Transcript Document

A composition workshop designed by
Sue Stindt
How to complete this workshop…
Thank you for participating in “Writing with Meaning.” This workshop is intended
to help you develop meaning in your personal and informative essay topics and
to convey that meaning to readers. This workshop is a tutorial and requires
your participation.
To receive full credit for this two-hour workshop:
Scroll through the slides one by one. Read the information
thoroughly; give each point thought and consideration. The workshop
contains 10 Activities, brief assignments for you to do or write, usually
after reading a few discussion slides. At the end is a final reflection for
you to complete.
You must complete all 10 Activities and the reflection. Most activities
do not have specifically right or wrong answers; rather, they ask for
your thoughts, ideas, and experiences.
Your work may be handwritten or typed (unless your teacher specifies
typed).
You do not have to complete this workshop in one sitting. You can
work through it at your own pace as time allows.
When finished, turn your work in to your instructor for credit.
Notes about this Workshop…
The techniques discussed in this workshop
are a compilation of techniques I teach in my
classes, ideas from colleagues and the ideas
of many writers, many writing teachers and
professional from other disciplines. I have
credited sources where used and included a
works cited slide at the end.
For students who have already completed
the “Finding Meaning” workshop, a few of
the slides contain review material.
Meaning…
Whether trying to make sense of
your life experiences, or your
research and learning discoveries,
discerning and expressing
meaning in writing requires effort
and critical thinking.
THINK
QUESTION
COMPARE
CONNECT
ANALYZE
SPECULATE
REFLECT
CONSIDER CONSEQUENCES
http://www.goma.demon.co.uk/
CRITICAL THINKING Is a Skill You Can’t Live
(or Write) Without…
A writer must
choose how to
convey meaning –
to interpret the
significance and
importance of the
story or topic -and connect with
readers.
Critical thinking involves the ability
to understand complex issues from
multiple viewpoints and to realize
that knowledge of any topic or of
any experience develops through
reasoning and reflection.
Essays and Meaning…
Throughout the semester, you will be required to write various kinds
of essays. Some will be personal in nature, such as a personal
narrative or an essay revealing character or place. Others will be
informative or expository, written from a combination of the objective
point of view and first person point of view. You may be required to
write an informative, research, I-search, persuasive, analytical or
review essay. A character profile essay may fall somewhere in
between personal and informative.
No matter what type of essay you are asked to
write, the essay must reveal meaning.
Essays and Meaning…
The following thoughts came from the website for VISUAL CONCEPT -"Visual Thinking Software”:
We all have patterns of thought in our minds that we have
been building all of our lives. Through constantly shifting
patterns and experimenting with re-arrangements – we
continue to learn.
As we try to deal with ever more complex and dynamic
situations [and topics], it is helpful to get ideas out of our
heads and into a medium where we can explore their
content and their relationships.
Through writing powerful intuitions and insights can be
generated and shared.
My story speaks for itself, doesn’t it?
“…the elements of the experience or topic you write about should show the reader how they led
you to some type of growth, new insights or understanding, even if it is a humorous one. You do
not necessarily need to explain the meaning of the experience in abstract, general terms
(although you can do so), but the meaning must be evident or implied by the end of the
essay. After all, why write about it if it has no meaning to you?” say Olivia Bertabnoll and Jeff
Rackham in their textbook From Sight to Insight: The Writing Process (42-3).
What the authors say about not having to explain meaning in abstract, general terms is
true, but…
Many teachers in your college career may ask you to include the meaning in abstract or
general terms and developing the skills to do so will benefit you in the future.
Occasionally, if a story is so powerful and well written that the meaning is self-evident, I
may tell the writer that it isn’t necessary to interpret the meaning. However, the ability to
write abstractly and generally -- the ability to take the story beyond the personal -- IS a skill
in itself. I like students to show that they have the ability to write abstractly or objectively,
as well as personally.
And remember, you’re not just writing a “story,” you’re writing an “essay.”
A second compelling reason for “spelling it out” is because, as I’ve already mentioned
(and you’ll read more about this soon), readers bring their own interpretations to the text. I
think it’s important that the writer make his or her meaning clear to readers, forcing
readers to at least consider that point of view or interpretation.
The Personal Narrative or Personal
Reflection…
An essay is a focused piece of writing
It is mostly idea, often supported by story (Rule and Wheeler 10).
A narrative is a story supported by an idea.
A personal narrative is about the author, or a story told from
the author’s point of view, written in the first person (“I”).
A personal narrative essay combines all the above
elements and you can think of it either way: a first person
story focused on an idea or an idea supported by a story
told in first person.
Either way, all the elements must be included.
PERSONAL WRITING and MEANING…
Think of “stories” as the
everyday activities and
adventures you describe to your
friends and family.
These are rich material for the
personal narrative.
Why do you tell the stories you tell?
What do they mean?
What do you want readers to take from them?
OUR STORIES…
The people in the photo (left)
are members of my family. We
were visiting the U.S.S.
Arizona, a National Monument
at Pearl Harbor in Oahu,
Hawaii. My brother-in-law,
Mark (center), and my sister (to
his right) were both officers in
the Air Force. Mark, especially,
is passionate about history,
particularly military history.
That day, the U.S.S. Missouri was docked in the harbor (and, I believe, will remain
there permanently as a monument). The Missouri is the ship on which the
Japanese surrendered to end WWII. Mark visited that ship while the rest of us
took the tour on the Arizona. When we reconnoitered, Mark told us about the
Missouri’s place in history and what he’d heard and learned on his tour. He
connected this information to other events he knew about the time and the war.
Because of Mark’s passion for and interest in WWII history and his personal
connection to the military, the meaning of the day’s experience was perfectly clear
in the telling of his story. His story was authoritative, informative, interesting and
heartfelt, qualities that engaged his listeners.
Activity 1… Making Meaning of Life Experiences
Think of two of your own life stories.
