The Writing Process: Let's Process This Together, Shall We?
Sometimes the hardest part about writing is getting started. So let's
talk tips on how to get your brilliant thoughts from your brain to the
page.
Pre-Writing
There are a lot of different methods you can use for
pre-writing. We’ll be doing some pre-writing as a part of our course work, like
the Notice and Focus Exercise and the Process Posts. If you just can’t get
enough pre-writing, you can try working up an outline to organize your
thoughts. (I personally prefer to write first and organize through outlining
after I already have a draft, but you do you). Free writing, where you have a
general idea, set a time for 5-10 minutes, and write continuously until the
timer goes off, just letting the writing flow, can also be a good way to get your
creativity a-flowin’.
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| This is EXACTLY what free writing looks like |
Start Wherever Makes Sense
Confession: I always write my introduction last. I start by
with paragraph topics and then weave them together in a way that makes sense to
me, and THEN I go back and write my introduction and conclusion. If you want to
start writing in the middle, do it. Want to start at the beginning with your
title then your intro? Go for it! Don’t get hung up on working your way from
Point A to Point B when Point C might actually be a good place to dive in.
Obviously order matters when it comes to your finished draft, but the writing
process can be a bit more fluid.
Put your Subconscious to Work
Suspend Judgment
This is more for the revision
phase, but at some point, you are going to read what you wrote and hate EVERY.
SINGLE. WORD. When that happens and you want to start hitting the delete button
until you have a blank document, take a breath. Open a new document and save it
as “YOURTITLE—scraps.” Whatever you want to cut, should be pasted in there.
That way if you end up needing some content, you can dip into your scrap
document. You might not use it at all. You might use it for a future project.
Or you might just be glad that you have some already written content that you
can access if you’re up against a deadline and are experiencing deleters
remorse.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Grammar, sentence structure, and
spelling are all important, but those are issues that you can worry about when
your draft is in its final stages, ready to be polished and submitted.
Stressing about grammar and smaller order issues during the drafting stages
will just stunt your writing progress. Let your writing flow, and worry about
the clean up later.
For your comments: What part of the Writing Process is the hardest/least fun for you? Getting started? Revising? Peer Review? Citations? Or is there a part of the Writing Process that's your favorite? Either post a comment OR respond to at least two classmates.
Happy Writing, Y'all!
The hardest part for me is just starting out and figuring out exactly which angle I'm going to take on a topic and how I'm going to express myself throughout the paper. My favorite is peer review because I get to learn exactly what I have to work on. Also citations are probably the most tedious part of the writing process so I don't like those very much either.
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem when starting out. The point of view of the topic is hard to decide well.
DeleteI agree with you that the citations are the most tedious part of the writing process, I also don't like it, and peer review definitely helps to be better at writing.
DeleteYeah, I totally agree with you. Because once you know about what you will write in the essay, your citation and writing direction have been cleared. And you can find the realted material to illustrate your point. So the starting is the hardest part.
DeleteI find the beginning is always the hardest for me as well. When I figure out what I am going to write about, the words will just come out.
DeleteGlad to hear you enjoy peer review since we'll be doing a pretty intensive (but really useful, I hope) peer review in WEx.
DeleteThe hardest writing part is getting started and how to go deep into the topic to make the article more reasonable. Moreover, the revising is also the difficult part. For me, I have no idea to revise when I review my article. My favorite part is the citations because I can find everything related to my article, and these citations can enlighten me to go through the works.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your idea ,because I experience the same situation ,which make me struggle of a long time.
DeleteHopefully all the pre-writing assignments we'll be working on will help you with the getting started part.
DeleteI struggle the most with getting started. I want my idea to be perfect right off the bat, but it never is. I am getting better at getting started, but it is still by far the most difficult part of the writing process. I think I have trouble getting started because even once I select a topic, I still do not know how specific or general to make it. I don't want to be so specific that I cannot find many sources, but I also do not want to be so broad that there are too many sources to choose from. I like revising and peer editing because usually by that point in the process, the ideas are there but they need some grammatical corrections or different phrasing to get the point across. Citations are kind of a middle ground for me because sometimes they can be super easy and simple because the source very clearly posts the necessary information, but I would say at least half of the time something is missing or difficult to find and I have to go digging to figure out that part of the citation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your idea that make the topic specific and general is difficult. It is hard to find the proper resources. So I often have a flash of light in my mind when I have a rest or nap.
