Thlog #1

     I had my first full week of writing classes this week and all went well. I feel that I have already discovered more about my writing style. This week we looked at the conventions that surround genres, which is something that I have never given any thought into until recently. Understanding what makes up a genre has helped me to understand a bit more about my own writing style and techniques.  I really enjoyed the article, Navigating Genres, by Kerry Dirk because it explored various genres that can be encountered on an everyday basis, such as country songs. I never thought about social media such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram as being their own genre until this week. I also realized how important the conventions surrounding genres can be depending upon what your motives are. For example, if you are writing a college application it should be more formal and proper than a text message would be.

     Another article that I really enjoyed from this week was Teaching Two Kinds of Thinking by Elbow. I realized how to categorize the way one thinks by separating first-order thinking and second-order thinking. First order-thinking is my personal favorite because it brings out the rawest and uncensored thoughts that one has right after reading something. Second-order thinking involves thinking more rationally and logically. Learning how to balance both orders of thinking is crucial to become a better writer. It makes it easier to focus on the orders of thinking as separate tasks though,this way you can give your full attention to your analysis.