Author: David Fuentes

“How to read like a writer” by Mike Bunn

• Take a good technique another writer used to use in your writing. See what didn’t work for another writer and avoid the same mistake.
• Using a certain word can change how your reader reacts to your writing.
• Start thinking about the writing before you even start reading it. Ask yourself things to figure out what the author was thinking.

A quote I found interesting: “I came to realize that all writing consists of a series of choices. I was an English major in college, but I don’t think I ever thought much about reading.”

I found this quote interesting because when I write I don’t think about the reader. How would they feel reading my writing? I believe that your writing can become ten times better if you put yourself on the other side when writing, “be the reader” I should say. You can then tie in the same questions you ask yourself when reading like a writer but instead use it to make a better writing piece. Which is what Mike was teaching us.

“The reader as artist” by Toni Morrison

• Notice the small details.
• Imagine yourself in the story.
• The differences are understanding the writing and actually being in it while still understanding it.

A quote I found interesting: “Which is to say, I can read it again and again, step into its world confident that my attentiveness will always yield wonder.”

I found this quote interesting because it reminds me about watching a movie. The second time you watch it you notice it a lot more, or even if you notice everything that is in the movie. There are many things that aren’t always answered that leave you wondering what was the point of that.

Mike Bunn says, “You are already an author.” I believe what he means by this is that you already have a writing voice, have your techniques when writing. Some things I already write are responses to homework assignments like this one. Before you respond, you need to think about the question, what is it asking you to do? What is the most appropriate way to respond? I already do this when writing. I am sure everyone else does whether they notice it or not. You also think about what you are going to say when talking. You may not realize it because it happens so fast, especially when talking to friends. But when you are talking to a teacher or maybe a potential employer at an interview. You would be thinking about each word you say; you want to look more professional and confident. I believe reading like a writer can be beneficial to my writing because I can learn new techniques and how to be appropriate when writing a certain genre/topic. Writing papers will always be a part of classes in college. It won’t go away any time soon. In your career, you might have to send an email to your boss. Maybe you are the boss or team leader, you will need to create presentations based on who is your audience, and what are you trying to say. It could be an investor or just a team meeting. All these things will stay in with me in my life and your life. I loved how Mike made you think about his writing as he taught us how to read like a writer. He gave us multiple ways to understand what he is saying. If I ever do write an informative paper trying to explain it in different ways would be good, not everyone learns the same way. Describing it in different ways would help a lot more readers.

English #1