As the end of semester draws near, I am reflecting on my writing. In the beginning of the semester I wanted to look everything it took to write an effective paper. I believe I describe it as a "broader understanding in the ability to write." I was naive. I thought that a 16 week course was going to give me super writing abilities. Sure my knowledge has increase in how to write different styles of academic papers. But my biggest learning comes from looking at my midterm post. I go on and on ranting about sentence structure and grammar. I really felt these things were what was holding my writing back. But that is not true. I have come to learn that thesis and structured support of that thesis is where the action is. That if you have a strong thesis and can support with evidence throughout your essay, that is good writing compared to sentence structure and grammar, which can be a easy fix.
I want to learn to write more concise and improve my ability to write a strong thesis. But in general just to keep applying what I am learning. I can especially tell that my writing is more structured and thought out better because of this class.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Planning for revisions
I was going to revise my ad analysis since I was not comfortable with the final product. But things changed when i got my argument paper back. That damn assignment of writing an argument. I get so confused when it comes to understanding an argument. That confusion worsened when i have to WRITE a argument. Ugh! Can I just say I would never make it in law school understanding and writing arguments makes me want to hide in a cave and not come out. Amen
STRENGHTS
passionate about subject
lots of data to use
think I have the ability to write to persuade audience to my point of view!
WEAKNESS
rambles........ lacks focus needs to be more concise
lots of data....but what really supports my claim
doesn't give the reader direction.
Action plan for revision:
Sit down and read the paper over....highlighting the evidence. organize the evidence that supports my claims.....cut out all the evidence that doesn't make sense in having in there in the first place.
Critically think about my thesis and change it to include on how to become a conscious consumer *not just people* the lack of focus in the thesis ...created lack of focus in the paper I'm all over the place!
STRENGHTS
passionate about subject
lots of data to use
think I have the ability to write to persuade audience to my point of view!
WEAKNESS
rambles........ lacks focus needs to be more concise
lots of data....but what really supports my claim
doesn't give the reader direction.
Action plan for revision:
Sit down and read the paper over....highlighting the evidence. organize the evidence that supports my claims.....cut out all the evidence that doesn't make sense in having in there in the first place.
Critically think about my thesis and change it to include on how to become a conscious consumer *not just people* the lack of focus in the thesis ...created lack of focus in the paper I'm all over the place!
The paper I'm thankful for
I would say by far my favorite paper so far that I have written has been my literary narrative. Why? Because I could write in a personal voice. I enjoy this, because after having been out of school for so long I find academic writing to be hard. Since I wrote this paper telling a story about myself, I felt it was easy. Reflecting back on the memories of going to the grocery store with my mom was fun. It reminded me of simpler times, and a uncomplicated life. Since taking English 101 I have struggled with writing. But this has been the only assignment that I felt at easy writing. I tried applying this writing style to my other writing assignment and it was met with not so great results. I wrote my first draft of my ad analysis in this way.....from a mother's perspective. My wake up call came when the student at the writing center said "Is this paper about you or Ikea?" I could not help but laugh and think of Jan on the Brady Bunch. Marsha, Marsha, Marsha....it is always about Marsha!
Well if I am going to make it in college I have to learn to write in a academic voice and not personal voice. So the process begins...........
I am choosing to rewrite my argument paper for my portfolio. It was the hardest paper to write and my grade reflected it. My goal is to master this argument style. It has been a challenge!
Well if I am going to make it in college I have to learn to write in a academic voice and not personal voice. So the process begins...........
I am choosing to rewrite my argument paper for my portfolio. It was the hardest paper to write and my grade reflected it. My goal is to master this argument style. It has been a challenge!
thinking about evidence......like csi?
OMG I am kinda all over the board here! But here we go!
Thesis: People should eat locally grown food rather than buying organic food at the supermarket.
Evidence: Most farm land in the Midwest is being farmed by seeds from Monstano. These crops are used to products like soybeans and corn syrup. (weak) So what? What does this mean to the conscious consumer?
Evidence: Most farmers at the farmer's market are not organically certified. (weak) It may be true but how I present it hurts my claims and doesn't support what I am trying to say!
Evidence:CSA programs (strong) good affordable option for people who want to support local farmer and businesses and to continue to make healthy food choices.
Evidence:people believe that eating organic is a healthy choice and is better than eating non organic.