DeleteI agree with you Lena. Getting started with the writing process can be extremely difficult. There have been times in the past, where I would take hours to write the first two paragraphs and then was forced to redo it due to it not being specific or consistent with the topic.
DeleteIt can really tricky to find that balance with your topic being specific enough. I tend to give a lot of direction for that because it's one of those things that you kind of have to write your way into.
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ReplyDeleteI think that figuring out exactly what I want to write about and getting started is the most difficult part of the writing process for me. Once I finally get started, I tend to get on a roll and am able to complete the paper. It was interesting that you suggested to keep an additional document filled with "scraps" that may or may not make the final paper. I usually do this and it helps me stay organized and helps the writing process go more smoothly.
ReplyDeleteMaking a scraps folder is a good idea, I will try to follow the same in the future.
DeleteWriting out the outline first can be really helpful. At least for me it works well. I always find to start writing is the hardest part.
DeleteI have way too many scrap files.
DeleteThe hardest part of writing for me is finding the right things to say while sounding sophisticated at the same time. I find it hard to get my thoughts into words in an organized way. Starting my paper is really hard for me also, because I don’t know where to begin my thoughts. My favorite part of writing is when my paper is somewhat organized, and I can go over what I wrote and edit my thoughts. I tend to change my sentences around a lot, or I change out words that I say repetitively.
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DeleteHi Abby!
DeleteI also struggle with finding the right words while trying to sound sophisticated. I face this problem a lot in college and while I am trying to transition from high school writing to university writing. It is comforting to know that someone else struggles with the same thing! I think that the editing process is the most fun part its easier to step up vocabulary later after the paper is written.
Yeah, editing can be kind of cathartic when it's all coming together.
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ReplyDeleteUnlike most people, I think the most difficult part for me is the revision step. I always have a lot of ideas and thoughts, so I can find a lot to write if I have chosen a certain topic. However, I am used to do my best in each step, then I always consider and revise a lot even when working on my draft. When it comes to the revision step, I just don't know how I can do some change. Also, citation is hard for me, because I find the citation format is really complex.
ReplyDeleteYeah, revising part could be hardest if you did a great draft . This is possible because you can not find any mistake and place that need to be revised.
DeleteI think revising is also one of the tidyest part of writing essay, but it is also inevitable for us to create a great essay. And citation format is tough because there are many different formats for us to use.
DeleteI totally agree with you, I also have experience about same situation like you. I also have a bunch of idea and write it down but when I finished it , I have a problem of how can I revise this and express this more clearly and so on.
DeleteSome people are able to write a really strong initial draft because they put a lot of thought and pre-writing into the process and that's totally fine.
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ReplyDeleteMy least favorite part or what I find the most difficult when it comes to the writing process is getting started. I find it very difficult to start an essay, especially when the topic is already chosen for me and I am not passionate about it, I get writers block and don't know where to start on the topic. My favorites parts about writing is the peer review and citations, I prefer them because there are specific things to look for, there is more structure in those processes.
ReplyDeleteHi Alix!
DeleteI feel the same exact way about the writing process. It is so difficult to write about a topic you are not passionate about, especially starting that paper. In the blog post we read, I like how it was started that you can skip the introduction and conclusion until after you write the middle of the paper! I think that is a really helpful tip.
Hopefully you can find an angle within the broad course theme that's interesting for you. I don't really like being assigned writing topics either.
DeleteThe most difficult part for me is getting start. I'm always struggle with setting up thesis of my paper. It's hard to find a thesis not only meets the topic but also could be expanded easily. I also don't really like the citation part although I know it's necessary. My favorite part is creative writing. Creative writing is the writing that I don't have to do research and citation for it. I really like the feeling of writing whatever I like.
