In this blog post I will be discussing my writing process during the creation of my Life-Choice Memoir. By looking over these questions and answering them honestly, I will have a better chance at composing a well written final piece. In order to enhance my knowledge regarding reflective writing, I viewed an informational video and took notes to really get a solid understanding of this type of writing.
1. Who did you work with to compose your life-choice memoir? Was this a good approach? I worked on this piece alone. Right now I do not need any help considering that these are situations that I have literally lived through. I feel as though the first rough draft is just getting thoughts down on paper, so there really is no need to ask for someone else's opinion at the moment. However, once I begin to revise I will definitely ask a friend, relative or my professor for assistance throughout the process. 2. What rhetorical mode and genre are you using? I am using a narrative mode and the genre is non-fiction. My Life-Choice Memoir is a true story that happened during my childhood. 3. When did you write this project? Good approach? I began writing this project only a few days ago. I feel as though I work best in the morning or afternoon, evenings are an absolute disaster for me. I drink a cup of coffee every morning and once that first sip hits my soul I’m ready to tackle anything that comes my way. I’m more lively and focused, my thinking is crisp, whereas in the evening, after about 8:00 p.m. I’m ready to curl up in bed and watch a movie. 4. Where did you write this project? Good approach? I wrote this project at my house, in my room. I find it a lot easier to concentrate in a quiet area that I am familiar with, rather than a public place such as a library or a coffee house. It is much easier for me to get lost in my writing in my room because I feel comfortable and relaxed. Usually I will light a candle and turn off my cell phone to completely diminish any distractions. I have noticed that when I am in a public area, my eyes wander. Any little sound or sudden movement grabs my attention which then leads to procrastination. 5. Why did you choose to write about your chosen topic? Good choice? I chose this topic because it didn’t only impact my life, but my fathers. I feel as though many others can relate to this topic and I wouldn’t be too surprised if someone else chose to write about a similar event that happened during their childhood. This topic also has a lot of informational background about school sports and drama, so I don’t think I’ll have any issues trying to incorporate details. 6. How did it feel to write this narrative ("during, after, and since")? Do you have any "if only" moments that can help you revise the draft? To be honest, it was heartbreaking at some moments. Every now and then I would have flashbacks, it was like I was a child again and I was completely immersed in fear. I kept getting angry at myself for not continuing my participation in softball and I continuously found myself wondering...wondering what life would be like right now if I hadn’t given it up. 7. How will you revise your narrative? I mentioned above that I would like to receive another person's opinion while revising my narrative. I believe that this is the best way to construct a writing piece because it helps the author get a better understanding of what the audience wants to hear. The more opinions a writer gets, the better.
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Hills Like White Elephants (Ernest Hemingway) seems to be an odd piece of writing at first, but after reading it several times I have a completely different perspective about this story. The author is very indirect, which makes it harder for the reader to comprehend the text; but overall I enjoyed this writing piece because the ending is not very clear, meaning that I could conclude the story however I wanted.
1. Does she stay in her relationship with the man? After reading the story the first time I looked over the response questions again and immediately assumed that the answer would be written clearly in the text like most short stories. I read through the story a second time and a third, a fourth, a fifth and so on. I must have read Hills Like White Elephants about ten times until I finally figured out what was going on. As I stated above, the ending is very unclear, so therefore readers do not really know whether or not the girl decides to stay in her relationship with the man. In my opinion, I believe that the girl wishes to continue her relationship with the man, but the man refuses. This is evident because I noticed that the girl in this story must be young because the author refers to her as “the girl” and the waitress is referred to as “the woman.” Her partner, the man, must be older which explains why he is so against keeping the baby. Maybe he has a wife that the girl does not know about and he doesn’t want to be exposed as a cheater. “He did not say anything but looked at the bags against the wall at the station. There were labels on them from all the hotels where they had spent nights” Hills Like White Elephants (Ernest Hemingway). This girl may have just been a mistress that the man took along on trips in order to keep her away from his friends and family. Since she is young she may be very desperate for love, meaning that she is so oblivious to his double life. There are so many different ways that this story could have ended, and the text is so indirect that we as readers really have no clue what happens. It’s a bit mysterious to think about what the author had in mind. 2. When have you made a important choice to stay in a relationship or leave a relationship -- OR -- stay or leave a difficult situation? I encourage you to write a scene that shows the moment. Consider using dialogue. The podcast What You Don't Know (Lulu Wang) tells a story about a family who is faced with a tragic incident and they must decide whether they want to lie or tell the truth to a relative who is diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. Lula and her family