Blog #2

As long as I've been writing I've never really found it to be incredibly difficult for me to accomplish the task at hand. I always manage to write what needs to be written on time and get a decent/good grade on it. For me writing is like hiking up a mountain (Im not a big fan of hiking mountains). I see the paper as a big mountain in front of me that needs to be conquered. Brainstorming and trying to organize my thoughts is like taking the first step up from the base mountain. Once I start writing my paper and getting my thoughts onto the page its equivalent to setting a good pace on the hike up to the summit. Completing my paper and getting it ready to hand in is obviously like finally reaching the top. I guess the fact that writing is like this for me shows that Im not the type of person who enjoys writing. Its also says however that regardless of if I like to write or not, I always will get it done because I understand writing is important and necessary just like exercise (hiking up a mountain) is important. My attitude towards writing has always been, "Try your best and give this paper as much effort as you can despite the fact that you don't like writing. Grades are important and you can't get good grades without trying your best when it comes to writing". To be honest I came up with that metaphor myself; no media/writers had influence in me coming up with that metaphor. When I was younger, my parents always wanted me to keep a journal because they believed it would make me a better writer in the long run. I hated having to write in my journal everyday and maybe the fact that I had to do that is why I've always disliked writing for as long as I can remember.  Hopefully this class can somehow turn me into the type of person who enjoys writing. Life would be much easier if I did.

Blog #2 Emily Plower

“For me writing is like climbing a mountain when you are afraid of heights. “

“Writing is like an art form that everyone hopes to master.”

“To write something perfect is like writing directly from the heart. “

            Writing is scary. I never know where to exactly start or how to compose my thoughts and emotions. Although writing is a daunting task, I enjoy putting my thoughts down on paper. It provides a sense of relief and therapy. I have always had a journal growing up, it was never great literary works, but it served it purpose in letting my thoughts out. I have an incredible amount of envy for those writers that are good. I learned though what makes a writer “good” in Paule Marshall’s “The Poets in the Kitchen” is to write what you know and to write from real life.  Just as she draws from her experiences of watching the women in her community sit around the kitchen discussing the world. She takes away from those moments, a sense of personality, and style to the English language. Using real experiences from your own life and having that sense of raw emotions can make what you are writing, “beautiful” (as Grace Paley noted). As a writer my metaphors express my caution, yet want to be a good writer. As far as my history with writing goes I have always wrote, but not on the scale of real writers. My writings have always been in small tattered journals that I would receive as stocking stuffers on Christmas morning. The images in media that may have influenced my metaphors are in movies how they are often portrayed as these workaholics who spend day in and day out slaving on a typewriter by candlelight. This image that has been portrayed through the media has made me to believe that to be a true writer, one must devote their entire life. Which I realize is not the case necessarily. In Paule Marshall’s “The Poets in the Kitchen” he drew inspiration from what he called as the greatest poets, who were really just women in his community talking and discussing life. So this image I have portrayed in my mind is not near reality. Although when I read, Terry Tempest Williams’ “Why I Write” I felt as though this was the stereotypical “good writer”. What I mean when I say this is that Williams writes because he must. He has a driving force internally that pushes him to write. For him, writing seems essential to life and without writing he is not himself. I personally, cannot relate that strong of a relationship to writing, but I can appreciate that sense of drive he possesses.  Often times my writing in journals is very random and I hardly consider it writing, but more of a stream of conscious thoughts and feelings. I have always really related writing to different essays and assignments in classes, which have always seemed like that mountain to climb, when you’re afraid to even start. I hope one day to be a well-written individual and not to be intimidated by writing, but to just write from the heart and from experiences.

Blog #2 - Allison Clarke-Hall

        For me writing is like running on a treadmill; you use a lot of energy without actually moving from the spot you started in. When I sit down to write I use so much brain power to try to come up with an idea but it turns out the idea isn’t that great anyway and I don’t actually end up using it. It is sort of like how I feel now. I’m currently sitting at my desk in my dorm room trying to write this blog. Meanwhile, I’m being distracted by everything going on without actually writing anything. When I turn my focus back to my computer my ideas stop flowing. It’s as if a dam was placed in my brain to make the whole “ideas from brain-to-fingers” more like the Hoover Dam rather than Niagara Falls.

        One writer who has made me feel this way is Ray Bradbury. In the 9th grade in my honors lit class, the first book assigned was Fahrenheit 451. We were told to read the first three chapters for homework that night and there would be a quiz on it the following day of class. Now, I went home and read the first three chapters of that novel and I felt I definitely understood what was happening. I figured it was a classic dystopian society except books were illegal and firemen actually started fires instead of putting them out. The next day in lit class, we were handed out the quiz and I was shocked to see that it was only five questions and there it was also free response. When I assumed the shock was over, I began to read the questions. I recall one of them asking what color the curtain was in the main character’s house and what did that color represent. The other four questions were worded in similar fashion. As it turns out, I didn’t actually read the chapters (even though I did) because I received a 20/100 on the quiz. In comparison to how I feel when I’m writing, I did spend the time and energy to do the reading, but the only thing that moved was my grade… and not in a positive way.

