Advice About Writing & Research

Today there are 3 posts. The first (this one) focuses on some advice concerning what we've covered in MP3. The one after this is our class agenda. We're following that one for Friday's class. Finally, the last post in this sequence covers Irish culture and limericks. Since it's St. Patrick's Day, enjoy some Irish culture while you can get it.

Here goes:

Some folks have had a few questions as to what we're supposed to be doing on a variety of projects. Here's some advice:

• Read the blog. No, really. Read the blog--especially if you are absent or late to class! You are responsible for anything posted here or linked from these posts. So much cool information if you use it!
• Ask questions. I keep going unless you stop me. If you have a question or concern--let me know about it by raising your hand and bringing it to my attention. This will never change. People are often helpful, but you have to ask them for help if you want help--because they are busy or have an agenda otherwise, they may not be aware you need help.
• Prepare for class. You have a blooming phone and internet access. Use it to prepare for discussions or class topics. If you're not going to read the required reading, take notes, or participate in class--why do you want to spend all that money for a college degree? If you want to graduate, try trying.
• Time management is important. This isn't the only class you are taking, but how are you spending your time outside of class? How are you spending your time inside class? Socialize later. Learn to overcome procrastination and creative paralysis. Risk. Learn. Improve. This is the only time in your life when you will be with me and your classmates learning this material. After June, you will never have this time or opportunity again. Make it worth your while. 
• Ask for help. I'm sitting in class during the lab just like you are. If you have questions or would like a conference, or help with a project...well, here I am. Teachers are resources. If you don't use them, you don't use them...

So far, in this class, we have covered how to write:

• The summary
• The analysis
• The evaluation

And putting all these things together is the synthesis. You might be more familiar with something called the research paper. One thing's for certain. You will have to write a variety of synthesis papers to graduate with a Bachelors degree, and even more synthesis papers if you want to graduate with a Masters or PhD degree. In life, you might have a job where you need to consult several sources in order to report your team's usefulness to your bosses. In other fields of work, you may need to look up a variety of different sources to learn something you need to learn or understand...

All writers research--or at least, to rephrase that, all writers SHOULD research. We don't know everything. Everything can be inspiring and help us write a story, a poem, a script, or an essay. The books and stories we read, the television shows and films we watch, the speeches and poetry we hear, the news and journalism we read...all of it. Artists and professionals cannot afford to be lazy in regards to building skill. To become skilled, we have to practice and learn.

The Types of Academic Writing Covered in this Course:

Summary: read an article, source, story, etc. and identify the key or main points. Write these points down as declarative sentences. In other words: what are the main points?

Analysis: explain what the key points mean and how they connect to your thesis or claim or subject. You could also explain how something works and its significance to your subject. In other words: What does it mean or how does it work?

Evaluation: evaluate the source or its ideas. In other words: is this source good/bad? (and probably why is it good/bad?) or what are its weaknesses or what are its strengths?

A synthesis requires you to use the skills of summary, analysis, and evaluation. Each source you use, you need to summarize the article, evaluate the information contained within, and analyze the source to understand or make clear its meaning. Repeat as necessary. Put together to defend your thesis/claim.

How can I use the synthesis to write something creative?

• The same process applies: find sources that you want to use for ideas
• Find the key phrases, passages, or parts you wish to use to inspire your ideas. Read stuff & get ideas (summary)
• Evaluate what is good and how it might apply to your project. Ask what can I keep, what can I remove? What works and what doesn't in this story? (evaluation)
• Analyze the structure, content, or artistry of what you read. Does it have meaning or add value to my--or my reader's life? (Analysis)
• Take and borrow ideas from your reading, viewing, etc. and let these ideas guide you to create something new and artistic. 
• Art is not created in a vacuum--as writers, we use the style, content, archetypes, and information we learn from memories, experience, or what we learn or read in a new way to comment on the human condition
• All writing is a political and cultural act

More tips on how to write a synthesis:

Do these things first:

• Consider the purpose of your writing. Are you writing to inform, persuade, or entertain? Note: this can be a mixture of all these things...
• Select and carefully read your sources
• Take notes on your reading while you are reading or after you read...
• When taking notes: ask questions or raise questions, identify passages that make you think or feel or that you notice something going on, connect with your own experiences, note areas that need clarification or further research into context or meaning, identify connections or make connections to your world or worldview, note passages that make you feel or challenge your worldview, etc. 

Do these things next:

• Formulate a thesis (or if you're writing a story...identify your subject, characters, setting, theme, genre, etc.)
• Decide how you will use your source material
• Organize your thoughts (outline, structure, plot, categorize, order, deduce, induce, etc.)
• Write or create topic sentences for each paragraph (use your outline to help you!) NOTE: If you are writing creatively, consider summarizing each scene or chapter or part of your story--such as in a treatment or synopsis

Finally...

• Write the first draft
• Edit (cut and add, cut and add, cut and add...)
• Revise (add transitions, restructure, proofread, tighten, clarify, etc.)
• Workshop & revise again (and again and again and again...)
• Publish