During this course, I learned a lot. I learned many new grammar skills and new styles of writing. I did not mind the writing in this class because I was always writing about something I was interested in. I liked how we could pick what we had to write about. The only thing we had to do was stick to a certain writing style. It gave a lot more freedom to our writing. I did not mind blogging either; they were pretty easy to write. This class will help me for college because we reviewed and learned new grammar skills. Also, I have more knowledge about different writing styles.

Publication

She was describing herself when she waits to hear from an editor. Then she describes what happens after you hear your book will be published. People think if they get published their life will be changed dramatically. Early reviews are both good and bad. If you are a writer you will get a bad review. You get to make a living doing something you love. You get confidence because you are published, but you’re also terrified because you have to do it again. She says that she believes that we can find real satisfaction in being writers. When one of her books were doing well she got a little crazy from the attention. She went to see the pastor at her son’s preschool. He told her that she can’t get peace from the world and that you have to find it in your heart, which she didn’t like. The pastor also said that if you can find peace in your heart then the world can’t take it away.

Effect on my writing

When you write something and it does well. Don’t go crazy but don’t be scared. Yes, you’ll have to do it again, but find the joy from doing well. Even the best writer gets a bad review. Don’t be sad or give up when you get a bad review. Take the review and find a solution to it.

The last class

She says there are a lot of things she wants to say in the last class. She reminds people to write about their childhoods and she reminds them why she thinks it’s important. Growing into a writer is about becoming conscious. Writers should have the courage to write honestly and about emotion. She says that you should write about bad things that have happened to you. If you want to write about something that happened to you that was bad you should change a few things in the story. The main reason to do that is so the person who you are writing about doesn’t claim that you were talking about them or so they don’t sue you. Writing is its own reward. You can become a better reader by writing. Some days when you sit down to write it can be a hit it out of the park kind of day, but some days is the opposite. Writing lets us see truths about life and learn to laugh about it. Writing matters because it feeds the spirit and connects us to other people. It lets us see the truths about life. Writing teaches us to laugh about life. “You can’t stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship” 

Effect on my writing

Try not to feel sorry for yourself. Take what you learn from your teacher and apply it. Reading more will make you writing better. Don’t be discouraged if a writing day doesn’t go well because the next day might be the best writing day. Write about personal things. Don’t be afraid to write about things that happened to you.

Publication

She was describing herself when she waits to hear from an editor. Then she describes what happens after you hear your book will be published. People think if they get published their life will be changed dramatically. Early reviews are both good and bad. If you are a writer you will get a bad review. You get to make a living doing something you love. You get confidence because you are published, but you’re also terrified because you have to do it again. She says that she believes that we can find real satisfaction in being writers. When one of her books were doing well she got a little crazy from the attention. She went to see the pastor at her son’s preschool. He told her that she can’t get peace from the world and that you have to find it in your heart, which she didn’t like. The pastor also said that if you can find peace in your heart then the world can’t take it away.

Effect on my writing

When you write something and it does well. Don’t go crazy but don’t be scared. Yes, you’ll have to do it again, but find the joy from doing well. Even the best writer gets a bad review. Don’t be sad or give up when you get a bad review. Take the review and find a solution to it.

The last class

She says there are a lot of things she wants to say in the last class. She reminds people to write about their childhoods and she reminds them why she thinks it’s important. Growing into a writer is about becoming conscious. Writers should have the courage to write honestly and about emotion. She says that you should write about bad things that have happened to you. If you want to write about something that happened to you that was bad you should change a few things in the story. The main reason to do that is so the person who you are writing about doesn’t claim that you were talking about them or so they don’t sue you. Writing is its own reward. You can become a better reader by writing. Some days when you sit down to write it can be a hit it out of the park kind of day, but some days is the opposite. Writing lets us see truths about life and learn to laugh about it. Writing matters because it feeds the spirit and connects us to other people. It lets us see the truths about life. Writing teaches us to laugh about life. “You can’t stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship” 

Effect on my writing

Try not to feel sorry for yourself. Take what you learn from your teacher and apply it. Reading more will make you writing better. Don’t be discouraged if a writing day doesn’t go well because the next day might be the best writing day. Write about personal things. Don’t be afraid to write about things that happened to you.

