It’s an obsession that has deep roots, creeping back to when we started school. “How people can think about their writing and not think about readers is the biggest challenge we face.” This misplaced focus is the biggest obstacle we face, said McEnerney. “You need to stop thinking about rules, you need to start thinking about readers.” They restrict us and pull away our focus from the most meaningful things about writing. Rules are dangerous for the kind of writing that moves conversations forward. Still, in many ways, writing is tightly controlled by so many rules.Īnd therein lies the problem, said McEnerney. You’ll find tips to improve your skills but not a neatly compiled instruction manual. There’s no playbook for becoming a great writer. These are simple ways we can begin to write better today. He retired in 2020 after a 40-year career at the university.Īlthough he’s speaking with graduate students about publishing academic papers, his advice is relevant for any kind of writing.īelow, I’ll cover 3 of McEnerney’s techniques. McEnerney is the former program director of the University of Chicago’s Writing Program, where his lectures “emphasize the value of writing”, writing to UChicago News. The video lecture’s racked up millions of views on YouTube, and by the time it was over, I knew I needed to reexamine parts of my writing approach. Larry McEnerney is the university director that will smash every idea you have about how to write well into pieces.įor me, it began with McEnerney’s 80-minute writing lecture about writing effectively.
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