Commonplace questions

Who is the audience for Commonplace?

The audience for commonplace is mostly composed of young college students. The website exists as a place to review and be reviewed as far as college level writing is concerned. The authors get an in depth review of their work with the given opportunity to critique another’s piece.

Create a list of characteristics that define the genre of writing on Commonplace?

Most commonplace essays are typically short, to the point, and typically opinionated. The articles on common place typically informative nonfiction works intended to peruse some point or to reach some validation.

How have writers ensured their pieces are timely, compelling, and relevant?

My article was titled “Back Like a Batarang”. The piece was centered on the idea of previous batman films in contrast with the relatively new movie The Dark Knight. The article is timely through the topic the author chose to write about. The movie is relatively new and most of the authors’ target audience has probably saw the film. The piece is compelling in the way the author backs up his claims with rather straight forward opinions. The review uses rather compelling, truthful statements to convey the authors intended idea. The claims made in the article are relevant to the topic and category in which the article is found, pop culture.

How do the writers draw their audience into the essays in the introduction?

The article starts with the line “have you ever wanted to kick someone’s teeth in?” The opening line is actually the reason I chose to review Kyle Bolser’s essay. The introduction to the piece clearly outlines the general direction the paper will be headed. The writers on common place use rather effective snatch and grab technique as demonstrated above. Rather exiting introductions, hook the readers into reviewing the piece in its entirety.

How would you describe the style of Commonplace essays?

The essays on commonplace are peer written and peer reviewed. This factor I think leads to most of the essays being expository with some being persuasive. Expository essays are common with expansive explanations and informative articles popping up here and there. The more common style though would have to be persuasive. Almost every essay on the site is in some attempt to convey some idea or thought.

How are Commonplace essays similar to academic essays? How are the different?

One major difference in the writings on commonplace vs. academic writings is the target audience. With the establishment of the peer to peer system the target audience is no longer directed entirely at a college professor. The essays appear slightly less formal and tend to speak to the general student body.

How has the essay published on Commonplace incorporated the work from the ARP? Can you see what primary source the writer was working with? How is secondary source material used?

While looking at “back Like a Batarang” evident primary and secondary sources did become apparent. The primary source being the “Black Knight” is used as benchmark to describe what the author believes to be a good film. The older batman films are referenced in effort to describe how the films have evolved and become what the author believes to be a watchable film. Secondary sources reinforce the general idea brought about in the piece while also contrasting with the primary source, also contributing to the authors point.