Analysis Of Ronald Clark Brooks Bad Ideas About Writing

In Bad Ideas about Writing, Ronald Clark Brooks writes that everyone can be a writer because he believes that everyone’s experiences and perspectives are worth writing about. He expresses his belief that a good writer is not necessarily defined by their credentials or publishings. However, he acknowledges that there is a sort of stigma around writing that may discourage novice writers and offend veteran writers. In Brooks’ essay, he attempts to take an empowering and supportive approach in explaining how anyone can be a writer. He also says that even in writing classes, where there may be more structure and rules to follow for writing, optimism and a positive outlook make all the difference. I completely agree with Brooks’ perception of writing

Not only does the essay critically analyze the novel, but it also connects with my own experiences and how the book resonated with me. This type of essay was a new challenge for me because all throughout my years of schooling I have become accustomed to a single writing style of MLA formatted, neat, five paragraph essays that are strictly about analysis. As Brooks puts it, “This is true for beginners, but it is equally true for experienced writers because every new writing situation brings on new challenges and, as many of us have discovered, one often has to learn to write all over again with each new project” (Brooks 61). When writing the essay on Persepolis, I found this idea to be surprisingly true. I struggled with incorporating my own experiences into an analytical essay, therefore, the essay focuses more on analyzing the book’s themes rather than connecting them to my own

I received feedback asking for an expansion on certain ideas such as my belief that the way women dress does not affect whether they will be taken advantage of or not. I briefly described my own experience with this saying, “I often walk to and from class everyday, and most days the men that drive by will either honk or catcall at me as I am walking…I usually wear jeans or sweatpants and a sweatshirt with my winter jacket when I go to class, so obviously the way women dress has nothing to do with the way women are treated by men” (Sedlack 2). The feedback I received from my professor on this part of my essay was positive, but looking for more. He expressed to me that this was an important point to make in my essay, however, it was too abruptly moved on from. At the very end of Brooks’ essay, he says we should surround ourselves with supportive writers that hold us accountable in improving our writing (Brooks 62). Based on the feedback I received from my professor it is now evident how important someone else’s perspective can be. My writing would have improved significantly if I had taken the time to gain valuable feedback from a peer before submitting my essay to my