Thursday, December 20, 2007

Toward the Future/ From the Past

1.I thought that writing a play was really frustrating because you couldn't describe how exactly a character was feeling or looking. When you write a play, you have to incorporate everything through the dialogue. A strength in plays is the ability to use language to convey emotion. It was fun to be able to write in mostly dialogue. It was surprisingly hard to show action in play writing. I don't think I would ever be interested in writing anything like a play ever again.

2. I might want to write a personal essay about camp experiences, spring break in Florida, spring break in Arizona, or conflicts between my family. I may want to talk about moving from Texas to Minnesota or moving from Grove St to Cahill Ln. Through my stories I wish to convey how friends are always there for you even when your family sucks. Also, tough times bond those who go through them together. Other ideas i wish to develop through my stories are being in a new environment allows people to adapt and change, change can be good but it also is hard to accept.

3. The advice I would give to a 10 year-old is that life is about to get a little more complicated, so appreciate every single day you have before you are off to middle school. Spend more time with your friends and stop watching tv or playing videogames. You are going to regret not taking advantage of your youth. Don't focus too much on the future, but always dream of your near impossible goals. Don't follow everyone else, make your own path. Make new friends, but never forget your old ones. Later in life you are going to miss your carefree days, so savor them while you can. I give advice based on my experiences and other people's experiences from that age. I give the advice I give because I miss the days when I could just pretend and have a great day.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Pirandello

1. I think that the theme of a work is one of the most important. If you write something with no meaning then there is no reason for it to be read. The intention behind a work is often what leads to the theme, and it is the intention that is most important in a work. A great piece of literature needs to be able to express some idea because without a good main idea the piece wouldn't be necessarily great. For those who think that a great work does not need a main idea, i believe that clear ideas are necessary for a work to be exciting or interesting. Almost all works convey some type of theme. Like in in Harry Potter, there are themes of friendship, good triumphing over evil, and love.

2. I think that works written a long time ago and are still popular today because those who wrote them were able to send a message through there work. Even when it is set in a different time, there are still some of the same issues present in old works. Like conflicting families and young love in Romeo and Juliet. I could never see myself creating a work that would be passed down through the generations just because I don't think any writing I have done is powerful enough.

3. If I could have one life lasting impact on the world through writing it would be to send a message that not necessarily changes the world, but instead show the world that there is good, love, friendship, and trust even in the coldest places. For the world basically sucks and if people were able to see the good and the hope then maybe things could change. As a writer I doubt I will ever have this impact on the world though. It would be important for the message to get out there somehow. If I was some great writer I would try to get my message out through great novels and short poems.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Thinker

1. One thing that concerns me is poor children not being able to have access to a proper education. If people want to better themselves they should have that oppurtunity. It really sucks for people who work hard and still can't further themselves. I think that some poor people in a way are doomed because they do try to get out of poverty, but not all of them have access to the appropriate oppurtunities. It bothers me that we live in a world where there are places that people can't go to school or get a job that pays enough to survive.

2. A person who has a dynamic personality is very talkative and personal. They could relate themselves to anyone and they are compassionate. They can go out every night and have a bunch of fun with people. They can stay home with their family and have a great bonding night. They are very versitile and outgoing. A person who is dynamic can take charge and make plans for the day but knows when to stop talking and listen.

3. A book that has greatly inspired me is any of the books written by Tamora Pierce. She writes about strong women set in a time when there was gender inequality. These women work hard and overcome many setbacks but in the end they achieve greatness.