Writing Center Archives Vol. 1, Issue 6 at
Please note that this is an archival copy. It has not been changed from the original; as such, not all links will work properly! For the most up-to-date information, check out the Writing Center web site or associated Evergreen web sites.
Write On
Weekly writing information and resources from the Evergreen Writing Center
Vol. 1, Issue 6 [View Other Issues]
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This week’s theme: Creative Non-Fiction
Quotation of the Week
"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please."
-- Mark Twain
Tip of the Week: Stories Within Stories
by Sandy Yannone, Ph.D., Director of the Writing Center
I am addicted to stories. I believe we all have a story to tell that can move and compel others. I'm reminded with every story I read just how complex and rich a life can be.
Therefore, when I teach creative non-fiction, I often ask students to choose the story they want to tell. Once they've written an early draft, I'll ask them, "What's the story behind this story?" In other words, truly astounding creative non-fiction usually tells more than one story. Essays often are more about the second "discovered" story than the initial story. The writer tells one story to tell two.
When writing creative non-fiction, try to determine what stories run parallel in your essay. Capitalize on that complexity. Develop both stories simultaneously. Embrace the multi-faceted life. Your readers will appreciate the intricacies, and you will reward yourself with greater insight into the stories you tell.
The Writing Center has a number of tutors who specialize in creative non-fiction. We work with writers who are just getting started with the genre, writers who have a wealth of experience and want to take their writing to new levels, and everyone in between. To make an appointment, call 867-6420, or drop by the Writing Center in Library 3407.
Web Site Review – http://www.pitt.edu/~bahst29/writers.html
What’s the best way to learn how to write creative nonfiction? There are many answers to that question, but one of them is very simple: read it. Read a lot of it. In the last 50 years, however, the genre has become enormous (it is now the highest-selling category of writing), and the volume of work can seem a little overwhelming. Where’s a reader to start?
A great place to start is by surveying the writers who have helped shape the genre into what it has become today. And a great place to find a bird’s-eye-view of these landmark authors is the University of Pittsburgh’s "Creative Non-fiction: Writers and Their Works" Web site at http://www.pitt.edu/~bahst29/writers.html.
This site covers eight famous writers, from the classic Truman Capote and Tom Wolfe, to the more contemporary John McPhee and Tracy Kidder. Each author’s section includes a photo, a brief biography, a list of selected works, and annotated links to sites with more information.
The site is not comprehensive, nor is it intended to be. Instead it strives, as is stated on the home page, to be "a representative sampling of the most influential modern writers of creative non-fiction." And this is its strongest quality. By not trying to cover it all, the site provides readers and writers with an easily accessible window through which they can gain a quick overview of some of the most instrumental authors, their lives, and their works.
http://www.pitt.edu/~bahst29/writers.html
Writing Center News
**Collaborative Chapbook Meeting**
Friday, May 16th at 1:00pm in the Writing Center
The Writing Center is hosting a short series of workshops designed to give writers the opportunity to collaboratively produce a chapbook-style publication by the end of the quarter.
Any and all writers (any genre, style, form) interested in working creatively with others and experimenting with their own writing process are encouraged to attend the first workshop meeting on Friday, May 16th at 1:00pm in the Writing Center.
This is a pilot project that we hope will be repeated and developed next year. If you cannot attend meetings this quarter, but would like to be on an email list to receive information about future events, send your email address to hendrics@evergreen.edu.
Only those participating in the workshops will be featured in the publication; do not submit work to the Writing Center.
**"Re-Visioning" Your Research Paper Workshop**
Wednesday, May 14th, 4:30-6:00pm, Library 3500
Revision is often the most misunderstood phase of the writing process. This workshop addresses the differences between revising, editing, and proofreading. Bring your current draft, and we will demonstrate how to effectively "re-vision" your paper.
This spring the Writing Center will present an entire series of open workshops, from "Avoiding Plagiarism" to "Writing Evaluations." For a complete list of workshops, check out the Workshop section of our Web site.
Stump the Tutors
Each week in this section we'll answer questions on various writing-related issues submitted by our readers. This week's question:
Q: Is it ever appropriate to use passive language?
A: We’re glad you asked! Although not
always desirable, there are many occasions where passive language is preferable
to active language.
Passive language can be found in sentences where the grammatical subject
(the first noun) is not the object that is completing the action (the
verb). Passive language can be identified by a form of the verb to be
(am, is, are, was, were) and a past participle.
In passive sentences, the subject receives the action of the verb. Active language is usually preferred as it is often clearer and more direct.
Examples:
Passive: The ball was kicked by the boy.
Active: The boy kicked the ball.
Passive: Mistakes were made.
Active: I made mistakes.
Passive language is preferred in many kinds of science writing, but the scope of its use does not stop there. Whether or not you choose to use passive language in any kind of writing depends on the focus of your sentence. There are also times when it is simply not important to know what agent is completing the action.
Examples of passive but effective sentences:
Important documents should be kept in a fireproof box.
Rainforests need to be protected.
The above sentences work well in their passive forms because they are general statements that don’t apply to any specific person. We should all strive to keep our important documents in fireproof boxes, and we should all protect the rainforest. The people completing these actions become secondary to the action itself.
Consider the following passive sentences:
The defendant was found guilty.
The president was elected in November.
In both of these cases, the acting noun is obvious, even though it is not stated explicitly. We know that a jury found the defendant guilty, and we know that the public (usually) elects a president.
Finally, there are times when the agent is unknown.
The local television stations and newspapers were notified about the free benefit concert.
In this case, the identity of the source is not crucial information. Also, this sentence flows much better than one that lists the people or agencies who notified the press.
For more information on active and passive language, see Purdue University’s handout at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/grammar/g_actpass.html or come to the Writing Center to talk to a tutor.
Stop by the Writing Center in Library 3407 and drop your question in our "Stump the Tutors" classic 1950s ceramic stump!