Hicks states that writers write to be read (p.82). As I read that statement pertaining to this particular blog entry I find myself wondering, do writers write to be read? I know that having a purpose and an audience is essential for ones writing process, but I am having a hard time finding that with blogging. I feel as though I like to write for me, is this something I was taught? Is it because no one can judge my writing besides me if I am the only audience.
Like Alsye I have had my struggles with blogging, for me however the reasons are different. I am struggling with the fact that my writing will forever be somewhere and at any moment can be viewed from a variety of different people. Hicks mentions that when students are responsible for their own writing they feel more engaged in the process (p. 82). When and how does this happen? I mostly struggle to feel engaged while writing my blogs. It really isn't the topics that aren't engaged because we mostly have the freedom to write about any topic pertaining to class. I continue to ask myself what is it and why is this such a difficult assignment for me?
Hicks, T. (2009). The digital writing workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Jackie,
ReplyDeleteI completely understand what you mean about the difficulty of writing in a blog. It takes me (I think anyways) a stupidly long time to come up with what I'm going to write. For me, its because this assignment is so broad and that we have to focus in on something. I'm not sure about you, but for me, I had never truly considered the audience when I wrote, now I do. And with that, I have a bunch of concerns that pop into my head. Like, is this a good post, am I doing it "right", did I included everything I had to along with the stuff I wanted to, and finally, how do I make sure this REALLY relates to class. While I think these concerns are good to have, they also force me to really think... and sometimes just "thinking" is impossible for me to do. Anyways, what I'm finding inspirational is reading our peers blogs and also trying to keep track of the random thoughts I have during the week pertaining to blogging. Sometimes, like with my "Fluke" post, the topic I want to blog about just comes to me. I hope this might help you, at least a little, in the engagement issue!
Jaci, your friend Alyse gives you some great advice here. There is no one "right" topic to write about. If you are engaging in an honest exploration of the topics we are reading about or talking about in class AND using your entry as a place to use writing as a tool for exploration where you can allow yourself to imagine or to elaborate on how these ideas will (or will not) work for you, then you are "doing it right."
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