Briefly explain each. List several reasons
why each particular incident or event that
you experienced might stand out, be
unforgettable, or come to mind when you
are asked to tell a story about your life.
What did you learn from the experience?
What new insights did it give you?
Do not use a cliché to summarize meaning.
Use original words and specific examples.
Expository Writing and Meaning…
The very basis of the word “expository,” which
comes from “exposition,” according to MerriamWebster Online, is “a setting forth of the meaning
or purpose.”
Expository writing requires a main idea (theme),
purpose and significance (meaning).
Note: I use the word “expository”
in this workshop to refer to any
writing that isn’t strictly personal,
such as the personal narrative
and character or place portraits.
Expository Writing and Meaning…
Like your personal writing, expository writing tells a true
story. But expository writing “must be backed up with
evidence: facts, statistics, verifiable Quotes and
references to other texts, names, dates, [and] numbers”
(Bomer 164).
http://gillinc.blogspot.com/uploaded_images/Alvaro.Morales.Katrina-767077.jpg
Writers make meaning of discovery, community
and world events, art, and the lives of others…
An essay should be
constructed around a theme
– a shared discovery or
connection that informs the
reader about a topic or offers
an opinion or specific point
of view.
A clear purpose (spelled out
in the essay) sheds light on
the writer’s intentions.
The Writer’s Job…
is to help the reader see why the topic or issue is important, not
only to the writer, but also to the readers. Emphasizing the
importance, significance or consequences of the topic or issue or
making personal connections to a topic or issue makes the topic
much more interesting to the reader.
A research project, for example, should
“mix personal experience and opinion
with facts, statistics, and quotations
from interviews and books” (Rule,
Wheeler 10). It should spell out why
the topic is important to the writer and
why the writer thinks other people may
or should be interested in the topic.
Personal knowledge of or connection to
a topic lends “authority” to the writer,
makes him or her more credible.
“Meaning stems from
the events of the story,
but it is larger than the
story and has everything
to do with the writer’s
perspective – how he or
she sees the story”
(Rule, Wheeler129).
MEANING IS THE REWARD…
The payback readers want is to learn, to grow, to gain insight, to
understand the writer’s thinking, to identify or connect with what you
have to say.
MEANING IS your perspective of the stories you tell and information you gather.
MEANING IS your purpose for choosing a particular story to tell or topic to explore
or discuss.
MEANING IS the significance of the story or research.
MEANING IS knowledge, revealing insights, something you learned or saw in a
new way.
MEANING IS a connection of new knowledge to old knowledge or a connection to
your readers.
MEANING IS an acknowledgement of your readers.
A writer must reveal meaning in his or her essay.
Ah, meaning is like a theme!
Some teachers and writers use the word theme when they
discuss meaning.
Novelist Theodore Weesner said, “Theme is what the hell it is
you’re really trying to say”(qtd. in Rule, Wheeler 130).
Author Grace Paley said, “Every story is two stories” (qtd. in
Rule, Wheeler 130). Stories are convergences, perhaps
between a surface story, the events, and the underlying
theme.
A theme is the main idea, the purpose for writing the essay and
the significance of the story in personal writing or the information
discovered or shared in informative writing. A theme reveals
meaning.
THEME…
Theme is dependent on the writer’s perspective –
his or her insights.
Insights are “glimpses of understanding,” says Denis
Ledoux in his book Turning Memories into Memoirs.
“Oh, now I understand what she meant!”
“Ah, that makes sense, she was trying to…”
Insights help us draw conclusions about our stories,
lives, research and discoveries. By describing insights
(glimpses of understanding) in our essays, we reveal
purpose and significance of the experience, the event,
or the information presented to our readers. We make
sense of our experiences and demonstrate our
knowledge, showing how we learn and grow.
Theme depends on our point of view – our
interpretation of the story or material or research.
Sometimes as writers, we approach an essay with
the theme in mind, but more often the theme unfolds
as (or after) we tell the story or reveal our
discoveries.
Often we don’t know how to interpret our
experiences immediately when they occur, but after
looking back on them with a new perspective, we
can put them in the context of our lives and see the
lessons in them.
Writers use many techniques to weave meaning
throughout their essays.
EIGHT SIMPLE TECHNIQUES WRITERS
USE TO EXPRESS MEANING…
1. Discuss universal themes or experiences
2. State a clear purpose
3. Go beyond yourself
4. Reflect
5. Compare contrast
6. Examine the subject in wider context
7. Make connections
8. Create metaphors – layers of meaning
Using just one technique may not be enough.
Consider combining techniques that are best
suited for your topic or narrative.
These eight
techniques will
be discussed on
the following
slides. You will
find a writing
activity after each
discussion.
You will notice a great
deal of overlapping
advice in these
techniques. They are
connected, and the
intent of each is the
same – to express
meaning.
ONE: Discuss Universal Themes or Experiences
Personal Writing
A universal theme or experience is a topic or life experience that many of
your readers will identify with – things many of us have in common. From the
widest point of view, as human beings, most of us have many common
experiences – growth and development, becoming independent, learning to
love, facing death, laughter, pain, etc. As Americans we have many common
cultural experiences – going to school, riding a bike, watching televisions. As
families we experience many of the same things – sibling rivalry,
responsibility for others, working through problems, living together, breaking
up.
To write with meaning, a writer can discuss in general terms a universal theme or experience
I sometimes use the words “philosophical terms” instead of “general terms,” when explaining this to
students. Step away from your personal story, change your writing voice from the personal tone of
your story to an objective one. Explain your thoughts on the subject or theme in general. Your
personal story then becomes an example of this life-theme.
Writers connect to their readers and convey their ideas about specific
life experiences by identifying one of these common themes or life
experiences and interpreting their ideas about the significance of it.
To Discuss Universal Themes or Experiences:
Frame your story in an abstract idea or life lesson (examples follow)
Some teachers may assign a theme (idea or lesson) and ask you to write an
essay about it. Here, you have to find a story that matches an idea or
concept.
