Pleasent surprises i found while writing this play was that even though the theme of not having a firm identity can b difficult to get across, there is an effective way to do it. Using designators was interesting and fun, because it allowed me to say specifically what i wanted to without having to worry about how it was followed. Also, i'm not sure that i would ever write drama writing, but I could see myself writing satire or journalism of some form, maybe for a newspaper or some other means of publication.
2.My personal essay is about camping this past summer. I learned a lot about land stewardship and how to be responsible for my actions. It could also be about the camp that I work at during the summer. The people that work there are a lot of fun to work with,and they make it a lot of fun. I also learn how to communicate better with people.The rest of what I write in this space will probably be nonsensical, so you can stop reading at this point. it is surprising how when a limit is put on something, or in this case, a minimum word count, it really makes the author change their originally intended message for the sake of reaching a goal. that is all.
3. I would tell them to be observant of things. Too many times people don't look at what is around them enough. And i would encourage them to learn to curve their desires, especially for material goods. It's almost like Buddhism, but not quite with the same intentionality of it. As far as judging others, I would say that you can't judge something until you've tried it. We all do this anyway, but I just think that people are too quick to give a reason why they are right as opposed to looking for reasons that they could be wrong.
4.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
Luigi Pirandello, playwright: "A man will die, a writer, the instrument of creation: but what he has created will never die!"
1. Theme carries nothing more than the inner desire of the authors true intentions. I find however, that the theme is a subjective thought that will be molded to whatever the analyst chooses to see in it. A theme for Huckleberry Finn could be racism, or the search for truth, or the quest for a young man's identity, or the real meaning of independence in a youth's life, or any different number of things. Therefore, I think that the theme, defined as what the author truly wishes to reveal, holds little value because their musings on the subject will be analyzed differently than what they originally intended, and the difference in time will also change the meaning of their writing.
2. Most of the writing that lasts "long" is something that a great many people have found to be amusing, intuitive, creative, and altogether meaningful. Voltaire's Candide, for example, is a "creative" work not because it holds something new, but it is the clearest and most detailed summary of the tragedies of tyranny, and it depicts the blind being led by the disillusioned. Clear thinking like that of Voltaire is what will last through the ages. It resonates even now, because it is interpreted through a modern scope of today, and it also takes into account new atrocities and actions between the publication and now. I fear that what I write will never have the resonance because I cannot hope to write anything as elegantly or monumental as any of the literary greats.
It is long-lasting because it is truth, disguised in a story, but the truth nonetheless.
3.If I were to have one effect on the world around me it would be to eradicate poverty. That would require that I become an economist and help to establish the modern order ofd things. It is not necessary for the United States to live in extravagant wealth while other countries suffer from a myraid of differnt afflictions. Their undue sufferings are the productions of our own hapless ignorance to their needs and I think that an effective novel could help solve the injustice in the world. Like Jared Diamond's research on why we have more "cargo."
2. Most of the writing that lasts "long" is something that a great many people have found to be amusing, intuitive, creative, and altogether meaningful. Voltaire's Candide, for example, is a "creative" work not because it holds something new, but it is the clearest and most detailed summary of the tragedies of tyranny, and it depicts the blind being led by the disillusioned. Clear thinking like that of Voltaire is what will last through the ages. It resonates even now, because it is interpreted through a modern scope of today, and it also takes into account new atrocities and actions between the publication and now. I fear that what I write will never have the resonance because I cannot hope to write anything as elegantly or monumental as any of the literary greats.
It is long-lasting because it is truth, disguised in a story, but the truth nonetheless.
3.If I were to have one effect on the world around me it would be to eradicate poverty. That would require that I become an economist and help to establish the modern order ofd things. It is not necessary for the United States to live in extravagant wealth while other countries suffer from a myraid of differnt afflictions. Their undue sufferings are the productions of our own hapless ignorance to their needs and I think that an effective novel could help solve the injustice in the world. Like Jared Diamond's research on why we have more "cargo."
