Amanda Fernandez Dr. Mason English 1101H 22 August 2013 How to Read Like a Writer Outline I.

Bunn realizes that authors write like readers read; word-by-word. A. Just as writers carefully choose the words they write, readers carefully read those words. B. Bunn never really thought about the important connections between reading and writing, and how reading in a particular way could also make you a better writer (72). II. Reading Like a Writer A. Reading like a writer helps you identify the choices the author made so you can better understand how they come up in your own writing. 1. You read to understand how a piece of writing was put together. 2. What choices did the author make and what techniques did he/she use? 3. What did they make you feel? B. The goal as you read like a writer is to consider the most important choices in the text ranging from the overall structure to single words. C. Think about the different choices the author could have made and what effect those choices would have on the readers. III. Techniques A. An essay may begin with a quote; what does the quote do for the writing? Would you try it in your own writing?

1. Why would or would you not use a quote? B. Carefully consider your audience. 1. Think about how and what to write that would best catch the audience you are aiming for. 2. You would probably not want to use a quote from President Obama to address Republicans, but you more likely would for Democrats. 2a. Think about who you would use and why; Why President Obama and not someone else, for what reason? C. Begin to uncover how the author leads you to the reactions you get. D. It is worth thinking about how a text would be different if the author had made different choices in his or her writing. IV. The Difference Between RLW and Normal Reading A. Normal reading requires superficial comprehension (just taking in the information read), while RLW requires you to understand why the author chooses what and how they write. 1. The example on architecture You can trace Corinthian columns to the origin of Corinthian columns (normal reading), but to be able to build it yourself you have to know about the construction of the building (RLW). 1a. If you know how a text is built, you will be able to build one yourself. V. Why You Should Read Like A Writer A. It will improve your own writing.

1. It helps you understand the process of writing, and aids you in making choices and choosing techniques for your own writing. B. Having written things yourself already, you have an advantage when reading like a writer. 1. You can decide more easily what you do or do not want to do with your writing, and for what reasons. VI. Before You Read A. Consider the context of the assignment and text you are reading. 1. Think about the factors that created the text, as well as the factors that influence your own experience of reading it. B. Look at contextual factors. 1. Do you know the authors purpose for this piece of writing (76)? 2. Do you know who the intended audience is for this piece of writing (76)? 3. The author may have chosen writing techniques generated for a specific audience, rather than a general audience. 4. You would not begin with a quote from President Obama if you wanted to encourage people to use sunscreen. VI. What Genre Is This? (Before You Read) A. Genre in college English is used to indicate the type of writing; a poem, newspaper article, essay, short story, novel, legal brief, instruction manual, etc. (77). B. There are conventions for the genres of writing. 1. Readers expect poems and songs to rhyme, but that is not so for things like legal briefs or instruction manuals.

VII. Knowing What You Will Write A. Knowing what you will have to write can help you prioritize what choices and techniques to use. B. RLW is helpful when you look at a piece you are reading and think about whether you want to write in a similar style. 1. When you realize what the author is trying to do (like arouse emotion) you can decide whether they (the techniques the author used) would work in your own writing. VIII. Questions to Ask While Reading A. What is the authors purpose for this piece of writing and who is the intended audience (79)? B. If the author takes the story in a different direction than you would have, think about why they did so. C. How effective is the language used? Is it too formal or too informal, or perfect (80)? D. What kinds of evidence does the author use to support his/her claims? E. Is the evidence appropriate or effective? Would a different type of evidence or a combination be more effective? F. Are there places in the writing that you find confusing? What about the writing in those places is unclear or confusing (80)? G. How does the author move from one idea to another? Are the transitions effective? How else could he/she have transitioned between ideas (80)? IX. What You Should Write As You Read

A. Make comments in the margins, and write yourself notes and summaries during and after reading. B. It is good to highlight and underline choices in the passages of the text that you find interesting to help you answer these questions: 1. What is the technique the author is using here? 2. Is this technique effective? 3. What would be the advantages and disadvantages if I tried this same technique in my writing (81)? X. Reading Like a Writer In Action A. With more detail, you get more out of a text than you would if the author had simply summarized their work. 1. You can ask more questions and more deeply understand a text if it includes more detail. B. You must learn what questions to ask based on whatever you notice in a text. C. Think about why an author would include details that might seem meaningless to begin with. How does it connect to his or her point? D. Why would an author use words such an antiquated instead of old or performance instead of show? Does that catch your attention? 1. What are the advantages or disadvantages of using one word rather than another?

Summary Reading like a writer looks like a very effective way to learn how to write and improve your writing. Not only does it teach you to look for techniques and ways to style your own writing, but it also makes you think more deeply about writing. Why does someone write one way, and someone else writes another way? What are those authors trying to achieve? It helps you think of the right or better questions to ask yourself about the text. Reading like a writer also helps you to identify the most important parts of a text. Before you read, you should already have an idea of what you are trying to figure out. You should ask who the audience is that the author is trying to reach, or what the purpose for the particular text is. The author may have decided to use a certain writing technique to address a certain audience. Ask yourself why is he writing about this? Does his purpose match what he is writing? In reading like a writer you will improve your writing skills. It helps you understand the process of writing and therefore makes it easier to decide what choices to make and what techniques to use. At this point (college), you have probably written many essays and have an edge to RLW. You may notice things and decide more easily what you should or should not include in what you are writing. Because there are different genres in college English, it is helpful to know what you are writing before you begin to write. This helps you prioritize what techniques you will use and what choices you will make. You would probably make a poem rhyme, but you probably would not do that for a legal document.

Works Cited Bunn, Mike. What Are Some Questions To Ask Before You Start Reading? How To Read Like a Writer. 2011. Print.