The Lost Art
| I had a paper returned to me for revisions last week. The only note on the page was “not enough voice”. Never in my history of schooling has that ever been an issue for me. I know it was true, I re-read the paper myself and it came off as dry as a good red. It could have been an excerpt from a research journal. I will blame it on the CRC; I am correcting grammar mistakes for 10 hours a week and therefore have become more critical of my own writing style. I can focus on a grammar, organization, and structure mistake for 20 minutes, however, forgo checking for voice because I cannot determine voice in someone else’s paper. I have lost the art of writing. I have lost my joy in it as well. I doubt that I can lay all the blame in one area though. I know that this is partially because of Beste’s criticism; his claim that I write awkwardly. How can he judge from a scribbled note? He couldn’t have known that one comment would cut deep enough to sap any creative well I had inside of me. I have not written since. Not a word - Until now. And what is this? Shit. That’s what. |