I have mixed options on this ....evidence is strong that the public thinks it is safe for consumption and all that ....but it hurts my argument.
Evidence: get to know your farmer. (strong ) many people would benefit if they knew where their food came from. Small farms would prosper.
Evidence: Purchasing locally grown food is cost effective. (strong) It is true and I have data to support claim.
I have many more claims....but this exercise just prove to me that my evidence is weak and I need to go back to the structure and improve my evidence to support my claims.....making my paper better in the process. Ouch this was painful:(
Thesis: People should eat locally grown food rather than buying organic food at the supermarket.
Evidence: Most farm land in the Midwest is being farmed by seeds from Monstano. These crops are used to products like soybeans and corn syrup. (weak) So what? What does this mean to the conscious consumer?
Evidence: Most farmers at the farmer's market are not organically certified. (weak) It may be true but how I present it hurts my claims and doesn't support what I am trying to say!
Evidence:CSA programs (strong) good affordable option for people who want to support local farmer and businesses and to continue to make healthy food choices.
Evidence:people believe that eating organic is a healthy choice and is better than eating non organic.
I have mixed options on this ....evidence is strong that the public thinks it is safe for consumption and all that ....but it hurts my argument.
Evidence: get to know your farmer. (strong ) many people would benefit if they knew where their food came from. Small farms would prosper.
Evidence: Purchasing locally grown food is cost effective. (strong) It is true and I have data to support claim.
I have many more claims....but this exercise just prove to me that my evidence is weak and I need to go back to the structure and improve my evidence to support my claims.....making my paper better in the process. Ouch this was painful:(
#11 analyzing and writing arguments
I learned many things when reading Murry's piece "Should the Obama Generation Drop Out?"
One of my first learning's was to think critically about the claim the author is making. Murray states that a B.A. should not be a job qualification when applying for a job. He goes on to make some valid points to support his thesis, but because of his condescending tone throughout his writings, takes away from his creditability as a writer and as a reader, you don't trust his claims. My learning...use a tone that will build trust with the reader.
The second thing I learned about writing a argument is to use data to support your claims. Murray data is weak in his piece. He states "About 10 percent to 20 percent of all 18-year-old can absorb the material in your old liberal arts textbooks. For engineering and hard sciences, the percentage is probably not as high as 10." This taught me if your going to provide data....make sure it is TRUE data to support your claim. Not just some guessing game on the author's part.
My final learning is when writing a argument, pick a topic that warrants attention. I found Murray's argument to be interesting to me as a student who has been out in the work force for 20 years and now back in the classroom. I believe that the audience is broad fro this topic and one that people would find interesting! For my argument I have chosen to write about being a conscious consumer when purchasing your fruits and vegetables. I find the topic to be interesting and hope my audience does too!
One of my first learning's was to think critically about the claim the author is making. Murray states that a B.A. should not be a job qualification when applying for a job. He goes on to make some valid points to support his thesis, but because of his condescending tone throughout his writings, takes away from his creditability as a writer and as a reader, you don't trust his claims. My learning...use a tone that will build trust with the reader.
The second thing I learned about writing a argument is to use data to support your claims. Murray data is weak in his piece. He states "About 10 percent to 20 percent of all 18-year-old can absorb the material in your old liberal arts textbooks. For engineering and hard sciences, the percentage is probably not as high as 10." This taught me if your going to provide data....make sure it is TRUE data to support your claim. Not just some guessing game on the author's part.
My final learning is when writing a argument, pick a topic that warrants attention. I found Murray's argument to be interesting to me as a student who has been out in the work force for 20 years and now back in the classroom. I believe that the audience is broad fro this topic and one that people would find interesting! For my argument I have chosen to write about being a conscious consumer when purchasing your fruits and vegetables. I find the topic to be interesting and hope my audience does too!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Peer review...... the good the bad the ugly!
Peer review has been one of my favorite parts of English 101. It has been an effective tool for strenghtening my writing. I use it to gain understanding of my writing style and take the reveiwer feedback to better my work. By having someone feedback about my work is a valuable tool and using that feedback forces me to think critical of the assignment and identifiy the stengthens and weaknesses of the assignment.
