Styles of Writing and Writing the Paper

To be honest I am not sure where to begin.  I must admit that I found the reading in the Handbook more enjoyable than I though I would.  I began reading expecting to find it very dry, but I was surprised to see that it offered many helpful hints and was easy to follow.  I had never thought of writing and spinning clay as one in the same, but the analogy on page 11 helped me to see how the process really is a physical thing.  In all the papers I have written over the years, I never really paid attention to all the questions I ask myself in my preparation.  Section 1b made me stop and think about the steps required to define my writing and all that must be considered before the process can truly begin.  In my professional career I often find myself defining my audience, just like the example on page 22 with the writer addressing recycling in the office.  Although my writing is typically in email formate, I have to remember at all times who I am addressing and their title.  The genre is another thing that I didn't realize I considered on a daily basis.  However, if I addressed every email I wrote daily with the same voice and tone, the meaning would be entirely different.  Knowing and understanding who I am addressing and what the total message portrayed is just as important as the context of my communication.

While the first chapter in our reading assignment discussed the tone and voice of our writing, chapter 45 more pointedly addresses the steps in writing a proper paper.  When it is time for me to tackle a research paper, I must first make sure that I have done my research in full.  Keeping the notes clear and citing where I obtained the information will make the process all the easier as I move forward.  The next step is developing an outline to formate my thoughts into clear groups.  As stated on page 661, this can be done in either a informal or formal outline.  The formal outline could help in defining the main topics.  This information can then be collected into a first draft of my paper.  I must take the book's advise in section 45d and learn to walk away from my writing for a brief period of time so that I may be able to come back to it with a clearer mind and be able to view it more objectively.  Lastly comes the final editing phase and then the final draft.  It is important to review your work in the form that allows you to make corrects as works for you best.  I too find it easier to see errors in print than on the computer screen, as addressed on page 665.  Make sure that you use the formate assigned by your instructor.  I had used the MLA formate before and honestly did not know that there were three other formats in formal writing.  I hope to learn more about the others this semester.