Taking an Approach

Like many of Harris’ other chapters in his book Rewriting, when discussing the topic of taking an approach, Harris breaks it into three different ways of considering it in your writing. First, is to acknowledge your influences, this is done by expressing how other authors have personally influenced your view in your argument. Often this is done without citing the others text specifically. Another way of doing this by what Harris explains as turning an approach. For this kind of writing you simply ask the same questions that another author used but asking them of a different topic. Lastly, Harris describes how to use reflexivity. In this instance one reflects on how to the main choices one makes as a writer change the way one writes.

In his text Harris uses all three of these to demonstrate ways of taking an approach. When writing within a place where there are many writers and editors, I think that taking an approach is much more common. The New York Times has a certain way that they prefer all the writers to write and as a writer you adapt to the style of writing that is around you. When you are writing for an academic class you change your style to what you think will most please the teacher, which is often a closer form to their own style. When writing an email you alter your style and choices to who you are writing to, an email to your mother is different than an email to your best friend. In all these instances you are adapting your style and mode from another’s work.