Alternative Assignment - Visiting Writer Series
If you are unable to attend the reading with Ron Austin, please watch the video discussion with Peter Ho Davies and Julie Buntin on the art of revision.
Once you've watched the video, think about one (or more) of the ideas or techniques of revision discussed in the video. In a few sentences, reflect on how you might apply that idea or technique to your own work as you work toward your final portfolio.
One of the techniques that was discussed in the video was the "buffering time". This is something that I have never heard of before, but found really interesting. They talked about letting the drafts of our works sit untouched for a while. They talked about the benefits of getting a different point of view when you come back to it because you haven't seen it in a while. Sometimes, I find myself guilty of getting stuck in my writing because I am spending too much time with it. This is advice that I will take, maybe revisiting some of my earliest writings in this class and looking at them with a fresh perspective.
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DeleteAn ideas that stood out to me during the video was when Peter Ho starts talking about why we revise and how to start. I always thought the whole point of revision was to make sure our writing is cleaned up and makes sense but according to Peter Ho, he feels that revision brings a form of excitement to him. From my understanding, he sees it as an opportunity to build upon the writing we already have. It also helps us develop fresh ideas for what we are currently writing about or how we could make what we are writing about more valuable and important. I never thought about it this way until now and it allows me to understand and look at revision through a different lens. When he starts talking about “where to start a revision” he says, “start with what you know.” I think as we have gotten older, we assume we need to start everything from the beginning and work our way to the end. With revisions, we can start anywhere and alter any place in our writing. When I reach the revision process for my final portfolio, I want to start my revision in a main area that I know. I tend to dwell on the beginning part of my writing, meanwhile, I could have been working on other parts of my writing. I hope that revisioning in a place I feel strongly in strengthens my writing and help produce the best piece.
A technique that Peter Ho discusses, it's under the section of "Invisibility", was about filing away bits of your writing when it doesn't work with the piece you're currently working on. I think this is ingenious because not only is it saving and squirreling the idea for later, but it's also a way of not rejecting yourself or being so harsh with self critique and editing. You don't want to throw the idea out the window because while that idea, phrase, scene, chapter, may not work with your current piece it could for something else that might come up in your future writing career. I'm going to incorporate this idea into my writing and revision for my portfolios by saving a copy of the rough draft, saving those original ideas- so that when I'm editing and cutting things out, I'm not erasing the idea altogether. Another technique that I also really like was giving yourself "buffering time"- essentially where you write but wait a couple days before workshopping it to think it over, sit with it and do minor things to get the piece to a nice ground level and then bring it in to workshop where you can get less superficial critiques.
ReplyDeleteI was interested in the concept of buffering time as well. This concept reminded me of a strategy my sister taught me a few years ago to deal with confrontation. Often when I would get into fights with family or friends, I would get heated and say things out of emotion. My sister taught me to instead, write down my feelings and what I want to say in the moment. Then, I would let it sit for a few hours or even days. Later, I would come back and revisit my thoughts. Often times, I would have a clearer head at this point and be able to take out things that I didn’t really mean. This made my points more concise and better received by whoever I was speaking to. This same idea can be applied in writing. When writing, it can be a good idea to get all of your ideas out, then revisit at a later time. Giving yourself time to sit and think might inspire new ideas, or you may even want to completely change what you had before. This is helpful when revising because it allows you to better your work and really give yourself time to figure out what you want to write.
ReplyDeleteThe technique that stood out the most to me was buffering in time. This is a concept that I have heard before. My senior year english teacher taught me how to use this and really proved the benefits of it. I especially used it when writing all of my college essays because these were very stressful to write and I would just try to write and write and write, but I found my best work to appear when I stepped away and took time to reflect and then come back and reassess my work.
ReplyDeleteBuffering in time has been a great technique that I’ve been using for about two years now. Back then I would get really upset and just spew whatever comes to mind without thinking of the consequences or how it could hurt somebody. Now, whenever I’m upset, I take some time to myself and think of what I want to say that’s mature and get my point across. It has helped me grow as a person and find peace within. I could use this in my writing by jotting down ideas of what I want to write in my story and then coming back later to read it. At the moment, I would have a lot of things I want to do in my writing but when I come back, I’ll find the ones that would work the best and could make me a better writer. I could also revise them instead of taking them out completely to get the most potential out of my ideas.