I think I do a OK job as a reviewer. When I see a area of opportunity I do mention it. My knowledge in writing is not the best, but I do share when I think it is appropriate. I like to ask critical questions of the writer if I feel that the writing might not have address a area or maybe is missing a point that would add to the argument. My weakness is I feel I can not help a fellow writer with their writing structure, because that is my weakness as a writer.
My idea peer review process would be to break into small group of 4 and read our essays out load. It would allow my to get feedback from the group. The next step would be to break into groups of 2 and dive a little deeper into our writing to work one on one with a peer to strenghten our essays. When we work in groups now it seems like we start to get productive, then class ends....we take our peers work and work on providing feedback. When we head back to class I hand over my feedback, but do not always have a chance to share my thoughts. Because of lack of time, this effective step loses some productivity because we don't get a chance to finish.
So just more one one one time would be helpful! But only if your fellow reviewer is as focused on the assignment as you!
I think I do a OK job as a reviewer. When I see a area of opportunity I do mention it. My knowledge in writing is not the best, but I do share when I think it is appropriate. I like to ask critical questions of the writer if I feel that the writing might not have address a area or maybe is missing a point that would add to the argument. My weakness is I feel I can not help a fellow writer with their writing structure, because that is my weakness as a writer.
My idea peer review process would be to break into small group of 4 and read our essays out load. It would allow my to get feedback from the group. The next step would be to break into groups of 2 and dive a little deeper into our writing to work one on one with a peer to strenghten our essays. When we work in groups now it seems like we start to get productive, then class ends....we take our peers work and work on providing feedback. When we head back to class I hand over my feedback, but do not always have a chance to share my thoughts. Because of lack of time, this effective step loses some productivity because we don't get a chance to finish.
So just more one one one time would be helpful! But only if your fellow reviewer is as focused on the assignment as you!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Identifing the Patterns of Errors in My Writing
When reflecting on my writing I had identified some errors I see as patterns in my essays. Lack of development of thesis is a common error in my writing. The idea of the thesis always needs to be developed to improve my writing.Through development of thesis, helps create an focus and direction for your essay. I find that lack of strong thesis is a error in my writing. Lack of thesis creates more work for me as a writer. Some feedback I have receive about my writing is that it lacks focus and needs to be more conise. Ugh!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Argument article
In my essay I choose to argue Charles Murray article "Should the Obama Generation Drop Out?"
This article appealed to me because I think that Charles Murray makes some interesting points.
To summarize Murray states that Obama has two ideas for improving secondary education- expand the use of community colleges as well as give tuition tax credits. He goes on to state several reason why these platforms are flawed and out of reach for most Americans.The main point he is making is that a bachelor's degree should not a perquisite to getting a job and earning a living.
This argument was interesting to me because after high school I did go and get a job. After dappling in community college, I choose not further my education, but rather focus on my career. Mr Murray makes some points in his argument that I would find interesting to disprove. Some are outlandish and some have a grain of sensibility to them. I would enjoy exploring this topic on a deeper level. I have been out of the academic world for twenty years, but was in the work force for that time. I have experienced life without a bachelor degree, and made the decision to go back to school. I was successful in my career, but didn't feel a sense of fulfillment on a personnel level. I felt that I could and still can get a job without a bachelors degree, but it may not be a desirable position. Without a degree I always felt that I had to go above and beyond what was expected of me to make up for the fact I did not have a education. Mr Murray argument is not a well rounded argument. It will be fun to explore all points of view on this topic.
This article appealed to me because I think that Charles Murray makes some interesting points.
To summarize Murray states that Obama has two ideas for improving secondary education- expand the use of community colleges as well as give tuition tax credits. He goes on to state several reason why these platforms are flawed and out of reach for most Americans.The main point he is making is that a bachelor's degree should not a perquisite to getting a job and earning a living.
This argument was interesting to me because after high school I did go and get a job. After dappling in community college, I choose not further my education, but rather focus on my career. Mr Murray makes some points in his argument that I would find interesting to disprove. Some are outlandish and some have a grain of sensibility to them. I would enjoy exploring this topic on a deeper level. I have been out of the academic world for twenty years, but was in the work force for that time. I have experienced life without a bachelor degree, and made the decision to go back to school. I was successful in my career, but didn't feel a sense of fulfillment on a personnel level. I felt that I could and still can get a job without a bachelors degree, but it may not be a desirable position. Without a degree I always felt that I had to go above and beyond what was expected of me to make up for the fact I did not have a education. Mr Murray argument is not a well rounded argument. It will be fun to explore all points of view on this topic.
