In analyzing these readings, look for the ideas that drive the author's thinking. Be sure to follow his train of thought carefully. No pain, no gain. Writing is hard because thinking is hard, and most of us have flabby, undisciplined minds. Think about the following things, and then tackle the acquisition of writing skills with the gusto of an athelete in training for the Gold Medal.
Writing comes from thinking.
Often times we think we have a clear understanding of something until we are in a position of having to put it into words. Writing can be a means to training the mind to think. As Neil Postman points out, writing fixes our thoughts on paper and gives them a permanency that allows us and our audience to scrutinize our thinking for its organization, rationality, accuracy, coherence, and clarity. In affording the opportunity for examining one's own thinking processes, writing becomes a tool for training the mind to disciplined habits of propositional thought. Refined, precise writing is a practical application of logic and rhetoric to one's understanding of the world of ideas, and gives one the opportunity to make one's own contribution to the great conversation.