Good-Bye May Seem Forever, Farewell Just Like the End . . .

1. I liked how I write about my own experiences like a novel. I could express the feelings of others through their actions which made it more powerful and more engaging to the reader.
I could describe the story in more detail than creating it out of fiction which made it more believable than fiction (obviously).
Because it was a personal essay, I couldn’t tell exactly how the other character’s felt. I couldn’t also tell the story from different perspectives.

2. Reading is such an important skill. You have to use it multiple times everyday. Without it in today’s world, you would be like a paralyzed person. Reading books regularly is equally as important. Reading novels allows you to expand your knowledge and perspectives of the world. You would become more intellectual as your vocabulary would increase. You also become a better writer because seeing others’ works would let you use their novels as a template or idea bank to make your writing more effective. You could write faster as ideas would come faster and would be better. You would also write more creatively as many novels give you different writing styles to draw upon.
3. Reflect on what you've written in Creative Writing this semester.
What is your favorite piece that you've written? Talk about why it's your favorite piece.
My favorite piece of writing was the play because I enjoyed writing it.
What has been your favorite genre? Explain your thoughts.
I like writing poems because you have to be more creative and decisive with what words you choose (and they’re short!).
Which piece was the greatest challenge for you to write? Explain why.
The personal essay was the hardest because it was hard to choose on what to write about in my life experiences.
Is there a piece you wrote that, in reflection, you didn't care for? Explain.
I didn’t like writing a bunch of poems for the portfolio because it took a long time, and I had to write it fast.
What skill from Creative Writing do you think you will use in other forms of writing/outside of class. Tell why.
I really don’t know. Probably ill use my creative writing skills for English classes in college.

4. Quiz
Pepsi
Li'l Wayne
Arby's
Chiptole
American Idol
Florida
New York City
Rose
Ross Jr.
Mexico
none-I don’t know

5. Can you figure out what Disney movie my blog title comes from? no

An Unexcitingly Titled Blog

1. What is one principle that guides you in life? This may be something you are consciously aware of as a force in your life, or it could be something unintentional. Some examples of guiding principles could be "I value education," "I value family above everything else," or "I won't be happy without money." There is no condemnation for your guiding principle. State your principle, then explain how it shapes your life. Also talk about why that is a guiding principle and why it is important to you. Write at least 100 words.

I believe happiness is the key to life and that people have a right to be happy. I believe that it takes a lot of effort and work to become happy. I think that accumulation of material things and wealth doesn’t make happiness, but inhibits happiness because of human nature, one always wants more than one has. Rather, I think that helping/serving others and becoming selfless makes one happier. Just look at African tribes and how much happiness they have. They barely have anything yet by helping each other and working together, they become happier. I think one of the main problems of our society is depression and unhappiness. I hope I can become a happier person through life.

2. What is one news event from the past year or so that has had some sort of impact on you, changed the way you viewed the world, or made you think. Explain what the event was and take us through the process of how it changed you. Write at least 75 words about it.

I believe the news event that impacted my life the most was 9/11. I was only in sixth grade when it happened. I was inn art class working on a drawing when someone from the hallway told our teacher that something happened to the world trade centers. At first, I didn’t believe it and I was a little confused. My art teacher turned it on and there was the proof. I was in disbelief. All this time I felt safe in the US, but now anything could happen to me. This event opened my eyes and made me look at the world differently.

3. What is one thing you hope to accomplish in 2008? Talk about why it is so important to you, as well as how you want to accomplish it. Write at least 100 words about it. If you can't say anything more about what you want to accomplish, write about other things to help you write more.

I hope/expect to graduate from high school, obviously, because I just was accepted to St. Olaf College. I also hope to win at the regional robotics competition and get into the national competition in Atlanta. Since I join the robotics team last year, I always wanted to have the robot we build to win a regional. Last year, we got to the semifinals in the regional and qualified for the national. I hope this year we do better in the regional and qualify in the national competition.

Toward the Future/From the Past

1. Congratulations! You wrote your first play. Reflect on your experiences here in paragraph form. Be sure to including explanation for your ideas. Write at least 75 words.

I thought it was hard to express the character’s thoughts and feelings in a play because I had to work it in the dialogue. Also, explaining terms, background info, and flashbacks are hard to translate to play form through the dialogue. I thought it was convenient to write in play form for setting and for character’s actions. I thought it was a fun challenge to write a playwright than in novel form because I’m not used to writing plays.

2. Now that you have an idea about what a personal essay is and does, write down some ideas of what story you may want to relate AND what ideas you may want to express with that story. Write at least 100 words (though, the more you have, the more helpful it will be).