Usually this idea is based on an abstract concept… justice, truth, trust, joy, loss, humor,
beauty, rejection, acceptance, etc. The writer may explore – explain his or her views or
interpretation of or offer insight on an experience where she was treated unjustly; he lost
the trust of his parents; she experienced a major loss for the first time; he discovered that
a sense of humor is a healthy asset; she experienced the rejection of peers. These are
“universal” experiences. We all learn these concepts through personal experience.
The writer’s personal story is an example of how that concept came to light in the writer’s
life (Rule & Wheeler 133-135).
Use objective language to discuss the “idea” or “concept” or step away from the “I”
point of view and write objectively about an abstract concept. Interpret it. Explain
what you think justice means (for example) to many people.
Expository Writing
Look for universal themes or life experiences in the research or persuasive topic you
choose and in the literature or film you analyze. Use these themes to make personal
connections or help your readers form connections.
Life Themes…
Writing professor Peter Elbow suggests that you
look for “powerful experiences or interests or
preoccupations that shaped your reactions” (291)
as topics to base your essays on.
Examples of life themes that many people
will connect with are: relations between
parents and children, love, sex, divorce,
eating, the outdoors, fighting, loneliness,
adventure, or breaking free of obligations
(Elbow 291).
Universal Experiences Include…
Coping with loss
Coping with change
Managing stress
Feeling rejected
Wanting to fit in
Fulfilling a dream
Working hard
Gaining respect
Losing respect
Forming friendships
Believing in justice
Riding a bike
Learning to read
Getting married
Going on first date
Learning to drive
Breaking family bonds
Having a baby
Falling in love
Forming belief system
Feeling insecure
Feeling sad
Abstract Ideas…
loss win change
stress rejection
acceptance dreams
work respect
friendship injustice
justice love hate
jealousy anger fear
beliefs values humor
joy goals want disgust
karma
competition courage
failure embarrassment
inspiration greed
obsession excellence
hope discipline wish
revelation panic luck
enemy despair terror
envy goodness
kindness praise
success
EXAMPLE OF THEME – PERSONAL NARRATIVE
The following is an excerpt from a student essay, used with her permission. Since there is not space
or time to read the essay in its entirety, I have highlighted passages that clarify meaning for readers.
All words in black are mine. Students’ words are purple.
Vicky wrote a story about stepping on a nest of bees when she was just a child.
The bees swarmed her, covered her skin and she was stung multiple times.
Interspersed in her story were the following insights:
One summer day started out with enthusiasm and excitement, but for me ended in fear.
When children experience a traumatic encounter with fear, it can remain with them
throughout their lives.
Later in the paper…It could have been a life and death situation if the bees had left
stingers or had I been allergic. Yellow jacket bees leave no stingers, but can sting over and
over again. After everything I had just gone through, the doctor commented on how he
couldn’t believe I was afraid of a few bee stings.
She concludes…Although, I physically recuperated from the bee encounter, the fear from
that experience has left me extremely guarded when bees enter my domain. I keep a can of
spray adhesive on hand to use if a bee should enter my home. The spray adhesive glues the
bee wings, leaving it with no way to fly and it drops to the ground instantly. It works fast and
that’s for me!
Vicky’s abstract idea (theme) is “fear.” Vicky reminds us of her theme several places
in the paper. She weaves it in at appropriate and opportune spots.
EXAMPLE OF UNIVERAL THEME - EXPOSITORY
The following is an excerpt from a student essay, used with her permission. Since there is not
space or time to read the essay in its entirety, I have highlighted passages that clarify meaning for
readers. All words in black are mine. Students’ words are purple.
The above examples take a very direct approach to conveying the importance of the subject. Ashley
wrote a research paper about ice cream. She worked at The Parlour and clearly enjoyed her job.
The joy she observed in the customers, her co-workers, and her feelings about her job led her to this
topic. She recognized that in our culture there is a universal love for and interest in ice cream.
Indirectly, we can “read” this into her introduction:
In the long hot days of summer one of the favorite things to do is to go down to the local ice cream parlor for a
cooling treat. Ice cream comes in many different flavors and textures, from vanilla to beer flavor and from ice
cream to sherbet. When I walk into work at Jackson’s local ice cream parlor, the first thing I notice is the sound
of people laughing and having a good time. I put on my apron and get to work making the different ice cream
sundaes on the fountain. The most popular sundae is the Jr. Pecan Combo followed by the Jr. Banana Split.
The coolest part of making sundaes is topping them. We try to make them look the least messy as possible. My
apron is usually a disaster within a few hours and it could be said that my fountain partner and I look like we
swam in the toppings. But we all have good time making the perfect sundae for our customers.
And her conclusion…
At the end of the night we prepare the final sundaes and begin clean up. The worst part of working with ice
cream is the fact that it gets everywhere. Every little crack has sprinkles, nuts, or some combination of them.
But we turn up the jukebox and make the job a little more fun. Once all the walls are washed, the stainless steel
cleaned, and the floors scrubbed, we say goodnight to each other and the whole process begins again in the
morning. Ice cream is a treat that can be enjoyed year-round and in many different styles. Throughout the
years it has undergone radical changes, with even more changes in the future. While we cannot be sure what
the future holds for ice cream and ice cream lovers, we can be sure it will be there in some way, shape or form.
Activity 2… Themes
Look at the stories you have written so far and examine them for
theme.
What are your stories saying beyond the facts? Finish this sentence
for each of several of your stories:
This story shows how it is important for people to….
Continue with these thoughts, writing a paragraph or two, then
answer the following questions:
Are you gearing your theme (message) to an intended
audience? How has this influenced your plot development,
your characterization, and your use of setting?
What have you discovered about your theme while writing?
Has the theme changed? How had this affected your
interest? (Ledoux 114-8)
TWO: State a Clear Purpose
Personal Writing
Explain why you chose to tell the particular story you did. Be specific. Discuss the
significance of the event, story or experience with the reader. Whether you do this at
the end or the beginning of the essay is up to you. There are advantages to each.
