What is your personal reaction to what you learned about writing from your peers and from Kurt Vonnegut? Did anything surprise or puzzle you? Do you strongly agree or disagree with any rule or suggestion? Explain why (note that, although you can respond to more than one question, space does not allow you to answer all).
Answer in a single paragraph of about 150 to 200 words. Focus mostly on Vonnegut's suggestions in your response, although please do refer to any similarities or differences you notice between his advice and your and your group's thoughts. Quote Vonnegut at least once. Note: Bring your paragraph to class double-spaced and word processed.
13 comments:
Rules, Rules, Rules
Organize your writing clearly.
--structure, organization, format, coherence, conclude well, stay on topic, use correct grammar.
Hook the reader like a fish! Use rhetorical trick (metaphor; personification) to gain interest.
Diction is important. The words you choose should have the right register (informal versus formal). Words are not ever really synonyms; there are nuances to every word so that just the right word can be chosen.
Be clear and meaningful and don’t waste our time on extra stuff to read. Be sure to include examples to make it easier for the reader.
English 12 Rules:
Rules, Rules, Rules
Good organization makes for good writing. (structure)
--includes grammar, transitions, also typical paragraph structures (what teachers expect); beginning, middle and end
Content is required before writing effectively.
--includes imagination for materials; if we have more materials, then more details, then more interest; imagery or sensory writing. Authenticity and uniqueness appears here.
Diction is important to your successful writing
--be sure of meanings; use strong and useful nouns, adjectives and verbs; use precise; comprehensive vocabulary
Hook the reader.
--Use various rhetorical tricks to get the reader on your side. Do not BORE them if you can. Don’t use all your ammunition and run out before the end. Always this requires your personal knowledge of people.
Plagiary is a sin.
It is always interesting to compare my students’ views on writing with Kurt Vonnegut’s ideas in his piece, “How to Write With Style.” I was especially pleased to see the subject of diction and the positives (and negatives!) of using synonyms discussed in class today. Since I am a teacher, I respond most strongly to Vonnegut’s comments related to my teaching practice. He argues that students need to “write accurately, always selecting the most effective words.” It is a pleasure to read such writing. Like any other reader I “have a tough job to do.” Anything my students do to make my life easier by using simple language, by avoiding “Picasso-style or jazz-style writing,” by just being themselves, will make my reading tasks more enjoyable. For teachers, Vonnegut provides advice that can both improve a student’s work and make our job easier. Your conscientious and careful rule making, along with Vonnegut’s humane approach should lead to a great semester of learning (and writing!).—163 words
I think Kurt Vonnegut’s “How to Write with Style” is very valuable because he outlined a fundamental lesson as a writer should know. It complements the rules of writing we had a great discussion in class. Most of his view is very similar to what I learned before but his “Keep it simple” is different from what I understood. In the past, I thought good writing must always have complex sentences, fancy adjectives, and vivid expressions. However, I learned that simplicity can be powerful. Vonnegut praises Shakespeare and Joyce who “wrote sentences which were almost childlike when their subjects were most profound.”Now I understand that to express a clear idea with simple words is the highest realm of writing. Another valuable lesson I learned is that even our writing styles can “soar high above the crowd, singing like nightingales”, “our audience requires us to be sympathetic and patient readers.” We should be from the standpoint of the readers to write that people can understand. This is good to consider because it can both avoid confusing the readers and preventing them losing interest.
--182 words
I have learned something useful for a stylish writing last class. After group talking, my English teacher, Brad, summarized the rules on a good writing: “organize your writing clearly, hook the reader, diction is important, and be clear and meaningful.” Then, he handed out Kurt Vonnegut’s “How to Write with Style” to me. After class, I have read the Vonnegut’s seven suggestions on a stylish writing—“find a subject you care about, do not ramble, keep it simple, have guts to cut your eloquence, sound like yourself, say what you mean, and pity the readers”—several times. Comparing his comments to group activity or the teacher’s synopsis of “Rules, Rules, Rules”, I can find most parts are similar or overlapped. However, brainstorming, clustering, free-writing, and proofreading are not mentioned in Vonnegut’s. Personally, I will keep his sentence—“Do so as a mark of respect for your readers, whatever you’re writing”--before, during, and after my writings. I believe his comments give me a lot of improving my writings and English.
--- 170 words (February 3rd, 2015 by Park)
It was interesting group work last Friday, I enjoy a lot to know about differences and similarities in other languages. We were from different countries but there were similarities in our languages, (Clear and simple.) Also one of Kurt Vonnegut’s rules in “how to write with style” is “ keep it simple.“ which I am agrees with. He emphasize that “simplicity of a language is not only reputable, but perhaps even sacred.” He point to a sentence from bible that is fourteen-year-old: “in the beginning GOD create the heaven and the earth.” It is a reputable, sacred and simple. It’s a sentence that says a lot. When someone hears the word heaven, he already has the picture for heaven in his mind. So “ keep it simple” is to express ideas or opinion clearly and well, because they have a strong effect on others.
147 words
Last class, my group had a discussion about “What is good and stylish writing?” compellingly. We selected “be clear and diction” for appealing positively to the readers. After reading Kurt Vonnegut’s article, “How to Write with Style”, l like and agree with his useful comments. Among his suggestions, l am interested in “Keep it simple” and “Say what you mean” because I think those mentions are powerful methods for a good writing. When I compare my writing with Vonnegut’s mention ㅡ“as glittering as a necklace for Cleopatra”ㅡ, l can find my writing is too complicated. Therefore, I will remove my useless wordy sentences or florid writing for the readers’ time and convenience. One of his words, “Say what you mean”, is another valuable source for developing my writing. Also, he recommends that if I will follow all the rules of punctuation and choose the most effective words, the readers can understand easily the writing without any confusion. In brief, l will practice my writings with simplicity and clarity, and try to express my opinion definitely as Vonnegut’s comments.
