Cover Letters

When I was in 10Th grade, I thought it would be a good idea to take a keyboarding class. Little did I know, the class consisted of typing formal letters, letterheads, and other business type stuff. After the first two weeks of that class I was ready to drop kick not only the computer, but the 100 year old keyboard teacher. So, needless to say, reading the article "How To Write a Cover Letter" brought back some very unwelcome memories. I totally understand the importance of a formal letter, and yea, nicely typed documents with letter covers and all those fancy letterheads and what not look nice, but they just make me cringe a bit.
I have personally never had an interview (my job was literally handed to me when I turned 15; lucky me) or ever had to fill out a resume, but I do see the importance of formal writing in job settings. My little brother is currently searching for a job, so he is in the process of filling out those pesky little applications for every fast food restaurant he can find, so this topic is somewhat fresh in my mind. Since he is only a junior in high school and he's applying for fast food jobs, he isn't really required to write out detailed cover letters on why Taco Bell should hire him.
I really didn't learn anything new after reading these articles, but I must say, these were far less boring than that year long keyboarding class I took years ago.

Pop-Up

I chose to write my Pop-Up Scholarship assignment on a Time Magizine article I found about the author of the famous books "Twilight", Stephanie Meyer. I chose this article, because at the current moment, I am rather interested with this particular author, and her works. I also really enjoy reading Time Magizine and a majority of its articles. After reading the article I found online, I found out some facts that I had not previously known about Stephanie Meyer and her thoughts on her famous writings. I have always been a fan of Stephanie Meyer, since the release of the first book in the series, Twilight.
However, I am not much of an editor, so I personally found this assignment a little frustrating. I have not declared a major yet, so I could not really choose a piece of writing based upon my major, so I just chose something I enjoy reading.
Throughout the article, I found myself mostly removing sentences and chunks of paragraphs that I found useless. I hardly added anything to the piece of writing from my own thoughts, in my own words, except for the occational comment here and there. I aproached this assignment, somewhat dreading it due to my lack of ability to edit works of literature, or writings. Even in high school, I sometimes skipped out of my English class when I knew we were going to be peer editing papers. I am not really sure why I dislike it so much; probably because I am not too good at it.
The piece of writing I chose pretty much went hand in hand with my opinons on the Twilight books, and their author Stephanie Meyer. The article was definetly written by someone who enjoyed reading Stephanie Meyer's books. With this in mind, I found it difficult to really edit it, because the opinons on the page, were what I would say, only worded much better.

Book to a Move? Not always great..

I have always been one of those people, who whenever asked how a book-turned-into-movie was, I always respond with a "oh the movie was good, but the book was MUCH better."
I found that I could relate with these articles on a few of the points they have made. Like the point that a couple of the articles made about how the Harry Potter movies are not as good as the books are. I would most definitely agree with this point. Personally, I am a huge fan of J.K Rowling's writings, and I have re-read the Harry Potter books many times over the 8 or 9 years they have been out. I have also seen all of the movies, and I would have to say the books are much better.
I understand the many problems and issues with trying to turn a great successful book into a motion picture. Books with magical elements might be harder to recreate than those books without the magic. Everyone is bound to imagine a scene with a dragon flying around spitting fire differently. To try and put that type of imagination into a film would be difficult. I actually know people who refuse to watch the Harry Potter movies because they are afraid the movie will ruin their perception of the magical aspects in the books.
However, I would have to say that I would much rather watch the movie The Godfather, than read the book. That is my personal preference of course, and I am sure there are people who would rather enjoy the book. Another personal example would be the book A Walk to Remember. I have done both; watch the movie and read the book and I would have to lean more towards liking the movie more. I guess it's really just up to the audiences preference.

Comics; Action Packed Fun

I found these articles to be some what eye opening. I have always just thought of comics as being easy to create; sort of just throwing captions to little drawings in little boxes. After I read through these articles, I came to realize that it is much much more than just that. You have to actually put work into making a creative, and interesting comic.
I actually have a tiny bit of second hand experience with comic books. My older brother has always been very artistically creative ever since he was able to finger paint. He would literally bring home finger paintings of his kinder garden teacher, that had great detail. But anyway, my brother was always drawing little characters with captions on pretty much all of his papers, bringing a form of life to every paper he touched with his pencil. He actually put together a few comic strips himself over the years, and if I must say so myself, they were pretty awesome. The drawings on each slide were detailed enough that you could almost see movement throughout them. Not only is my brother extremely talented with art, but he has the best sense of humor you can get. His comics literally made whoever read them laugh out loud, and each slide transitioned perfectly to the next, so your eyes just kept flowing through, slide to slide.
Other than my brothers comics, I have never really read a lot of them. Unless you count the Sunday Funnies page.
I liked how in the article "Visual Language: Writing for Comics" the author of the article included steps on how to creatively compose an interesting comic. I found some of them interesting. However, since I really do not plan on writing my own comic anytime soon, the information given was just extremly informing.

