Writing With Power Analysis

As Ernest Hemingway once said, “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master” (Petit). This fascinating craft is writing; it is an endeavor to educate and entertain, learn from those before us, and serve as a refuge for our deepest emotions and opinions. Writing is imperative to the development of the human mind and its interpretations, and Peter Elbow strives to enhance his audience’s skills through his informative book, Writing with Power. After reading this splendor work, I have obtained numerous skills taught in this book and plan to pursue them as I continue to write. To be an exceptional writer, one must consider many aspects such as their previous mindset, strengths and weaknesses, target audience, and the successful
methods of getting ideas on blank paper.
Prior to reading Elbow’s material, I would struggle immensely with attempting to make everything perfect the first time when writing, which would only slow down my mentation. But I have learned that the creative and critical processes are crucial to achievement:
If you separate the writing process into two stages, you can exploit these opposing muscles one at a time: first be loose and accepting as you do fast early writing; then be critically toughminded as you revise what you have produced…you will get practice in the larger skill of moving back and forth between conflicting temperaments so they enhance each other instead of fighting each other” (Elbow 9-10).
These statements emphasize the importance of simultaneously balancing two opposing forces and using them to acquire the best outcome. I have tested this technique out myself in a recent assignment and found it was extremely helpful in effortlessly getting my ideas out and enhancing my paper’s overall quality, and I plan to use Elbow’s method in the future, no matter the category of writing.
In the creative process, I understood that it is imperative to relax and remove unneeded pressure in my first attempt to write a draft.
Rather, it is beneficial to make mistakes and numerous errors because it provides more room for correction, “When you try to write something right the first time, don’t try to get it absolutely right…You can waste an enormous amount of time…it will probably need to be changed by the time you are done” (Elbow 45). Amidst the faults and revisions, my intended message for the writing piece is sure to appear. For if I don’t allow myself to explore the possibilities and routes in which my writing could go, my finished work would lack meaning and spontaneity, “But for growth you need to take chances…won’t happen unless you write in quantity and let yourself try out new approaches, new ideas, and wild experiments”
(126).
But for every writer, imaginative or practical, comes the challenge of pleasing their intended audience. This leads to writer’s block (which is something I am very familiar with, regardless of the genre I am writing in) and lack of real voice. I have realized that, yes, the audience must be taken into consideration, but I shouldn’t dwell upon it so much that my potentials are inhibited. I will keep in mind that constructive criticism is something I need, but likewise not let it interfere or give me writer’s block, “Even though the absence of audience removes objective danger, only the presence of live supportive readers gives you positive safety” (189). To conclude, the fine art of writing is very valuable and advantageous to the human mind and its complex processes, regardless of its style or genre.
It allows us to express our abilities and deepest thoughts, and share it with the world in hopes of informing or inspiring. I plan to consider many aspects when I write, such as my audience, the most efficient ways to get words on paper, and learning to balance productivity and evaluation. I feel that such a pastime should not be taken for granted, and everyone should take the opportunity to strengthen their knowledge and achieve real voice, “It is often easier to invest ourselves more deeply and accurately in our words when we are alone with a piece of paper…”
(300).