WWA 4 Evaluation essay

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

3:14 PM

Showed me that it's possible to write for change

But also annoyed me all the way throughout
A lot about her own experience, but not enough about her technique
Immersion method
Accordion method
Start a writing group??
But that's about it
Comes off as self-help
Very much unable to reach all types of beginner writers
So general that it was meaningless
As a therapist, her POV makes it self-help and touchy-feeling
approach
--> novice writers who seek concrete guidance are left
frustrated
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mary-pipher/writing-to-
change-the-world/
https://writersontherise.wordpress.com/2007/06/15/writing-book-
review-writing-to-change-the-world-by-mary-pipher/
"the book is peppered with inspirational quotes and plenty of
substance that can inspire you to write a better world into
existence"
Except it's not peppered, it's in almost every paragraph and
at least 3 for every 2 pages in a shadowed box
Great storyteller?
It's like telling people how to paint by giving them an abstract piece --
Too much about writer and not about writing itself?
Gives a lot of examples!
Self-indulgent
Felt more like a memoir
Experiences don't always make the point she is trying to illustrate
Snake story in ch 8
More suited for idealist writers or writers who have some experience
but lack inspiration to continue on
As an author, she has an authentic voice that you can place, especially
with the examples she gives
She is an author that will move you when she writes about the

Snake story in ch 8
More suited for idealist writers or writers who have some experience
but lack inspiration to continue on
As an author, she has an authentic voice that you can place, especially
with the examples she gives
She is an author that will move you when she writes about the
social issue at hand
But to teach you how to do the same, not so much
Review of her other book like "Reviving Ophelia" or In the
Middle of Everywhere
First section includes a lot of inspiration, things that can help get juices
flowing,
BUT the second session, the Writing Process, you expect to have
the nitty-gritty streatgies
http://rebeccarvincent.com/2013/01/24/book-note-writing-to-change-
the-world-by-mary-pipher/
At the very least, a writer has access to a slew of quotes from
various sources to encourage action and reflection.
For me that feels like the very best

INTRO/ THESIS: While Mary Pipher's Writing To Change the World

features some useful strategies and inspiring quotes and anecdotes for
change writing, it fails to uphold the standards of a proper guide for
beginner writers. Rather, it should be recommended for more
experienced, idealist, writers who may be experiencing writer's block
and need encouragement and inspiration to continue.
A guide should be PRACTICAL: concise, have clear suggestions, and
good/bad examples to follow
For writing, it should be suggestions on how to improve it,
to make it more dramatic, passionate, formal, etc. or good
samples of writing, how to address the right kind of
audience
POINT 1: While she has a unique voice + is a great storyteller, she cannot
attract all types of beginner writers to learn from her writing
Quotes "peppered" NAAAAH BRUH
Actually everywhere, and using Jesus and monks as
examples gives an overly optimistic tone that can be off-
putting
Her work as a therapist may give her perspective as such,
she even states her default mood is happy
BUT, as such, beginner writers are not always "touchy-
feely" and may be alienated by it and cannot connect
to it

Her work as a therapist may give her perspective as such,

she even states her default mood is happy
BUT, as such, beginner writers are not always "touchy-
feely" and may be alienated by it and cannot connect
to it
POINT 2: She talks a lot about her experience, but not enough on
technique
DOES offer some strategies: Accordion and immersion technique
are most helpful
Some advice is too general --
But for so many chapters, there are way too many anecdotes
Because of the abundance of anecdotes, readers can get
lost in the stories and sometimes experiences aren't
concisely related back to the topic at hand
Too much about writer's writing, not enough about change
writing
The authors language veers at times into the precious and
predictable (Voice is like a snowflakecomplicated,
beautiful, and individual), and the advice rarely advances
beyond the patent ( carry a little notebook with you, back up
your computer files, revise a lot)
Pg 76
POINT 3: Guides are supposed to be straightforward but interesting to
read
See Business guide book
For writing, it should be suggestions on how to improve it, to
make it more dramatic, passionate, formal, etc. or good samples
of writing, how to address the right kind of audience
POINT 4: Why it's better off for experience writers who are stuck
Experienced writers can read her work to motivate them to
continue on their own
They already have the strategies of basic English down: grammar,
spelling, structures of op-ed pieces, commentaries, formal letters
to government leaders, etc.
The commentary, personal anecdotes and quotations are most
effective for them to gain momentum to start their own pieces
CONCLUSION:
May Pipher as a writer is phenomenal: NY Times best sellers:
Reviving Ophelia, The Shelter of Each Other, and Another Country
She has an authentic voice that expresses her upmost
passion
HOWEVER, as following the criteria for a guide, her personal
anecdotes bordered self-indulgent and can stray off point of
helping writers learn to write to "change the world"

Reviving Ophelia, The Shelter of Each Other, and Another Country

She has an authentic voice that expresses her upmost
passion
HOWEVER, as following the criteria for a guide, her personal
anecdotes bordered self-indulgent and can stray off point of
helping writers learn to write to "change the world"