Friday, February 19, 2010

FAQ: Can I ______?

Writers sit at their computers, drafts on their screens, and look up at me to ask, "Can I ______?" all the time. They usually want to know if they can write a certain word or insert a certain punctuation mark.

My answer: yes.

Always: yes.

They need to see that they have ownership of their papers. That does not come from me telling them that they can or cannot do something. They take ownership when they think about "should," not "can."

When it's words: I always tell them that they can write whatever they want, but they need to think about if they should write it. They need to consider what they want to say and make the decision themselves: Does it support my point? Does it need to be there? Is it veering off topic? Does it make my essay better? Does it make me sound intelligent?

When it's punctuation: I ask them what job they think that period or comma or whatever is doing, and if that's what needs to be done in that spot.

I really like telling students they can write what they want. They are too accustomed to just doing what they are told without thinking about why. They need someone to say, "Sure, you can do that, but what happens when you do?"