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Nicholas Guarna
Professor Dr. Kirsten Ogden
English 1A- Online
26 July 2014

Revision Letter
Olivia Nielsen
In reading through Nicholas essay, it is apparent that he has prepared well for the
assignment. His version of the content of the book gives its reader a sense that they have
already read the book. Having said that, as someone who has read through the book I can
say that he has made a point to embellish on the most important aspects of the book. He
made sure to point out the ideas of voice and also what you alone can say These are
probably the two most important points in the book. Nicholas did an excellent job of
explaining these ideas and properly quoting Mary Pipher.
I especially enjoyed Nicholas including the fact that the book is part
autobiographical and part writing instruction. This is an important point to make because
most of the chapters include autobiographical material that may not seem to be relevant
to the naked eye, but when contemplated in depth it is apparent what purpose they have.
The use of adjectives on Nicholas part served to make his essay more colorful and
interesting.
I found it quite interesting to find that the points he pointed out were similar to the
ones that I had pointed out. When Nicholas stated that writing as a voice that speaks to us
I dont think I could have summed up the chapter concept any better than he did.
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I found Nicholas essay to be clear and easy to read with good transition from
paragraph to paragraph. The only thing missing at this point is the external sources. A
good way to integrate them into the essay would be to include them into the strongest
paragraph which in my opinion are the ones that talk about Voice and What you alone
can say Since these are the main points of the book, it would be a good idea to include
them there.
My overall opinion of the organization of the essay is good. I think he has done a
good job of organizing the paragraphs and ideas properly. As far as possible objection to
his arguments I feel that Nicholas has prepared his argument firmly and thoroughly and
any objection to his ideas would be easily defended.
My overall impression of his essay is that it is very well organized and thought
out. The only thing missing, at this point is the external sources.

Cover Letter
The first step I took for writing the evaluation for this essay was to brainstorm
about criteria. I had to think what the properties were of a book evaluation because this is
the first time I have written one for a book. I looked at what the purpose was and who the
audience was. I wrote down what I thought the genre was, noted the tone, and examined
the types of evidence or examples that were used in the book. I then wrote down what the
writers claims were and decided if they made sense and if they were logical. Then I
wrote down what the book covered. I asked myself, does the book cover its topic well?
And did it contribute to the to discipline of writing. My next step was to write and
outline. I wanted to write down the order I would talk about the criteria in, and which
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quotes I wanted to use and discuss as evidence to support my judgment. Then I wrote a
couple rough drafts. I revised my first draft and then gave my second draft to Olivia for a
peer review. I then re-read my essay noting Olivias suggestions. Finally I wrote the final
draft. This essay was tough to write for me. Finding external resources was the most
challenging for me. It took some time and definitely a few drafts to get to the finished
product.

