Revision

In "The Maker's Eye", Donald Murray writes,"Rewriting isn't virtuous. It isn't something that ought to be done. It is simply something that most writers find they have to do to discover what they have to say and how to say it. It is a condition of the writer's life."

What defines your process of revision? Is is a condition of your life as a writer?

The Hook

Will Rodgers is credited with saying, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression."

If you agree, then you will want to think long and hard about the opening lines of your personal statement. You want to hook your reader in and get them reading.

Then, you want to keep them reading with crisp word choice and vivid descriptions.

My essay would start with the line: "I was never really good at selling Girl Scout cookies."

How will you start your essay?

Taking It Personally

Waiting for an admissions decision is a nerve-wracking experience. I love the fresh voices on The Choice blog on the New York Times website. Read this refreshing piece by a young man waiting for that first yes or no. Perhaps you will hear some of your own voice in his honest words.

A New Page

Happy New Year!

T.S. Eliot wrote, "For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning"

What would you like to accomplish with your words in 2011?