ReplyDeleteWe actually won't get to a thesis statement until the SSI, so you'll have plenty of time to develop a strong thesis.
DeleteThe hardest part for me is getting started. Because it always take me a lot of time to think about how to analyze my thesis and have no idea how to start. The favorite part for me is revising part,. This is because what I am going to do in this part is just proofread my easy to see if there is any mistake. Basically,this is easiest step for me because I do not need to looking for information and struggle on my thesis.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it can be a lot easier to tackle your paper when it's already written.
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ReplyDeleteI think the hardest part about writing is having the motivation to sit down and actually do it. I tend to write everything in one block of time so I have to make sure I give myself enough time to complete the assignment. I agree with the section "Put Your Subconscious to Work". I have found that I think a lot while I'm running even though I'm not trying to do. I like to run because it helps me clear my head and organize my thoughts which is helpful for completing my daily tasks.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Karen. When I attempt to do any writing or assignments, I would work for the first few minutes, then suddenly I watch Youtube for hours and realize that it's almost Midnight. But from my experience with this class, I have done a good job from getting myself motivated for now.
DeleteOof, yes, writers call that "butt in the chair" time, and it can be so hard to make yourself do it.
DeleteThe hardest part for me while writing is revising my paper. When I start to revise my writing, I always got some dilemma about how to change this part to express my opinion clearly. I think this is because I have lack of vocab or I'm not familiar with the English because I come to America Spring 2018 Semester. My favorite part is getting started part because I have a lot of idea when I start off writing something. Also, It is a hardest part to choose this idea to fit the writing with rubric from assignment. So, I think I learn more about vocab to be success in myself.
ReplyDeleteYou'll be acquiring more and more vocab the longer you're here and the more you immerse yourself. Just takes time!
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DeleteThe most difficult part of writing for me is getting started. I sometimes struggle to find a strong topic for a paper and organize my thoughts. It often helps me to write an outline or at least determine what some of my key points will be before I start to write. My favorite part of the writing process is revising my work and finishing my final copy. I love the sense of pride I get from finishing a paper, and sometimes I enjoy the puzzle of improving my grammar and sentence structure while not sacrificing clarity.
ReplyDeleteNot sure who wrote this, so reply with your first/last name, please!
DeleteSorry! Its Rezvan Atena Baghbanian
DeleteActually this one isn't mine
DeleteWait, who's is this, now?
Deleteit's mine Yushi Liang
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ReplyDeleteThe hardest part of the writing process for me has always been getting started. I have always considered writing as one of my weaknesses in school because I am more of an analytical thinker than creative. Research papers have always been the easiest projects for me. I have always had problems figuring out what to write about in the beginning, but as I start my writing starts to flow. I always start writing in the body paragraphs ans then I go back to work on my introduction to make sure it makes sense with the main part of the paper. Revising is the easiest part of writing a paper because I just proof read making sure it makes sense while searching for small grammar errors.
ReplyDeleteSeems like analytical writing, which is what we're doing in this class, might be a good fit for you.
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DeleteDefinitely, it the first step that costs. To decide a topic and find relevant materials are the hardest part for me. Because I usually have many different ideas at the same time so that it is hard for me to decide which is the most feasible one. Moreover, finding supportive primary and secondary sources and make detailed citations are also challenging. My favorable part of writing is the revising and peer review part. Since other people can easily find some mistakes which can be ignored by myself and provide many creative ideas. Thus I believe revising is a key part in writing process--"The finest diamond is to cut."
ReplyDeleteRevision can definitely be fun if you have a plan.
DeleteThe hardest part of writing for me is the introduction (getting a start). This is because the elements of the introduction are very few. And I need to consider whether my starting can attract audience as well. It is hard to write an attractive and formal writing. What's more, I enjoy the process of writing the body paragraphs, because I am not bad at analysing. I'd like to write my paper with logic, which the audience can easily understand my article and the theme. I always write all my inspiration down, and then come back to clean up my grammar and spelling mistakes.
