Earlier tonight I was helping my daughter with an argumentative essay for school. I was really excited about it until I realized that she needed to cite sources. Ugh! I hate citing sources. What is the fun in writing if you have to back everything up with actual statistics?
In college I took a class on writing and I remember the professor was really passionate about writing a good, argumentative essay. I turned in an assignment and he said it was really good and informative but it was not
ARGUMENTATIVE
That always stuck with me, because at that moment, I finally realized what he had been talking about all semester. You have to argue for something. Be persuasive. It took me back to the movie/play, Biloxi Blues, where Eugene gets scolded by Arnold. He said:
"You're a witness. You're always standing around watching what's happening, scribbling in your book what other people do. You have to get in the middle of it. You have to take sides. Make a contribution to the fight... Any fight. One you believe in. Until you do you'll never be a writer Eugene."
Okay, fine. I cited a source...
I always thought that was interesting because this experience was kind of autobiographical for Neil Simon. And he was a great playwright. Did he agree with that statement? Maybe the sentiment.
There I am standing around with my notebook scribbling what other people do. Arnold got me pretty good.
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