Simple Mistakes

As writers we have all come across difficulties in how we write. One thing that always makes writing difficult for me is the specific set of rules I have to follow. There are times where if I am passionate about what I’m writing about I’ll get lost in getting my point across that I’ll be careless about the specific principles I have to follow. In the essay Ten Ways to Think about Writing; Metaphoric Musings for College Writing Students the first thing the writer points out is “A thousand rules and three principles” which goes on to explain most of the unspoken basic rules of writing that so many people forget about. After reading the first se3ction of the essay I’ve come to realize that in previous essays I’ve written I have made the mistakes the writer speaks about. One specific example is that I have started my sentences with “but” and “and” by the time I catch my mistake my essay is already submitted. Just recently in one of my previous blog posts I started one of my sentences with “but” and I didn’t realize I did until one of my friends commented on my mistake. Since most of the basic rules are so simple those are the rules we forget the most. The only thing I can do is pay extra attention to the small mistakes because most of the time a small mistake can make a big difference.

One of the things I have difficulty with as a writer is getting my point across to the specific audience I’m targeting my words towards to Reid writes in her essay in the section “Pink Houses & Choruses: Keeping Your Reader with You” about targeting your audience. I admit there are times when my writing has been too casual when it’s meant to be professional. Usually, when this happens I always go back to fix my writing. Personally I feel like I always have to go back and revise my writing because most of the time when I write I need to be focused on what I want write about and usually if I’m not focused in my writing I make mistakes that need to be fixed. I think before writing a good technique is to find the audience your writing is directed at that way there’s no mistake in the format of your writing.

Trying to get your argument across is difficult, not only because it needs to be concise but also because there’s a limit to what you can say. Reid writes about shortening our arguments to make our arguments stronger. Nobody would be interested in reading an essay that drags on and never gets their point across. When I write and I’m trying to present an argument I provide too much background about the argument instead of presenting a strong argument which makes the evidence to be longer than necessary. Usually because of this I have to make sure my argument is strong and concise.

Assuming is something that can ruin your writing. Reid expresses that assuming your readers understand your writing with no explanation is a mistake so many writers make. As a writer it’s wrong to assume that the reader knows exactly what you’re talking about without an explanation on where you’re coming from. Since you usually introduce your topic in the introduction, most readers understand where you’re coming from and how a particular topic relates to you. The same goes when presenting an argument or an idea not everyone will understand with just the argument alone there needs to evidence and a concise reasoning for using a particular argument. It’s better to over explain as long as you don’t repeat yourself than to leave your readers confused on what you’re trying to say.

Something that helps you to improve your writing is using revision. Reid specifically comments on how revising your writing can improve the way you write not only in that specific moment but in your future writings. Son not only do you fix your mistakes on your writings but in the long run you’re improving on your writing skills because you learn from your mistakes and it’s less likely you make the same mistake twice. One difficulty I have with this is that I forgot to revise my essays sometimes and I know it can really help me if I do revise but when the moment comes to submit my work I forgot to revise my writing for any mistakes. Using all the techniques that Reid mentioned I feel will really help me improve my writing.

Work Cited

Reid, E. Shelley. “Ten Ways To Think About Writing: Metaphoric Musings for College Writing Students.” Ed. Charles Lowe and Pavel Zemliansky. Vol. 2. West Lafayette, IN: Parlor P, 2011. 3-23. Writing Spaces. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.