work together to make Nanai’s last few months memorable and the outcome is amazing, but was it the right thing to do? 1. Did you agree with the family's choice to deceive Wang's grandmother? Yes I did agree with the family’s choice to deceive Wang’s grandmother for a multitude of reasons. In the text we are reminded plenty of times that Wang’s relatives are a traditional Chinese-American family, therefore they have strong beliefs in their Chinese culture. “My mom told me about an old Chinese belief called chongxi. Chong means to rinse out, and xi is joy. So chongxi is the belief that you can wash away a misfortune with joy”(Lula Wang). I feel that this Chinese belief is true, especially in the situation Wang and her family went through. Perhaps they had told Nanai the truth, maybe she would not have been blessed with another three years of life, maybe she would have passed away within the three months she was given. However, Nanai was granted another three years and throughout those three years she was full of joy and completely immersed in life itself. 2. When have you made an important choice to tell someone a difficult truth or you made an important choice to tell a lie that had a major impact on you and/or someone else? When I was younger I played softball all throughout my childhood up until 8th grade. By the time I could walk my dad had me out in the yard with a tiny pink glove and a squishy ball. As I got older he would take my little brother and I to Hopewell field to practice batting and fielding. We always had a blast and it was something I always looked forward to. My dad would always tell us stories about his baseball experiences; one time he was playing for three different leagues at the same time so baseball basically consumed his childhood. He was obsessed. My family and I would go to at least fifteen Phillies games every season; it was always a huge event and we went all out. I played for EBYA and when I got to middle school I joined the league there. I was always really good at softball, I almost always had an amazing play or hit every game. My dad was convinced that I’d play throughout high school and receive a scholarship to play in college, but that’s not what happened. When I went to highschool my life completely changed; I was so wrapped up in my friends and boys. It was a whole new world and I wanted to explore every bit of it. So when try-outs rolled around the corner I had to tell my dad that I didn’t want to play softball anymore. I was a total mess and I put it off for weeks. I didn’t want to break his heart, he had such high hopes for me. Finally, I broke the news to him and at first he was disappointed but over time he learned to respect my decision. This happened about six years ago and I still regret my decision to give up on softball; sometimes I catch myself thinking about what my life would be like right now if I would have stuck with it. We still go to Phillies games every year together and sometimes we’ll have a catch if we can find the time. So all in all my passion for softball wasn’t completely lost. My Name is Margaret (Maya Angelou) is a sorrowful story about a young black girl named Margaret who is seeking to gain knowledge regarding household duties, such as meal preparation and proper table setting. Throughout her experience she is faced with many obstacles, one being her inconsiderate employer, Mrs. Cullinan. In return, Margaret rebels.
1. Did you agree with Margaret's choice to break the casserole dish and two green glass cups? No, I do not agree with Margaret’s choice to break the casserole dish and two green glasses. In my opinion, Margaret had every right to be upset with her employer, Mrs. Cullinan, for a multitude of reasons. However, I do not think Margaret should have dealt with the situation in a childish manner. If I were in her shoes, I would have asked to speak to my employer alone and then I would have proceeded to ask her nicely to call me by my real name. If my employer were to deny my wishes I would have left the job. On the other end, Mrs. Cullinan had no right to call Margaret by another name without her approval. In this particular situation, I believe that both parties were wrong and there may have been a better outcome if they had communicated with one another. 2. When have you made an important choice to either resist or not resist oppression, challenge the status quo, or refuse to obey an authority figure? Although I have not experienced the cruel, inhumane treatment Margaret had been put through, I have had my fair share of unpleasant treatment from authorities in work environments. I worked as a banquet server at a country club for three years and I really enjoyed the atmosphere, my co-workers and the hourly rate I received. The only con to it were the late night hours during the busy wedding season. Sometimes I wouldn’t get off until 3:00 a.m. and then I’d be scheduled to work an event the next morning at 8:00 a.m. The long hours really started catching up to me as the weeks went by. At one point, we were so short staffed, management insisted on having the experienced employees, me being one of them, to work double shifts meaning we could be there for thirteen hours in a day. This went on for quite some time and I didn’t mind it too much, but what really made me angry was the fact that management began to send employees home after only working five hours, but employees who had been in since 7:00 a.m. that day had to stay throughout the whole event. It was completely out of line and made no sense whatsoever. I noticed this was a recurring situation, so I spoke to the manager about the mistreatment me and other employees were receiving and he was very understanding. He decided that it was unfair and he made adjustments to fulfill everyone’s needs. I was very happy with the outcome of the situation and all it took was one simple conversation to change things. This blog post, The Proust Questionnaire, will give you an idea of who I am and hopefully will encourage others to speak to me in person rather than behind a screen, if we happen to share similar interests.
