About me
Hello, World!
Hi, I'm Kang Yan, a Ph.D. student at the University of Virginia. I write about my daily life, share my thoughts on books, films, and TV shows. Most of posts are written in Chinese, my native language.
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Self-description
First-rate lazy, second-rate foodie, third-rate scholar.
Why did I start writing? And Why should you start too
CS. Lewis: Advice for young writers
Terrence Tao: On writing
Paul Graham: Putting Ideas into Words
Vincent Ryan Ruggiero: from his book Beyond Feeling: A Guide to Critical Thinking
Writing may be used for either of two broad purposes: to discover ideas or to communicate them. Most of the writing you have done in school is undoubtedly the latter kind. But the former can be very helpful, not only in sorting out ideas you've already produced but in stimulating the flows of new ideas. For some reason, the very act of writing down one idea seems to generate additional ideas.
Whenever you write to discover ideas, focus on the issue you are examining and record all your thoughts, questions, and assertions. Don't worry about organization or correctness. If ideas come slowly, be patient. If they come suddenly, in a rush, don't try to slow the process down and develop any one of them; simply jot them all down. (There will be time for elaboration and correction later.) Direct your mind's effort, but be sensitive to ideas on the fringes of consciousness. Often they, too, will prove valuable.
If your have done your discovery writing well and have thought critically about the ideas you have produced, the task of writing to communicate will be easier and more enjoyable. You will have many more ideas——carefully evaluated ideas——to develop and oprganize.