Writing a present

Writing can be rewarding in many ways other than just money and fame. Shes wrote two books as presents to people dying. When her dad had brain cancer she wrote him a book and now his story would go on beyond his life. Writing the book for her dad made her dad happier, but also her whole family. Telling our stories about difficult things can help other people and it’s worth doing. She says you might still find critics who can’t appreciate what you wrote or who think it’s too personal, but that’s fine.

Effect on my writing

Writing something really personal will be difficult and some will won’t appreciate it, but the ones who are sick and hurt will appreciate it. In the future you’ll be happy you wrote it because you get to read those memories again. It will bring happiness to those who are sick and may help ones you don’t know who are going through the same thing.

Find your voice

Writers need to find their own voices. Try out different styles. When finding your voice you will find things more important than other things and what you care about. You will have to face your personal anxiety, but also face the amazing things in your life. You’ll feel when you find your voice.

Effect on my writing

Being truthful will make your writing better. Try things out. Be yourself when writing. Look out for things that catch you and see if you’re interested and if its important to you.

Giving

Giving is another reason to write. Writing is full giving. She says that writing is a lot like being a single mother to a three year old. She said that your kids and your books belong to you and you have to take care of them because you helped them come into existence. She said you don’t have to be an optimist to write in a way that helps other people be open to the world. Writers help other people be open. It takes a lot of courage for a writer to be able to do that, but in the end it’s worth it.

Effect on my writing

When you write you are giving. You don’t have to be hopeful to write to help people. As a writer, by just writing makes other people open up.

Someone to read your drafts

 Writing makes you feel lost and getting things wrong. Someone else who reads your writing will figure out the problem. It doesn’t have to be a stranger to read your draft. It isn’t easy when someone criticizes your writing, but know they’re doing it to help, not to be mean. When picking who you want to read and give your writing some advice make sure you trust them doing the task. Her students asked the question about what if you do find a possible writing partner and that person’s responses turn out to be mean and negative? She responded with move on because you want someone to be honest but gentle. Make sure they encourage you to write.

Effect on Writing

Find the right person to read your drafts. The person needs to give make advice, but in a nice way that won’t make you feel bad about yourself. You don’t want them to make you not want to right. I f you don’t have the correct person than find a new one.

Letters

 When writing you will get stuck. Write in the form of a letter. Pretend to write to a kid or a friend. Many of her students start with writing in a letter form. She explained her own story about her giant fandom.

Effect on writing

If you’re writing something and you get stuck just write in letter from. Most of the people who do this, it was a success for them to get unstuck.

Writers block

Writers block will happen to you. Writers block is when you have no energy and you feel little and you have no hope. She suggests two ways to solve writers block. One is acceptance and the second is to write 300 words a day. When you’re beginning as a writer, it’s important to commit to finishing things. It is comforting to hear that famous writers have problems too. We’re not really in control of our fate or our books.

Effect on writing

When you are slumped and have no hope just know every writer goes though this. Write 300 words a day and than go for a walk. Your mind needs some rest. When you start something, finish it.

Index Cards

She recommends using index cards. Have a lot of pens and index cards laying around so that you can write stuff down without forgetting. Some people don’t need to use them but she says that its not cheating to take notes. If your brain is disorganized it does not make you a bad writer, you’re just a creative person that needs to write things down on a note card. She says that her index cards are still disorganized, but it works for her and still helps her. She told the story about the index cards she has for 6 to 7 years. Don’t feel like if you need to use them you’re a bad writer. It is okay to be a disorganize writer.

Effect on Writing

Index cards are good for ideas that in the future you might forget. They are also used for if you think of good word choice or a good line that in the future you’ll want to use. Don’t be mad if you are not the most organized or have to write things down because it does not effect the writing.

Calling around

She says that you can call on experts for info. Now with the tech, it will be a lot easier. She gave an example of when she wrote about opening up a bottle of champagne. The main point of telling the story was because writers can ask others for extra knowledge on a subject and sometimes readers are excited about it.

Effect on writing

As a writer, having to ask someone for the knowledge is better than just not knowing it at all. Don’t be scared to ask for help.