Revealing your point of view early in the essay encourages and guides the
reader to “see the story in a certain way” and think about your interpretation as
he or she reads the essay.
Revealing your point of view in the conclusion of the essay encourages the
reader to determine the significance of the story, make his or her own
connections with the story, and then finally consider how his or her view
compared to yours.
Either way, you must:
• Select and include details that support your purpose
Caution: Avoid mentioning the essay or assignment itself. Avoid
sentences like, “In this essay, I will describe…” and, “The topic of
this essay is….”
TWO: State a Clear Purpose
Expository Writing
A paragraph from Linda’s essay on the next slide is
an excellent example of how stating a clear purpose
can accomplish two important things:
Topics are more interesting to readers when they
can make personal connections, either through the
author’s experiences or their own.
A topic is more compelling to readers when they see
that an author has some “authority” – personal
experience with or knowledge of the topic.
EXAMPLE OF CLEAR PURPOSE (EXPOSITORY)
The following is an excerpt from a student essay, used with her permission. Since there is not
space or time to read the essay in its entirety, I have highlighted passages that clarify meaning for
readers. All words in black are mine. Students’ words are purple.
Linda wrote a persuasive paper about the importance of urging young women
to pursue an education and to learn skills so that they can be independent.
At my age, forty-eight years, I am faced with the ugly truth that people can’t depend on
anyone in this world for their own well being. I, after many faithful years of serving as
wife and mother was left homeless and penniless. It didn’t matter to anyone that I had
no education or means of support. I was left to figure it out on my own. Financial
security for women is very important; it is usually the women and children who suffer
when a family is split apart. Whether it is due to divorce or death, women need to learn
early in life how to take care of themselves first before getting involved with the male
of the species. We need to teach our daughters that their lives are important, and they
need to be independent and strong, both emotionally and physically.
Activity 3… Clear Purpose
Choose three topics or issues that you are interested in
researching and possibly writing about.
For each topic answer the following questions, thoroughly (more
than one sentence for each question; offer explanation).
1. Why are you interested in the topic? What personal
connections or experience do you have with the topic or
issue?
2. What is your purpose for writing about this topic or issue?
Would you like to increase awareness, seek change, get
others involved, educate others, entertain, etc.?
3. Why should readers be interested in or concerned about this
topic? OR -- what might readers find interesting about the
issue or topic?
THREE: Go Beyond Yourself
Personal
Writing
Make your story or personal essay “bigger than you”
Extend the meaning to others
Recognize others who may have had similar experiences
Help readers see how what you learned may apply to or connect to their lives
Author Mitch Albom does this brilliantly in many of pieces. Excerpts from one of his pieces,
similar to a character portrait as described in your textbook, are contained on a following slide.
Go beyond yourself by generalizing to a broader audience
Let your audience know that you understand that they may have had similar experiences.
You may wish to acknowledge another way to interpret your experience if you think that
your interpretation is unusual or conflicts with the norm.
Expository Writing
Explain why your topic or issue may be
important to others
Help readers understand the significance of the
issue or topic in their lives
Make connections for readers
Expanding your experience to
other people or acknowledging
the common view on a topic is
a way to construct meaning.
You are connecting the
information to what other
people may already know.
A fine example from Mitch Albom’s work…
(http://www.wage.com/hosts/Mitch%20Albom%202.jpg)
Mitch Albom, columnist, novelist and ex-sportscaster, wrote a wonderful character portrait of his
Uncle Eddie as an article “He Was A Champion,” published in Parade Magazine, September 14,
2003. In it he describes Eddie’s physical characteristics, tells stories that Eddie used to tell and
describes memories about family gatherings. He gives the readers some personal history about
Eddie and uses dialogue that reflects Eddie’s personality. Albom reflects on his own feelings
about Eddie from the point of view of when he was kid, and then also describes his observations
and feelings from an adult point of view.
In this piece there are a couple themes the reader might connect with. There’s a theme about the
importance of extended family members. There’s also a theme about loss and death and expressing
our feelings to our loved ones while they are still alive. Mitch makes readers think about these ideas by
stepping away from the story about Eddie and addressing the theme(s).
For example, there’s a paragraph in the middle of Mitch’s story that says,
They say that uncles stand to the side, that fathers and grandfathers have a more direct line to the
child. But uncles, perhaps because of that distance, can be glorified in ways that others cannot,
and as a boy I glorified Eddie. He was the champion in my family tree – and stronger than anyone
I knew.
This is generalizing. This paragraph may make readers think about their own uncles or male role
models, or aunts or female role models for that matter. The writer speculates about the role played by
uncles, in general.
A paragraph at the end focuses on another theme, love and loss and regret, drawing the reader in with
the use of “we.”
We all have wonderful people in our lives – but when they’re gone, it seems, all we can do is miss
them. I miss Eddie’s quiet toughness. I miss our phone calls from the airport. I rub my arm now,
where Eddie would have punched me, and I realize that I have never met anyone as magical as my
uncle seemed to me as a boy. He should have known that. And I wish I had told him.
Mitch Albom continued…
When Mitch says “we,” he’s talking to his readers; he’s talking to and about people in general.
He makes these general comments to the readers and then returns to his personal story, the
example of his theme.
The comments make Mitch’s personal story about his uncle a story of uncles (the story is not
just about HIS uncle, but all uncles), in general, or of loss and death and regrets (not just his,
but ours, too), in general. These paragraphs give the story a universal appeal. Don’t most of
us have people like Eddie in our lives? Haven’t most of us experienced loss or death of a
loved one? Haven’t many of us wished we had expressed our feelings to someone we have
lost? We, the readers, then identify with the story. We connect it to our own love, loss and
family experiences. The connection you feel as a reader gives the story meaning.
