I would like to take a moment to thank all of you for your loyal readership. It's been a blast merging my two favorite interests, writing and waves. I'm looking forward to surfing the waves of writing with you for many more entries to come.
As final exams are upon us, this will be my last entry until January. So, I thought I would leave you with a parting thought on the importance of words.
At the end of the page, writers should ask a question: “What have I actually said?”
Instead of turning in an essay that you’ve packed with generalities to get to the required five or so pages, the above question is one you should ask and then answer honestly. Even if it is somewhat traditional (but still wrong) for students to resort to writing essays that say less than they could - like playing an air guitar - the time spent for the writer and the reader should be considered too valuable to waste in vague verbosity . Thought, reason, analysis of the subject matter, are they clearly present in your essay?
One way to find out is to read your paper
aloud or have a friend read it aloud to you. If you find yourself saying “Huh?”
after hearing a sentence, you should definitely think about revising. When we
listen, we tend to filter out extra words and statements that are not essential
for us to understand the message. Sometimes just reading a long essay silently
won’t tell you if there are sections that have become confusing during the
writing process - draft after draft.
If you think you’ve made a valid point and
used an excellent example, double check to make sure that your reader can see
it immediately (without saying the word
“Huh?”) Concentrate on making your words count, not just on a word count.
Sometimes when I’m beach combing, I spot
something shiny and think maybe it is a treasure that has washed up from long ago
and far away. When I look more closely, the pirate’s gold I thought I saw turns
out to be a trick of the sunlight on the sand and my imagination at work. Once
you’ve written your essay, you should also look closely to be certain your
words really and truly express your ideas in a cogent fashion. Read what you
write for meaning so that you can revise statements that are vague or
misleading or not as rich in meaning as you’d like.
Best of luck on your finals!
Best of luck on your finals!
See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves
roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!
