A Writer's Wanderings

As students we face a plethora of different challenges through the course of a semester. Family life, work and financial challenges, time management, health and everyday stressors contribute to areas in our lives that impact our ability to achieve our goals. As the summer draws to an end, establishing a strategy success plan for upcoming fall semester, can only benefit our success in achieving our goals. Effective decision making Effective communication and strategy skills Productive problem solving skills Establish efficient time management Plan for the unexpected and emergencies The above list can seem overwhelming and you may ask yourself, “Where do I start?” Just in acknowledging and having an awareness of areas in your life helps to evolve forward for the future. The biggest barrier is acknowledging and understanding that “nothing changes, if nothing changes.” No matter where we are in life currently, newly married or retired Veteran, returning to...

Generally, in most forms of communication we want our audience to believe and be receptive to what we have to say. In writing in particular, in order to do this, we use rhetorical appeals. These appeals are called Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. Ethos is an appeal to authority. It is used to convince the reader of our credibility. If readers see the writer as credible they are more likely to agree and enjoy what they read. This can be done by using credible sources to support arguments. Our own accomplishments also influence how readers view us. A writer that has shown expertise on the subject will be received better. For example, a professor’s opinion on a subject they teach, is accepted more than a student’s opinion is. Pathos, is an appeal to emotion. This can be done by writing about information that we know is a touchy subject, or by how we use that information. If we want to influence a reader, we can use words that will induce fear, or alternatively words that induce happier em...

When it comes to the writing process, there are many small decisions that a writer has to make, and there are many small problems that a writer has to solve. On some level we’re all aware of that before we start a writing project, and we often choose to avoid those issues, the ones we don’t yet know how to handle; we end up procrastinating, or we can feel overwhelmed by how enormous the project seems at the start. So, here’s a tip that has helped me in my own writing: start early, and start small. Starting early helps in a number of ways. The sooner I understand everything that I am required to do in a project, the sooner it feels doable. Rather than an abstract problem in my imagination, like some mountain I have to climb, the project become a series of small challenges that, on their own, aren’t that scary. Also, just as important, starting early gives me more time to handle each task. Starting small, I’ve found, is a helpful way of overcoming the motivational roadblocks that te...