The first step to fixing a problem is knowing that you have one. Boice addresses the first signs to maintenance problems in this section.
1. Calamities of health and relationships
2. new responsibilities at work and at home
3. rejections, criticisms, and discouragements of writing
4. reemerging doubts about abilities to imagine and write
5. reinstatement of feelings of busyness.
As these factors come into our lives Boice states that writers get impatient and go back into their bingeing habits. Not only do these discouraging factors come in but also we start to see distractions grow and production wane. I have noticed this so much in this last bit of the semester. I was very good at keeping on top of things and being productive but the I would fall back into distractions as easy as I did at the beginning of reading Boice.
Boice talks about how depression ties into the writing process and how it can effect productivity. "Writers anxious about likelihood of failing and suffering will opt for escape and other self-defeating modes". Not only does depression have this effect on writers but it also takes away from our comfort and our ability to write in an eneregetic manner. We see our postures begin to fail , we become more tired, and then writing takes a hit due to this.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Nov 17 blog response
When discussing the section on outcomes. Boice talks about how even the most compliant writers have trouble following all of the rules for pausing sometimes. I agree with most of the testimonies on the matter. Once you get excited about your writing finally flowing it is so hard to just stop in fear of losing what you are going to say and the idea that you are on, something that took you so long to get to. I like solution of scheduling breaks but adding cues and notes that kept their track of thought on the paper so that they did not lose their momentum. For the results on fluency I don't think I would fit into the norm considering as I was reading most of the steps I felt uncomfortable and didn't think it would be an easy transition. I fell that after some time I would probably get it but not without resistance. The bds writing section is very true to what I was thinking. Boice notes that states that it is harder because it demands day in and day out compliance. I think the biggest resistance does lie in he fact that the writing is everyday. Most people my age have a so much happening that everyday may be something that is really hard to comply to. I find it that I always want a break from writing so that I can just let my thoughts settle. In conclusion Boice discusses that two factors tied into fluency. The first was the fact that when prewriting was accomplished the transition into actual writing was much smoother. The second stated that when writers participated in writing prose in bds form they found the end result to come about in a much easier way.
Nov 10 Blog response
"An obvious essential in establishing a regular habit of writing is involvement. Talk and good intentions, in themselves, rarely build strong habits of writing." (108)
I feel like Boice is talking directly to me (or all college students) here. Procrastination is the worst part of writing. We always say what we will do and how well we will do it, but when does it actually get done? When does the talking stop and the writing start? Boice offers four steps to fixing this. First, motivate yourself. He suggests to make a chart of your daily compliance and activity. Second, pressure yourself to stick to scheduled times for writing with the help of a social contract. I actually like this step. I think we always have control over everything that is scheduled. If we see something on our calendars and another event comes up we tend to go to the thing that was scheduled first. So if we pre-schedule our writing time then nothing should interfere with that. Third, push yourself to write by making other, more desirable things such as watching television contingent (for the day) on first completing the moderate goals of your bds. This kind of goes directly in with step two. Fourth, force yourself to write, under dire circumstances, by writing in order to avoid punishments. I think that the rest of the step is a bit extreme, mailing checks seems to be counterproductive because then you have an underlying stress about money. I would comment on the reactions section but I still remain surprised/ frustrated to see my exact reactions in the writing. However, realization #3 seems to be one that I would think I would fight against. I sometimes tell myself that my best work is done in the crunch time. However, this is most definitely not true we always try to think that we can still do a good job even at last minute, but the truth is we are not giving our ideas time to develop fully.
I feel like Boice is talking directly to me (or all college students) here. Procrastination is the worst part of writing. We always say what we will do and how well we will do it, but when does it actually get done? When does the talking stop and the writing start? Boice offers four steps to fixing this. First, motivate yourself. He suggests to make a chart of your daily compliance and activity. Second, pressure yourself to stick to scheduled times for writing with the help of a social contract. I actually like this step. I think we always have control over everything that is scheduled. If we see something on our calendars and another event comes up we tend to go to the thing that was scheduled first. So if we pre-schedule our writing time then nothing should interfere with that. Third, push yourself to write by making other, more desirable things such as watching television contingent (for the day) on first completing the moderate goals of your bds. This kind of goes directly in with step two. Fourth, force yourself to write, under dire circumstances, by writing in order to avoid punishments. I think that the rest of the step is a bit extreme, mailing checks seems to be counterproductive because then you have an underlying stress about money. I would comment on the reactions section but I still remain surprised/ frustrated to see my exact reactions in the writing. However, realization #3 seems to be one that I would think I would fight against. I sometimes tell myself that my best work is done in the crunch time. However, this is most definitely not true we always try to think that we can still do a good job even at last minute, but the truth is we are not giving our ideas time to develop fully.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Nov 8 blog response
"Fluency once flowing can become a runaway."
