As bad, or as cop-out as it sounds my writing identity, skill and voice was non-existent. Before this course i hated writing, and i refused to do it, not being good at it was a big part as to why, or at thinking that i wasn’t. My writing skill has progressed ten fold at least, i am so much more confident than even October. In just doing writing in journals and for assignments, i have learned so much more, some of that learning came from Mrs. Hunnisett, and a lot from the other students, but the biggest portion of my evolution came from myself, just writing. Over the semester there have been a few times when i have been able to clearly see how I’ve changed, my “it’s raining” piece, my spoken word and most recently my short story. Now i am by no means where i want to be, but i am a lot closer than i ever have been before, I don’t think i will ever love writing on the same level as others, but I won’t dread when i have to wright, and can be proud of the pieces i have made. I have a lot to work on, spelling, gumps, and structure, just to name the big ones, but that is all stuff i can easily fix with the help of others, my actual writing is to a level i can accept. I try to branch out and try to write in different styles, but i think i am most comfortable, good at, and enjoy writing, dark monologue type pieces, usually with at least a little romance thrown in for fun, and because i like it. Now to all those who come after me; I’m sure the people who love to write don’t need any advice from me so i won’t offer any, who i will offer advice to is the people who entered this course to pass the 30-1 diploma, write, write, and then do some more writing, try out new styles, themes, or structures, keep trying out new things until you find what fits for you, but keep branching out as well. I have found that just writing is the only way to improve, and worry about your words, not your grammar, spelling or what others will think, just get the words down, you can always improve the looks of your piece after.
Me as a blogger is a totally different story than me as a writer, i am not the most social person, and as such i don’t like my blog or putting things on my blog. You really can’t develop if you don’t do anything, so me as a blogger is a sad tale, i haven’t used my blog all that much, and i have avoided it at all possible points. My blog needs a lot of improvement, but i can’t force myself to care enough to put in the effort that it needs to be good, i don’t like blogging, and my blog has suffered because of that. My blog will lay bare when this course is over, i don’t plan to use it again, i just don’t like the social aspect, i would much rather just read out loud and get feedback. If I’m not lying, and your still reading after i just said i hated blogging, i would have to say that i would not continue to follow any blogs, i am not close enough to any one who i think would still use theirs, to justify following anyone. I have checked out a few different professional blogs, I have not enjoyed my time exploring them, I don’t care to much for the backstory of how people write, or their progress on something, Unless you call fanfiction a blog, in which case i love those blogs, but other than that i just don’t care for the personality behind the writing in the most case, and you get a lot more of that in blogging than in reading something more traditional.
Now back to a more positive side of me, me as a student. The biggest “aha” moment i can remember is Grace and Sheema’s writers seminar, that was were i first discovered my voice, and that maybe, just maybe i didn’t hate writing as much as i thought I did. It wasn’t really a time where i learned a new skill, or where i was incredibly creative, but it was the first time ever, and i mean in my entire life, where i was proud of what i had done, at the time it was a very foreign feeling, but it has sent cascades through the rest of my year, i am proud of my writing on a consistent basis, and i have learned so much, just from writing, a little monologue type thing in 5 minutes. As a reader, I still haven’t branched out much, i stick mostly to straight to the point, young adult fiction, I plan to read more in depth pieces next semester, when some of them are mandatory reading in 10-1 English. The best book i have read all semester is ‘Flowers for Algernon’, a big part of that is because my brother was charlie in a play form that i really liked, but i also really liked the book, and it was one of the only entertainment products that brought me to near tears. My accomplishment list isn’t very long, but it does mean a lot, i found my voice and confidence, It’s not a huge thing like getting published, but it is big for me because it really allows me to be free, i have never been good at physical art so, finally being at least proficient at writing finally allows me to express so much more of who i am. I plan to take creative writing again, and not just because Mrs. Hunnisett is the best, i may have learned to write, but i still have a lot more to learn about writing, and can improve a lot more, not to mention it is a very fun course.
For our writers Seminar, we chose Michael Grant, not because his a hugely influential writer, or because he changed or lives, or even because he is our favorite (mine is Drew Karpyshyn) but because we believe that you don’t have to be world acclaimed to be a good writer, you can just write straight forward books, and still be successful. Michael Grant writes mostly, supernatural, and apocalyptic books, most famously the gone series, which in later book titles references the four horses of the Apocalypse. Mr. Grand didn’t really teach me much, other than that it is totally OK to suck, as long as you go back and try to fix your writing although i did not emulate one of his pieces. The most inspiring writing seminar by another group was JK Rowling, she isn’t all that inspiring to me, but one day i do want to read all the harry potter books. So i guess she inspires me more as a reader than as an author.
My favorite piece of writing i have done is ‘Its raining’ https://g8m8848.edublogs.org/2015/10/28/its-raining/
The inspiration for the title was the line in Grace and Sheema’s writers seminar, it just made me think of this. The purpose of this piece isn’t all that interesting, it was just a piece that i wrote with some inspiration from the line “it’s raining” and some from some piece of writing i read a while ago, and can hardly remember. I really wanted to make a darker piece, with a hint of romance, because well, i like romance. Other than that, i tried to make it about mental illness, as the main character has a little bit of a mental problem, it was a little weird to write, but i tried to put a bit of a dark poetic spin on her thoughts. This piece was the first piece that taught me that maybe, just maybe, i can write.
My poem ” I don’t know” https://g8m8848.edublogs.org/2015/12/07/i-dont-know/
In this piece the title says it all, it really is just simply about me not knowing what i want, nor what to do. This piece started with me trying to think of an interesting line to start and end with, “I don’t know if these chains are real,” was born from this, all the rest of was just what flowed from my heart. I was the intended audience, in this piece i was trying to convince myself that it was ok to be confused, and not know what to do, this was born from a time were i was lost and was doubting myself. My favorite poet is Shane, i tried to take some of his style as well as doing my own thing, i think i succeeded with my own style, but i kind of failed with other style. The main revision i went through was adding the repetitious line, a suggestion from Sheema. I do think that this poem was good, and i liked writing and performing it.