Menulis: Sesulit memahamimu (1)

"Saya bingung mau menulis apa, Miss."

"Apa yang menjadi topik tulisan kamu?"

"Nah, itu dia,Saya juga bingung."

.............................

Percakapan di atas merupakan sebuah keseharian yang aku temui setiap kali berhadapan dengan mahasiswa yang akan menulis sebuah esai. Seringkali mereka tidak mengetahui apa yang akan mereka tulis, jika pun mereka tahu, mereka menganggapnya sebagai sebuah mahakarya sehingga harus sempurna. Sejujurnya, aku pun pernah berada dalam kondisi serupa. Sulit menuangkan gagasan di dalam kepala menjadi sebuah tulisan, ketika sudah berusaha keras akhirnya bisa. Tetapi, tulisan tersebut sangat kasar dan tidak beraturan sehingga beberapa kali justru menghapus tulisan yang menjadi hasil berpikir selama berjam-jam. Kesulitan ini tidak mungkin tidak ada solusinya terlebih lagi menulis menjadi sangat penting pada saat memosisikan diri sebagai seorang pelajar/akademisi/aktivis.

Pada dasarnya, menulis bukan hal yang sulit tetapi menjadi sulit karena gagasan yang kita miliki justru terlalu banyak sehingga tidak dapat memilah informasi mana yang akan disampaikan. Beberapa cara muncul untuk mengatasi hal tersebut, misalnya dengan membuat kerangka tulisan atau brainstorming, meski tidak semua orang melakukannya. Menulis dipicu oleh seberapa banyak seseorang membaca, sehingga semakin banyak bacaan yang dilahapnya semakin banyak pula informasi yang dimilikinya. Pilihan termudah adalah mengambil satu topik yang paling menarik atau penting untuk dikemukakan. Hanya saja dalam penulisan akademik, hal tersebut harus diikuti dengan sejumlah pembacaan literatur sehingga tulisan tersebut menjadi terarah.

Permasalahan berikutnya adalah mencari kalimat yang tepat untuk membuka tulisan tersebut. jangankan membuat kalimat, terkadang menemukan sebuah kata yang mewakili dan membuka topik saja menjadi sangat sulit. Lagi-lagi, cara menangulanginya adalah dengan banyak membaca sehingga seseorang dapat mengembangkan gaya tulisannya sendiri.

(bersambung)

Writing Essay (2)

c. Choosing a topic

Most of us  find that it is difficult to decide a topic of an essay. This particulary due to our comprehension on the assignment, therefore we should make certain that we understand the assignment. Some assiggments have already distinguished or limited the topic which will be discussed, while some only distinguished a paper’s length and format. It is easier for the first assignment because we make limitations in an explanation, yet the second takes more time because we have to brainstorming ideas about the topic. Here are some options that may help in choosing topic for a literary essay (1997: 23-24)

• Compare two works of literature
• Compare two characters or discuss some traits those characters share
• Find a common theme-jealousy, revenge, repression-in several works
• Consider how a common subject-war, love, nature­-is treated in several works
• Examine a single element in one or more works like plot, point of view or character development
• Focus on a single aspect of that element, such as the role of flashbacks, the effect of a shifting narrative perspective or a character motivation
• Apply a critical theory to a work of literature such as feminist or marxist perspectives
• Examine connections between an issue treated in a work of literature and same issue as it is treated in sociological or psychological journals or in the popular press
• Examine some aspects of history or biography and consider its impact on a literary work
• Explore a problem within a work and propose a possibe solution

However, we have to narrow the scope of the topic so that it fits within the limits of the assignments.
     
d.      Finding something to say

Next we have to find something to say after deciding a topic. We can begin by using information that have been collected previously when highlighting and annotating. Those information can be formulated as the main idea of the essay and find the others to support our statements. We can use a variety of different strategies to find the supporting ideas such as mentioned below (1997: 24):