ReplyDeleteIntros can definitely be tricky.
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ReplyDeleteFor me, the most difficult and confusing part is revising. i believe many other students have the same question with me: how to write an article frequently and correctly? For example, if professor asks us to write a paper with at least 1000 words, many times we will find we only have 800 words for whole article. And we need look back and add additional examples and explainations somewhere, that is really annoying. Also sometimes I find I cannot ignore any grammar or spelling mistakes, because of that I have to stop thinking and correct my answer again and again. That’s really annoying as well, hope I can get some help at this course.
ReplyDeleteYeah, word counts can be a bummer sometimes. I have to hit 80,000 words for my novels, and it's rough. I once had a first draft that clocked in at 38,000. Oops.
DeleteFor me, the most difficult part of the writing process is constructing paragraphs that read smoothly from one to the next, and which follow a logical progression that doesn’t loose track of the topic. I have little trouble writing paragraphs on the individual points, but my work often seems disjointed and uncoordinated when I try to articulate them into a coherent paper. If I try to start with a general outline, I struggle to clearly organize the information within it, and if I try to write a paper from start to finish, it will likely appear to ramble on and lose sight of the topic. Organizing my writing to avoid both these issues is often difficult for me. I typically find outlines to be awkward, but ultimately I think the solution to my problem is simply going to be finding a method of outlining that is more intuitive to how I write.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is very difficult to make the writing read smoothly. Organizing skill is very difficult. I think to improve this, it is important to read the writing that someone wrote. By doing so, you may get the sight of how to organize it and so on.
DeleteIt sounds like outlining after you work up a rough draft might be a better fit for your writing style.
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ReplyDeleteThe least fun part about the writing process for me is doing research and tying other people's work/opinions into my own. I love writing fictional stories or personal papers (about my life/opinions/experiences) that don't require research. Although research can be interesting, I generally just find it tedious (and citations are annoying). The best part of writing for me is getting to consolidate all my thoughts and opinions and maybe learn a bit more about myself in the process.
ReplyDeleteOof, research is my least favorite, too. Makes me so mad to spend all that time gathering other people's words rather than writing my own.
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ReplyDeleteThe most difficult part of the writing process is that initial first step. Most times, I procrastinate because I don't know where to start, and I don't know what type of tone I want to set for the rest of the paper. Once I get started, I type for what feels like a very long time, but I look up and I don't have much written. I tend not to flush out my thoughts all the way, and leave the reader confused. However, the best part of the Writing process is when I can fine tune my writing, and be satisfied with what I'm going to be presenting
ReplyDeleteHey, not sure who made this comment, so be sure to reply with your first/last name, so I know who to give credit to.
DeleteHey I apologize I had some trouble getting the profile working right but this is my post! My name is Anthony Monaco
DeleteThe most difficult part of writing process is revising. Every word is written by myself. Thus, it is hard for me to say what is inappropriate in the paper. I prefer peer reviewing. When I was trapped in trouble, peer reviewing can tell me what can I do to make the writing better from their perspectives.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it can be hard to judge your own work.
DeleteI think the hardest part in writing would be the beginning when I have tons of ideas in my mind but don't know how to dive in and make all of them connect togather as a complete logical paper. But as soon as I start writing, I like the feeling of pulling out stuffs in my brain and sharing them with others.
ReplyDeleteThat's such a great image (pulling stuff our of your brain).
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ReplyDeleteIt's a very common answer, but getting started on the writing is definitely the hardest part for me too. Once I get the fire going, I usually can fly through whatever I'm writing relatively easily. It's very difficult to formulate my thoughts in the beginning and figure out what to start out with in the first few sentences. The least fun part is definitely worrying about citations. My favorite part might be the final revisions, when my writing is mostly complete and I can try to perfect it until I feel really good about it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, citations just slow you down. Luckily, sometimes databases will do the citations for you.
