Reading as a Writer: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Abstract

Written for WRS 102, Valerie Sytnik’s reflective essay explores what it means to read like a writer. Valerie argues for a three-part approach to learning to write from the texts that we read. She suggests that we balance our intuition and conscious knowledge about writing as we learn from the texts we read. This balancing act continues as we try to wrestle our ideas
into written form. At this stage of the writing process, we must negotiate the tension between our perceptions and reflections. Finally, Valerie suggests that we must learn from example texts and practice what they teach us. This essay is an excellent example of using research sources to support a unique and compelling argument.