I was taught to do academic writing in freshmen ELP, and I became very good at it.
I could write to satisfy the professors, and this was because I understood the logic of acedemic writing.
But the writing that the professors approved of did not seem to be mine; my academic writing was not coming from me.
When I am writing academically, I have to pretend to be someone else. I take an opinion or a position on a matter, and try to pursuade myself that I believe that that is true.
Then I start writing like a robot. I construct my ideas in a structured logic that would hopefully persuade the readers, and start to write. I write a personal opinion (and this 'personal opinion' is not mine to begin with) and argue as if it is universally true. Of course I include opposing ideas to show non-bias, but that is all part of the game. In the end, the victor is always the thesis statement.
I feel that academic writing de-humanises its writers, which is sometimes even frightening.
I thought I'd like a try at personal writing -- not writing about myself, but writing from myself.
Writing words which are mine, writing without having to rely on the authority of others to support my words, writing free from structure, rules, and logic.
That is why I decided to take 'You:[...]'.
Monday, September 12, 2011
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