Monday, December 3, 2007
I am a thinker,and I think thinks
1. The greatest concern that I have regarding my own peers is the loss of tradition. Being cultured is a symbol of the past and everyone hates being old fashioned. However, once every few months, we all think its a great idea to go to a dance when we're all dressed up. People lose sight of their past, especially concerning their ancestors. I take interest in knowing my origins, and examining the ways that I demostrate the stereotypes that surround those origins to determine whether they are true.
2. Someone who has actually changed my world is John Steinbeck. The author of Travels with Charley, he has offered incredible insights with humor and passion, describing the confusing American landscape in his own words and travels. Steinbeck, too, is interested in learning from where people take their roots, and that is a source of curiosity and interest for me. Another person would be Lord Robert Baden-Powell. Type him in Wikipedia if you want to know about him, but he set the foundation for an important organization that has made a difference in my life.
3.As stated in the other question, Travels With Charley is an incredible book on every level. Steinbeck cleverly weaves a tapestry that describes the American landscape with the right details in the right spots, stopping to indulge the readers interest at the right times, and being entirely and completely honest and accurate all at the same time. His work closely picks apart the fabric of american culture, as though under a microscope. He simply inspires readers to thing and analyze on a deeper level.
2. Someone who has actually changed my world is John Steinbeck. The author of Travels with Charley, he has offered incredible insights with humor and passion, describing the confusing American landscape in his own words and travels. Steinbeck, too, is interested in learning from where people take their roots, and that is a source of curiosity and interest for me. Another person would be Lord Robert Baden-Powell. Type him in Wikipedia if you want to know about him, but he set the foundation for an important organization that has made a difference in my life.
3.As stated in the other question, Travels With Charley is an incredible book on every level. Steinbeck cleverly weaves a tapestry that describes the American landscape with the right details in the right spots, stopping to indulge the readers interest at the right times, and being entirely and completely honest and accurate all at the same time. His work closely picks apart the fabric of american culture, as though under a microscope. He simply inspires readers to thing and analyze on a deeper level.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Assignment 9
1. Happiness is, quite simply, that which causes you pleasure.
2. I take joy in sports and physical activity. Happiness is rooted in companionship, which comes from being on a team, which is something that sports provide. I also take joy in music, because listening to music connects you to the artist and to other fans, so it again comes back to companionship. When I go canoeing down a river with David Reiersgord, I feel happiness because I am reminded of the joy that I take in the things that he has quit doing. (football)
3. The little things that make me happy throughout a day are when people say hi to you in the hallway. The people that I don't really know make some effort to make me happy, that is what reestablishes my faith in humanity.
4. One person whose happiness that I am impact is Grace. When I am not happy, then Grace is not happy. When I am having a good day, then Grace is having a good day. Our relationship is remarkable.
5.My greatest need in life is love. When I feel loved, or have seen the evidence of love that is reflected towards me, I am happy.
2. I take joy in sports and physical activity. Happiness is rooted in companionship, which comes from being on a team, which is something that sports provide. I also take joy in music, because listening to music connects you to the artist and to other fans, so it again comes back to companionship. When I go canoeing down a river with David Reiersgord, I feel happiness because I am reminded of the joy that I take in the things that he has quit doing. (football)
3. The little things that make me happy throughout a day are when people say hi to you in the hallway. The people that I don't really know make some effort to make me happy, that is what reestablishes my faith in humanity.
4. One person whose happiness that I am impact is Grace. When I am not happy, then Grace is not happy. When I am having a good day, then Grace is having a good day. Our relationship is remarkable.
5.My greatest need in life is love. When I feel loved, or have seen the evidence of love that is reflected towards me, I am happy.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Assignment #7
1. I appreciated writing poetry, because there aren't really strict rules that dictate what you can say, or the subject of your writing. This freedom allows writers to further develop, inside the parameters of the prompt, which inspires directed yet creative writing.