DeleteI really enjoy prewriting and outlining my paper before I have to "officially" write. It makes me feel like my paper is organized, and it's very helpful to get all my thoughts down as they come to me and then sort through them later. That being said, the hardest part of the writing process for me is figuring out how to form a cohesive paper out of all my jumbled thoughts and ideas that I wrote down while prewriting. I've had trouble in the past with making my individual sentences and paragraphs flow in a way that makes sense to the reader and also includes everything I wanted to include.
ReplyDeleteGetting a good flow going to your writing can be difficult sometimes.
DeleteI think the hardest part for me is the citations. I feel that it is boring, but then I know that it is an essential part of any research document. I like the getting started part because it makes the brain work and it goes around every corner of the memory lane to create something beautiful and imaginative.
ReplyDeleteYep, gotta do citations, but not really fun for anyone.
DeleteI would say getting started is the most difficult part for me, because when you get started, it means you already have the outline for what you will do in the future. I think I will spend more time on coming out a good title to work with.
ReplyDeleteI would recommend working on your title last.
DeleteThe hardest parts for me is start point and conclusion. I need to sum up my thought perfect in these two parts in order to show my opinion clearly, but I often do it badly. Sometimes, writing the main body and structure of article is relatively easy for me, because I have enough space to boost my thought.
ReplyDeleteFor me the hardest one is getting started to write the article, choose an idea or a perspective to write is always hard for me, sometimes my brain will get empty and have no idea what to write. My favorite part is revise my article. Because at that time I have already received feedback from professors and my peers, which can gives me a clear idea of what I should do next to make my writing better.
ReplyDeleteThe hardest part of writing for me is generating new ideas. I get so caught up in my head or focused on a certain perspective that its hard to keep pushing forward. Free writing is a technique that I often incorporate because it gives me an excuse for my writing to not be done well and I can relax and let my ideas flow.
ReplyDeleteFree writing can be so helpful.
DeleteFor me, the most unpleasant part is adding citations. It's just a technical and bland process that is a necessity. I used to get stuck on starting, but the step about subconsciously writing is what I apply to get started. It's literally a Freudian process; I write anything that comes to mind about the topic. I worry about eloquence, articulation and other writing steps later. I have methods for making my writing flow smoothly from one point to the next. Another part I get nervous about are peer reviews. I tend to get nervous hoping I am not adding too much of my own opinion and am evaluating the writing objectively as possible.
ReplyDeleteNathaniel Carr (carr.467)
Sounds like free writing is working really well for you. Peer reviews are completely anonymous in this class, so that might help with the nerves.
DeleteRevising and citations are hard for me. Actually, I am not familiar with the rule for citations. Or different types of writing require different rules for citation. I always miss them up. For revising, I generally find it hard to see logic errors in my own writing because it is my article. Thus, I always hope peer review can help me and find some mistakes. By the way, I always write my main paragraph first as well and then come back to conclude them. I think it is very efficient and helpful.
ReplyDeleteXinyu Huang (Huang.3255)
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ReplyDeleteThe most difficult part of writing for me is organizing all of my ideas. I get tons of thoughts on paper but sometimes I even confuse myself and lose logic. Something that helps me is having a strong, cohesive thesis that I can always revert back to and focus on while writing. I also do better when someone else reads my writing to point out silly mistakes. I always have to come back to my writing after a few days to realize my mistakes, so procrastination never works out well.
ReplyDeleteSounds like outlining after you write a first draft might be helpful.
DeleteLike the majority of my classmates, I struggle with the introduction process. Until I write that one line that begins a period of hyper-focus, I feel eternally stuck in a stage of writer's block. On the other hand, once I begin my train of thought the sentences come almost faster than I can type -- that's when I know that my subconscious has taken over. At that point i typically don't stop writing until the paper is finished. I enjoy peer review and don't mind revising as long as I've been given a concentrated area/idea to change. Although I'm not a fan of citations, I can't be fantasizing a life without them due to their close correlation to research papers.
ReplyDeleteHa, I totally know that panic of trying to type as fast as your brain.
