Thinking Critically About Writing

Whitney M.

December 29, 2008 - 5:12 PM

Lately, reading has become really fun for me. This is a bold statement given that I have never read happily and have devoted many brain cells to figuring out how to avoid it. As a child, I would sit on the couch and look at the pages so that my parents would think that I was reading, turning the pages every so often. Just in case you're wondering, it never fooled them.

I think that being in the journalism school has taught me to think critically about the authors' writing styles. It has become somewhat of a hobby of mine to analyze the grammar and word usage that the author chose to communicate his or her message. However, I must admit that it is much easier to be an editor than it is to be a writer. You know a good song when you hear one, and we are all quick to judge a bad song when we hear one of those. But only a very select few, for example Sir Elton John, are genuinely talented in the craft of writing songs.

The same goes for literature; I am sure. It is funny to see how a good story flows from page to page until the reader is blindsided by a bad choice of grammatical construction. Another insufferable mistake that some writers make is one that misstates a common axiom. One of which might be, "it was just a splash in the pan," which the writer meant as a reference to a "bump in the road"--not even the implication of the actual phrase. However, I have to recognize that these are few and far between, so...

"The glass is (more than) half full."

Which brings me to another point; I have noticed that some college students have begun to think critically and argue a less popular stand-point at "the drop of a hat," just for the sake of arguing--not "for the sake of argument," which is a noble cause. Being able to contrast points of view is important. But aimlessly disagreeing is arguing to see if "thinking outside the box" can land you on the upside of a discussion. Really, it is about winning, even if you don't know what you are talking about. From time to time, yes, the creative thinking can be very effective. But when we take an angle on a subject that has little or no evidence or support, just to be different, it is exhausting and a waste of time to our listeners.

I lost my main purpose for this blog after the introduction. I meant to tell you that reading is a somewhat exciting new hobby of mine. My boyfriend reads endlessly, which has always made me feel a little inadequate. But lately, and maybe as a result of my anxiety or a consequence of a multi-media generation, I have not been able to sit still without stimulating my mind. Electronics generally bore me, and I can't stand trying to type and focus on such a minute scale.

But when I am sitting around waiting for my dad, who is perpetually tardy, I have found myself reading "100 Words All High School Graduates Should Know," by the editors of the American Heritage Dictionary, or some new fiction written by successful, 21st century, female journalists like "Literacy and Longing in L.A." by Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack.

In women's magazines, there is always a woman who tells the 20-something readers that she has finally found herself, now, at the age of 35 or 40. That is one of those statements that falls into the category of "aren't you too young to be in love?" or "don't worry it is all going to work itself out." Neither of which is helpful in the least because the younger person is always in love or always worrying. These "words of wisdom" easier said than understood.

But I think that when I reach that point of having found myself, I will be curious, hungry for knowledge (well knowledge that is relevant to my interests of course. You wouldn't see me reading history just for fun no matter how old I am), and always having something to "sink my (mind's) teeth into." I think that is one of the rewards of going to college. More than the potential to earn more money, learning to enjoy the intellectually curious side of your personality is the golden key that one gets out of having an education.

As a footnote, I have to tell you that my grammar class taught me that using maxims detracted from clever writing, which is probably true.