September 2010 Archives

As we have progressed into the semester in EL236: Writing for the Internet (one month already!), we have gone over so much in such a short amount of time. We've learned how to apply what we are learning in class to what we publish in our blogs and microblogs (Twitter), use hashtags and links to emphasize certain points, edit an article on Wikipedia, and are now in the stages of planning our remix projects. This portfolio will provide links to all the blogs and microblogs posted so far reflecting my progress in the class thus far in six different categories: Interaction, Depth, Discussion, Outside material, Ethos, and Convention.

I am learning how to use my blog to cater to my own professional goals. Using the microblog gives my classmates, as well as a wider audience easier access to what I publish in my blog by linking them to hashtags. I better understand the real uses for Wikipedia, not only as a research tool, but also as a place to be a part of a community that provides valid information. I have also come to understand the point behind creating remix project as something not to steal from other artists, but to use other artists' work to create something new.

INTERACTION
I always try to respond to comments left on my blog.

DEPTH
I have been reflective and have gone in-depth with my thoughts.

DISCUSSION
I have discussed classmates' topics with them on their blogs.

OUTSIDE MATERIAL
I included links in my blog to things relevant to my entry and what was being commented on (see the comment section of this one). I also used to bit.ly url shortener in my microblog when appropriate.

ETHOS
I have depicted my professional and reflective side, while maintaining my sense of humor.

CONVENTION
I have made effective use of hashtags, been creative with titles, and made inventive use inside of Twitter's character limitations.

So. I have never heard of something like this, but I am really excited and interested in trying out. I know I definitely want to work with text. I feel like the object of this assignment is to take two pieces of art, whether of different media or the same, that have opposing themes or tones, and try to mash them together to make one remix containing the two pieces, a remix that "works." At least that was the goal of the students in the tv show Glee one episode where they were asked to do something similar with songs and then to perform them.

While the Glee kids did their mash-ups with songs, I would like to use poetry. I'm feeling a mix poem of something by Dorothy Parker with something by Sylvia plath. I'm just not sure which poems I would like to use yet, though. There are so many. Also I'm not sure that their works are under the creative commons license. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I chose these two poets because they are both strong female poets with strikingly differenty writing styles. It will be interesting to see what I come up with, but I can't wait!

As a senior about to graduate, I've taken a variety of writing classes meant to teach technique, explore style preferences and broaden my creativity. Almost all of these classes have involved some sort of "How to Write" book.

A certain instructor last semester for one such writing class informed us that as writing majors we technically didn't really need to be attending college to learn how to write. He told us we were either going to be writers or we wouldn't, and it's not a matter of learning how to write so much as it is putting one's writing into practice and getting out there. So, here's the big question? Are "How to Write" books really a necessity? Does one need to pay someone to teach them how to become a writer?

In my experience, I find these "How to Write" books and the writing classes extremely helpful. The books my instructors chose to emphasize the classes' materials weren't your average hokey "first you do this, then do this" kind of guides. They mostly involved examining specimens of different authors' writing that were chosen on a basis of style, dialogue, or some other aspect that all creative writing involves, which would then be discussed in the text, followed by writing exercises for the student to put in to practice. In class we would talk about the material in the texts or workshop our own writing. Workshop in class is a great help to me as a writer because it gives me a chance to share my work with someone on the same learning level as myself, get feedback, and learn from what others are doing.

Do you need to go to school to learn how to write? Not necessarily, but the experience of being in a classroom setting with other writers definitely has helped me to feel more confident in what I am doing and has helped me to take what I learn and apply it outside of the classroom on my own.

As a creative writer with a passion for every form from poetry to fiction to playwrighting, I will be using my blog for a variety of purposes. Sometimes I will publish parts of things I'm working on to get feedback or things I have already worked on. Sometimes I'll just post reflections on writing. I hope to get a lot of response from this and to be helpful to others so that we may all grow as writers this semester.