--- 178 words
It was a great opportunity to discuss about “what is a good and stylish writing?" Our group strongly responded about being clear and writing meaningful sentences. To respect for our readers, we don’t want to waste time on extra stuff to read. I was excited to read Kurt Vonnegut’s article “How to write with style.” He provided advice for our main concern of response about how to keep it simple and how to have guts to cut out. I strongly agree with his thought “Simplicity of language is not only reputable, but perhaps even sacred.” He emphasized, even if we were able to making necklaces for Cleopatra, our eloquence should be the servant of the ideas in our head. Also, he approached as “If a sentence, no matter how excellent, does not illuminate your subject in some new and useful way, scratch it out.” These tips are treasures to improve writing with style and impact to keep it simple.
I like Kurt Vonnegut’s “How to Write with Style” because It is very simple advice of writing and can adjust my lousy writing style. Our team have a lot of discussion about stylish writing and we get some good tips. Such as structure, grammar, try not to use same word repeatedly,Most of his view is very similar that of our team but his advice “Keep it simple”, “Sound like yourself” and “Say what you mean” are different from what we are discussed.
I already know but not organize and not sophisticate about writing skills on the other hand Kurt
Vonnegut’s tips are well organize and essential. For examples, our team thought many tips such
as a good topic, format, no error but our teacher Brad summarize organize your writing clearly
and diction is important. I don’t know call it diction. Our team bush around and said too many things like branch but teacher make it simple, get to the point about writing.
Likewise, Kurt Vonnegut’s advices are simple, essential, and meaningful. Sometimes I only think
how to decorate but it is waste time and pointless, “Sound like yourself” is very touching to me
Because sometimes I copy others word and “say what you mean” cover all about writings .
The world is full of meaningless and a fanfaronade sound.
Developing New Skills
Having the chance to read “How to Write with Style” by Kurt Vonnegut was a great opportunity for me to learn new writing skills. One of the new skills I developed after reading “How to Write with Style” was to “Have guts to cut” meaning scratching out sentences that are not important, no matter how excellent they are. I always thought that the more excellent ideas I had the more my writing becomes stronger. Another skill I learned from Kurt, which was similar to what my peers and I agreed on was “keeping it simple”. I strongly agree with this suggestion because it makes it easy for the readers to understand what they are reading. Another writing style my peers mentioned that Kurt did not was being clear and meaningful. For example, stating valuables information to your readers will keep them alert and not make them board with useless stuff. As result, I learned new and useful writing style from Kurt and my peers.
Binta jawara
Students # 66559
04/03/15
Homaira
58623
Good Writing
I really liked and enjoyed the discussion about “what is a good and stylish writing?” Most of the students in my class were serious about it; writing in good style is something that we are looking forward to work on in future. In my group one of the rules that we discussed was about topics. Good topics catch the reader’s eyes; also simple but meaningful sentences can make the story more interesting, and the reader can complete the reading without getting tired (organization). I was really glad to read Mr. Kurt Vonnegut’s article “how to write with style.” In his writing he also talked about seven rules as well and I strongly agree with his rules such as finding a good subject ,keep it simple, have the gut to cut, and sound like yourself. I was really pleased to talk about how to write good and stylish with my group and I really loved the reading.
158 words
The seven rules of Kurt Vonnegut’s “How to Write with Style” are very useful guidance to write a essay. Before I read his article, I have writen some simple rules and have discussed the issue of “ what is a good and stylish writing ? ” with other students. All I wrote is still standing on the position of primary applications of English. Kurt Vonnegut’s viewpoint is very fresh and give me confident. His viewpoint of “Sound like Yourself” touch me. He supports that the writer trusts his/her own writing. “All these varieties of speech are beautiful, just as the varieties of butterflies are beautiful. No matter what your first language , you should treasure it all your life.” When I saw the sentence “ The writing style which is most natural for you is bound to echo the speech you heard when a child.”, it carved in my mind immediately. What a exciting sentence it is! It give me,an second language student, very importent confidence on writing with English.
- 180 words
My Personal Reaction on “Writing with Style”
In our group discussion about “Writing with Style” each member has his/her opinion about how to write with style. Their ideas are based their experience in their own language. Even though their suggestions are good and reasonable, it is difficult to write them down systematically. Some ideas are almost similar. Until the end of discussion, we had not been able to make a list of seven rules on “How to Write with Style”. Therefore it is difficult to compare our group rules with that of Kurt Vonnegut’s rules. What we can do is to examine his rules and make comments of hos seven rules. Most members strongly agree to rules number 3, “Keep it simple”. Although not all of us are religious, we agree that the Bible starts with simple sentence:”In the beginning God created the heaven and earth” (“simple” means easily to understand, but doesn’t mean that it is true).Rules number 4, “Have guts to cut” is the second favorite rule; if it doesn’t illuminate your subject, delete it out. However 2 members of my group don’t agree 100% on rule number 6, Say what you mean”. According to them some eastern cultures don’t say what directly if it can offend people, so they use “euphemism” and the reader usually know what the real meaning of the message. The other rules are ok and almost the same with our rules with only nuance of different in meaning.
---247 words
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