__1.__What is your idea of perfect happiness? Living in the middle of nowhere, in a house built from the ground up by me and the one I love __2.__What is your greatest fear? Heights __3.__What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? None. I’ve learned to accept myself for who I am. __4.__What is the trait you most deplore in others? Dishonesty __5.__Which living person do you most admire? My grandmother __6.__What is your greatest extravagance? Athletic gear __7.__What is your current state of mind? A tad chaotic, yet peaceful __8.__What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Acceptance __9.__On what occasion do you lie? I only lie to avoid going out when I really do not care to __10.__What do you most dislike about your appearance? Nothing __12.__What is the quality you most like in a man? Determination __13.__What is the quality you most like in a woman? Confidence __14.__Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “Oh my god” and “F***” __15.__What or who is the greatest love of your life? My boyfriend, Nolan __16.__When and where were you happiest? Jon Pardi concert, December 2016 __17.__Which talent would you most like to have? Flexibility __18.__If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Nothing __19.__What do you consider your greatest achievement? So far, graduating high school __20.__If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? A cat. I’d love to sleep all day and be spoiled __21.__Where would you most like to live? Georgia __22.__What is your most treasured possession? My compound bow __23.__What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Heart break __24.__What is your favorite occupation? Any occupation that involves physical activity __26.__What do you most value in your friends? Open mindedness and honesty. ZERO drama __30.__Who are your heroes in real life? My grandparents __31.__What are your favorite names? Jameson, Patrick, Nikki __32.__What is it that you most dislike? Insecure people __33.__What is your greatest regret? Trying to “fit in” with people who never really cared about me __34.__How would you like to die? Peacefully in my sleep __35.__What is your motto? Don’t give up This blog post has been put together to portray what interested me while reading the following texts. I chose these quotes because they either really stood out from the rest of the text or I could compare it to my own writing habits.
Teach Writing as a Process Not a Product (Don Murray) “Instead of teaching finished writing, we should teach unfinished writing, and glory in its unfinishedness.”(Don Murray) “We have to respect the student, not for his product, not for the paper we call literature by giving it a grade, but for the search for truth in which he is engaged. We must listen carefully for those words that may reveal a truth, that may reveal a voice.”(Don Murray) “...we teach English to our students as if it were a foreign language. Actually, most of our students have learned a great deal of language before they come to us, and they are quite willing to exploit that language if they are allowed to embark on a serious search for their own truth.”(Don Murray) The Daily Routines of Great Writers (Maria Popova) “When I’m really working I don’t like to go out or have anybody to dinner, because then I lose the hour. If I don’t have the hour, and start the next day with just some bad pages and nowhere to go, I’m in low spirits. Another thing I need to do, when I’m near the end of the book, is sleep in the same room with it.”(Joan Didion) “ A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”(E.B. White) “I write in spurts. I write when I have to because the pressure builds up and I feel enough confidence that something has matured in my head and I can write it down. But once something is really under way, I don’t want to do anything else.”(Susan Sontag) Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (Anne Lamott) “Now, practically even better news than that of short assignments is the idea of the shitty first drafts.”(Anne Lamott) “I always show my work to one of two people before sending a copy to my editor or agent.”(Anne Lamott) “But beginners are learning to play, and they need encouragement to keep their hands moving across the page.”(Anne Lamott) My Writing Process “It’s okay if you don’t get your paper written exactly how you would like. That’s what revising is for.” “If your body is telling you to take a break from writing a paper, do it. You will just stress yourself out in the long run.” “Learn to accept criticism. It’s only going to help your writing.” |
Brianna MageeI will use this blog to compose my thoughts and network with others. Archives
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