ReplyDeleteThe "Buffering in time" method really stood out to me. It is a method that i have used before without even realizing that it was an actual method to revision. I am going to be using this in my work for the future and especially for my final portfolio. I am the type of writer that often gets stuck. I can only make it so far in my writing before i get stuck and dont know what i want to say next, so i end up writing things that are not necessary good to fill space for the time being. But when i leave a piece and step away once i realize that i am stuck, i am able to go about my day with the idea of my story in my head and as i go through different experiences it will spark a new idea that connects to my story. When i go back to my writing i am able to then add these new ideas and i can almost start with a fresh mind to continue writing.
ReplyDeleteThe technique that stood out to me the most was work-shopping. Often I feel that going over things too much leads me to overthink and want to start over. Instead I think what I need to do is more so think of the message or the story that I want to display. Work-shopping is a great way to just think of what I want my readers to know. The main issue that I have is the fear that I will want to start over, so instead I usually just submit my work without going over it. I need to learn how to read my work from the audience's perspective to see if my message is clear and engaging. Another thing that I can do is work-shop with another person. This would help me get an idea of what a different reader thinks of my work along with getting new ideas from another person.
ReplyDeleteTHE technique that really caught my eye was workshopping. I have a tendency to to overthink and don't go with my gut feeling so I think that the less I go over things the better chance I have at getting something right. the more i go over something the more its probably wrong. i think that i will apply this to my final assignment in this class because of THE main fact that i feel it could do me really well when it comes down to it. a fear i have though is me still going to overthink and not apply this method to my final piece.
ReplyDeleteThe technique that I truly think I would benefit from the most would be a buffering in time. I have used this before you my high school english classes and I am used to that technique. I love how you great to truly think out your thoughts and make them overly precise and detailed. The act of stepping away from your writing allows you to form better overall thoughts.
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DeleteThe technique I have started using in my everyday life is buffering in time. I have recently started journaling to give myself a few minutes of reflection on my thoughts and time to evaluate what has happened in my day. With my writing I am trying to slow myself down and give myself time to breath and reread what I have written. Slowing down writing when you are rushing gives yourself time to slow your thoughts down and truly understand what is flowing onto your page. In applying this to my final piece I think this would truly benefit me for the long run because I struggle with trusting myself in the writing process.
ReplyDeleteThe technique that I heard was dialogue, he had said how new writers get stuck between either telling or showing. I think this goes into my writing because I struggle to figure out if I should tell my story or show it. In my writing I should probably write many different first drafts and really avoid the reusing of words. I struggle a lot with revising my essays and not knowing how to incorporate different ways of dialogue.
ReplyDeleteI will apply this in my writing by really slowing down and thinking about what I am going to write before I actually do.
DeleteI feel like one of the parts of my writing that I have never focused on is the language and flow. Peter says one of the best ways to exams flow in his own writing is to read it out loud. I have had to read a script out loud for a class before and I find that the flow of my writing is terrible and I will have to re-write until it does sound so bad. I will use this technique to revise my writing for the final portfolio.
ReplyDeleteOne technique Peter talked about, buffering, is something that I do all the time on accident. I often write a bunch on my pieces or can't thing of anything to write and then put it down for the weekend and come back to it with lots of ideas. I would find my self either changing the entire piece or not being able to pull myself away from the keyboard. It is cool to know that there is a name for the madness, and it is something that can help my writing.
ReplyDeleteI admired the part of the discussion where Peter Ho discussed being stuck in a mode of narration and "telling." He speaks about how writers will be obsessed with finishing their first drafts and writing with a sense of speed. They use "telling" as a faster way of developing their story to get the point across. Since writers use this mode to develop their stories, it is important to slow down and be patient with the revision. I will use this technique to show the story rather than telling it, by not over-explaining. I will try not to be too subtle, but try to find the part of my writing where I can "prepare the reader for the surprise."
ReplyDeleteBuffering time and revision were the most impactful things for me In this video. Buffering because it is something I never thought of doing when writing, however I feel like it can truly make a piece better in so many ways. It could help when you are stuck or when you want to go back and revise. Revision is important because it shows how you can go back and fix writing but also enhance and add to the writing to make it better in so many ways. It can also help you understand when something does not make sense or something needs to be added to add an impact to the story.