DeleteLike the majority of my classmates, I struggle with the introduction process. Until I write that one line that begins a period of hyper-focus, I feel eternally stuck in a stage of writer's block. On the other hand, once I begin my train of thought the sentences come almost faster than I can type -- that's when I know that my subconscious has taken over. At that point i typically don't stop writing until the paper is finished. I enjoy peer review and don't mind revising as long as I've been given a concentrated area/idea to change. Although I'm not a fan of citations, I can't be fantasizing a life without them due to their close correlation to research papers.
ReplyDeleteThe hardest part for me in writing is choosing a appropriate topic. I alway choose the topic that is too big to include in a short paper, and the bad topic will stuck me when I move to the next process in writing. The most exciting part in writing is to organize the idea and finish the body paragraphs. Thus I really found the idea in this blog helps me. Start with the body paragraphs and then fill the introduction and conclusion in the article. I can also solve the problem of choosing the topic by pre-writing. Just let the thinking flow and find the connection between some idea fragments to obtain a appropriate topic.
ReplyDeleteWe have quite a few pre-writing assignments to help you pick a stellar topic.
DeleteThe hardest part for me is coming up with my initial idea and not procrastinating. Once i get started I enjoy writing but I procrastinate for writing projects more than any other type of work because a blank piece of paper is so daunting.
ReplyDeleteMake sure you comment with your first and last name so I can give you credit.
DeleteThe hardest part for me is reading an article and summarizing the article. Since I am not a native speaker of English, my reading speed is a little slow. Also, I am not very used to some colloquialism and strange vocabulary in English. This makes me very uncomfortable when reading and summarizing an article. What's more, there are many complex sentences in articles, and I have to spend much time on understanding them, which slows my reading speed down. I cannot use some English grammar and vocabulary very fluently, and sometimes have to look up dictionary. This slows my summarizing speed down.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds tough, but you'll get more and more comfortable as the semester rolls on.
DeleteThe most difficult part about writing for me is absolutely getting started. After I do research and find out the information I need for the article, how to start is the biggest problem. I am always have a lot of stuff to put in the article but just don't know how to start it. The best part of writing for me is citation. I like to know other people's opinions about that topic.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the most difficult part about writing is initially getting the motivation and momentum behind my thought process at the beginning. Citing is always a little tricky for me but with all the practice I have had in the past it has made it easier than starting. My favorite part of the writing process is being in the middle of writing and getting in that writing groove where you just keep typing and everything is going together perfectly.
ReplyDeleteYep, that writing groove is the best.
DeleteI find that hardest part of writing a paper is getting my initial ideas on the paper. I think starting the paper is hard for me because I am not very organized and I have trouble finding a place to start. Once the ideas are down on the paper I have a much better time organizing my ideas and and improving the paper. I also really enjoy peer review because I like getting feed back and giving it.
ReplyDeleteThe hardest and most nerve wracking part of the writing process for me is getting started. I usually have a very hard time getting that first sentence out and worry too much about it being perfect than I do just writing it down. I also dislike peer review because I just don’t like other people reading my work.
ReplyDelete- Brianna Lewis
Yeah, peer review can be a little uncomfortable, but it's all anonymous in this class, which helps.
DeleteThe hardest part for me is citation. When i did not want to use them, the assignments were asked me to cite something. Then I had to cite something and I usually could not cite in an appropriate way. When i really found something I wanted to use, I would forgot to cite the source sometimes.
ReplyDeleteThe most difficult part for me is grammar and word choice. In the past, I always spend tons of time dealing with these two while writing. As a result, my efficiency is pretty low and I feel frustrated. However, now I know I can express my thoughts and adjust grammar later.
ReplyDeleteThe getting started part is quite difficult for me. Choosing an appropriate and interesting topic always be a struggle for me. And even how to write an introduction plays an important role in writing a whole paper. It is mentioned above that start wherever it makes sense seems useful and i would try this sometime.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the two hardest parts would be getting started and then citations. I usually tend to get everything prepared to write, by picking a topic and researching it, but then when I begin writing, it takes a while before any words actually appear. That and figuring how to cite pictures (finding the licensing is difficult).
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