Every great writer in who aspires to have their own voice in the world, each has a set of their own personal moves. These moves can be anything from personal phrases to repetition of grammar marks. Even famous writers, such as John Steinbeck, and J.K.Rowling all their own little flavor that makes their writing some of the most popular pieces to read among all ages. In my analysis, I will look over some of the “moves” that even the driest article authors in my course reader have and show how even these boring pieces only meant for learning can have fun little tidbits, and excerpts that make them interesting to analyze, even for me.
The first article that I analyzed was “Navigating Genres” by Kerry Dirk. As all of you know this piece can be a pain because we constantly have to flip through the damn thing again and again looking for answers to some random question. But, when analyzing his moves I noticed that his transitions from paragraph to paragraph can be as smooth as a baby’s bottom. For example, in the reading, the author uses the phrase, “You are already probably familiar…” This example is described as introducing standard views. I think that Dirk used this move here so that he will be able to just briefly overview the different ideas that should already be known to other students. I think that it is effective because it brings about a sense of understanding, or a tone that lets us know that we have done this before, and you know what you are doing. Later on, in the same article I found two examples that I thought were quite similar. The first one said, “ I further acknowledge…” and also, “I will admit…”. These moves can be titled as agreeing with a difference. I think that the author chose these two different phrases because he wants these paragraphs to explain some of the common rules that students learn when analyzing genre, are valid, but he also wants to show how they can be misleading and maybe a little wrong. I personally think that it is pretty effective because I understand what he is trying to tell me.
Later on, in the same text Dirk uses “In other words….” twice. This move is used a lot. This is called, explaining quotations. I think that the author used this move as a way of pretty much just explaining what he just said. I think that it is very effective because recapturing and explaining what a person writes is an effective way of concluding ideas. Therefore, I think this move is really important in an informative way.
In another article called “Murder!(Rhetorically Speaking) author uses the phrase, “I imagine that…”. This phrase can be used in many different ways but it is called capturing authorial action. I think that the author uses this example because he wants to express his opinions and ideas, and as the writer of this article I think he likes to have full control of what he wants to write and give his ideas. I think that this type of move is very effective because it lets the reader know that they are about to express their thoughts or make a point.
Over these two articles, there are many different moves that are already identified by other categories. However, there are some “moves” that aren’t represented or categorized by other writers. For example, in the Navigating genres Dirk uses many bullet marks. I think these can be titled something like ideological points. Yeah, that sounds really smart, I’ll use that. I think these points are really effective, because they organize the thoughts and examples that need to be used, and they present them in an easy-to-read way. Another move in this article is the use of quotations from other sources in the article. Multiple times he includes another paragraph from another source. I think this move can be called the “respectful copycat” move because he copies another idea but he respectfully gives them credit for it. I think that this is an effective move because instead of having to reword another persons idea, he can just directly cite it.
Now there is one particular move that I think is very effective and cool. It is when the writer gives the reader a scenario. I call this the exemplifier move because it exemplifies what the writer is talking about. I think that it can be extremely effective because it gives the reader an example of how the topic applies to some situations. Adding on to this move, another move that Dirk uses, is in the beginning of his article. In the introduction, he gives the reader something that is interesting and fun to read and he uses this example so that he can set a tone and give the reader an idea of what he is talking about. I think that this move can be called “false enjoyment” because it gives the reader a false sense that the article will be an easy read. The last move that the writer uses is what I like to call the “first person shooter”. I title it this because it sounds cool and also because the writer is always talking in first person. I think that this is effective because it pertains directly to reader and makes the reader think about what he is talking about.
Overall, these are just a few of the moves that are used by some of these writers. Overall, there are infinitely more moves for an infinite amount of genres. However, we are still able to imagine more and more every time we write something down, because no one writer has all the same moves. Whether they are good or bad. These are some of the moves that I have identified and that I think are the most effective in communicating with a reader.
Your hook is really, well, a hook. I wanted to read your article from the very first sentence that you wrote. I thoroughly enjoyed each title of the moves that you had seen and the way you explained them made sense. However, as I kept on reading, I did not appear to see the five moves that you had taken from They Say, I Say. I'm not sure if I misread it, or if you did not clearly state that those moves were from that Appendix. Additionally, there might have been a lack of consistency in the way you titled your moves, but those are just details. Ultimately, your essay's content was very well-written and after reading it, I felt more knowledgeable in the world of moves.
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