The Right Way To Write

A detailed Summary of The Right Way To Write


Two essays have chosen different paths to show how to correctly write. Peter Elbow's essay "Freewriting" is almost the exact opposite of Donald Murray's essay 'The Maker's Eye: Revising Your Own Manuscript", yet how can they both claim that their way is the best way to use when writing. In today's world neither one seems to be very practical unless you are an author or someone with a lot of time on their hands. For the purpose of this essay editing will be the key to a well written paper, and this approach seems to favor Murray. Editing your paper is the most important, because nobody appreciates a writers capabilities if their papers are filled with numerous mistakes and unfinished ideas.

Freewriting is neither useful or fulfilling in any way unless it is edited. Peter Elbow says in his essay, "That the most effective way to improve your writing is to do freewriting" (Goshgarian 62). Really freewriting is not improving your writing, but only a way to clear your thinking. This is a good way to start thinking about what you want to write, but not to improve the caliber of your writing. Clearly Mr. Elbow's essay about freewriting was unable to be published if it was not edited.


Freewriting could be considered a first draft, and a first draft in this society is not an acceptable form. "When students complete a first draft, they consider the job of writing done and teachers too often agree" (Murray 86). There is always room for improvement, after a first draft, in writing, and the way to improve is through editing. The first draft is really just the beginning of a long process in which strenuous editing occurs from peers, coworkers, employers, and yourself.

Murray says that when a writer is editing their own work they must become their own worst enemy (87). Meaning that in a setting where a writer must edit their work, being conscious of what is good and also what is bad is key. There isn't any room for useless phrases or unnecessary opinions, thought, etc. Editing is a tough thing to do for many writers, even famous authors who write everyday. "The last act of writing must to become ones own reader, the writer must survey his work critically, coolly, as though he were a stranger to it" (Murray 87). Professional writers edit their papers more time than countable, and are very critical of their while they do it. In Murray's essay he uses an example of this with Roald Dahl, a famous children's writer,

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 838
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous

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