PB2B

Like how singers might slightly open their mouth more or how painters might use only the tip of their paintbrush, writers also make certain actions to give a certain effect to their writing. Although the “moves” that they make may seem trivial, they significantly change the nature of their writing. As said in “How to Read Like a Writer” by Mike Bunn, writers have a purpose and an audience. These moves are rhetorical devices writers use to serve their purpose while appropriately sending out their message to their audience.

Throughout the quarter, the class had read multiple articles displaying how writers show their moves. The book They Say, I Say by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein provides an index of commonly used “move” templates in academic writing. They are arranged in categories according to the effect each of the templates produce. In our assigned readings, we can see the writers using some of the templates listed. The usage of these moves have a function; they are conscious decisions made by the writers.

When a writer wants to quote someone, they could use templates belonging to the “Introducing Quotations” category. The templates in this category simply introduces what someone says. For example, Mike Bunn’s “How to Read Like a Writer” introduces a former student’s quote with, “Allison, states…” The purpose of this is to just provide the reader with a quick background so they won’t be surprised where the quote came from. It is important to clarify who a piece of information came from, and a writer can also accomplish that with templates in the “Signaling Who Is Saying What” category. In “Backpacks to Briefcases: Steps Toward Rhetorical Analysis” by Laura Bolin Carroll, she specifies her source of information by saying, “According to the Ad Council’s website…” It is a statement that directly traces where she got her data. By doing this, a writer can also build credibility with their info if their source is as respected as the organization Ad Council.

To state the position of an author a writer is quoting, they could use “Capturing Authorial Action” templates. In Dirk’s “Navigating Genres”, he writes, “Devitt argues that…” to present an argument from another author that supports his. Instead of using a neutral word such as “states”, Dirk uses “argues” to imply that Devitt has a chosen position. Dirk also uses a template from “Explaining Quotations” saying, “In other words, Miller is saying…” Explaining a quote can give readers a better understanding of it, but Dirk’s usage of it is to provide a brief summary of the quote.

            To show another side of an argument, a writer could use a template from “Introducing an Ongoing Debate”. “Murder! (Rhetorically Speaking)” by Janet Boyd displays how a different point of view could be taken by saying, “On the other hand…” This brings up the idea that a different take on the subject is possible. With this commonly used phrase, Boyd is providing another perspective on the matter and adds details on how things may occur if that other situation were to happen.

            Many of the templates in They Say, I Say are shared by more than one of the readings. After reading the articles, I noticed that some moves the authors used were unique to their articles. For example, in “Murder! (Rhetorically Speaking)” Boyd makes her section titles deeply personal, calling a couple of them “Cultivating Your Inner Coroner” and “Learning How to Say Goodbye”. The sections discuss how someone would write in a particular genre, and with titles such as these, readers would connect more easily with other writers of these genres. For someone that had to write a eulogy, they would have to learn how to say goodbye. This move brings the thoughts and feelings a writer of a eulogy might have to the reader, and for this reason, I will name the move “Method Acting”.

            Like Boyd’s article, “Responding—Really Responding—to Other Students’ Writing” by Straub also makes use of the section titles. For this article however, the titles are set up as questions. The section then answers the question that its title asks. Readers would look at the titles and would immediately know what the sections are going to be about. Since the titles have a bigger font than the rest of the writing, it would be easy to find an answer to a specific question. The format of the article looks somewhat like a “Q&A” so I will name the move accordingly.

In “Backpacks to Briefcases: Steps Toward Rhetorical Analysis”, many references of popular culture are mentioned. Students who are learning about rhetoric would feel more comfortable with reading this as Carroll made it easy for students to relate to the subject by including Ronald McDonald, The Simpsons, and the Campbell’s Soup Company. This move allows the students to apply rhetoric to their own lives and will be able to recall what they learned more frequently. The title of this move is “I Feel You”.

            Usually, when writers use other writers as an example to support their argument, their description of the writers are positive. Anne Lamott’s “Shitty First Drafts” brings writers down to the level of the ordinary and say that even professional writers have a difficult time writing. By saying that professional writers are capable of making mistakes as everyone else, readers are comforted by the fact that it is normal to make mistakes. Lamott even goes to criticize writers who are not troubled by writing. This move shall be known as “Everybody Makes Mistakes”.

            “How to Read Like a Writer” tries to catch the readers’ attention visually. For words that are significant, author Mike Bunn uses a different font to make it stand out from the rest. It has the same effect that italics have on words but slightly stronger as the font is peculiar and not commonly used. Reserved for important terms and referencing his introductory paragraph, the special font is definitely an eye-catcher. Therefore, the name of this move is “Spotlight”.