When I was in high school, I attended a small youth group where we played many different games, one of which was called, “What do you like in your chocolate milk?” The objective of the game is quite simple – make a person laugh. To play, you designate a person to be the one answering the question, “What do you like in your chocolate milk?” That person then comes up with whatever he or she wants, and then answers succeeding questions with that same word or phrase without laughing. If I said that I like socks in my chocolate milk, then I must answer every question after that with the response, “Socks.” Once I laugh, however, the person who made me laugh takes my place, says what they like in their chocolate milk, and so the process begins again.
“How does this game relate to anything to do with writing, though?”
“Socks.”
“What do socks have to do with writing?”
“Socks!”
“Can you say anything else other than socks?!”
“… Socks?”
When we, as writers, receive different writing prompts from different classes, so many of us approach the assignments the same way. Each prompt, however, asks a different question and, therefore, requires a specific approach. The approach to writing a reflection differs from writing a narrative or a research paper. Luckily, there are many different resources that exist to help you begin the writing process and then refine your work as you go. For example, finding inspiration for a narrative may require you to call your mom for funny stories from your childhood. Calling mom or talking to a friend or professor about a writing assignment can seem silly or scary, but is actually very helpful. Research shows that prewriting, which includes outlining, brainstorming, and question-asking, produces better papers. If your thoughts are vocalized, then they can be sifted through and refined, which allows you to write more clearly and efficiently.
Finding inspiration for a research paper, however, might be more successful if you decide to peruse the library rather than have a nice chit-chat with mom. Another resource that is never used to its fullest is the library and the people that work there. Specifically at Concordia University Irvine, the librarians are trained to help you search for resources, evaluate those resources with you, and answer any other questions you may have about the research you are doing. If you feel that you need more than just help finding a book, you can actually book a librarian where you have a one-on-one session with them to discuss your research.
Lastly, Concordia offers great help through the Writing Studio where fellow students assist you in your writing, no matter what stage it may be at. The staff is well trained in all sorts of different kinds of writing, and they can provide you with more resources if you need any. It’s amazing how an extra pair of eyes and a couple open minds positively impact an assignment.
So the next time you are freaking out about a paper and cannot decide if you should answer this prompt with “socks,” maybe it’s time to laugh and answer the question with “shoes” instead.