Writing Groups

A big success of writing is doing it everyday. As a writer you want feedback, so you can join a writing group. Some reasons for join a writing group are wanting to learn more about writing, wanting feedback, wanting to hang out, wanting someone to sympathized when you have a bad writing day, wanting to give feedback on others, and wanting real feedback from others who aren’t your friends. Writing classes and writing conferences can be scared because the fear of rejection or just someone who is going to rip the story in shreds. It’s better to start up a writing group. She told the story about how four of her students started a writing group that has lasted for four years and now those four students are genuinely better writers and better people.

Effect on writing

Don’t be scared to put yourself out there. There are people in the same position in their writing. Getting feedback is important, but maybe try getting feedback from someone you don’t know because it will be the honest. If your friends look at it, they might be too nice so they don’t make you mad.

Broccoli

She tells her students, “listen to your broccoli, and your broccoli will tell you how to eat it.” She says when you’re stuck as a writer and do not know something it is best to quiet down and listen for a small voice inside. She says writers need the ability to listen to their intuitions of what is really going on and not to shy away from that because it is inconvenient for someone. Writers need to trust themselves, especially in their first draft. You have to hypnotize yourself into getting some work done and then un-hypnotize yourself enough to fix it. When writing you should try some new things out and if it doesn’t work then just try something else.

Effect on Writing

Do not be scared to fail. If you have an idea that you are not totally sold on, just try it out. If it does not work, then start with a new idea. As a writer, listen to your feelings to get the best work. When writing the first draft, trust yourself. If you do not trust your own work, then it wont be your best work.

Radio Station KFKD

The radio is a metaphor for all the things you think or the things that are in your head that gets in the way of your intuition. For her, the radio station is on in the background when she begins to write. She found that praying for a short period of time helps her. So writers should find a ritual that could help them. Breathing exercises help to calm people down. When she writes, she can not always focus the whole time. Her mind does wander, but she gets back on track eventually. Stories come to use like a river on the Gulf Stream.

Effect on Writing

Be relax. Don’t get too stressed where you cant produce any good ideas. Find something that helps you relax. It does not have to be a long thing. When writing, try to focus. When you find it hard to relax, do breathing exercises to try to get back on track of writing.

Jealousy

Radio Station KFKD broadcasts jealousy and it is the hardest thing on the station to shut down. During the process of writing, other people will surpass you, which will be hard to not feel some sort of jealousy. Some people who don’t work as hard or who are not as deserving will have more success and that will be even harder to not be jealous. Three things that help include: getting older, talking about it until the fever breaks, and using it as material. Don’t sweat the small things. Get someone who makes you laugh about jealousy.

Effect on Writing

Know that your work is good. Even if people around you have success, don’t just give up. Have good people around your for the hard times so that you can laugh about the stupid stuff that is making you stressed and feel jealous.

False Starts

She talked about when she reads something she thinks the book is going to go in one direction, but shes wrong and it doesn’t end like she thought. She compared writers to Olympic athletes. When the athletes are expecting a course to finish one way, but it finishes a different way is the same as reading a book. She talked about what she learned when she visited a nursing home.

Effect on writing

When writing a story make the ending difference than what you think your readers will expect. Or make a twist in the book, it does not have to be the end. It can be anywhere in the story.

Plot treatment

Some writers write towards a specific scene, not a plot. She talks about her experience with her second book. She had an idea and an image of how it would end, but it did not work. After working on it for over two years, she sent it to her editor and he sent back an email saying the novel just doesn’t work, so he wants her to start over.She was told by her friend to take a month off. After taking the month off she looked over her book and moved the scenes around creating a new plot. In the end, the book was published.

Effect on writing

When writing a story, dont give up when someone doesnt think it is good enough.

How do you know when you’re done?

In her class her students always ask, “how do you know when you’re done?” She responds with that she doesn’t know. You just feel it and know when you’re done. There is things to add, but when you’re done you know that there isn’t anything more to add into the story. She compares finishing your final draft to how addicts recover.

Affect on writing

When you edit your paper for hours and you are exhausted because you keep finding things to change or add, just know that it will be finished.

