Writing About Literature Reaction Essay

After reading the “Writing About Literature” section of the “Backpack Literature book some writing techniques became much clearer to me. I have always tried to read an article or paper and immediately get the reaction paper written so I won’t forget my reading. Through this reading I learned sometimes that isn’t the smartest way to write a paper. It is very important to read actively and pay attention to what you are reading. I have been carried by the reading many times and never really thought about the purpose in depth. After reading this section of the text I have learned the importance of making sense of what you are reading. Sometimes you may read an article, essay or poem and take it too serious making your writing more difficult. I have learned that using my common sense may be more important than I ever gave it credit for. Should I hurry through a reading memorizing important sections and write the reaction as soon as possible before I forget what I read? Before I would have answered yes but now I know that answer is most definitely no. It is important to read and re-read the essay more than one time. The reading I read this week taught me the importance on taking notes about what I am reading and reading the entire paper not just the highlights. Before I begin writing what I think I need to take the time to plan my paper and work on the rough draft first. I can plan and prepare by brainstorming, outlining, keeping a journal, and writing the rough draft. Only after I have completed all this can I really begin to critique my own work and have someone else edit it as well. After I set and reflected on the reading it made so much sense that you freely write down ideas and later turn them into your final paper but it is a timely process and not one that you can complete in just a few minutes after reading something. Take your time and plan accordingly if you want to write a successful paper; this would have to be my biggest take away from