National Writing Day

I decided to post the beginning of a piece of creative writing that I had to write for a composition class a few years ago while I was in High School. I decided to post this creative writing, because I personally think creative writing is extremely important. I'm the type of person would could sit and read creative stories, and books all day. When I think of a piece of creative writing, I think of a way for someone to escape their own world and sort of jump into another, through that piece of literature. For as long as I can remember, I have been totally in love with reading any type of fictional writing. When I think of creative writing, I automatically think of descriptive, creative writing that is meant to paint a scene in it's reader's mind, not just inform them of what is happening throughout the story line.
I also decided on this piece of writing, because it was the only thing I could really think of that I felt like sharing with other people. Most of my writing is very personal, and can't find it in me to share that kind of stuff with people, considering on how shy of a person I am, even online. But since I wrote this many years ago, I felt it was alright, and it has nothing to do with me, so I'm fine with posting it online.
As you can tell by the piece of writing I posted on the website, creative writing is not my strong point. Then again, writing in general is not really my strong point. I have always kept a diary for as long as I can remember, and my boyfriend is currently deployed in Afghanistan, so writing letters are a part of my everyday life, but writing for other people, such as papers, and even blogs, is not my cup of tea. I would much rather read. Since I am more of the reader than the writer, I know how important a good piece of creative writing can be. I would much rather read a story that is full of detail and new words that make me think, than read a piece of writing lacking detail and using everyday words. When I read for pleasure, I love when the author of the writing puts such description behind their words, that it is almost like watching the book play out in my mind.
Personally, I think that the reader of a piece of writing is just as important as the writer themselves. If an author writes something that no one will want to read, then what is really the point? So whenever someone is writing a creative piece of writing, they should always keep their readers in mind. When you are reading something, would you rather have it painted out all nice and pretty for you or would you rather have to guess what the author is trying to say, and wishing you were reading something else? This is why I think descriptive writing is extremely important in any type of writing, but most importantly, creative writing. If only we could somehow get text book authors to be more creative; maybe more people would actually enjoy reading their works.

Creative Writing

I must say that I'm not much of a creative writer myself, but I really do enjoy reading the works of those who are talented in creative writing. I had chose the article on descriptive writing because I really thought that it showed really good examples of description and how and where to apply it. The piece of information that I'm taking from it would be the 'show don't tell'. When you are writing, you want to show your audience what you're trying to say, not have them need to sit there and try to paint their own picture in their head. I've always enjoyed the stories that paint the picture of the setting, or characters in your head and reading it is almost like watching a movie. I find that when books are detailed like this, its hard to put them down. This may sound nerdy, but when I'm in the middle of a really descriptive book, and I need to go do something else I find myself thinking about the book, and wondering what is going to happen next. Those kinds of books are probably the best. I would much rather read a Harry Potter book that is packed with characterization and details than watch a movie lacking description. I think that creative writing is in the top two most important forms of writing. It can be personal, or shared, and is a great way to show what you're thinking through great details.

Tsk Tsk Plagiarism is bad.

After reading the articles on plagiarism, I have taken a much different view on the subject. I knew kids back in high school who would just copy and paste text from online sources like websites and Wikipedia while writing their paper. I can honestly say I was never one of those kids who would use other people's work as their own. However, I totally agree with the article "Scientists Explain Why They Plagiarize" on how copying and pasting these days is so easy to do. There have been many times when I've been racing the clock to finish a paper and the thought of just hopping on a website and using their information seemed oh so easy and just simply convenient. Luckily I have enough self respect and respect for the original author to do that. When I think of someone plagiarizing another person's paper, for example, I always wonder how the original author would feel about that. Unless that person put their writing out there precisely for people to use as their own, I'm pretty sure they would not like it.
In high school I knew a lot of people who would rather just half ass their papers. Not only is plagiarizing the easy way out, but it pretty much means that sitting in all of those writing classes, and doing all of that homework, meant nothing because in the end you don't even use your own brain and thoughts to get that final grade. Yeah it took you an entire hour to find that perfect paper and switch a word here and there, but you will never get that feeling of accomplishment when you receive an A, as you would if you wrote it on your own.
I can see where some people think plagiarizing is the easy way out. Maybe they're horrible at writing papers, or maybe they're just too busy. However, I really believe that just using someone else's work is down right lazy, and if you know you suck at writing, then get some help, not just copy and paste. How will you ever become a better writer if you don't learn how to do it yourself?

Stranger Then Fiction

I think that what we have viewed so far in the movie Stranger then Fiction is a really cool way to look at writers block. It shows the authors struggle with trying to finish her book with the perfect ending, and how really stressful it could be. I have had writers block plenty of times, even a few times during this blog actually, and I know how stressful it can be. You really try to find those perfect words to make that perfect sentence to describe what you're trying to say to your desired audience. I totally understand why the author in the movie turns to chain smoking and drinking alcohol; the stress that comes with writers block can be enormous. With the author in Stranger Then Fiction, not only does she have writers block , but she also is trying to meet a deadline, and end the book with a 'bang'. That amount of pressure on a person can be tremendously hard on you.

Books on the Go!