I was thinking of writing about a mission trip I went on last summer with my church to build a house for a Mexican family. I think it would be a good choice because the experience was memorable and because it was the first time I traveled to a developing country. I could describe how different it was being in Mexico than America and how it differed from my expectations. I could also describe the experience of building a house and being at the base camp. I could describe the various delicious foods that were served at the camp. I could also describe how sweet and thankful the Mexican family was.

3. If you could give advice to a kid who was 10 years old, what advice would you give him or her on growing up in today's world? Would you give advice based upon your own experiences? Would you give advice based upon what you see in others? Would you advice be based on their thoughts, their choices, peer issues, school? Explain your advice and why you give it. Write at least 100 words.

I would tell the 10 year old boy to remain sociable and not waste his time with videogames, although some game time is acceptable (just don’t get addicted). I would suggest that he remain active with sports although not have his whole life become them. I would tell him to make his best effort in school and do all his homework on time in order to get good grades. I’d tell him to challenge himself with higher level courses (such as AP) to get into a good college so that he could advance into graduate school and get a lucrative job/career.

Luigi Pirandello, playwright: "A man will die, a writer, the instrument of creation: but what he has created will never die!"

1. How important is theme in what you write? Does a great piece of literature need to express an idea? Explain your thoughts on the matter using examples from things you've read. In your response, address the opposing viewpoint. (Write at least 100 words.)

I think it is very important to include a theme in my writing or any writing for that matter because theme gives writing a purpose. People rarely write for the sake of writing. Most people write for a purpose and convey a message through a theme to the reader. Same thing goes for me. I don’t usually write just for writing because that would be dull and uninteresting. Theme gives writing a deeper meaning and more interesting. In my poems I wrote, I included a theme within each of them in my portfolio. In my poem “time”, I included the theme that time affects people in many ways and governs our lives.

2. Great works of literature can last a long time. Jane Austen's novels (including Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility) are still popular almost 200 years after they were first published. Anne Bradstreet's poems have survived about 400 years. The works of Greek playwright Euripides (who wrote Medea) have survived for over 2000 years. What do you think causes great literary works to live forever? Could you ever foresee yourself writing something that lasts that long? (Write at least 75 words.)

Those literary works last forever because they have a profound effect on society. For example, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen criticized the upper class of society for their customs and ways. Many of Greeks philosophers or play writer are remembered because their works are the most ancient in western culture as well as first to venture in philosophy. Usually works that especially controversial in the time written or popular for a given literary period is remembered by society.

3. If you could have one long-lasting impact on the world around you, what would you want it to be? Explain why that is important to you and how, as a writer, you could have the chance to make that impact. (Write at least 100 words.)

As a writer, if I had the chance to change anything in the world I would eliminate all current deadly diseases by writing the antibodies needed to defeat them in a manual.
However, in the current realm of possibility, as a writer I would write about all the truths of the world, how things are the way they are. I would go to the most oppressed, the exploited and the poor people of the world and write about how they got the way they are and what can be done to help them. I would make it so that ignorant people of the world would realize the problems of these people so that the world can be a better place.

"I am a thinker and I think thinks"

1. What concerns me in this world is that more people are concerned about the environment (forests, global warming) and animals (endangered) than human beings dying of diseases (AIDS, HIV) and poor nutrition because they are too poor. Environmentalists think more highly of animals than human beings. They believe than humans are the polluters of the world and that animals should be treated with more respect than the average human being.

Happiness

1. Happiness is: -feeling or showing pleasure, contentment, or joy.
-feeling satisfied that something is right or has been done right.
-resulting unexpectedly in something pleasant or welcome.

2. What makes me happy is seeing others become happy because of what I did. I'm also happy when I see others enjoy or appreciate my work. Working on something that will later be appreciated makes me happy as well.

3. I think my parents have a great influence on my happiness. When my parents are in a bad mood, I tend to not be as happy and vice versa. Weather also tends to affect my happiness as crummy weather or darkness at an early hour can decrease my happiness and vice versa.

4. I think I affect the happiness or my parents significantly as well. I believe I have some influence on the happiness of my friends too. In addition, I can influence the happiness of my cats by giving them attention or by playing with them.

5. My greatest need is probably to be happy which is directly related to happiness obviously. The most important thing is to be happy because as human being we have a right to be happy. To be happy requires effort and commitment which is difficult for most people.

Assignment #8

Brainstorm ideas for pictures to go with my poems in my portfolio:

<--What is art?

<---- Music

<---Time