• Discussing ideas with others-friends, classmates, instructors or parents
• Asking questions
• Doing research
• Freewriting-keep writing the topic for a given time without pausing to consider style, structure or content
• Brainstorming-jot down ideas into single words, phrases or sentences, questions or statements, quotations, paraphrases, summaries even our own ideas
• Keeping a journal that is used to expand the marginal annotations, recording responses aboout the work during te reading, noting questions, exploring ideas, experimenting with possible paper topics, trying to paraphrase or summarize difficult concepts or speculating about a work’s ambiguities 
• Listing is a process of reviewing the notes we collected through brainstorming, keeping a journal and annotating text; deciding what material is pertinent and arranging it into categories so that we can determine a direction for the essay

Writing Essay (1)

Based on my own experiences, writing literary essays are frustrating. It happens due to our inadequate writing skill such as in grammatical structures, dictions or organizing ideas. Actually such problems can be solved by forcing ourselves to read and write ideas before-after reading a text. It takes time but in the end we will find no difficulties when we have to write a report about a literary work, or any report, analysis. 

The important thing is we have to know the topic that we will discuss, then we have to clarify the focus after making list of ideas about the topic. Reshaping and refining both your sentences and word choice, so that our ability in organizing and writing ideas will improve. There are three stages during the writing process: planning, drafting, also revising and editing (1997: 22). Here I try to sum up those stages:

1.       Planning an essay

a.       Considering our audience

As students in any level, we are demanded to compose essays concerning any topic. Some topics perhaps have already told by others and some haven’t, if we discuss the already told topic then we can make it as samples for our writing. We can see how writers make their writing format. Next we can decide whether those were written for public, certain community or academic audience.

Most of us are writing in order to fulfil academic assignments; this means we have to consider that our audiences are our teachers, lecturers and peers. Therefore, we have paid more attention when we write for our teacher or lecturers. Most of them are representatives of a larger academic audience whom expect accuracy in delivering information with specific information, preciseness on grammatical structures, writing mechanism, and stating logical arguments. Actually those requirements are given to see how clearly we think and arrange our ideas into a well-organized coherent essay. 

b.      Understanding our purpose

In general terms we may write for any of the following reasons (1997: 22):

-          Writing to respond

When writing to respond, our purpose is to discover and express our reactions towards a work of literature, or any kind of text. Here we engage our respond with informal activities such as brainstorming, listing and journal writing. These will help us to explore our scattered ideas and form-reform them in coherent sentences.

-          Writing to interpret

This is purposed to explain a work’s possible meanings by summarizing, identifying samples or making compare and contrast the work to other works or our own personal experiences. Then analyzing and studying each element, putting complex statements, defining difficult concepts or placing ideas in concept.

-          Writing to evaluate

Our purpose is to assess a work’s literary merits by not only consider its aesthetic appeal but also ability to retain it beyond space and time. As we write, we should use our own critical sense and opinions of experts in the field to help us make judgements about the work. However, we should mention the source of the opinion so that we will be assumed as doing plagiarism.

Reading Literature

Reading a work of literature is a must if you were studying literature. The reading process surely will need some effort. Moreover, literary works need to be read in close reading method. You have to make lots of note during the reading. Sometimes it helps when you write a note about the work before  you read(preassumption) then make another one during the reading and another as the conclusion after you finish reading it. 

One of reading process is called active reading which will help you to interpret the text and organize your ideas. There are three strategies which can be used to help you become an effective reader: previewing, highlighting and annotating. Those strategies can be used together depend on how you read and respond towards the works.

1.       Previewing

It can be said as taking general information about the work. You may begin from physically distinctive elements such as its title, formating structures-paragraphing, capitalization, italics and punctuation. You can begins by identifying stylistic and structural features of a work.

 What will I get when i read this work? What do I expect when I read the title? Such simple questions may lead you to make previewing because it provides questions to be asked later.

