Writing Topic Summary - Ch. 46

Chapter 46 in Rules for Writers gave us guidelines for writing about texts. It advises you to read the text several times, to understand what is truly being said. Often, just reading a text only can cause you to miss several important ideas. The concept of Active Reading; writing questions and thoughts in the text itself, or in a journal, will allow you to absorb what you have just read, more easily.

In writing about a text, you can be asked to write either a summary or an analysis, or both. A summary should show that you've understood what the author is trying to say. Identify the authors thesis, or central idea. "Maintain a neutral tone, and be objective" (pg. 352) , and try to identify all the ideas while keeping it short.

An analysis is used to see "how" the author it making his or her point. You should create your own thesis, and follow this with supporting evidence. It should be in essay form, and it should answer who, what, and why.

My biggest challenge with reading is speed. I tend to read too fast to catch every single word, which in turn is causing me to miss meaning. I will start reading each piece several times, and also try to slow it down, so that I can really hear what the author is saying. I've never learned how to structure my writing, and now that I know the difference between summarizing and analyzing, I will try to apply that to my future writings.