Tesha Donald

Eng1121 E106

Donald Murray — Reflection

1. How does Murray define writing? What is its purpose?
Murray basically defines writing as a process of rewriting in order to communicate what you want to be understood. Its purpose is to deliver a clear form of discovery, communication and understanding.
2. Talk about what Murray means when he uses terms like “discovery” and “ignorance.”
When he speaks of discovery I think he is speaking of the beginning of your writing, often associated with creative writers. However I feel it could be like a first draft or when your gathering your thoughts on paper and have not quite fine-tuned what should be in the writing. Discovery is putting a compilation of experience or experiences and thoughts together on which you elaborate on.
3. What is “product” vs. “process”?
In my opinion product is just when writing has went through its complete journey and you have arrived at the finished and final product. Process is the course that the writing goes through to arrive at the finished product. He makes mention of the steps writing goes through when it goes through the process. He listed them as prevision, vision and revision. Prevision is drawing from encounters, experiences, through things you may have done or through research findings, and even your surroundings. Vision is from your prevision and creating a discovery writing based on your prevision. Lastly, revision is the redeveloping and restructuring of your writings to make it stronger , and get your point across clearly and so that your writing is understandable.
4. What is “internal revision”? What is “external revision?”
Internal revision is when the audience is only the writer and you’re in the process of creating your first draft of your writing. External revision is based on their internal revision and all that the writer has written. The writer now conveys its writings to a broader audience. They have edited, proof read , and worked on their writing to ensure that all that had done in the earlier writings is communicated and understandable.
5. Explain, in your own words, what Murray means by the following: “content,” “form and structure,” “language.”
Content is all the information that we use in writing that may be derived from our day to day life, our experiences, or even the experience of others. Form and structure is the order in which we give our writing and determines the flow of the writing from start to finish. Language is what we use in writing from start to finish and can be changed over the course of revision and even when the tone has changed. It is the formation of the words we use , the order in which we use them.