Reflection
Reflection on my writing is what can cause my 19th nervous breakdown. When I started the semester my goal for this class was simple I thought. I wanted to understand the fundamentals of writing. I wanted to gain knowledge in the elements that I struggle with. These elements are sentence structure and grammar. Since we are half way through the class I feel like a I'm struggling in general with my writing. I have always been confident in my ability to generate ideas, it is the execution that gets complicated. So, I feel that I have not made progress on my goals. In class we have done a worksheet on grammar practice. I made the edit I though were correct, but I don't think we covered the worksheet in class. It would be helpful to me, to have a refresher on grammatical correctness.I have no idea what pronouns without antecedents means? Maybe I'm taking the wrong class for this, but I feel lost. In addition, we had the assignment of summarizing, paraphrasing and quoting. I could see this skill being so useful and very helpful in my academic writing. Unfortunately, my children were sick and I had to take them into the pediatrician on the day that we covered the assignment. So in a stroke of bad luck, again I'm left wondering if I did the assignment correctly? I did utilize the writing lab. I had high hope that the instructor would take a look at my narrative assignment as well as my ad analysis. The world of academia does not work within my time frame, I didn't get as much accomplished as I hoped. Lesson learned is I will have to schedule several appointments before my paper is due. I will say that I did find it helpful, and came away with a worksheet on how to use transition word. I have used this worksheet several times with my writing, for this class and others. This class is helpful in improving my writing skills because it forces me to actually write. If I was not taking this coarse I would not be putting my thoughts and ideas on paper, but rather waiting until my other writing assignments in other courses were due and then fretting about it.
Changes in the class I would like to see, is the more explanation on the rules of writing. Again, I struggle with grammar and sentence structure. I have friends who have fancy degrees in English. They give me feedback about my writing, and 100% of the time the critique is that my idea is good, but I break alot of writing rules.I think assignments like the argument are great, because it forces me to learn what I don't know. I would love to see more worksheets and assignments based on these fundamentals. I feel like I under utilize the Rules for Writers. A book has been recommended to help me " The elements of style" My thinking is I don't want to read it because I don't even know how to use the one I got!
My writing process has changed. I use to think that actually writing the paper was difficult. But now I see the revision is were the action is. So the process of getting words on paper is the easy part. It is the fine tuning of the writing that elevates your writing. I have to account for this in my writing process.
I do not think my writing has improved. It is much more difficult for me to write. I dread assignment more, and put them off. Sure my writing has improved from a grammical way, but from a personnal perscpective I don't enjoy it like I use to. In review of my writing, I was given the feedback that academic writing is different that if I was writing something personnal. I tend to write as if I was talking and that wrong in the academic world . Everytime now when I write something, I'm second guessing myself and questioning is it too informal?
Which leaves me feeling more confused and ever before. I feel very frustrated in my abilities to write, which surprises me. My thoughts that this class would improve my skills, but now I just feel lost.
Changes in the class I would like to see, is the more explanation on the rules of writing. Again, I struggle with grammar and sentence structure. I have friends who have fancy degrees in English. They give me feedback about my writing, and 100% of the time the critique is that my idea is good, but I break alot of writing rules.I think assignments like the argument are great, because it forces me to learn what I don't know. I would love to see more worksheets and assignments based on these fundamentals. I feel like I under utilize the Rules for Writers. A book has been recommended to help me " The elements of style" My thinking is I don't want to read it because I don't even know how to use the one I got!
My writing process has changed. I use to think that actually writing the paper was difficult. But now I see the revision is were the action is. So the process of getting words on paper is the easy part. It is the fine tuning of the writing that elevates your writing. I have to account for this in my writing process.
I do not think my writing has improved. It is much more difficult for me to write. I dread assignment more, and put them off. Sure my writing has improved from a grammical way, but from a personnal perscpective I don't enjoy it like I use to. In review of my writing, I was given the feedback that academic writing is different that if I was writing something personnal. I tend to write as if I was talking and that wrong in the academic world . Everytime now when I write something, I'm second guessing myself and questioning is it too informal?
