You have said it quite clearly and concisely. I believe that you have got the gest of the argument.  Your feelings might be quite right, and you might have a solid point. Is the hat heavy?

Interesting reflection on how, why, and when to take MAIS 606. (Please note some students are advised specifically on the when part.)

If you're going to wax early modern with your English (and why not?), note the following minor correction, if I may:

"Undergrad paper writing does not maketh the grad paper."

should be

"Undergrad paper writing maketh not the grad paper."

If you don't want to take it from me, take it from Chaucer. He's on Twitter, and easy to contact.

Once again the good professor goes for the smackdown on his humble student.

But wait, what is this? The professor did not know that I was not merely 'waxing' early English! I had created a new form of English by mixing early modern English with Yoda-speak. Hence the strange sequence.

You say about that what?

Hah.

Eben 1

Professor Eminem (M&M) 0

PS. I thought you left-brainers were not supposed to have a sense of humour. What's going on here?

I'm glad you're starting to see academic writing as creative activity in its own right. This angle isn't widely enough explored or appreciated, even by professional researchers. The moribund stereotype of academic writing as dry, stiff, soulless, obscure, overly technical, pedantic, and/or trite is all too widely reproduced not just beyond academia but within it. (So this stereotype signals a shortcoming of imagination, or a resignation, that is not helping higher education affirm its social function as a public good, in the present political climate.)

Interesting, but because I think of it the other way around. Creative writing, to me, takes way more effort than academic writing. Anytime I need to do "creative" writing, I feel instantly drained. I put it in quotes because for the most part, I believe writing is writing, but I know what you mean. Either way, I enjoy academic writing immensely and it always leaves me feeling energized with a sense of accomplishment. Possibly because the process to me is a creative one. But essentially, I feel the exact opposite of what you are saying.  I am by no means arguing with your view, because it is most likely just the differences in the way of brains are wired. I love to use academic writing for my version of creative; linking and creating new ideas and in turn, creating a paper that has never been written before.

Hi Larissa

Right after posting this post I thought of my professor, and how he loves editing over creative writing. I realized that my argument is really just a personal preference, or wiring as you put it. Which is great! Must be wonderful to 'feel energized' after writing academic writing!

Well... I do feel that AFTER writing as well. And my essays get good marks, regardless of how scary they are to me before I begin. There have been a few essays that I really enjoyed. However, the process of academic writing is no where near as invigorating to me as the completion of it (which has more to do with pride - sense of accomplishment for having done something really challenging).

Creative writing is for me a reward in its own right. I am being rewarded by just being allowed to let me imagination take flight. Lock me up and throw away the key. As long as I have paper and pen/laptop/guitar/paint and canvas I will not even notice!

Eben

You're published? That's seriously amazing!

I was thinking about writing like that as well, but was kind of for more personal use than taking it public. I feel like my brain gets too full and writing it down helps empty it a bit.

Did you just send the manuscript into a publishing company and were successful that way? You've got me all curious now!

Maybe the blockage that you find with academic writing comes embedded in thinking of a given piece of academic writing as an "assignment." I'll admit that's a less than compelling label: what does it imply? A work requirement, a task not instigated by oneself but rather dictated, and dictated by the one person who is the most audience the "assignment" normally commands: the instructor. (Part of the process of sharing drafts, then, is to guide a rethinking of audience.) So, yeah, the "assignment" is a hard sell, on the broad spectrum of things there are to do. Maybe my assignment is now to come up with a better, more inspiring name for "assignment."

Hi Erin and Prof

Sorry did not see your comments until now. Will need to see if I can get email notifications!

I was only published by a small publisher! Nothing major, and it was in Afrikaans, my first language. Other than that I have published a sci-fi article with a big South African website (litnet.co.za), also in Afrikaans. That's about it. Will hopefully get back to publishing after my M is completed.

You might be right, Prof, about the label. It can't be the only reason, because I know the lack of creativity in academic writing stands out as a major stumbling block for me. However, I will try to see my future writing in a different light from now on!

Eben