Writer’s Journal #7

Background

The invention stage of the writing process is a good time to try out different ideas before becoming too committed to one direction. By this point, you have done some freewriting on at least two different potential topics for your project proposal and are ready to choose one direction for your Project Proposal and larger course-long project.

Purpose

In this Writer’s Journal, you will have the opportunity to reflect on the freewriting you did in Writer’s Journal #6 and in the assignment “More Freewriting for the Project Proposal.” In doing so, you will have the opportunity to identify and commit to the strongest research project.

Skills and Outcomes

• Compare your interest in each of the two research directions (Critical Thinking, Reading, and Composing; Processes)
• Differentiate the relative ease of execution of the two writing assignments (Critical Thinking, Reading, and Composing; Processes)
• Critique the viability of each research direction based on your reflections (Critical Thinking, Reading, and Composing; Processes)

Habits of Mind Practiced

• Curiosity
• Engagement
• Persistence
• Flexibility
• Metacognition

Tasks

• In your journal entry, you should briefly describe and compare your interest in each of the two research directions. Does one spark your imagination or interest more than the other? Why or why not?
• Next, compare the ease and production of the two assignments. Was one topic easier to generate ideas about than the other? Which assignment produced more text?
• Finally, reflect on what you wrote in the previous two tasks. What do those tasks reveal about the research directions? Which direction do you think is the best for you to pursue and why?

*NOTE: There are many different ways to approach these tasks, but you should aim to be as thorough as possible in your response (approximately 500 words is a good target length).

Criteria for Success

In each Writer’s Journal, you should:

• clearly address each question or task;
• employ many details, examples, and explanations in answering each question or task; and,
• create an internally organized text, employing sentences (or notes where applicable) that clearly relate to one another.