Which leaves me feeling more confused and ever before. I feel very frustrated in my abilities to write, which surprises me. My thoughts that this class would improve my skills, but now I just feel lost.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Narritive vs. Analysis
When reflecting back on my essays that I wrote both paper have a similar tone. In my narrative essay I wrote in first person explaining my love of magazines. In my ad analysis I used the content of the ad to explain what I thought Ikea intented the ad to mean. In both cases I used the my writing skills to show and tell the reader so they would comprehend what I was trying to communicate. this was done with an informal tone. The purpose was different for each assignment. I felt with the narrative essay I was telling a story as where with my ad analysis I had to interpret what I though the advertiser was saying and support my interpretation by pointing out the what and whys of the ad, almost like creating a persuasive argument. Also I treated the audience the same in both writing assignments. I gave a lot of information about what I was writing about because as a writer I assumed my audience had no prior knowledge about what I was writing about.I also felt that the genre was the same in both essays, and I took a comical approach to writing them both.
Ikea Ad
Here is my ad from Ikea. I believe this ad intended purpose was to demonstrate that with the Ikea Aspvik cabinet can tame your toy dragon....meaning that a little organization can improve your living condition. They show this by taking a heap of plastic toys in a form of a dragon and showing that the dragon can be tamed or in this case "cleaned up" by a piece of Aspvik furniture. I can tell this by the way Ikea used the look of surprise on the dragon face as she is looking at the office cabinet that is propt open by a thick stick! To me it symbolizes that the dragon or "mess" can be tamed.
The target audience is anyone who has a huge mess of toys in their house. This could mean anyone who has children ages from 1-10 that live in their home. I guess it could also be targeting grandparents who would have toys at home for their visiting grandchildren. What I found interesting about this ad was that because of the generic walls that are shown in this ad, it can really appeal to any age, gender, ethnicity which I though was a smart move for Ikea because of their global brand status. The minimal use of text and elements makes it have mass appeal in a global market.
This genre would almost be describe as action/adventure or as comical. The stick and rope along with the surprised expression from the dragon echos some Indian Jones adventure for me. It is genius of Ikea to take a boring office cabinet and turn it into a dragon slayer super hero! I have never seen a boring cabinet advertised like this before so I would say that it can't compare to similar products which made this ad unique.
I didn't expect this from Ikea, and I think I was more willing to view this ad because of it's uniqueness.
The tone of this ad is comical and lighthearted. When dealing with toys and the mess they can create, I don't think you want to take a tone that can be deemed to critical or serous. The idea of creating a mystical dragon out of toys and having that creature be tamed by a peice of furniture is funny.
Friday, September 23, 2011
The process of revision...it causes me to have a breakdown!!!!
When I look at my rough draft of my literary narrative "Why I Love Magazines" I wince a little bit. Overall I didn't make too many changes structurally to the text , it was the grammar and punctuation that were out of control. I find when I look at my final draft, there are a few paragraphs that I tweaked or expanded on an idea that I wanted to convey and I tried to to in depth in detail to better explain my story.
No major revisions to the story, I feel like when I write I try to tell the story to the best of my ability and then its done. Rarely to I look at a piece of text I written and do major revision, it just how I write. Maybe that's holding my written back, but I feel like once its done, its done...in terms of thesis and focus. I can add detail and perhaps better structure, but a overhaul....no way!
Reviewing my reading for errors is an area in which I struggle in! I know that my area of weakness in my writing is in the convention. I have a hard time understanding the grammatical rules and all the formats. By the time I have the text written, I'm so happy that I actually have words on paper that its hard for me to see what wrong with thee grammar and punctuation.
I though the peer review helped me in the process of revision. Cynthia gave me some good advice and I always think that when you get a fresh pair of eyes to the text, it can only help the writer, I am always hesitant to do this, but its a great learning experience. I have a friend who is an 8th grade English teacher. She is always willing to take a look at my work and proof read when needed. I am thankful to have her help me in the process.
I feel the strongest element of my essay was my abililty to tell my story, by showing and telling the reader, how much I love magazines. Weakest element was the written convention of it all...Ugh! I hate it what can I say? !9th nervous breakdown is didicated to written convention of writing. yuck, yuck, yuck!
No major revisions to the story, I feel like when I write I try to tell the story to the best of my ability and then its done. Rarely to I look at a piece of text I written and do major revision, it just how I write. Maybe that's holding my written back, but I feel like once its done, its done...in terms of thesis and focus. I can add detail and perhaps better structure, but a overhaul....no way!
