Slow Driving and Sloppy Writing: A Comparison

Introduction

• Kyle D. Stedman draws a parallel between slow drivers and sloppy writers.
• Slow drivers in the fast lane can cause frustration similar to readers' frustrations with writers who don't follow conventions.

Drivers and Writers: The Common Annoyance

• Two types of slow drivers:
  1. Unaware of driving conventions (move to the right).
  2. Aware but indifferent.
• Writers can similarly annoy readers by not following writing conventions.

Writing Conventions and Reader Expectations

• Ignoring conventions like introducing and citing sources can result in reader frustration, similar to drivers ignoring traffic norms.
• Readers might judge writers as ignorant or rude if conventions are not followed.

The Rhetorical Nature of Writing Conventions

• Conventions vary based on writing purpose and audience.
• Different citations methods for blogs vs. academic essays (e.g., hyperlinks vs. parenthetical citations).
• Writers must anticipate reader expectations to avoid annoyance.

Common Annoyances in Writing

Armadillo Roadkill

• Dropping quotations without introduction.
• Fix: Introduce quotations with context to prepare readers.

Dating Spider-Man

• Starting or ending paragraphs with quotations can feel disjointed.
• Fix: Guide readers to and from quotations with context and analysis.

Uncle Barry and the Encyclopedia of Useless Information

• Over-reliance on quotations without analysis can feel overwhelming.
• Fix: Balance quotations with original analysis for authority.

Am I in the Right Movie?

• Failure to integrate quotations grammatically into the text.
• Fix: Ensure grammatical consistency between text and quotations.

I Can't Find the Stupid Link

• Mismatched citation entries can confuse readers.
• Fix: Ensure first word of in-text citation matches the works cited entry.

I Swear I Did Some Research

• Dropping citations without clear indication of what info came from the source.
• Fix: Clearly delineate which ideas are sourced and which are original.

Conclusion

• Awareness of audience and purpose is crucial for effective writing.
• Like using turn signals in driving, writers should signal their intentions clearly to readers.

Discussion Points

1. Situations where bending writing standards is justified.
2. Analyze different writings for adherence to guidelines.
3. Rank annoyances from different perspectives (e.g., professor vs. blogger).