Since my three sections of Comp II student have been writing over the past week or so in response to chapter one of their textbook, it seemed fair to me that I offer my responses as well. I asked you to look at the four qualities that our authors ascribe to academic writers.
Academic writers make inquiries
To me, this is absolutely foundational. Some people, it seems, like to skip straight ahead to the answer rather than being sure that they’re asking the right question or making a genuine effort to seek an answer. When I think of people who don’t make inquiries, I think of a little child who puts something in their mouth and quickly spits it out, saying “Yech!” Maybe that bite of food actually never gets past the lips. Maybe they’re like Sam I Am who does not like green eggs and ham. (Or was it the narrator who was Sam I Am?) Sometimes we have to inquire of our food. We look at it, pick at it, sniff it, and then tentatively put a bit in our mouth. Yes, sometimes we still decide we don’t like it, but that is an informed decision.
Academic writers see writing as a conversation
Some of you didn’t read this section very carefully and didn’t understand what the authors meant. They didn’t mean that we look at the individual piece of writing as a conversation or that you should write conversationally. No, writing as a conversation means that you’re in the process of talking to somebody. Imagine this: I walk out on the street corner in Nashville, Tennessee (where I am sitting as I write this), and start shouting that “KU Basketball Rules!” First, nobody here will be likely to think Kansas before they think of Kentucky. Second, they’ll wonder what I’m shouting about. They might ignore me. They might say, “Shut up,” but they’re unlikely to engage me in conversation. On the other hand, I can engage people in conversation, for a few minutes or over the course of years if I try. My wife and I have things that we’ve been discussing throughout our 32 years of marriage.
Academic writing typically responds to something or some things said earlier and, if it’s interesting stuff, will provoke someone down the line to respond yet again.
Academic writers value complexity
“It’s really simple. Eat fewer calories than you burn and you’ll lose weight.” I’ve heard that before, and it’s true, but weight loss is nothing like simple. People who have simple solutions for things typically haven’t actually tried to accomplish those things. People who have simple answers to questions that have been vexing our society for years are being way too easy on themselves and they accomplish nothing.
Let’s say you believe that marijuana should be legalized in Kansas–or that it shouldn’t. You’re entitled to your opinion, but don’t expect others to agree if you just say, “Hey, it’s my body. I can smoke what I want!” or “Marijuana is a drug. Drugs are bad. Don’t legalize it!” Those are starting points but they do not fully explore the topic.
Academic writers see writing as a process
Obviously writing is a process. You can just sit down, half an hour before your deadline, and crank something out. That’s a process, but not a very good one. Most effective writers invest time in preparation and planning. They draft and redraft. They labor over organization, development, and style. They take enough pride in their work to proofread carefully.
Those are my thoughts. Now let’s move ahead.