This is a mistake that I think a lot of writers make because once they get a running start they don't want to stop in fears of losing their motivation and ideas. I know that it is something that I do far too often. I think that Rule #9 is a good one to pay specific attention to. Making small goals for writing is going to be more beneficial then setting some unrealistic idea that could never be reached. I think that the idea of BDS along with this could work very well in keeping fluency moving.
This is a mistake that I think a lot of writers make because once they get a running start they don't want to stop in fears of losing their motivation and ideas. I know that it is something that I do far too often. I think that Rule #9 is a good one to pay specific attention to. Making small goals for writing is going to be more beneficial then setting some unrealistic idea that could never be reached. I think that the idea of BDS along with this could work very well in keeping fluency moving.
Nov 3 blog response
Boice 95-101
"Patience works best in concert with involvement." (100)
Throughout reading most of this section I felth myself getting impatient wanting it to be done because I had felt that I didn't think this particular writing method would work for me. I then got to this seciton and thought to myself "it sure is annoying when Boice knows how I am going to react and ultimately has an answer to my annoyance." I then came to the aforementioned quote. If I am not constantly practicing my writing methods I will never be comfortable with them and fluency will not come easily. "involvement works best when it moves beyond self-focu."
"Patience works best in concert with involvement." (100)
Throughout reading most of this section I felth myself getting impatient wanting it to be done because I had felt that I didn't think this particular writing method would work for me. I then got to this seciton and thought to myself "it sure is annoying when Boice knows how I am going to react and ultimately has an answer to my annoyance." I then came to the aforementioned quote. If I am not constantly practicing my writing methods I will never be comfortable with them and fluency will not come easily. "involvement works best when it moves beyond self-focu."
October 27 blog response
Boice 87-94
It is interesting to see writers block as an action that we do to ourselves. "Writers who score highest on tests of this susceptibility fare best at writing because they work with less immediate concern for exact wording, with more initial freedom from internal editors, with more awareness of their emotions, and with less reliance on suppressive and repressive defenses." (91) This section is interesting to show what may be the cause for writers to block. The idea of a thrusting involvement with writing is especially interesting because it seems that maybe writing is the enemy or we can only find negative connotation to writing when the subject comes up. I also agree with the section on free-writing. I feel that when I am free-writing I am often (if not at a lack of words) able to map my way around my thoughts more easily then if it were a structured writing assignment.
It is interesting to see writers block as an action that we do to ourselves. "Writers who score highest on tests of this susceptibility fare best at writing because they work with less immediate concern for exact wording, with more initial freedom from internal editors, with more awareness of their emotions, and with less reliance on suppressive and repressive defenses." (91) This section is interesting to show what may be the cause for writers to block. The idea of a thrusting involvement with writing is especially interesting because it seems that maybe writing is the enemy or we can only find negative connotation to writing when the subject comes up. I also agree with the section on free-writing. I feel that when I am free-writing I am often (if not at a lack of words) able to map my way around my thoughts more easily then if it were a structured writing assignment.
October 25 blog response
Boice 83-87
It seems I am missing 83-85 of this section. So I will just blog on the last two pages. In this section Boice discusses the concept that writing can be compared to most other public performances such as dancing, in the manner that it is so susceptible to "excessive self consciousness". We lose "the calm and breadth of perception essential to momentum and problem solving. We also start to scrutinize performance. We block. I have experienced this a numerous amount of times during my five years in college. It is kind of crazy that just the fear of inadequacy can completely put a hault on my writing process. It is really interesting that Boice compares the writing process to teaching in the fact that both receive little training however given the right tools and elements things can come out masterful.
It seems I am missing 83-85 of this section. So I will just blog on the last two pages. In this section Boice discusses the concept that writing can be compared to most other public performances such as dancing, in the manner that it is so susceptible to "excessive self consciousness". We lose "the calm and breadth of perception essential to momentum and problem solving. We also start to scrutinize performance. We block. I have experienced this a numerous amount of times during my five years in college. It is kind of crazy that just the fear of inadequacy can completely put a hault on my writing process. It is really interesting that Boice compares the writing process to teaching in the fact that both receive little training however given the right tools and elements things can come out masterful.
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