What's the Right Way to Write?

Since I wasn’t able to make it to class on Wednesday, I’d like to share my impressions of Serial Composition. The speech touched base upon what we discussed in class on Monday – reconfiguration of the writing process – but advocated for a different kind of change. The alterations we proposed on Monday seemed to add complexity to the process, creating more of an organic experience as opposed to a linear method. However, this work seeks to promote a minimalistic approach in order to promote the development of writing skills. I agree with this stance, for I never felt that 20 page research papers improved my ability to write. In fact, such length requirements often result in dry writing, making it especially difficult to “amaze” readers, which may possibly be the true purpose of writing.

The work also extended its argument to other media, such as art, mixtapes, and blogs. Keller’s argument against the convenience of our current technology in creating mixtapes really caught my attention, for I think this was the first time in our readings that someone besides a corporation was looking down upon the possibilities of the internet. He stated that “quality and discernment” are lacking from mixtapes these days because almost anyone can make them with access to nearly every type of song (free culture, in a way). Although this does not contradict my experience in the sampling project, I wonder how my mix tape experience will compare.

On a final note, do you think that your blog has enhanced your writing skills, or would a single thesis paper have been more effective?