2. One of my pieces that I liked the most was a poem called Statement of Style. It was just a commentary about social interactions, and how people portray themselves in society in order to cause a predetermined conclusion about themselves. It was easy to write about because I see these things everyday, and so I just kind of thought about them and wrote. The poem ended up being a political commentary at the end, which was not what I had originally intended, but it kind of transformed from what I had envisioned, but I liked the change and kept the ending.
3.I find that I write best when given a prompt that has some connection into my mind. What I end up writing is probably not directly applicable to the prompt, but that's where the writer's creative license gives way to greatness. Giving a little instruction is where things work out best.
4. As I approach college choices, I still don't know what I'm going to do and I have thought about journalism. Writing news in a newspaper or some kind of societal analysis would be interesting, but it also lends way to observing the different kinds of biases different authors inflect into their writing.
2. One of my pieces that I liked the most was a poem called Statement of Style. It was just a commentary about social interactions, and how people portray themselves in society in order to cause a predetermined conclusion about themselves. It was easy to write about because I see these things everyday, and so I just kind of thought about them and wrote. The poem ended up being a political commentary at the end, which was not what I had originally intended, but it kind of transformed from what I had envisioned, but I liked the change and kept the ending.
3.I find that I write best when given a prompt that has some connection into my mind. What I end up writing is probably not directly applicable to the prompt, but that's where the writer's creative license gives way to greatness. Giving a little instruction is where things work out best.
4. As I approach college choices, I still don't know what I'm going to do and I have thought about journalism. Writing news in a newspaper or some kind of societal analysis would be interesting, but it also lends way to observing the different kinds of biases different authors inflect into their writing.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Creating Fear
In most cases, I would say that I do not like to be scared. It puts me outside my comfort zone, and exposes me to things that I am not used to. Sometimes fear can be a good thing, like before a football game, where the fear can motivate you to be anxious and you know that you have to do something you've never done before.
I am scared of needles. I do not like needles at all, which is unfortunate, because inevitably I end up being poked by them. I am also scared of deep water. Like being in the middle of the ocean with nothing around you. No one to help you, nothing in sight, and not knowing what is underneath you. I guess I am more afraid of the unknown, and the ocean is simply a way that limited knowledge manifests itself.
Things that I consider to be horific are injustice, prejudice, discrimination, because there is no way to eradicate them, no way to evade their omnipresent ideals, and usually people fall prey to them even when they don't want to. Even people with good intentions are subconsiously opinionated against their will. Someone's appearance forms an idea in their mind that they cannot get rid of. The premanence of the "first impression" is what scares me. The fact that when someone sees you, their perception of you is already changed forever and there is nothing that you can say to them, nothing that you can do to get rid of their first thoughts about you. You can change their opinion afterward, but too many people don't spend the time to change that initial impression, and therefore the pessimistic side of the human conscious develops the unfounded hypothesis that the world is full of people that can't live up to their predetermined expectations.
A good definintion for madness is when your perception of the world around you is skewed from what is was before, or when your perception of the world is vastly different than that of everyone around you. To be considered mad, you would be someone who's actions are so uniquely peculiar that no one else has done them and no one else would want to do them.
As for what drives people to madness, in most cases it is a hardship of the most extreme nature. Watching your family die at the hands of some inexplicable mistake that you made, for example, would be enough to skew one's view of reality and thus drive them to madness.
I am scared of needles. I do not like needles at all, which is unfortunate, because inevitably I end up being poked by them. I am also scared of deep water. Like being in the middle of the ocean with nothing around you. No one to help you, nothing in sight, and not knowing what is underneath you. I guess I am more afraid of the unknown, and the ocean is simply a way that limited knowledge manifests itself.
