Re: formulaic writing, a different take?, reply

[Lynne Belcher <lrbelcher@saumag.edu>]

Mike, 

You might be onto something with the idea that those who think 
the be-all to writing is the 5P theme.  However, it is only 
possible for them to want to get out of that prison if they are 
able to recognize they are in one.  I'm not sure most fyc 
students know they're in a prison that they want to get out of.

I did have one student this spring who wanted out of that prison.  
Not only had he been taught the three-point theme, but also he 
had been taught that theme needed a certain number of sentences.  
He was really engaged in the topic of his paper, but he couldn't 
get it to fit the formula he had been taught.  I finally 
understood his problem and gave him permission to dump that 
structure.  He came out of the class a better writer and a writer 
who began to enjoy writing.  Most of my students are not engaged 
in their writing enough to care about dumping a formula.  

For students to want to get out of that prison of formulaic 
writing, they have to be engaged in what they are doing.  There's 
the rub for teachers.  

Lynne Belcher
Southern Arkansas University