The introduction and the conclusion are good places to discuss the meaning, purpose or theme of
your essay. By introducing your theme early, you, the writer, direct readers’ thoughts to a particular
topic or issue connected to your story. Writer’s often return to that theme at the end with a new or
additional point made clear from the story or from reflection, looking back on the event. But many
good stories have thematic comments throughout. Rick Bragg’s 100 mph…. (in St. Martin’s
textbook) is also a good example.
Mr. Albom has used techniques one and three: theme development and
going beyond himself. He also steps away from “I,” using “we” to
connect with the reader(s) and uses objective language to discuss
theme.
Activity 4… Beyond Yourself
Look at the draft of your first essay or essays.
Find places (more than one) where you can
“go beyond yourself” by generalizing or by
including your audience or recognizing a
common experience. Add lines to emphasize
these points. Develop your abstract ideas in
these ways.
Highlight these revisions in your essay or
write the lines on your answer page for this
workshop.
FOUR: Reflect
Personal Writing
Ideas for Making Meaning:
Speculate about people’s behaviors; examine
motivation for observable behaviors; make
reasonable guesses about your own and other
character’s behavior based on the facts and
circumstances of the story and its context
Discuss the consequences
Draw conclusions
Examine belief systems
Ask questions… I wonder? What if?
Ask, “So What?”
Consider the possibility of change
Understand and reveal how emotions can influence
decisions or actions and help readers reflect on the
importance of the decision or action
Explain the impact of what you’ve learned on your
thinking or action
To reflect means to “look
back.” When you write about
an event that happened in the
past, the passing of time
automatically gives you a new
perspective on the event. Reexamine the impact of the
experience.
FOUR: Reflect on the Material Gathered
Expository Writing
Ideas for Making Meaning:
•It isn’t enough to collect information without assessing the meaning or value of what
you’ve seen and heard. What have you learned? How might this topic, issue, event or
person reveal something about our lives or the time in which we live? What is your final
personal reaction?
•A conclusion doesn’t need to be profound, but careful reflection should lead you to
some understanding of the subjective beliefs, lifestyle, problems, or cultural values that
are represented by this one topic, issue, event or individual – and perhaps show you
how those might relate to society as a whole (Bertabnoll, Rackham 88).
•Look back, step away from the event, issue, person or experience. Discuss the
meaning of it today, a later time, as compared with the thoughts and feelings expressed
in the essay or story.
Reflection can occur in the moment. It can be a pause and selfprompting that one uses in the midst of [writing or telling]. To employ
this second level of thinking allows one to consider intention and
choices even as we perform them (Baldwin).
EXAMPLE OF REFLECTION
The following is an excerpt from a student essay, used with her permission. Since there is not space
or time to read the essay in its entirety, I have highlighted passages that clarify meaning for readers.
All words in black and red are mine. Students’ words are purple.
----------------------------------------------------------Denise wrote about a trip to Mexico. After describing her experience there,
her paper concludes with a reflection:
When I returned from Mexico I believe I was changed. I have a whole new outlook on
what material objects really mean to me. I put my family first that is for sure. I was
never truly conscious of how much food people in America actually waste. I now try to
throw away as little as possible and only serve myself what I am going to finish.
I realized that the Mexican people I met did not really have their eyes open. They did not
have million dollar houses; they had shacks, yet they were happy. They did not have
brand name clothes or shoes, yet they were happy. I wondered how they could be so
happy and not have all of the stuff that I used to consider happiness for any teenager. I
now understand that the reason that the people from Las Olivas are so happy is because
they do not realize they are missing anything. When my family was tight on money I
never felt like I was missing anything either, but when we became well off, I wanted
everything. Happiness lies in the hearts of those with little and might never be reached
by those who have a lot.
Activity 5… Reflection
PART 1: REFLECTION
Students have written about personal traits that describe or define their character.
One student wrote about procrastination and how that habit affected her life.
Others tell tales of first loves or of painful losses, the randomness of luck or the
long lasting effects of abuse. The outstanding essays are the ones in which the
writers reflected on what the traits or experiences mean in their lives and possibly
in other people’s lives.
Select a personal trait that describes a way that you
typically behave. Reflect; look back. Describe how
that trait or quality has influenced your life. Be specific
(6). Speculate on the origin of the trait. Ask questions.
Consider change. Examine consequences. What have
you learned about yourself and about others?
FIVE: Compare Contrast or Explore Then and Now
Personal Writing
Ideas for Comparing and Contrasting… Reveal how perspective, thoughts,
ideas changed with time
•Use thoughtshots to reveal what you were thinking and feeling at the time; reflect
at the end on what you think and feel now, looking back
•Manipulate time; compare the relationship of one day to every day (Bomer 160).
Why or how did this day stand out? Explain why or how it came to be so important.
How did it differ from all other days?
More explanation follows…
We make meaning based on our point of view and
perspective, how we see things.
Our reality in the stories we tell comes from our point of
view.
We can change how we see things.
Sometimes it takes an outside observer (or reader) to help
us see things differently.
We see things differently after experiencing new things,
maturing and gaining new knowledge.
Meaning can change as we learn, grow and begin to
reflect on our experiences in the bigger picture.
My niece at age nice
and…
my mother-in-law at age
82, see the world very
differently from each other.
Our views change with new
knowledge…
When we’re four or five, tying
our shoes or riding a bike seem
like daunting tasks. But, soon
we realize they are very simple
skills.
Many teens struggle through
adolescence, a time when they are
easily influenced by peers and will
do almost anything to fit in. When
we’re older and look back on that
time, we often wonder what we
were thinking and why that seemed
so important. Most young adults
prefer to be their own person.
FIVE: Compare Contrast or Explore Then and Now
Expository Writing
“When writing of a past event, it’s easy to return to the same frame of mind you were in at
the time the event occurred. Yet the advantage to looking back is the added perspective of
the time that has passed” (Rule, Wheeler 133). On September 11, 2001 you had a
reaction to the events that occurred that day. You felt and thought a certain way. Now,
looking back, perhaps you see the bigger picture and the consequences. Perhaps your
feelings have changed. Compare and contrast those differences.