2.       Highlighting

It is a method which used by marking the text to identify key details and to note relationships among ideas. What should I highlight during the reading? You may mark the repeated words or phrases from a pattern.  Here are some experiments you can apply (1997: 19):

a.       Underline important ideas that you should read again

b.      Box or circle repeated words, phrases, or images

c.       Put question marks beside confusing passages, unfamiliar references or words that need to be defined.

d.      Draw lines or arrows to connect related ideas or images

e.      Number incidents that occur in sequence

f.        Set off a long portion of te text with a vertical line in the margin.

g.       Place stars beside particularly important ideas

3.       Annotating

It is a method when you make marginal notes on the page. The notes may define new words, identify allusions, identify patterns of language or imagery, summarize relationships, list a work’s possible themes, suggest a character’s motivation or examine the possible significance of particular images or symbols (1997: 21).

Most of all, you have to write your ideas after reading the work in papers so that you may begin making a mind map about the work. Happy reading ^^

Reference:

Kirszner, Laurie G. and Mandell, Stephen R. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. 1997. Harcourt Brace College Publishers. United States of America.

Evaluating Literature

Evaluating a work of literature is a hard job if we dislike any kind of readings. Evaluating activity is not only interpreting it but also making a judgement after we read it. A conclusion is made to identify how effectively the work to the reader, in this case, we as readers. The works of literature are made for various purposes and needs. For instance, they are made for enlightenment, education, or even just for entertainment. After we recognize the purpose, we will be able to evaluate it. Here are some guidelines to evaluate:

1.     

1.  Considering how various elements function individually within a work.

We have to recognize a genre of a work of literature, as we know literature genre is divided into prose, drama, poetry. This will make us easier in evaluating the elements since each genre has its own elements. In prose there are plot, character, point of view, setting and theme. We can start asking questions about the elements, whether they are believeable or not. How the story is presented? How the characters as important unit are represented? Who tells the story? Where the story is taking place? What is the theme? Such questions may help us in defining and describing the the elements.

There are important elements in drama such as scenes, acts, dialogues and staging techniques. In drama there are also the shock of recognition, the writing process, the structure of a play, character and change. The shock of recognition can be known when audiences become emotionally involved with the play as if it really happen and true. The writing process is combination of the kind of story, dynamics and structure. Among them all, the feeling comes as the most important thing so that the audiences have same emotions as the writer has during the writing. The structure of a play has several cores which are conflict, climax, and resolution. Character and change where most plays are about changes in the characters and relationship.

In poetry the important elements are rhythms, images, figurative languages, stories in verse, messages-open or hidden. Rhythms, as in music, are based on sounds repetitions that involving either a regular pattern of stressed or unstressed syllables or other sound patterns. Images can be said as sensory experiences such as sight, hearing, and touch. Figurative languages are used by poets to make unexpected connections in seeing daily things. Message sometimes openly stated to readers, but if it doesn’t then the poets want the readers to find it out by ourselves.

2.       Deciding whether the literary elements of a work interact to achieve a common goal

Here we can see how the elements are entwined to make the readers comprehend the works.

3.       Considering whether a work reinforces or calls into question on the our ideas about the world

During a reading, ideas or descriptions of a life or a world are presented. This will lead us to think about our own world.

4.       Considering whether a work is intellectually challenging

Some works tend to make the readers to think in order to comprehend the whole story. It demands some efforts to unlock ideas so that we can gain something.

5.       Considering whether a work gives us pleasure

Works of literature can endure until now is caused by a pleasure that they give to the readers. When we choose a work, it is usually because we like or learn something in it. However, such reasons can be used as the based to make an evaluation on the works of literature.

Literature brings pleasure and increases our intellectual, so enjoy the reading and doing the process of evaluations. ^^

Reference:

Carter, Candy, et al. Elements of Literature. 1993. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc. United States of America.

Kirszner, Laurie G. and Mandell, Stephen R. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. 1997. Harcourt Brace College Publishers. United States of America.