Donald Murray's thoughts of process over product are exactly what writing is all about. His main point is to concentrate on the process of writing, more then the product. Teachers often focus more on the product than the process, but teachers should spend more time on the process. As a future teacher, it is important for students to understand the process of writing. Attention should be paid more on the process because the product will stem from the work that is put into the process. Once the process is organized and completed, the product should come together rather quickly. In my future classroom, I would have my students put most of their time on the process. The process includes prewriting, drafting, and revising. All these steps are necessary in finishing a complete product. By following each stage, students will be able to organize their thoughts in a fashion that is helpful in completing a final product.
A new book titled, “The Essential Don Murray: Lessons From America's Greatest Writing Teacher,” embodies Donald Murray’s ideas through his own unpublished essays and examples of famous handouts. The book was edited by Thomas Newkirk, professor of English, and Lisa Miller, associate professor of English. It is interesting to see what impact Donald Murray has on the writing process, and his techniques are used by many teachers and writers. When speaking about Donald Murray, the editors of his book said, "No one studied the writing process as obsessively as Murray did, and no one wrote about it as eloquently and incisively. His very lucidity, we feel, may have caused some contemporary scholars to diminish the intellectual work that is represented in these essays. We hope that this collection will allow a new generation of writing teachers and aspiring writers to appreciate both the utility and depth of Don's work." Through his works it is apparent that he has left an influence on the writing process. Even in classrooms today, the writing process is still being used.
When speaking about process, Murray touches upon the actual process that should be taught. In his essay, "Teach Writing as a Process Not Product," he states that "it is a process of discovery through language...process of exploration of what we know and what we feel about what we know through language...process of using language to learn about our world, to evaluate what we learn about our world, to communicate what we learn about our world" (Murray 4). His statement emphasizes the important of language and as writers being able to explore language is the process we should follow. Through his steps of the writing process, we are diving deeper into the exploration of our writing, which will ultimately lead us to our final product. If we just jump into our final product, we are missing out on a journey of exploration on whichever given topic we are writing about. By going through each step, our writing evolves from just ideas to an organized piece of work.
Donald Murray's ideas focus on the steps that should be taken while writing. In an article titled, "Inside the Writing Process with Don Murray," we gain a clear idea of the neccessary steps Murray took when he wrote for the Boston Globe. When answering the question of how he writes his column, he replies:
"Usually I write fast to run ahead of my knowing. I think that speed at one sitting, then I have a life change and can only find time to write in small chunks, a paragraph or two at different times, then go over it to make it spontaneous. I hear what I am writing and can create the first draft with the screen turned off. Voice is vital. It tells you what you think and feel, as well as how to write it. I imagine my reader standing beside me as we have a conversation. The reader leads me, asking the questions I must answer. If I say nothing that surprises us by the end of the first third of the draft, I start a new column on a new topic. After I write a draft, I read it, hearing what I have said so I can dance to the music of the draft" (Murray).
It is so refreshing to hear of the process he used when he wrote for the Boston Globe.Being able to rely on his voice as a means to produce his column is brilliant. Voice is ultimately an essential part of writing, and it brings out ideas in a clear way. Being able to see how Murray writes, shines a light on what the writing process can permit writers to do. It is important to see the process of how a brilliant writer, such as himself, takes when producing his own writing. Another aspect that jumped at me from reading this article was when Murray was explaining how he prepares to write a column. He states:
"I am not looking for meaning or mood, a lead or a draft, just building up and knocking, connecting and disconnecting, a child with a box of blocks" (Murray).
I love the imaginery of the child playing with blocks, the child keeps building and knocking until the child is satisfied with what he/she produces. This is exactly the same concept as the writing process. We are constantly putting ideas together by brainstorming, building up and knocking these ideas until we reach a final product. Students have to learn the concept of building and rebuilding at an early age when they are starting to write essays and longer pieces. The students will be aware of the writing process and that benefits that come from it. If students are shown this method by their teacher, it will leave an impact in writing for the children. As a future teacher, my students will be shown the writing process, and they will be able to see the benefits of organization and brainstorming. The writing process is a great way to formulate ideas, in an organized fashion to reach our final destination, our product.
A new book titled, “The Essential Don Murray: Lessons From America's Greatest Writing Teacher,” embodies Donald Murray’s ideas through his own unpublished essays and examples of famous handouts. The book was edited by Thomas Newkirk, professor of English, and Lisa Miller, associate professor of English. It is interesting to see what impact Donald Murray has on the writing process, and his techniques are used by many teachers and writers. When speaking about Donald Murray, the editors of his book said, "No one studied the writing process as obsessively as Murray did, and no one wrote about it as eloquently and incisively. His very lucidity, we feel, may have caused some contemporary scholars to diminish the intellectual work that is represented in these essays. We hope that this collection will allow a new generation of writing teachers and aspiring writers to appreciate both the utility and depth of Don's work." Through his works it is apparent that he has left an influence on the writing process. Even in classrooms today, the writing process is still being used.
When speaking about process, Murray touches upon the actual process that should be taught. In his essay, "Teach Writing as a Process Not Product," he states that "it is a process of discovery through language...process of exploration of what we know and what we feel about what we know through language...process of using language to learn about our world, to evaluate what we learn about our world, to communicate what we learn about our world" (Murray 4). His statement emphasizes the important of language and as writers being able to explore language is the process we should follow. Through his steps of the writing process, we are diving deeper into the exploration of our writing, which will ultimately lead us to our final product. If we just jump into our final product, we are missing out on a journey of exploration on whichever given topic we are writing about. By going through each step, our writing evolves from just ideas to an organized piece of work.
Donald Murray's ideas focus on the steps that should be taken while writing. In an article titled, "Inside the Writing Process with Don Murray," we gain a clear idea of the neccessary steps Murray took when he wrote for the Boston Globe. When answering the question of how he writes his column, he replies:
"Usually I write fast to run ahead of my knowing. I think that speed at one sitting, then I have a life change and can only find time to write in small chunks, a paragraph or two at different times, then go over it to make it spontaneous. I hear what I am writing and can create the first draft with the screen turned off. Voice is vital. It tells you what you think and feel, as well as how to write it. I imagine my reader standing beside me as we have a conversation. The reader leads me, asking the questions I must answer. If I say nothing that surprises us by the end of the first third of the draft, I start a new column on a new topic. After I write a draft, I read it, hearing what I have said so I can dance to the music of the draft" (Murray).
It is so refreshing to hear of the process he used when he wrote for the Boston Globe.Being able to rely on his voice as a means to produce his column is brilliant. Voice is ultimately an essential part of writing, and it brings out ideas in a clear way. Being able to see how Murray writes, shines a light on what the writing process can permit writers to do. It is important to see the process of how a brilliant writer, such as himself, takes when producing his own writing. Another aspect that jumped at me from reading this article was when Murray was explaining how he prepares to write a column. He states:
"I am not looking for meaning or mood, a lead or a draft, just building up and knocking, connecting and disconnecting, a child with a box of blocks" (Murray).
I love the imaginery of the child playing with blocks, the child keeps building and knocking until the child is satisfied with what he/she produces. This is exactly the same concept as the writing process. We are constantly putting ideas together by brainstorming, building up and knocking these ideas until we reach a final product. Students have to learn the concept of building and rebuilding at an early age when they are starting to write essays and longer pieces. The students will be aware of the writing process and that benefits that come from it. If students are shown this method by their teacher, it will leave an impact in writing for the children. As a future teacher, my students will be shown the writing process, and they will be able to see the benefits of organization and brainstorming. The writing process is a great way to formulate ideas, in an organized fashion to reach our final destination, our product.