Thoughts on Drafting

In this post I will be reviewing different drafting or writing techniques from a traditional paper and a quick reference guide. Some aspects are very similar or useful for both these types of texts, but other strategies may only be useful in one or the other. Below you'll see some of the main differences.

McPhee, Nic. "Editing a Paper." January 26, 2008 via Flickr.
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What parts of the book’s advice on these topics might not be so helpful, considering the genre you’re writing in?

A thesis statement would not be helpful when writing a QRG because it isn't a formal paper. A QRG replaces a thesis statement with an introductory paragraph, and organizes the paper with titles and subheadings. If a thesis was included, it would sound awkward in context with the tone of the QRG. PIE format for paragraphs may also not be as helpful in the sense that these paragraphs are very stiff. Paragraphs in a QRG may provide all the same information as a PIE paragraph, but maybe in different order or maybe spanning a couple shorter paragraphs under one heading. 

What parts of the book’s advice are helpful for writing in this genre?

Some helpful advice is from the revising section. It can be hard to write a paper and realize something doesn't make sense while writing it. Having someone read that section aloud to you, as the guide suggests, is a really easy way to hear how awkward something may sound. This would help writers keep their QRG easy to read. 

Overall, a paper and QRG are very different. It can be hard to apply the same strategies used in papers to something as informal as a QRG. Some of these techniques can be very useful, while others may not apply. 


Reflection:
I read Michaela's post and Betsy's post about drafting. I thought it was interesting how Betsy viewed the thesis tips differently than me, since she thought it would be useful. I liked how Michaela talked about conclusions as well, since those are really easy to forget about at the end of a paper.
1. I need to work on my own conclusion.
2. I need to add more visuals as evidence.
3. I also need to make sure I'm not repeating myself so that my QRG is not rambling.