Villanueva

1. This account shifts back and forth between the first person and the third person. What effects does that shifting create? Does it break any rules that you've been taught?

The writer's shift of point of view seems to make his writing more impersonal, as if the main character of the story isn't him. His writing style takes some getting used to because it defies what I've been taught. Jumping from person to person is an admirable thing to accomplish.

2. How does Villanueva define rhetoric? What else does he say that studying rhetoric helps you study?

According to Villanueva, rhetoric is the conscious use of language through means such psychology, philosophy, literature, politics, and a handful of other things. Through the study of rhetoric, we are able to study language and, subsequently, we can study humans themselves.

3. Have you ever tried observing and imitating the writing moves that other writers make, as Villanueva describes doing with his English teachers? If so, what was your experience doing so? If not, what what would you need to look for in order to do the kind of imitation Villanueva describes?

I related strongly to Villanueva's writing process in this text. From a young age I would study the styles of the books I read and incorporate them into my own writing. There were times when I was satisfied with the results, and times where I felt the writing didn't sound quite like me. Now I've learned to combine the styles of more talented authors with some of my personality, forming my own unique writing style.

4. In paragraph 6, Villanueva describes his college writing process as , "The night before a paper was due, he'd gather pen and pad, and stare. Clean the dishes. Stare. Watch an 'I love Lucy' rerun. Stare. Then sometime in the night the words would come." What elements of this process resemble your own? How is yours different?

My own writing process is very similar to Villanueva. I seldom outline the content of my papers, and I don't often revise any of my drafts. I don't think I was disciplined about the proper writing process enough in middle school because my teachers never seemed to care about it. Even in high school, I would wait until the last minute to start my papers. Oddly enough, this process seemed to work well for me.