Help with writing?

Question

I have to write a paper comparing or contrasting a problem in a book with my own experience. I also have to quote a lot. how do I do that. Do I quote first then write my experience relating that quote or what?

Answer 1

See ... I hate when schools expect people to know things without showing them how it's done.

First off, writing is an art, and like painting or playing piano, the only way you learn to write well is to write, and write, and write. So if what you're writing sounds bad, no worries. So don't be shy.

The best way to incorporate quotes into an essay is to have the quotes really mean something. "Give me liberty or give me death" is a great quote, but it has nothing to do with writing. So it's inappropriate here. But as Edwin Schlossberg said, "The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think." That is a relevant quote.

It's entirely true, too. Your teacher doesn't care if you write about your puppy being born or when you pushed your brother down a flight of stairs. She does, however, want to see that you can take something outside of yourself (the problem in a book) and apply it
to your own life. So you create a context for her (your situation) and then compare the problem in the book.

For instance, you can say that you used to be racist, but when you read Mark Twain you realized Jim (the black guy) was a good guy, and that made you think twice. Or, you hated writing, but Catcher in the Rye inspired you. Whatever your situation, try to make it real for your teacher.

Let's take Mark Twain (I realize this is a touchy subject but I'm not trying to be offensive: I'm using it because almost everyone has read Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer in school). You can say, "there used to be a guy named Steve in my class. Like Tom Sawyer, I thought that "___insert racist Tom Sawyer quote___." Then blah blah blah and I realized that Steve, like Jim, "___insert better Tom Sawyer quote___."

That's just an example. In that example I've done both experiences together (mine and Tom's). You could do Tom's first, and then refer back to it, or yours first and the relate Tom's to you. There is no pattern. It's just generally more interesting for your reader (and keeping your teacher interested means a better grade) if you move in some order. I chose, for the example, a chronological order (first this, then this, finally this).

Finally, some general tips. Don't use a big word when a smaller will do ("use" is better than "utilize"). It makes you sound like you're trying to impress people. A good writer makes everything clear, a great writer makes everything seem so easy that you don't realize it was terribly complicated in the first place.

Don't write more words than you need to get your subject across. George Orwell said, "It is normal to come across long passages which are almost completely lacking in meaning." Teachers unfortunately assign things by word count or page number. Make the count, but try not to write without meaning.

And lastly, at least attempt to have fun. You probably don't like writing now, but it is a great skill to have, and far too many people now think it's unneccessary. They are wrong. You don't need to be a great writer, just like you don't have to be Pavarotti to enjoy singing in the shower. If you do all your assignments with an open attitude, you may be surprised to find, occasionally, a little enjoyment sneaking in when you're not looking.

Good luck.

Answer 2

OK, here is what I have done in similar circumstances. Pick a pronlem in a book that you feel you can relate to your own life experiences. Scan through the book looking for quotes relating to that problem that you feel you can use. Make a list.

Write about how that problem relates to your life and use the quotes throughout your writing strategically to emphasize how the problems in your book are similar to your own experiences.

Hope this helps

Answer 3

pay attention to a crap load of music. by using fact the guitar is obviously very simular to a piano, i come across listening to many classical products, speradically places some thing into my head. another element, I frequently start up out taking part in a riff quite slow. i'm speaking like 15 to twenty BPM. this provides me a precise sense for what i'm taking part in from the beginning up, having the flexibility to get rid of lost notes, or perhaps an entire scale. Then on an identical time as escalading the pace extra issues come to easy. So in my imprecise technique the start to a riff may be the comparable or finished oposite from the unique while 20 BPM will become 2 hundred BPM

Answer 4

You can mix it up a bit. First a quote, your story, another quote, more story, etc. In this way you can demonstrate the parallels as they arise rather than expecting the reader to remember everything in one chunk.

Answer 5

Yes, relate how the characters in the problem dealt with the problem compared with how it is similar or different then how you would and also why and give lots of reasons!!

Answer 6

See if your school has access to a database called "Opposing Viewpoints", if so they will give you both sides of the argument. Remember to be objective and not take either side of the issue. Stick to the facts, not your opinion. Unless the assignment calls for you to take a side. You can also look up pro's and con's of the topics.

Give equal time to both sides.