Teaching an upper-division writing class makes me happy.
By this point in their college careers, my students--all journalism/pr majors--have spent a great deal of time writing and learning how to write. My challenge to them in this class? Go beyond what they've been taught; write actively and show me what they're talking about. Paint with words. Stop writing with "is" and "has" and "was" and "were."
This challenge disarms them, and me. Just in writing this entry I've deleted and started over sentences that I wanted to write passively. Such writing makes us lazy. Moreover, these students need to be challenged, as do I. Only good can come from thick description that uses active verbs and adjectives.
For example, I could describe my desk:
"A polished silver shell of new Mac rests on top of an oak-toned wooden desk, surrounded by cluttered papers, post-it notes, and reminders. An inspirational calendar, torn to reveal yesterday's message from a notable woman in history, looks perfectly in place among the varied colors of newsletters, brochures and postcards that rise in a stack next to it, ready to use as demonstrations in a publication design class. Next to the stack, the efficient gray phone with its secret-password screen stands ready for use in a call to a student, a spouse, or a future student employer who wants a reference. Under my hands, the keys of the ergonomically flat keyboard click softly while I ponder what else to say in this message."
See? Not a single "is." Believe me when I tell you how challenging writing actively can be!!
What's your challenge today?
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