Consider the possibility of a change in your way of thinking
If, after writing your story, research, or analysis and reflecting on it, you come to the conclusion
that your thoughts and ideas were not productive or conducive to future positive outcomes,
consider (like thinking out loud) the possibility of change. Describe a new outlook and your
reasons for it (Idea from IN TIME).
EXAMPLE OF COMBINING TECHNIQUES
The following is an excerpt from a student essay, used with his permission. Since there is not space or time to read the
essay in its entirety, I have highlighted passages that clarify meaning for readers. All words in black are mine. Students’
words are purple.
Zak wrote an essay describing his younger brother Nick and their relationship. The following
insights are scattered throughout the essay. They keep his theme alive from beginning to end.
The theme ties all the little stories and descriptions together.
Zak’s opening sentence…
There’s nothing quite like brotherly love. Statement of theme.
Later…
My psychology professor told our class that siblings don’t tend to be much alike. In the case of Nick and
me, my professor was completely right.
Having a little brother whom you have never lost to in any sport beat you for the first time might be the
worst feeling the world for an older brother.
Growing up, our differences led to many conflicts. Insight
As a child, I never really had much confidence, which led to a shortage of girlfriends. Compares then and
now.
As many people say, you don’t appreciate what you have until it is gone. Acknowledges what people
say.
As I grow older, I’m starting to see Nick less as an annoying little brother and more as a friend.
Compares then and now.
Conclusion…
It’s ironic that the little brother that I grew up hating and fighting with is actually a factor in which college I
will choose. Insight
Activity 6…Compare, Contrast
Choose and briefly describe one event from your childhood
that you saw differently then than you see it now. Describe the
different points of view. Describe insights. What do you know
now that you didn’t know then?
In most truthful accounts of childhood by adults, a tension builds between the
childlike way of doing and perceiving and the writer’s present ways. Like
most tension in communication, it often breaks open new insights for the
writer and reader. The child can never know the adult completely or the adult
the child, but in the act of writing, the writer momentarily constructs a bridge.
There’s danger for you as a writer walking there. But also the chance you
may get over to the other side where you’ve never been before. Compare
and contrast what you knew then and what you know now (Macrorie 115).
When you work with then and now on the page, meaning will emerge. Through revision, you may be able to separate
what you thought and felt at the time from how you regard the event now. This is revision in its truest incarnation, reseeing (Rule, Wheeler 133).
SIX: Examine the Subject in a Wider Context
Personal Writing
Ideas…
Reveal the bigger picture, e.g. give
the experience or story historical
perspective or family context
Reveal larger truths; your story is most likely an example of an
experience that many people can and will identify with – discuss the “life
truth” you see in the experience. Your truth may be influenced by your life
position (next slide).
Tell large truths about childhood and how it differs from adulthood when you
put down a telling fact that draws others to it, you may be able to go through
them to a significant finding about childhood. If you don’t come up with such
a larger truth, a significance, you may still have an account that takes your
readers back into your childhood and brings it alive so much that they find
themselves also moving back into theirs (Macrorie 117).
Select details that [support] the larger truth about our lives (Bomer 160). Try
to see the general in the particular, the big in the little, and in doing so, to
valorize the fine fiber of your experience (Bomer 165).
Life Positions…
“We cannot step outside of the positions we occupy,
and these positions tend to affect how we [write].
Can you see in your [writing] any effects of your age?
Your gender? The region where you live? Your
race? Your nationality? Your class? Your sexual
orientation? Your occupation?”
(Elbow 291)
SIX: Examine the Subject in a Wider Context
Expository Writing
If your angle seems too narrow – not yielding
enough meaning – try backing away, looking at
the subject in a wider context. What else was
going on your life (or the world) at the time that
would make you see the event in a particular
way, or influence how you thought about it?
(Rule, Wheeler 133)
Explain how your life position influences your
view of the experience, event, issue, or topic.
Place the topic or event in context. It may be
historical context. It may be the context of your
life, your family. It may be the context of all of
science or just your discovery.
http://www.mrdeckard.com/links/Pretty_Planet.htm
Activity 7… Context
Give an example of how your race, gender,
religion, nationality, sexual orientation, age or
occupation has influenced your view of an issue
or event.
Put that same issue or event in historical context.
What else was going on in the world at the same
time?
SEVEN: Make Connections
Personal Writing
Use “thoughtshots” to carry on the theme or idea (Lane 44)
Just as writers make physical snapshots, they can also take a snapshot of the
thoughts in their characters’ heads, or in their own mind. A thoughtshot can be
used in both fiction and nonfiction writing.
•A thoughtshost in personal writing is simply a look at what a character is thinking
and feeling.
•Thoughtshots often draw a frame around a story or essay. They place events in a
context and give the reader and the writer a reason to be interested.
Thoughshots can seem like a conversation with your reader.
Ask, “so what?”
What do I stand to discover as I write on this subject? What do I want to see in a
new way or ways? Am I writing to understand? (Rule, Wheeler 131) Also, what do
you want you reader to see, to learn, to understand?
One way we make meaning is to connect new
information to what we know…
When we read another person’s story,
our minds try to connect that story with
what we know. If we read a story
about the experience of divorce, we
may try to connect it to our own
family situation or other families we
are familiar with. We interpret the
meaning based on what the author
says, our ability to empathize, and own
experiences. We are making meaning
of life experiences.
SEVEN: Make Connections
Expository Writing
In research writing, thoughtshots are often found in the first
sentence of paragraphs. They are the skeletons on which the
facts and examples are hung and from which unanswered
questions grow (Lane 44).
Other Ideas…
•Explain your personal interest and connection to the topic
•Connect new material to old, new notions or ideas to old
•Make connections for and to your readers
EXAMPLE OF COMBINING TECHNIQUES
Let’s say you wrote an essay about the damage and economic impact of
Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005. Your essay might focus on the loss of
life, property, and livelihoods of the people who lived in the Gulf Coast region.