Things that I consider to be horific are injustice, prejudice, discrimination, because there is no way to eradicate them, no way to evade their omnipresent ideals, and usually people fall prey to them even when they don't want to. Even people with good intentions are subconsiously opinionated against their will. Someone's appearance forms an idea in their mind that they cannot get rid of. The premanence of the "first impression" is what scares me. The fact that when someone sees you, their perception of you is already changed forever and there is nothing that you can say to them, nothing that you can do to get rid of their first thoughts about you. You can change their opinion afterward, but too many people don't spend the time to change that initial impression, and therefore the pessimistic side of the human conscious develops the unfounded hypothesis that the world is full of people that can't live up to their predetermined expectations.
A good definintion for madness is when your perception of the world around you is skewed from what is was before, or when your perception of the world is vastly different than that of everyone around you. To be considered mad, you would be someone who's actions are so uniquely peculiar that no one else has done them and no one else would want to do them.
As for what drives people to madness, in most cases it is a hardship of the most extreme nature. Watching your family die at the hands of some inexplicable mistake that you made, for example, would be enough to skew one's view of reality and thus drive them to madness.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Final Lines
Original- The vanishing rays of the sun’s warmth slowly creep below the horizon, allowing the cold to steal through the darkened streets. The bright lights of the city try to replicate the luminescence of the sun, but their feeble attempts leave too many shadows. And on the edge of these shadows lies a shoulder bag. On top of the shoulder bag is a pair of headphones. They don’t work anymore. The shadows cover up everything else, but the stench of the place is unmistakable with a bar next door, the alley clearly smells of vomit and urine. The neon signs of the bar highlight the shoulder bag’s profile against the pavement. But the signs don’t light up the shoe next to the bag, or the foot and cold body within the shoe.
2. Bryan Anderson visited his girlfriend at work shortly before the most important event of his life occured. To describe this event would assume that one has an indepth knowledge of the human anatomy, as there is no other way to aptly describe in any amount of detail the various injuries that led to his homicide.
3. Some people in life will tell you that knowledge is power. Shea McKenna was a vicious killer that knew what he wanted. In many ways, that knowledge only rendered him more dangerous. So, knowledge did empower him, but only to increase the danger that he posed to the rest of society.
4. "Hey Theresa, I'm really sorry about what happened to Bryan, and if there's anything that i can do , just let me know," Tony said. He couldn't help but feel bad for the girl, she had gone out on her smoking break and discovered a body that looked far too familiar. It was her boyfriend Bryan, who had visited her at work not even a half-hour before the body was found.
5. If there was anything that scared him, it was dark alleys. He knew that for the most part, all of the stuff in the movies was fake. But there was some deep part of his imagination that kept telling him that something was amiss in that alley, and that he should continue on his way home. However, his dilemma was that he had promised his girlfriend that he was going to visit her at work. He took the shortcut to the bar where she worked, and thought he saw a shadow dancing on the wall behind him. His fears were coming true.
2. Bryan Anderson visited his girlfriend at work shortly before the most important event of his life occured. To describe this event would assume that one has an indepth knowledge of the human anatomy, as there is no other way to aptly describe in any amount of detail the various injuries that led to his homicide.
3. Some people in life will tell you that knowledge is power. Shea McKenna was a vicious killer that knew what he wanted. In many ways, that knowledge only rendered him more dangerous. So, knowledge did empower him, but only to increase the danger that he posed to the rest of society.
4. "Hey Theresa, I'm really sorry about what happened to Bryan, and if there's anything that i can do , just let me know," Tony said. He couldn't help but feel bad for the girl, she had gone out on her smoking break and discovered a body that looked far too familiar. It was her boyfriend Bryan, who had visited her at work not even a half-hour before the body was found.
5. If there was anything that scared him, it was dark alleys. He knew that for the most part, all of the stuff in the movies was fake. But there was some deep part of his imagination that kept telling him that something was amiss in that alley, and that he should continue on his way home. However, his dilemma was that he had promised his girlfriend that he was going to visit her at work. He took the shortcut to the bar where she worked, and thought he saw a shadow dancing on the wall behind him. His fears were coming true.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Assignment 4
Task 1
The setting in the second half of the story is important because it allows for a more suspenseful ending to the story. Connie's seperation from the rest of her family lets the author be more creative with her situation and also lends an aspect of reality to her confrontation with Arnold Friend.
