Madison Blau
Ms. Lim
Writing 1
1/23/13
Reading Response 2: Writing Process 1. According to Woolf, free writing is good practice. She uses an athletic metaphor to explain how free writing acts as a sort of warm up. It prepares writers to execute their formal writings more easily. We are our own biggest critics, so by examining our own free writings, we can challenge and push ourselves to improve. Simply put, practice makes perfect. Also, free writing enables authors to express their feelings and thoughts in their purest forms. It does not have a structured organization, and it may not make much sense, but it is special because it is organic. Contemplating my own free writing practices, I picture an empty box waiting to be filled with all of my various, random, sometimes confusing ideas of anything that happens to cross through my mind at any given moment. Individually these ideas don’t have much meaning, but once they are all flowing freely, mixing together and my imaginary empty box, they define who I am. I would like my free writing practices to be like an ocean, vast and exciting, eliciting new ideas every time the waves crash against the shore and recede back again.

2. I chose Hall and Birkerts “Selecting Detail” method because I thought it would really help me get in touch with my emotions at the time of my literacy moment. Sometimes I’m so anxious to blurt out the story and its significance that I forget to dedicate the time to the smaller details that ultimately make the experience. I think this was a successful tactic because I feel as though I have learned more about myself and the experience by really trying to pin point specific emotions and events that I will be able to convey to the reader. It will allow me to channel the important details into my narrative while not overwhelming the reader with an exorbitant amount of flowery