To examine the subject in a wider context, you could also discuss the impact
of the storm on those individuals dependent on goods or commerce based in
Gulf region who live away from storm damaged area. For example, many
Midwest farmers had difficulty transporting goods because of damaged ports
on the Mississippi River.
And, to make even more personal connections, you could discuss the
impact of the storm to those of us in Jackson county, such as the temporary
increase in lumber prices and lack of availability of wood products because
lumber was diverted to high need storm-damaged areas, the temporary
increase in fuel prices, local agencies and volunteers who became involved in
relief efforts, or your own personal commitment to help.
Readers are drawn in when they see connections to their own lives, when
they can understand the impact of an event in a personal way.
Inquiry skills used in critical thinking and
making connections…
infer
identify
describe
predict
http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/democracy/crit.html
Activity 8… Connections
Pose a question. A real question – one you don’t know
the answer to but want to explore. You might question
your goals, your marriage, your former friend’s life
choices, your religion, how to survive in a hostile
neighborhood. You may want to examine more fully an
event that left you wondering or with feeling you’d like to
clarify. Tackle the question on the page. Speculate,
comment, discover and most of all, make connections.
(Rule & Wheeler 136). Use thoughtshots, make
connections for your readers, connect to your readers,
connect new ideas to old, ask questions, etc.
EIGHT: Create Layers of Meaning
Personal Writing
“Metaphorical thinking may produce
surprising connections and offbeat
understandings”(Romano 117).
(www.tremainsmith.com/ LayersofMeaning.html)
Using Metaphors…
We use metaphors quite often in our speech to express moods
and feelings. The color “blue” can be a metaphor for feeling down.
“Sunshine” can be a metaphor for a bright and cheerful disposition.
Metaphors as explained above may also be extended or
developed. In the journey of life we cross bridges, forge streams,
and come to splits in the road, etc. This reference to life as a
journey has become cliché, of course. As a writer, you want your
metaphors to be fresh and original.
•Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary defines
metaphor as “a figure of speech in which a word or
phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is
used in place of another to suggest a likeness or
analogy between them.”
Metaphor and Story…
• Plot
• Theme
• Metaphor
A simple story can have
three layers of meaning.
First, there’s the plot -- the
series of events that make
up the story. That plot is
supported by a theme (the
second layer) -- the main
idea, the life lesson, the
universal experience, the
purpose for telling the
story. A third layer may be
metaphor.
Metaphor and Story…
An excellent example of combining metaphor and story that some
of you may know is from Rick Bragg, the writer and comedian, who
wrote a piece about his adolescence called “100 Miles per Hour,
Upside Down and Sideways.” Bragg’s story consists of a surface plot
about the pleasures of owning the car of his dreams and the demise
of that car. Underlying the plot is a theme about wanting to fit in
and be popular. This theme is “universal” in nature, because many
adolescents feel this way or can at least understand the social
desire. But another layer, really the most satisfying to many
readers, is how the car symbolizes Bragg himself. Bragg’s status
and self-esteem rise and fall with ownership and loss of the car.
This is a beautifully constructed essay and can be enjoyed on all
three levels.
EIGHT: Create Layers of Meaning
Expository Writing
Metaphors can help readers understand difficult concepts.
Metaphors can lend a “mood” or “tone” to factual information.
Perspective in representational art is line
drawn on paper to give us depth perception.
In language it is much the same. We use
words as lines from which we draw
meaning. The art of our imagery can be clear
and sharp or abstract and fanciful. Metaphor is
a means by which we derive depth of
meaning in our communication and writing.
When we view and assess another’s work of
art – just as we make judgments on
another’s writing – we bring our own
experience and viewpoint to whatever we
encounter (Pugh et al. 69).
Use metaphor effectively.
Aristotle said, “The greatest
thing by far is to be a
master of metaphor….
Since a good metaphor
implies an intuitive
perception of [the] similarity
in the dissimilar” (qtd. in
Baldwin).
EXAMPLE OF METAPHOR
The following is an excerpt from a student essay, used with her permission. Since there is not space or
time to read the essay in its entirety, I have highlighted passages that clarify meaning for readers. All
words in black are mine. Students’ words are purple.
Linda used the metaphor of “death” to describe her experience and reveal the meaning of
divorce after a 30-year marriage. She also shows insight and reflective thought throughout. She
introduces the metaphor in the opening sentence by simply writing:
I remember the day I started to die.
I, like many women who don’t know what it means to really be loved by someone, would consider this love.
Insight
I visualize the devil in his long black cape and red bloody eyes, stalking me out as a young child only to give
me nothing but pain and sorrow for thirty years. This was the Devil that I came to know I my marriage.
Continuation of metaphor
I guess I wanted to be loved by someone mo matter the cost. Insight
Looking back I can compare it to some kind of cult from the sixties, where the members, like me, give up
every possession and have a vacant star in their eyes. Reflection
My divorce was final on February 15, 2001. I lost everything I owned, two homes, boats, several cars, and
a dog that I loved very much. In spite of all this, I continue to look forward as best I can. I live on very little
money and go to college to show my children and myself that anything is possible at any age. Facing my
slow death has equipped me with the strength that I will need to pursue a degree in nursing. I can still make
a difference in my own life and others. Everyday I try to make that happen with each opportunity that
arises. You might say that I have been reborn. Return to the theme
Activity 9…
Metaphors
“We use our experiences to help us define and measure the changes in our
lives, from the passage of time to the rite of passage. Metaphors not only
express transitions imaginatively but also lead us to insight about our
changes. We may retreat from changes like a turtle into its shell. We may
open windows when the doors are closed” (Pugh et al.84).
Create a metaphor that describes the way you socially interact. For
example, are you shy, outgoing, reserved, or a jokester?
Describe yourself with a metaphor and elaborate on the description.
Think of a news event you heard about or a community event you
attended recently. Describe it. Now find and describe a metaphor
that you might use in describe the event. Elaborate as much as
possible.
