It takes two: writer and reader

In any job that must be done there is an element of fun--you find the fun and *snap* the job's a game, sings Mary Poppins.  That's really true of writing.  For many, maybe most, students writing is just a chore, as it was at one time for William Zinsser, author of On Writing Well.  Zinsser was lucky enough to have people introduce him to the joy of writing, and his On Writing Well book is, among other things, a great book for introducing others to the fun/joy of writing--though Zinsser insists that good writing still is a lot of hard work, and there are times it won't always seem like fun.  

For Tuesday, February 28, please read pp. 1-24 of Part I of the Zinsser book.  In the comments section below, add your thoughts on that portion of the book.  What do you see here that you think is particularly good advice for making writing fun and for becoming a better writer?

   

 

Citing Sources

 For Thursday, February 16, please read Chapter VII of the Rampolla "Pocket Guide to Writing History" (pp. 111-154).  This is a long chapter, and I don't need you to read the whole thing right now.  You WILL be using this a reference for the rest of the semester.

For now, just add to your comments one thing Rampolla says in this chapter that you didn't know before and one thing you already knew but think is particularly important.

Note that the format you will be learning from Rampolla is from the "Chicago Manual of Style."  This is almost identical to what's called "Turabian," the style I used during my own university days.  Both are close to MLA, another style frequently used in the humanities.  

When you end up writing your chapter, it would be best if we could standardize with all students using the Chicago Manual of Style.  If you use Turabian or MLA, though, I probably won't notice the difference.

What I *will* notice (and won't accept) is APA citation style.  If you've done most of your papers in psychology or sociology, that's probably the format you are used to, and you will need to read the Rampolla chapter a bit more carefully.

A capital offense and how to avoid it

 For Tuesday, February 14, please read Chapter VI of the Rampolla "Pocket Guide to Writing History" (pp. 103-110).  his is a short chapter, but very important. Rampolla talks about what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.  Note that plagiarism has serious consequences: one might become president someday or have a national holiday named for you.

Please comment here on Rampolla's advice: what do you see here that is particularly worth remembering?

  

Writing Nuts and Bolts--Rampolla Chapter V

For Thursday, February 8, please read Chapter V of the Rampolla "Pocket Guide to Writing History" (pp. 82-102).  Rampolla offers some solid advice on writing a research paper.  Please comment here on her advice: what do you see here that is particularly worth remembering as you start on your chapter of the updated history of NSU book?