After reading these three articles, I have a better understanding on the whole E-Book thing. I have heard about it before, but me being the old fashion book lover never took an interest in learning more about the thing. I just found out after reading this articles that the E-Book could be an extremely useful device. As long as your E-Book has Internet access, you can purchase whatever book, article, or reading material you would like. Now that, I think, is extremely useful. As soon as I read that I instantly began thinking of the use anyone could get out of something like that. You could download any book you want to read while you wait forty five minutes to get in to see your dentist. Before this device if you were only able to read your favorite book in the dentist office, if you brought it with you. How inconvenient to carry around one of Stephen Kings huge 700 plus paged books. Now all you would need is your handy dandy little E-Book. People in this day of age are hardly ever home. They are always on the move whether working, going to school, or doing whatever. With this device, busy people who love to read, can actually continue reading without having to slow down their busy lives. I really find this a cool thing.
On the other hand, I love curling up with one of my favorite books and reading through it, turning each page with my fingers. On an E-Book, that would not be possible. Also, there are many more people writing online these days than ever before. In one of the articles it explains the way that actual books (made with paper) start with the author, and end with the readers. Books and other types of writings these days are done online, where people are allowed to comment and give their piece of mind. That way the author of this piece of writing can alter their writing to please their intended audience. This is a new way of writing. If I were a famous writer, who made a living and a profit off of my fans who read my writings, I would definitely want their opinions before I sent out the finished project. The same article also said, that since many people are writing online now, they are saving money because they are not going through the entire publishing process. Personally, I think the whole writing online idea is great and not only gets people who are writing more out there, but it is helping those who love to read, read wherever they wish. Technology just keeps getting more advanced and will continue to advance as the years go on. If you think online writing, or reading is a stupid concept, then don't do it. There are however people out there who love the idea and will continue to use it. It is really up to you to decide if it is for you or not.

Online Writing: Good or Evil

Many people have different opinions on the subject of writing online. Those who are in favor of it, agree that Twitter, Facebook, and blogging helps people write in their everyday lives. Those who can not agree with the subject of online writing, seem to think that blogging, and twitter are useless online websites.
Those people who use and are in favor of online writing, say that any kind of writing is good practice for formal writing. In one online article, the author said practice makes perfect, therefore online writing helps. However, the same article says that 30 years ago, people were more apt to talk to one another face to face, and now we would much rather use some sort of online communication. I would have to agree with that. Using Facebook and Twitter makes it easier to get in contact with someone. Thinking back 30 years ago when there were only telephones, it would be difficult to get a hold of someone. Instead of waiting by the phone, you would just need to check your Facebook, or email to talk to the person. It all seems so much simpler.
In the article "Traditional Writing Skills Don't Work on the Web" the author explains how the writing we are used to, can't be used online. Considering the fact that Twitter only allows 140 characters per entry, you must condense everything you want to say. Therefore all of the information we have learned about writing throughout every English class we have taken, is thrown out the window when it comes to writing online. The author also states that in many pieces of formal writing, the writer is giving us completely useless information. The sentences they are giving us are pretty much running in a complete circle. The author then goes on to say that the good thing about Twitter and Facebook is that we get right to the point due to the lack of space. I agree with that statement. If Twitter did not have a character limit, there would be people typing out their life stories. Who really wants to sit there and read about what they had for breakfast and who they're meeting for lunch. I admit, I like to skim my Facebook page reading my friends statuses, but I usually skip right over the lengthy ones. I say get right to the point you are trying to make, boring or not. It is up to the reader if they would like to read it.

Blog on the Readings #1

After reading all of the required texts, I found that each author had a different opinion on the topic of blogging and such Internet websites as Twitter. A few of the articles were leaning more towards the idea of twitter, Facebook, and blogging being pointless and didn't involve any intelligent conversations. On Twitter and Facebook, people have the option to posts status updates and many people just post "cleaning my room" or "taking a nap". One author of an online article said that those types of status updates are pretty much pointless. There is no base for a good conversation with the topic of "I just fed my dog". An author argued that if you're posting a status online or blogging, make sure it has a strong enough subject for others to have a conversation based from it. Topics lacking depth are pointless. There are however, some people who update their status every other hour, making sure that everyone they are friends with know what they're doing throughout their entire day. Post such as that are not only pointless, but pretty annoying as well.
However, there were some good points made in favor of blogging. People say that any kind of writing, blogging or not, is good writing. Any type of writing is useful in everyday life. Many jobs require daily writing, and using such online forms of communication are good practice to continue writing throughout the day. Even short sentences on how your day is going so far (but keeping it short and not telling every detail from the moment you woke up, on) is a good way to keep the writing flowing along.
Personally, I'm not the type of person to update my status everyday. My Facebook for example, has had the same status for probably the past two months. I do however, like viewing the status of people on my friends list. A lot of them are pointless, and I tend to skip over them, but sometimes you come across a funny one that makes you laugh, even if it's pointless.

My 1st English Blog

This is my first time using a blogging system, so hopefully I'm doing everything right.