Blog #2 - Alexander Wohlert

For me, writing is like a chore to be done.  It only comes about if it has to be done for a class, or if I am told I must write.  This can mean a class assignment or a simple thank you note to a relative who sent me a gift.  Comparing my writing to doing a chore doesn’t bode well for my writing motivation.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy writing, it’s just that it’s not a part of my everyday make-up of something I want to do.  It’s the same with chores.  It’s not that I don’t want to have clean clothes or take a shower in a clean stall, it’s that I’d really rather be doing something else.  Once the writing begins, it can be like a flowing river of ideas.  Most times, however, it’s more like the start and stop of a toy whose battery is failing.  I write, think about it, write some more and then think about other things I need to do.  Since most of my writing has had to do with school, I do associate writing with class assignments.  Perhaps that is part of the problem in that I didn’t get to write about what I wanted to write about, but instead had to follow certain requirements.  I had to read a lot in school and so was exposed to many different styles of authors. I’m not sure if this really has influenced my writing style. Now I read books that interest me and am probably more influenced by these authors so perhaps I will begin to see a change in my writing style.  My mother writes for her profession and at times looked at my writing for high school assignments.  She explained that there are many different styles of writing and it can be very subjective.  So, she would make grammatical suggestions but never really changed my writing.  I found this helpful because she wasn’t imposing her writing onto mine.  That would have been like a person telling someone they liked their painting but then they painted over the picture.  If I had my choice, when I had to write, I would rather write similar to how I speak, directly and simply.  This way, I would really feel I was communicating rather than trying to please the reader and meet their expectations.

Blog #2- Justin Borrero

For me writing is like getting your teeth pulled out. As much as I hate it, it has to get done. I've never enjoyed writing papers even if it's on a topic I could write a book about. To me a writer is someone who writes well or at least appreciates writing. I would never truly consider myself a writer because I am neither one of those.
I have portrayed writers as people who are very boring, up tight, very proper, and the only fun they have is writing (which is no fun to me). I could be very wrong about all of that, but with that in mind I could never picture myself as someone like that. Also, I couldn't even imagine writing a book. Writing more than two pages is already stressful enough. And all the time and effort they put into it is just to much for my personal liking.
Writing has always been my weak point all throughout school and for anyone, they are not going to like something they are not good at. I feel like my writing style has been consistent, but not in a good way. My writing has always been just okay, not good or bad just okay. Knowing that I'll probably never write something spectacular, writing a paper just becomes a pain to do. But what can I do about it. In the end it has to get done one way or another. This is why writing for me is like getting your teeth pulled out.

Blog #2 - Oliver Hamlin

     For me, writing is a whirlwind of ideas and a roller coaster of confidence. One of my biggest troubles with writing is organizing my ideas, but it isn't always apparent in my final draft. My first draft, however, is a crime scene of off-topic thoughts, disarrayed grammar, and out of context vocabulary. I begin composing at a slow pace, doing my best to keep my composure and have this first draft be better than the last. One thought builds off another, and before I know it, I'm at a peak of creativity and writing genius. However, that only lasts for so long. Writer's block kicks in, and my confidence sinks into an abyss.

     My attitude toward writing typically differs on the subject at hand and the format I must write in. Having lived in three different states through my high school career, I became educated on three differing writing formats. Two I enjoyed, one I despised. My peaks in my writing experience are typically as high as the lows are the lows, but that's okay. I have learned to embrace my mistakes and learn from them to be a better writer. Since I am by no means an avid reader, revising my writing and building off of my faults has indefinitely constructed my writing style more than reading material from other writers has.

     At times I wonder how different my writing would be if I had more exposure to literature and writing at a younger age. Would my vocabulary be better? Would I be able to write faster? The list goes on. I'd like to say I'm content with my writing, at best. However, the person I am wishes to carry forth in my writing ability and adopt new words, styles, and ideas into my writing. I have always loved the idea of succeeding in uncharted waters, and this year I wish to take my writing where it has never gone before.

Blog #2

For me writing is a chore, something you have to do but not necessarily want to. Anytime I'm writing it's for an assignment in school so it has to be done in order to succeed in class. But outside of school I basically never write, excluding little notes here and there. In fact I typically have sloppier handwriting after the summer due to the hiatus of not writing. When a writing assignment is issued I don't dread it, because usually I get a solid grade. I know it will be a lot of work, but if I can get a good grade then its all worth it.
 Getting started writing a paper is the most difficult part for me, once I get going I don't mind it that much. I just have to stay focused in a quiet place, and then my pen won't leave the paper for however long it takes me to complete the assignment.
For me writing has always been a way to express myself because I am a quiet person in the classroom. Since I don't talk very much teachers normally get a sense of the quality of work I do by reading my papers. Without writing, many of my teachers would never even know my name let alone if I was intelligent or not.
Thinking of writing as a chore shows me as a writer who just wants to get the assignment done. Which is true but only at first, once I begin it is much more. Writing because you enjoy it leads to significant improvement, while writing as a chore makes it feel longer and more dragged out. It's all about your perception, if you look at writing as expressing yourself in a way that words can't, then getting a paper done will be a lot less stressful. Which in turn will most likely lead to earning a better grade and a more positive outlook on writing.