When I first saw the title of "Developing a (more complex) Statement of Purpose," I was worried that chapter 3 of our Wysocki-Lynch reading was going to be a dull section of proper word choice or strong fact presentation, but was surprised to find such a diverse section of tips for overall communication. This chapter in particular made me think about how my writing style has developed and what factors influence my topics and methods of communication. From brief essays to extensive research papers, and even now in my blog posts, I have noticed a trend in my writing that, until now, seemed foreign to how everyone else writes. While the authors were talking about different methods of composing works (page 45), I reflected on what factors are present while I start and continue my work.
Communication has always been a topic of interest for me, but I had never really put much thought into the logistical side as it is presented in chapter 3. The authors provide multiple examples of how Statements of Purpose are created, but the section that really got me thinking was section four which stated "communication rarely develops in a straight line." As anyone who has read a rough draft of one of my papers will tell you, I have a very scattered writing style. I think that this is what Wysocki and Lynch are trying to convey in this chapter, and they only emphasize this point with all their composition tips earlier in the chapter. Walks, short videos, comics, all of these are media forms I use to get me thinking about what I want to write about. Before any assignment, I almost always look for a YouTube clip or Reddit article that relates to the current topic, even if to just put off the inevitable assignment for another few minutes. Through this media, I am developing a better sense of purpose and creating new ideas to get my writing started.
Though not quite as exciting as some of our past readings, I still enjoyed the thoughts that came up while reading the third chapter. Perhaps one of the greatest strengths of this reading has been how it provokes argument with the reader in a constructive way. By giving you the basic overview of what an argument is and how purpose and audience play a major role in social and educational interactions, I feel Wysocki and Lynch then present topics that cover a wide spectrum in hopes of stirring the thoughts of readers. Perhaps I am looking too in-depth, but after reading chapter 3 I feel that I now have a better understanding of why I write the way I do and how I can better use media to provoke thoughts and purpose.
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