Why Write? Why Research?

 

Writing is power, and successful writing opens doors. Writing about what you’ve read and researched is an exciting act of discovery, and the closer you move toward creating effective human expression, the more you change yourself and the lives of those around you. Writing, reading, and research function on an interconnected continuum of thinking, and each time you practice and perfect your skills, you transform. Honing the craft of written techniques offers an abundance of rewards, all of which can be measured in multiple contexts: personal growth, economic prosperity, interpersonal communication, business success, artistic creation, political process, scientific inquiry, historical reinvention, and more, not the least of which is academic achievement.

Here in these pages lie tips and tools for writing, reading, and research, all interspersed with quotations from Monroe Community College faculty. This guide offers a glimpse of the strategies that help writers of all fields start to advance and grow. Enjoy the journey.

Angelique Johnston
English Faculty, Composition Co-Coordinator,
and Handbook Project Coordinator

“Every time you write something—a shopping list, college application essay, your résumé, everything and anything—that becomes your proxy, your little Obi-Wan Kenobi hologram. How well your writing conveys your intentions will determine whether you are understood or misunderstood, listened to or ignored, promoted or demoted, praised or ridiculed. Therefore, I say, let the craft of writing become your lifelong muse.”— Jethro Gaede, Anthropology Faculty