As a writing arts major, you would think that I would be used to reading something, picking it apart, and analizing it as a writer. That is not the case at all, since I do not know what "Read as a writer" really means. Why does it make a difference if I read as a writer or just read in general, is there even a difference at all? Half the time I am lucky if I can successfully put my thoughts on paper.
Usually reading professional pieces bore me, but the way Pagnucci approached his piece "Living the narrative life" struck my senses more than usual. Although it was meant to inform, it was also a narrative because of the incorporation of his childhood. I enjoyed learning more about him, while learning how to better understand things as a writer. The setup did not hurt either; splitting different scenes into different chapters made it easier to understand, and it allowed my brain to take a break and relax before jumping into the next story. Although it was set up in chapter though, he went back and incorporated different memories into other stories, such as being hit by a car when he was six years old. The fact that he could show us how childhood memories can help us with different parts of our writing, helped me to better understand how to approach my own writings in the future.
Ondaatje, author of "The collected works of Billy the kid", had a similar approach to his writing as well. On page 34 a large white space is used, almost to let him gather his thoughts and process what is real, and what he must say back. This was used instead of chapters, which I feel is less effective but a good judgment on his part. I also like the fact that repetition was used, words such as black, seen frequently, expressed the loneliness that the narrator had felt, and allowing us to relate to those feeling. It was an effective approach on his part.
Usually reading professional pieces bore me, but the way Pagnucci approached his piece "Living the narrative life" struck my senses more than usual. Although it was meant to inform, it was also a narrative because of the incorporation of his childhood. I enjoyed learning more about him, while learning how to better understand things as a writer. The setup did not hurt either; splitting different scenes into different chapters made it easier to understand, and it allowed my brain to take a break and relax before jumping into the next story. Although it was set up in chapter though, he went back and incorporated different memories into other stories, such as being hit by a car when he was six years old. The fact that he could show us how childhood memories can help us with different parts of our writing, helped me to better understand how to approach my own writings in the future.
Ondaatje, author of "The collected works of Billy the kid", had a similar approach to his writing as well. On page 34 a large white space is used, almost to let him gather his thoughts and process what is real, and what he must say back. This was used instead of chapters, which I feel is less effective but a good judgment on his part. I also like the fact that repetition was used, words such as black, seen frequently, expressed the loneliness that the narrator had felt, and allowing us to relate to those feeling. It was an effective approach on his part.
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