Chapter 23:

Summary

Sea Inside Us: A stereotype about women writing stories of romance and relationships is addressed to start the chapter. However, women writers are also apt to compose works in areas that are typically reserved for male writers.

Magic Clarity: Rachel Carson wrote The Sea Around Us in 1950, a small book that was taught in schools for a few decades after its release. Classic works of literature will "...deliver both instruction and delight" for readers.

Language and Logic: An extremely descriptive passage of The Sea Around Us is provided, and Clark points out that this language is "...mysterious and poetic."

Altitude and Depth: Another passage is provided, in which Clark delves into Carson's "majesty" within her prose.

Slow-Motion Rider: Laura Hillenbrand wrote "...the bestselling book Seabiscuit, an instant classic, a stirring narrative history of one of America’s legendary racehorses." An excerpt is provided, along with a powerful examination of Hillenbrand's langugae.

Writing Lessons

1. Ease your reader into anything complex. If the tough parts come too soon, the reader can become discouraged. If, on the other hand, you build the interest of the reader with, say, anecdotes or poetic language, the reader will have faith in you and follow you into the thicket.

2. Test paragraphs of explanation to make sure they are built upon some logic: chronology, geography, size, complexity. Use the paragraph as a building block of narrative, explanation, or argument. Paragraphs work best when they develop a single, startling, memorable idea, such as the notion that each of us carries the sea inside of us.

3. Ask yourself, how quickly do I want this passage to move? Think in cinematic terms when you need to figure out if you want to create full motion or if you would prefer slow motion. In general, the faster you want a sentence to go, the less punctuation you will use. Every mark of punctuation slows a passage down to some degree. Think of your period as a British thoughts in the margins. Underline the reporting and writing strategies that might benefit your work.

Critique

In "Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing," persistence is one of the eight elements of the habits of mind. As the chapters of this book go on, Clark pays especially close attention to detail with the excerpts of works he chooses. Some readers may find this tedious, while others may find it helpful and fascinating. Students need persistence to successfully read through and grasp the major concepts of this book, as it is extremely helpful to writing students.