Looking around

She talks about how writing isn’t all fun and games. She says that writing means you see people suffer and try to find some meaning in it. It requires respect. When you write you need to know yourself. To be a writer you need to be relevant. She suggested to walk with a young kid who sees something and is super amazed

Affect on writing

In order to be a good writer, you need to be true. The more relevant the better the writing. During the process of a book, it wont be fun at the time. But in the end it will be worth it.

The moral point of view

She said that the things we really believe in will probably feel like they are true in all times. We like certain characters because they are good people. Like we want spider man to live and catch the bad guys because Peter Parker is a cool person. We might also be fascinated in the bad guys because they are interesting. As writers. we should write about topics we are interested in and that are important to us.

Plot

The plot is the main story of the book. The development of the characters creates the plot. She rereads the work she does from the day before. She imagines her characters doing what she wrote and what should happen next. Then just write what you’re seeing. Drama holds the attention getters of the readers. The story must have a moment. If not, the reader will not want to continue the reading. Give each character a specific thing so that readers can identify and remember them easier. Don’t fake a character. The readers will catch you if you’re faking a character. The formula when writing a short story, which goes ABCDE, for action, background, development, climax and ending.

Effect on writing

The plot is very important in any kind of story. Within the writing, make sure that there is drama, some type of big event, or a problem.It keeps the reader interested and keeps them wanting to read. Make sure to always have someone look over your writings because the outcome will be even better.

Dialogue

Good dialogue is such a pleasure to come across while reading. A complete change of place from description and exposition and all that writing. Dialogue needs to flow and have movement. It is more like a movie, more action. It will leave you breathless. listen and observe. Take in what you heard from the day and write. Good dialogue gives us the sense that we are eavesdropping. It is the way to nail a character, so work on your voice. As you learn more about your characters and as they develop, compassion will grow for them. Dialogue is written in dialect that is very tiring to read. Remember nobody is reading your first drafts.

Effect on my writing

Dialogue is very good for a piece of writing if its correctly done and in the right spot. To practice dialogue and to make it better to listen to and observe, then write what you saw down using the dialogue.

Set Design

Imagine yourself as the set designer for a play because it might help you know what the room looks like and where the action is happening. She talked about her gardening experience. If you want to talk about something in your story and you don’t have much info. on it, then talk to someone who has it. Read and study about your topics.

Affect on my writing

Make sure you know what your talking about in your writing. For example, if you are writing about soccer and you’ve never played or you don’t know much about it, you should talk to someone who does.

Perfectionism

Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor. It is the enemy of the people. Perfectionism will ruin your writing. Writing needs to be breathe and move, it effects that. You will not get far in your writing if you dont let go of your perfectionism. It will make you mad. During that day, the work might not have been planned, but being perfect will make your writing be held back.

Effect on writing

Thinking you have to be perfect will only negatively effect your writing. Perfection holds writers back and it does not let their good work shine through.

School Lunches

When someone couldnt find a place to start writing she asked the students to think about school lunches. Within the school lunch the sandwhich is the main thing. Same with the writing. The sandwich is the center piece. Using this technique you just keep writing. From all the things you wrote down you can go form there. Pick what you want or dont want, just like a school lunch.

Effect on writing

Make multiple drafts and write everything down. Cut out some ideas and out of all of your ideas there will be something that is usable. Edit and shape writing.

Polaroids

Writing a first draft is very much like watching a Polaroid develop. When starting a piece of writing you dont know exactly the finishing product just like a Polaroid you cant see everything in the picture. From watching something you can describe it, hear it, and smell it in words.

Effect on writing

Writing the first draft takes time. You have to think of ideas and just wait for the paper to develop as a whole. Many writers think a paper is going to end one way and when they finish the paper not how they expected. As you watch something try to put it into words in your head and add what you feel, smell, and hear.

Character

Knowledge of your characters also emerges the way a Polaroid develops. It takes time for you to know them. Be specific when writing. You will love some of your characters becasue they remind you of yourself or someone you like. Know your charcters as best as you can. A way to familiarize yourself with your characters is by basing them on someone you know. She likes the narrators to be the people she would choose as a friend. A narrator has to be reliable. Readers do not want to be manipulated.

Effect on writing

When picking your characters, base them off someone you know. As the writer, you have to know them.