept that revising is part of the writing process.

Mooni: I also think it is great that we outreach at the writing center. We have two Outreach Programs this year. Tutors and students in certain classes are helping students outside of Roosevelt at both Morrill Elementary School and Jumpstart in the Juvenile Probation Center.

Eleanor: Awesome. I hope this conversation has helped parents learn more about the writing center. We are here to help five days a week during the school year, and we also have online tutoring that is available in the evenings and on the weekends.