Connie is a carefree character that thinks her youth and beauty will save her from the things that prey on youth and beauty. She is misled in her vanity, and represents that aspect of society as a whole. Connie is asking for trouble, because she isn't asking for help. She is doing things that she knows she isn't supposed to,but thinks that because she is young, none of the adult dangers of the world will prey on her. Again she is mistaken. Her beauty, which attracts many admirers, causes her to leave the relative safety of her friends company. It is this desperate attitude to be loved that leaves her susceptible to a predator like Arnold Friend.
Task 2
The things that I think are important for a good short story start with a hook. The story has to have a point. Also, it has to have strong, specific descriptions of characters. Also, as a short story, it has to be short. This makes descriptions precise, including necessary details, but not drowning the reader in them. One more thing that a good short story needs is a villain. There is not enough pages to go into their wavering moral conflict; they are evil and the reader needs to know that immediatly. Also a good story would have character development, plot twists, suspense, suprise endings and conflict.
The setting in the second half of the story is important because it allows for a more suspenseful ending to the story. Connie's seperation from the rest of her family lets the author be more creative with her situation and also lends an aspect of reality to her confrontation with Arnold Friend.
Connie is a carefree character that thinks her youth and beauty will save her from the things that prey on youth and beauty. She is misled in her vanity, and represents that aspect of society as a whole. Connie is asking for trouble, because she isn't asking for help. She is doing things that she knows she isn't supposed to,but thinks that because she is young, none of the adult dangers of the world will prey on her. Again she is mistaken. Her beauty, which attracts many admirers, causes her to leave the relative safety of her friends company. It is this desperate attitude to be loved that leaves her susceptible to a predator like Arnold Friend.
Task 2
The things that I think are important for a good short story start with a hook. The story has to have a point. Also, it has to have strong, specific descriptions of characters. Also, as a short story, it has to be short. This makes descriptions precise, including necessary details, but not drowning the reader in them. One more thing that a good short story needs is a villain. There is not enough pages to go into their wavering moral conflict; they are evil and the reader needs to know that immediatly. Also a good story would have character development, plot twists, suspense, suprise endings and conflict.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
As We Grow Older
Time flashes by,
with the quickness of a lightning bolt.
The time spent by the poolside,
once seen as cherished memory,
now seen as wasted foolishness.
The younger years disappear
like the pages of a flip-book.
The friends you had,
slowly vanish as though in a rear-view mirror.
The memories creep,
like ivy up a wall,
no end in sight, nothing to stop it.
But you embrace it, because
as age approaches,
with the inevibility of a sunset
you realize.
If you're eyes are closed,
you can't see the sunrise.
with the quickness of a lightning bolt.
The time spent by the poolside,
once seen as cherished memory,
now seen as wasted foolishness.
The younger years disappear
like the pages of a flip-book.
The friends you had,
slowly vanish as though in a rear-view mirror.
The memories creep,
like ivy up a wall,
no end in sight, nothing to stop it.
But you embrace it, because
as age approaches,
with the inevibility of a sunset
you realize.
If you're eyes are closed,
you can't see the sunrise.
Revitalize My Soul
The cold air blow a chill through my soul,
but not in the sense of washing it away,
Rather, more like blowing air into a balloon.
The new air refreshes my soul, just as the campfire
below me warms it up.
The outdoors heal my body and spirit
better than any hospital ever could.
The brush of a dragonfly's wings,
the sound of a birdcall resonating over a lake
Revitalize my soul.
The tent pitched by a small campfire
on the edge of a deep and unexplored lake
Open up my spirit for adventure, and helps me to
Revitalize my soul.
THe paddle grasped in my hand propels me onward
to greater freedom and helps my soul
to perch from the lofty crags of wonderment that i have yearned to reach.