ReplyDeleteI think the most useful technique discussed in the video was buffering time. I already do this to an extent, but didn’t know it was actually helpful. Sometimes when I’m writing and I find myself stuck and don’t know what to write, I usually just step away and take my mind off of it, and then come back to it and with new and fresh ideas. I always thought of it as just needing a break but it’s interesting to see that it was an impactful technique making my writing better. I will definitely continue using this in writing my portfolio.
ReplyDeleteThe method that stood out to me was Buffering in time. This one has been effect for me in the past, because it is a method I have commonly used. Sometimes I will feel like I have a good idea about a story then when I am halfway through I get stuck. I will pull myself away from the story for a few days, but I find myself randomly thinking of it as time goes on. When I come back to the story, I typically have more to write because I took my mind off of it and let it come to me. This has helped me build great stories in the past, and I plan on continuing to use it in the future. This form of writing helps your paper be more put together with real thought, because it is not all written down spur of the moment. It creates a well thought and precise paper.
ReplyDeleteI tend to struggle with language and flow. I use very basic words most of the time, I need to work on expanding my choice of vocabulary. This will help me be more descriptive in the long run. When it comes to flow, I need to maybe lay everything out on a timeline before I write. I feel like as I write, new ideas pop into my head that should be towards the beginning of the writing, instead of where I am at the time.
ReplyDeleteI think that the parts of revision that will be more useful to improving my writing are flow and dialogue. He talks about the importance of having writing flow together and I think that I could benefit from slowing down a bit while writing in order to make my writing more cohesive. I also sometimes struggle with implementing dialogue into my writing and how to go about it in a way that flows with the story-telling part of my writing.
ReplyDelete“We have to write our story to know what our story is” Peter said, and i find that concept to be both simple and complex in its self. You figure yes obviously you have to write your story but, what story do you write and what about that story do you emphasis and I find that there are a lot of variables that have to go into play while writing your “story” and that is something that I always find myself to struggle with, which should i chose to write about, and in that confusion i typically decide to just write what is on my mind. It is easy to write your story but its not easy to pick what story.
ReplyDeleteThe technique I liked best was buffering in time. I think this makes so much sense because it sometimes becomes very difficult to work on a piece of writing or even an assignment when you devote all of your energy and mental focus to it. What is meant to be productive becomes draining and discouraging. By taking some time to step away from your work, you allow yourself to recharge, which will help you have a clear mind and a more concise idea of what you want your work to be when you revisit it later. I did this for my final portfolio: for my main piece of nonfiction writing, I first started by just sitting down and writing whatever came to mind. I wrote three pages and then just stopped. I closed my computer and let it settle in my mind for a few days, and then I revisited what I had written and was able to better revise and form my thoughts into paragraphs.
ReplyDeleteThe technique that I liked the most was the buffering time technique that was used. I really like this technique because it relates to myself and lots of college students in many ways. I feel like we get so frustrated, overwhelmed, and stressed very quickly. This technique allows us to realize that it's okay to step away and take a break from things. In fact, it is often necessary to walk away and gather your thoughts for awhile to get back to a good place for your work. This is something that I need to do more often because when I am writing or studying I typically get very anxious. It is so important especially as a writer to know that taking time away from your work is important. Getting a breath of fresh air and coming back provides an adjustment in your personal mindset and can also provide growth within your writing styles.
ReplyDeleteThe technique I liked the most was "invisibility". This technique is basically taking the pieces of your writing that are insignificant and putting them to the side for later. To either use in a different area of that essay or using it in a completely different writing. He refers to it as putting them on a deserted island, away from everyone and coming back for them when they are needed. I should definitely start using this technique in my revision process because I have a habit of including insignificant details in my writing, that I think are important but aren't. If I were to start using this technique I would be able to go more in detail in my writing because I have more space and the time to do so rather than taking half of a page to discuss one minor detail.
ReplyDeleteSomething else to doubt me the most was the technique of buffing. I've never heard of this before. But it makes so much sense that when you've put your mind to something and all of your energy into one singular assignment for example, it makes sense on why you can't focus on it or why you writers block. Since I found out what this is, I have realized that I do things like this and sometimes I'll have to come back to the writing a few days later even get some ideas out of my head.
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