Narrative vs. Position Paper

I definitely had a harder time writing the position paper over the narrative. There was a lot more organization involved with writing the second paper than there was with the narrative. In writing the narrative, I was able to start with descriptions of events and fill in spaces with analysis. I had a natural framework of description to use. With the position paper it was more difficult to organize how everything fit together. I had to spend more time on transitioning from one idea to another because there wasn't a natural flow to the writing like there was with the first paper.

The process itself was also different because of the intended audience. The narrative was easier to write because it was about something real, a series of events that no one could dispute. But the position paper was different. I had no intended target audience in mind, but I also knew that there might be people who read it who already have opposing views, and I was trying very hard not to have the language sound condescending or contradictory. 

Another obvious difference was in my support. I didn't need to go looking for factual evidence to support my narrative because it all came from my life and my memory. My position paper, on the other hand, required that I go looking for other facts to support my opinion. I think the same can be said for addressing opposing arguments. I had a general idea about what other people would say on the topic of my position paper, but it was another case of needing specifics that I had to go looking for. Not necessarily for the argument, but I needed the evidence to back up my reasoning over theirs.

The Narrative seemed much easier to write because it was like telling and analyzing a story. I felt like writing the position paper was more of a battle, not that it was hard, but that there were more hoops to jump through and possibly more toes to step on.

One other big difference I found that was a little difficult to work around was the formality. Almost every paper I have had to turn in, with the exception of my narratives in this class and in others, have been written in a formal style. Trying to argue a position and be convincing about my argument while also attempting not to sound superior is much easier for me to do when there is less of a personal attachment. Writing a formal paper allows for a more unbiased feel, more like you are writing with a neutral voice, not your own. When writing my position paper, there were several moments when I felt either I was being too formal by force of habit, or I was getting too involved. Since I really didn't want the paper to sound like I was shouting at the reader, I was constantly trying to find the balance.

The combination of all these things made the writing process feel like more of a struggle in comparison with my narrative. That being said, it was a very nice change to feel comfortable arguing about something I care about without the fear of being shouted down. I really enjoyed writing my narrative, but I also get very tired of being so purely descriptive, since I do that a lot. The position paper was a nice change.