Reviewing my reading for errors is an area in which I struggle in! I know that my area of weakness in my writing is in the convention. I have a hard time understanding the grammatical rules and all the formats. By the time I have the text written, I'm so happy that I actually have words on paper that its hard for me to see what wrong with thee grammar and punctuation.
I though the peer review helped me in the process of revision. Cynthia gave me some good advice and I always think that when you get a fresh pair of eyes to the text, it can only help the writer, I am always hesitant to do this, but its a great learning experience. I have a friend who is an 8th grade English teacher. She is always willing to take a look at my work and proof read when needed. I am thankful to have her help me in the process.
I feel the strongest element of my essay was my abililty to tell my story, by showing and telling the reader, how much I love magazines. Weakest element was the written convention of it all...Ugh! I hate it what can I say? !9th nervous breakdown is didicated to written convention of writing. yuck, yuck, yuck!
3 elements of effective writing
Here is where I'm going to define what area I think make writing effective!
Thesis - I believe that creating an effective thesis or focus for piece is critical for effective writing. That focus is what's going to bind your text together. For stellar writing I think that the text must have clear purpose so the audience can understand what the author is trying to convey.This purpose is clear and concise throughout the text, and is written in a way that is insightful for the reader, to keep them engaged thought out the piece.
Development of ideas
Has the main ideas of the text been devoloped? Has the author explored the ideas to the extend in which is interesting for the reader, and is acceptable with the audience? Is the story told by showing and telling with plenty of detail which makes the story easy to follow.
Written conventions
Effective writing is critically important when you consider the written conventionof the text. This includes syntax, grammer, punctuation and spelling.Sentence structure is important I believe because it makes it easier for the reader to understand the message the author intended.If the text was full of run on sentences or fragmented sentences, it take away from what the author intened the text to say. Like with grammer, if the text is filled with grammical errors and spelling mishaps, the reader can not fully appreicated the text for which the author intended it to be.
The easiest element for me is the focus. When I get a idea of what I need to write about, I immeditley start to think of how can I support this idea in my writing and what elements of this idea can I expand on. Once I have a general outline or focus I then think of ways to link my ideas together so that I can write a cohesive piece with my thesis or focus expanded thoughtout that carries the message I want to send to my readers.
The hardest element for my writing is the written conventions!!!!!!!!
I can't stand grammer, puncuation, syntax and spelling. Being out of school for 20 years was a huge wake up call when it came to the this. Having to look at a peice of text and identify what is wrong with the puncuation is like poking out my eyeballs with a rusty screwdriver! Yuck, I would avoid it at all costs! History has proven spelling is not my strenght, I still call my Mom long distance and ask her how to spell words. I have a deep love for the comma and really have no idea when to use it. Likewise I have no clue when to use a semi colon......how dare it take the place of my beloved comma!!!!
Thesis - I believe that creating an effective thesis or focus for piece is critical for effective writing. That focus is what's going to bind your text together. For stellar writing I think that the text must have clear purpose so the audience can understand what the author is trying to convey.This purpose is clear and concise throughout the text, and is written in a way that is insightful for the reader, to keep them engaged thought out the piece.
Development of ideas
Has the main ideas of the text been devoloped? Has the author explored the ideas to the extend in which is interesting for the reader, and is acceptable with the audience? Is the story told by showing and telling with plenty of detail which makes the story easy to follow.
Written conventions
Effective writing is critically important when you consider the written conventionof the text. This includes syntax, grammer, punctuation and spelling.Sentence structure is important I believe because it makes it easier for the reader to understand the message the author intended.If the text was full of run on sentences or fragmented sentences, it take away from what the author intened the text to say. Like with grammer, if the text is filled with grammical errors and spelling mishaps, the reader can not fully appreicated the text for which the author intended it to be.
The easiest element for me is the focus. When I get a idea of what I need to write about, I immeditley start to think of how can I support this idea in my writing and what elements of this idea can I expand on. Once I have a general outline or focus I then think of ways to link my ideas together so that I can write a cohesive piece with my thesis or focus expanded thoughtout that carries the message I want to send to my readers.
The hardest element for my writing is the written conventions!!!!!!!!
