My Style? :: Writing Eglish Education Papers

My Style?Students crammed the Superlab on Friday trying to finish the assignment for English Class. The assignment was to frame a wallpaper about styles of writing and how the students fit into them. The students must finish the paper and send it by E-mail to the professor by Saturday morning. Short and to the point. Thats how Im so-called to write for my intelligence reporting class. Use short sentences and action verbs. Start with the most important facts, answer any questions raised by the lead, then fill in the details. Ive been told that it is in truth difficult to major in both English and mass communication because they have two very different approaches to writing. So whats the big deal? Well, its not easy switching back and forth surrounded by the styles these classes require, especially since one class immediately follows the other. This is just one problem Ive run into concerning style, switching between the two that are expected of me in both classes. Another problem is that there is a specific set of rules to follow when writing for the media. I quality as if Im writing using someone elses style. I dont normally talk or write using short, to the point sentences, and I definitely dont use the anatropous pyramid style. So when I write news stories, can I say that is my take style since how I write is almost dictated? Or is it someone elses that Im just borrowing? But if thats the case, is there such a thing as my own style? Is everything I say or write dictated by a set of rules, like news writing? Or can I manipulate someone elses stylistic rules to make my own? Is there any mood to change things so that I can write how I want to? We discussed in class how decorum dictates how we are supposed to talk or write. I can personally attest to that. When I worked at my dads welding shop this summer, I noticed that because I was a secretary, I was expected to talk to customers differently than my dad or any of the other workers. I was supposed to s ound professional and courteous. Good afternoon, CAP Enterprise, was the proper way to answer the phone. But when my dad got on the phone, he would talk to the customer or salesperson almost like he talks to his buddies.