But the wilderness is what my soul has wanted
and the wilderness is what my soul has needed.
Because it is the wilderness that will
Revitalize my soul.
but not in the sense of washing it away,
Rather, more like blowing air into a balloon.
The new air refreshes my soul, just as the campfire
below me warms it up.
The outdoors heal my body and spirit
better than any hospital ever could.
The brush of a dragonfly's wings,
the sound of a birdcall resonating over a lake
Revitalize my soul.
The tent pitched by a small campfire
on the edge of a deep and unexplored lake
Open up my spirit for adventure, and helps me to
Revitalize my soul.
THe paddle grasped in my hand propels me onward
to greater freedom and helps my soul
to perch from the lofty crags of wonderment that i have yearned to reach.
But the wilderness is what my soul has wanted
and the wilderness is what my soul has needed.
Because it is the wilderness that will
Revitalize my soul.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
One Piece of Writing: Assignment #2
I first heard of the story in 7th grade. A friend told me that it was a story about survival, one that really got to the point. After hearing that it was also only 20 pages, I decided that there was no way it could be among the annals of modern literature. However, this story truely realizes the fragility of human nature, and how we are all at the mercy of natural forces that are far stronger and older than our own.
"The trouble with him was that he was without imagination...Such fact impressed him as being cold and uncomfortable, and that was all. It did not lead him to meditate upon his frailty as a creature of temperature, and upon man's frailty in general, able only to live within certain narrow limits of hear and cold; and from there on it did not led him to the conjectural field of immortality and man's place in the universe."
Prompt 1: How does the size of a piece of writing effect its content? Does the amount of writing have any correspondence to its effect on the reader?
Prompt 2: How does the genre affect the content of writing? Do stories of different trials, whether about survival or a school day, resonate any differently to the reader?
"The trouble with him was that he was without imagination...Such fact impressed him as being cold and uncomfortable, and that was all. It did not lead him to meditate upon his frailty as a creature of temperature, and upon man's frailty in general, able only to live within certain narrow limits of hear and cold; and from there on it did not led him to the conjectural field of immortality and man's place in the universe."
Prompt 1: How does the size of a piece of writing effect its content? Does the amount of writing have any correspondence to its effect on the reader?
Prompt 2: How does the genre affect the content of writing? Do stories of different trials, whether about survival or a school day, resonate any differently to the reader?
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
A sample of my writing
Upon the majestic wings of an eagle,
floats hope and happiness.
Prosperity dives to swoop up
the weak and the forgotten.
Inspiration, in her divine form
drives misery back into its cave,
its lonely cold and wet fortress.
Charity, as a singular act,
outshines and compensates for the plurality of trespasses
against the suffering.
The famished and foregone,
take heart in the appeasement of their despair,
through the joyous labor of others.
Love unites against oppression.
Love unites through the kindling of the human spirit,
and love keeps us together through its universal message.
floats hope and happiness.
Prosperity dives to swoop up
the weak and the forgotten.
Inspiration, in her divine form
drives misery back into its cave,
its lonely cold and wet fortress.
Charity, as a singular act,
outshines and compensates for the plurality of trespasses
against the suffering.
The famished and foregone,
take heart in the appeasement of their despair,
through the joyous labor of others.
Love unites against oppression.
Love unites through the kindling of the human spirit,
and love keeps us together through its universal message.
Autobiography
My name is True and this is a blog that I have created for my creative writing class. The intent is to offer another outlet for me to express thoughts about writing, or even pieces that I have authored myself. I enjoy writing articles, and I could see myself as a journalist in the future. Some of the writing that I enjoy are the short stories in the ilk of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allen Poe, more of the Romanticist period. I find that their stories are captivating and still are examples of good writing even today. Modern writers that I like are John Steinbeck, and in particular, his novel Travels with Charley. This novel is an incredible dialogue on the state of the nation when he wrote it, and offers a delightful answer to his query of "What is America?"
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