I can't stand grammer, puncuation, syntax and spelling. Being out of school for 20 years was a huge wake up call when it came to the this. Having to look at a peice of text and identify what is wrong with the puncuation is like poking out my eyeballs with a rusty screwdriver! Yuck, I would avoid it at all costs! History has proven spelling is not my strenght, I still call my Mom long distance and ask her how to spell words. I have a deep love for the comma and really have no idea when to use it. Likewise I have no clue when to use a semi colon......how dare it take the place of my beloved comma!!!!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
generating ideas - writing assignment
So I'm generating ideas about writing from a literary narrative and here is what I have come up with so far
My love for magazines...ah yes magazines, what can I say I love them. I would not describe myself as a book person, sure I can appreciate a hardcover book, the work it took to create it, the crinkle of the jacket when you open it, the weight of paper used...blah blah blah. But my true love is the glossy monthly magazine, when it arrives in my mailbox my heart speaks a beat because of the sheer excitement to browse though cover to cover! I could go on and on about what makes for a great read in a magazine and my love affair started!
My second idea is I could write about my experience with the book A Million Little Pieces. I could tell the story of how I read this book on my honeymoon, and it was so good that I couldn't put it down! Here I am in a secluded paradise and I have my nose in a book for two straight days! I felt the story was so raw and really enjoyed the author's writing style. Several months later is when the scandal broke about the story not being true. I could speak to how I felt betrayed by the author and if it changed my reaction to the book. I watched James Frey on Oprah over the years and have come to really like him as a author and think he is a very interesting person. One thing I find most interesting is he has started a "think tank" for authors and puts out several titles a year. As a author he has received alot of criticism for this, but just like the Oprah bruh ha ha, he just go and does it his way which I think is interesting. The only downside would be that I feel I would have to reread the book again, which would be a major time investment and I'm not sure if I'm up for that!
My final idea about a literary narrative is I could write about how I introduce books into my children's life. What was the process like? Where did my husband and I start. How did my children react? What kind of literature did we use? Did they like it? What rituals have we created in their life's that center around books?
How has having books in their life at a early age affected them? This would be fairly easy to write about, but I'm not sure if I want to write it? I have to think about it!
My love for magazines...ah yes magazines, what can I say I love them. I would not describe myself as a book person, sure I can appreciate a hardcover book, the work it took to create it, the crinkle of the jacket when you open it, the weight of paper used...blah blah blah. But my true love is the glossy monthly magazine, when it arrives in my mailbox my heart speaks a beat because of the sheer excitement to browse though cover to cover! I could go on and on about what makes for a great read in a magazine and my love affair started!
My second idea is I could write about my experience with the book A Million Little Pieces. I could tell the story of how I read this book on my honeymoon, and it was so good that I couldn't put it down! Here I am in a secluded paradise and I have my nose in a book for two straight days! I felt the story was so raw and really enjoyed the author's writing style. Several months later is when the scandal broke about the story not being true. I could speak to how I felt betrayed by the author and if it changed my reaction to the book. I watched James Frey on Oprah over the years and have come to really like him as a author and think he is a very interesting person. One thing I find most interesting is he has started a "think tank" for authors and puts out several titles a year. As a author he has received alot of criticism for this, but just like the Oprah bruh ha ha, he just go and does it his way which I think is interesting. The only downside would be that I feel I would have to reread the book again, which would be a major time investment and I'm not sure if I'm up for that!
My final idea about a literary narrative is I could write about how I introduce books into my children's life. What was the process like? Where did my husband and I start. How did my children react? What kind of literature did we use? Did they like it? What rituals have we created in their life's that center around books?
How has having books in their life at a early age affected them? This would be fairly easy to write about, but I'm not sure if I want to write it? I have to think about it!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Why Writing?
The reason why I decided to take this class is that early on in my first semester back in college after a long hiatus, it was pretty clear I needed help with my writing. I muddled my way through my writing assignments never feeling very confident in the work I was producing. I realized that a strong foundation in writing would be beneficial to me as I continue in my academic pursuits. My goal for this class is simple. I want to have a broader understanding in the ability to write and use that to strengthen my skill set. At the end of the semester my hope is that writing comes naturally to me, and I'm not frozen looking at a blank sheet of paper, fretting about what I want to say and how I'm going to say it!
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