Themes and Meaning Develop in
One of Two Ways…
1.
2.
3.
Write your essay
Look for life themes or universal
experiences in your story OR
Look for abstract ideas that are
directly connected to your story
Decide which of the seven
techniques discussed here best fit
your information
Develop and discuss the theme or
ideas (life themes, universal
experiences, or abstract ideas,
compare, contrast, draw
conclusion, connect new
information to old, etc.) in your
essay
OR
(continued on next slide)
Themes and Meaning Develop in
One of Two Ways…
1.
2.
3.
4.
Build your story around a lifetheme or abstract idea. Approach
your expository essay with a topic
and technique to develop in mind.
Introduce your theme in the
opening paragraph.
Tell your story or using details,
thoughtshots, and comments to
support the theme. Present your
research of information focusing
on the details most important to
your theme or idea.
Comment, again, on the theme in
the closing paragraphs.
Add photo or
clip art
Sea Life in Tide Pool
Warning!! Common Problems and
Pitfalls…
Common problems often are
a result of trying too hard
(sounds fake), not being
honest to the experience,
taking the safe way out or
not risking any emotional
investment in the story or
interpretation, being too
close to an emotional event,
or just not thinking very hard
about it.
Common Mistakes
Using clichés to interpret meaning
“I learned that life is short.”
“I shouldn’t take things for granted.”
Saying things everyone will like
Going too far (overgeneralization)
--
Solutions
Avoid clichés; use original words and specific
examples
Remain true to your story or research and your
opinions
Avoid pronouns like everyone and anyone
Misinterpreting cause and effect
Analyze the issues carefully; make sure your
claims are accurate
Giving the impression the situation
is either black or white
Demonstrate your understanding of the fact that
most problems, issues, controversies are
complex; present multiple points of view
Articulating someone else’s beliefs,
not our own
Remain true to your beliefs; examine where those
beliefs come from
Activity 10… Technique Overview
Part 1:
Identify (by explaining or highlighting and labeling on your
essays) where you have used any of these techniques in your
essays.
Part 2:
Which of the eight techniques discussed would best fit the
essay topic(s) you’ve chosen? Explain why.
Part 3:
Check your essays to make sure you’ve avoided the pitfalls
and common errors listed. Use original words and specific
details to express meaning and change.
Final Bits of Advice about Finding Meaning
from business consultant Francis Baldwin…
Stay aware of your internal process and feelings.
Trust that others are capable of understanding your message.
Express complex ideas in simple, clear language.
Clarify the experiences that you have already had.
We must also have in our awareness the intent, the desire, to
bring clarity, make meaning and create new experiences for
ourselves and our [readers]. People have such diverse life
experiences and contexts. Sometimes we need to return to the
models and see if our fixtures and pictures of reality are
aligned.
Students often think that their stories and discoveries aren’t
important, that they have nothing interesting to say or nothing
exciting has ever happened in their lives. But, meaningful
stories are found in everyday life and in simple discoveries, in
our daily interactions with people and in our own research.
Our interpretation of these events, experiences and discoveries
is crucial to their written presentation.
“Trust that your way of
seeing and thinking and
feeling and knowing are
worth writing about.”
(Rule, Wheeler 19)
Final Reflection…
Writing with Meaning
A WORKSHOP OF THE JCC LANGUAGE, LITERATURE & ARTS DEPARTMENT
Now that you have spent some time in this workshop, answer the following questions:
What new ideas were presented??
What information did you find most helpful and why?
What do you want to learn more about?
How do you plan to use specific information presented here to revise and edit your papers?
This evaluation, along with your activities from this workshop serve to verify that you
completed the workshop Writing with Meaning.
Please give your evaluation along with the work from the activities in this workshop to your
writing instructor as proof of completion.
Works Cited
Albom, Mitch. “ He Was A Champion.” Parade Magazine. 14 Sep.2003.
Axelrod, Rise & Charles Cooper. The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing Seventh Edition. 100mph, Upside Down and Sideways.
Baldwin, Frances. “Creating Meaning through Language.” Fieldnotes: A Newsletter of the Shambhala Institute. Issue 5 (2004). 7 Jul. 2004.
<http://www.shambhalainstitute.org/Fieldnotes/Issue5/baldwin_I5.pdf>
Bertabnoll, Olivia and Jeff Rackham. From Sight to Insight: The Writing Process Sixth Edition. Fort Worth, Texas: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Bomer, Katherine. Writing a Life: Teaching Memoir. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2005.
Bomer, Randy. Time for Meaning: Crafting Literate Lives in Middle & High School. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1995.
“Critical Thinking and Decision Making.” IN TIME. 1999-2001. 7 Jul. 2004. <http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/democracy/crit.html>
Elbow, Peter and Pat Belanoff. A Community of Writers Second Edition. New York: McGraw Hill Inc., 1995.
Lane, Barry. After the End: Teaching and Learning Creative Revision. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann,1993.
Ledoux, Denis. Turning Memories into Memoirs: A Handbook for Writing Lifestories. Lisbon Falls, Maine: Soleil Press, 1993.
Macrorie, Ken. Telling Writing Fourth Edition. Portsmouth, NH: Boyton/Cook Heinemann, 1985.
“Patterns in the Mind.” Visual Concept. 9 Sep. 2003. 9 Jul. 2004. <www.visual-concept.co.uk/patternsmind.htm>
“Power Sharing and Empowerment.” IN TIME. 1999-2001. 7 Jul. 2004. <http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/democracy/empo.html>
Pugh, Sharon L., Jean Wolph Hicks and Maria Davis. Metaphorical Ways of Knowing: The Imaginative Nature of Thought and Expression.
Urbana, IL: NCTE, 1997.
Romano, Tom. Writing with Passion: Life Stories, Multiple Genres. Portsmouth, NH: Boyton/Cook Heinemann, 1995.
Rule, Rebecca and Susan Wheeler. True Stories: Guides for Writing from Your Life. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2000.