Approaching the end.

Maybe it’s just me, but the chapter titled “Taking an Approach” in Joseph Harris’ book Rewriting is by far the most challenging to understand. The assignment requires a moderate understanding of the material and I feel as if I lack it. However, I am going to do my best to define it in my own terms (which will probably be quite far off topic).

While reading the chapter, the ideas of forwarding and countering kept popping back into my head. I couldn’t get the idea out of my head that maybe, just maybe, Taking an Approach was a combination of these two terms. The way I understand it, Taking an Approach is simply using the writing styles or the words of others to validate your own writing. From the beginning of the chapter, Harris seems to illustrate this idea. He says “By noting what others have had to say on a subject… you can make your own stance as a whiter all the more clear (Harris 73).”

Using those ideals, another way of Taking an Approach is one we may never mean to do. Often times before writing, the author refreshes on information pertaining to his topic. He may take notes or just simply read. By combining the thoughts and approaches of others, one can Take an Approach and never realize it. The chances are, after the aforementioned piece is written, there will be hints of the writing styles or even the words of others. This manner of Taking an Approach is much harder to point out and falls in a grey area.

I could just be getting more off track by the second, but Andrew Sullivan illustrates another way Taking an Approach. In his blog, he often uses forwarding to illustrate his points. Others will send their thoughts in and he will put them in his blog. It is when he does this and responds to their words that he is Taking an Approach. It is very difficult to retain your own style or writing and your exact subject matter when responding directly to someone. Sullivan, in a way, is forced to take the approach of another so that he may forward their words.

The gains of taking an approach are limitless. There is almost always room for improvement in ones writing ability and Taking an Approach provides the perfect opportunity to improve. It is also much easier to communicate with people if you can adapt your writing style, or change your approach. The limits of this move, much like forwarding, deal with originality. One may say that by Taking an Approach you emulate one or more authors. However, no one has a writing style which is fully original. The best we can hope for is to stand out.