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Critical Responses; How to start? (1 Viewer)

Dis Amrahs

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Sep 4, 2007
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2008
My major is a critical study of the beat generation and as interesting as that is, i still have no clue on how to actually physically start the essay. Anybody stuck with the same problem?
 

stillwaters

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Mar 2, 2008
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2008
this might be abit late but just start writing.
seriously. every single week i see my ext 2 teachers i always whinge to them about how hard it is to start and stuff like that because it is. and they always give me this slightly pitying, slightly knowing and increasingly exasperated look and then say: "just write."
im doing a critical response (stuff on life writing and how there are issues with how ppl are represented in it) as well and it was really hard to get started. but i've just been writing down all the things ive been thinkng about as well as responses to the books ive been looking at. half of it, or maybe three quarters of it aint oging to end up in the finished essay (omg, i cant wait) but theres like a paragraph or two that will/ might work.
just start writing. even if you start by just writing down the definition of the beat generation. or what you really think of jack kerouac (is that a beat guy?) etc. etc. a paragraph a night and in a week youll have something to show the teacher...?
also teacher was like: just remeber, you're an hsc english student, not some phd academic in university. hmm... i dunno whether that was helpful but i hope the rest of the above was... g. luck with critical response!! ^^
 

wendus

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yeah agreed with above ^
just start spewing out whatever.
BUT. do all your relevant research first! this is crucial.
 

muso12

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Jun 12, 2008
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could not agree more with the mantra "just write". I was totally stuck with what i was trying to do then i just started writing out my ideas in journal form and things just began to click! Writing really edifies what it is you're trying to put together in your head.

Just Write
 

Atlas

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I set a timeline up for myself and actually spent a good month deciding what area I wanted to focus on and formulating a question/direction for the essay then another chunk of time just planning structure of the essay and research required...

I was guilty of starting writing at the end which worked out great for me but I guess isn't for everyone
 

ninwah

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i find that if you're really stuck on what to write, start of with just thinking about what you want to say- and how you want to say it. formulate a thesis, basically.

then get started on "just writing", which is pretty much all you can do.

i've got my viva coming up in a couple of weeks and i only wrote the introduction of my essay today, the first draught looked like something a toddler on crack wrote... as long as the ideas are all there, then you can edit the writing to awesomeness later.
 
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As people have already said: get out your journal, get a sheet of paper and a pen. And write.
 

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