Writing to Change the World: The Power of Words
Writing to Change the World, by Mary Pipher, is part autobiography and part
writing instruction. The book is divided into three parts: What We Alone Can Say,
The Writing Process, and Calls to Action. This inspirational piece of literature
guides the reader into learning how to become a better, more intimate, and expressive
writer. This encouraging book doesnt just instruct but also reminds writers of all kinds
and all degrees how powerful our stories are, and how essential it is for us to tell them.
Her writings and tips are beneficial to readers as she makes a great connection to her
audience. Some texts can be difficult to read, but with her tone the reader is immediately
able to pick up on what she is trying to convey.
Pipher constructs her words wonderfully and transforms them into powerful,
thought-provoking sentences. This text contains moving personal anecdotes, stimulating
commentary, stories of writers who have helped shape society, and memorable
quotations. The impact of this writing opens the readers beliefs into developing their
minds and encouraging the audience to make their own mark on the world. Piphers main
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purpose is to inspire her readers by letting them acknowledge that everyone has their own
story to tell.
Pipher appeals to her audience by arising them to the idea that their writing really
matters. She states, You have something to say that no one else can say. Your history,
your unique sensibilities, your sense of place and your language bestow upon you a
singular authority. Every person in the world is part of history, whether it is an
experience, memory, or event they have been part of. When she uses the word
authority, she expresses everyone has their own routine and traditions that compile into
their own personal identity. This helps to motivate her readers because she claims the one
thing we can control is our writing. It is a one of a kind point of view on the universe.
Pipher suggests that peoples individuality and out look expressed through writing is a
gift to the world. People are defined by their own characteristics, thoughts, and emotions,
which are all different from one another. In the article, How Writing Can Change the
World, Justin Harmon says, I wrote about what I thought and felt about the world. I
wrote poems, songs and essays that allowed my thoughts to spill out of an ink pen and a
keyboard. He agrees with Pipher in the sense that we each have something unique we
can show and express to the world through writing. We may have similar ideas and
opinions, but they will never be exactly the same. These pieces of our lives are what we
spent our time on and helped mold us into the people we are today.
Pipher supports her next argument by explaining the significance of having an
inner voice. She says, Voice is everything we are, all that we have observed, the
emotional chords that are uniquely ours, all our flaws and all our strengths, expressed in
the words that best reflect us. This describes that writing isnt just a physical act of using
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a pen and paper but rather the voice that speaks to us within our minds that is our
inspiration. She justifies whether writing is our weakness or our strength, our words are
what define us as human beings. She explains voices can be noisy, quiet, guarded, angry,
or kind, but that doesnt matter because they are the roots of our voices. In the article, 10
Steps to Finding Your Writing Voice, Jeff Goins says, If youre going to get heard, you
cant just raise your voice. Youve got to set yourself apart, showing you have something
special to say and that you have a unique way of saying it. This relates to the way
Pipher feels about finding your voice. Each person has his or her own set of inspirations,
but those basic ideas are a way people can relate to one another and learn about each
others life experiences. Pipher uses this quote to make the audience feel encouraged to
write, by the thought of having their own aspects of their life that interest them; they can
be used to come to terms with readers or people with similar interests and values.
Another way she makes a connection to the audience is by explaining her own struggle to
find her voice, but to overcome her struggle, she experimented by writing down what she
said and then studying it after. She claims she was able to help herself by finding out
what her opinions and thoughts lead her to believe about what she really stood for in life.
She exposes her own flaws and pushes her audience to not be afraid to express
themselves while writing because they could discover so much more about themselves.
Pipher conveys that a person may be a timid poet or a strong essay writer, but
when shifting courses and writing essays or opinion articles, the persons voice is
destined to become stronger and more defined. She says, Part of finding your voice
involves finding the right form of writing for yourself. A person has strengths in certain
types of writings and weaknesses in others. There are many different styles of writing,
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but it is up to the writer to figure out what form highlights their strengths. When a writer
finds their strength they can convey their message clearly. Pipher states, As you
experiment with your voice, fiddle around with different forms. You will discover the
ones that work for you. This is some of the best advice she gives because not everyone
is naturally talented at all forms of writing and that my scare them away from the whole
process. Experimenting with different styles is the way to get over this fear and you will
be able to figure out which suits you best. In doing so, your writing will become more
desirable to the reader.
In the Writing Process part of the book, Pipher compares writing to swimming,
whether it is diving in, swimming along, or cooling off. She says, A blank page can feel
like cold water. We are afraid of what to write next out of fear of judgment. We even
make up excuses not to start. We just have to do it. Writing gets better as we warm up.
Pipher states, By diving into the experience of writing, you will learn what you truly
think and who you really are. It takes experience and patience to master writing. You
have to fail in order to succeed. In the article, A guide to Becoming a Better Writer,
Leo Babauta states, Just start writing. Start typing away it doesnt matter what you
write and get the fingers moving. Once you get going, you get in the flow of things,
and it gets easier. He concurs with the technique that Pipher is telling us we should use.
We get better by doing; we just need to go for it. Make multiple drafts and keep trying to
get past your first thoughts. She explains that every day, writers should generate
metaphors and over time, the writers will develop a sense of what guides them towards
the metaphorical. She continues to advise people should observe with awareness and
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then express their opinion in different writing styles. Trying out different styles and tones
can result in natural sounding writing, which gives a nice flow.
Writing talent, Pipher says, is basically observational skills and verbal
facility, but the writing temperament includes the ability to tolerate ambiguity,
handle intensity, wrestle with self-doubt, take risks, and accurately assess criticism. Her
training as a psychologist shines here, as she explains the importance of recognizing the
difference between what is important and what is urgent. This encourages her audience to
be bold, find support, and keep going on with their writing. These are the challenges and
rewards an author meets while they are writing. As with everything in life writing comes
easy for some, while others struggle to get the words on paper. There are many stages
during the writing process, such as wrestling with demons, overcoming resistance, and
living in hope, but it is an exciting journey.
Overall, Pipher has met the criteria by proving to her audience that every
individual person has something to tell the world. A way to find ourselves starts with the
experience of writing. Once we find out who we are, we can then begin to express that on
paper. These are the gifts we have to give the reader. Through our writing we make a
path that leads on an adventure to our past. It can also reveal why our stories have
changed us as people or why they have meaning in our lives. As Pipher says in the book,
we all understand the world from our own point and good writing helps readers build
larger frames of knowledge, which connect people together.



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Work Cited

Harmon, Justin. "How Writing can Change the World." Write to Done. N.p., n.d. Web.
27 July 2014. http://writetodone.com/how-writing-can-change-the-world/

Babauta, Leo. "A Guide to Becoming a Better Writer: 15 Practical Tips."Lifehack RSS.
N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/a-guide-
to-becoming-a-better-writer-15-practical-tips.html

Goins, Jeff. "10 Steps to Finding Your Writing Voice." Goins Writer RSS. N.p., n.d.
Web. 27 July 2014. http://goinswriter.com/writing-voice/