Why I Write:
McDaniel, Raymond. Writing 220 Discussion. North Quad, Ann Arbor. 28 Feb. 2013. Lecture.
-I think this discussion, about why we can’t write afraid, was the most helpful piece to my writing. I felt that the early draft process in my Why I Write I was writing afraid, not digging deep enough to find what I wanted to say. Ray communicated the idea that writing doesn’t need to be organized as if you were older or unable of writing better. The truth was, I knew that there were moments in my life, but I was almost afraid to support them without feeling awkward about it. So I used the phrase I should have known, not worrying about being just 20 years old, to make it sound more credible.
Vena, Dom. “Writing a Personal Narrative.” Senior Writing. Adrian High School, Adrian. Apr. 2011. Lecture.
-My high school English teacher was one of the earliest influences on my writing and his lectures on writing our personal narrative, finding out about ourselves, aided my writing. He challenged us to convey our feelings to our peers aloud first and then made us write. We looked at differences between the two and made sure we focused on being honest with out writing. In doing so, I made sure that my why I write wasn’t some inspirational made up story, just one that reflected my personality. I think that was the one thing that remained consistent in my drafts.
Repurposed:
Douglas, Susan. “Analyzing Media Texts: Television and Utopia.” Comm 101 Lecture. Natural Science Auditorium, Ann Arbor. 27 Sept. 2012. Lecture.
-The lecture from my communications professor gave me the terminology to use for my repurposed paper. Susan dissected reality TV episodes and used terms to apply the techniques that go unnoticed in TV shows. She also directed my attention to those techniques themselves. Her lecture included clips from Reality TV to see the best way to do it ourselves. I think this also helped me create the section on enigma codes — or opposing traits between characters — that gets at one of the strongest points in my paper. I also think that her lecture allowed me to think about Reality TV in a new way, influencing my thought of the genre itself and not just TV shows that were silly.
Beltempo, Anthony. “We Are Family.” Jersey Shore. MTV. 15 Mar. 2012. Television.
-You can’t bash Jersey Shore without watching it. Sadly, I sat through this episode to use my specific examples for my paper. Using my lecture from Susan Douglas, I could see the enigma codes developed and the arguments that ended without conclusion. The episode also gave me the idea about the nationalist feelings that others may develop from watching the show. They didn’t show the stars working, instead portraying them as mooches. Finally, Jersey Shore allowed me to reflect on how I felt after the show, and it allowed me to use those feelings in my paper — something that helped the tone.
Remediated
Pinto, James. “Character Development.” English 223. Mason Hall, Ann Arbor. 26 Jan. 2012. Lecture.
-James was one of my first English teachers and really inspired my story. He stressed showing over telling in class and his lecture helped to set up my characters. My remediated piece uses a lot of description, which helps the listener envision how the character behaves. In the lecture James discussed when to employ the descriptive tactics, but not what words to use. He stressed that too much could backfire or distract from the story. So there are moments when I let the quotes from a character do the talking. I also think this lecture was helpful for more than this assignment, but I know that it is directly related to my story.
Reid, Elwood. My Body, My Weapon, My Shame. The Best American Sports Writing 1998. By Bill Littlefield and Glenn Stout. Boston, MA.: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. N. pag. Print.
-I read this story as part of an English class, and it sparked a lot of my sports writing in the future. I liked his candid descriptions, detail and tone he used in the story. I think this story’s content, critiquing college football, is something I want to do with my work. I want to critique, so I made sure to include observations, with as much descriptive detail as possible. My goal, and I made sure to include this technique in the end, is to talk about the effects of a sport on the individuals who play it. Reid spends the last half of his piece talking about the effects, which I think really hammer home the point that this game we love has far-reaching consequences.
Reflections
Remediated
I had fun with this assignment.
When I wrote this originally for a creative writing class, my intention was to poke fun at all those who talk about the bar scene and meeting ladies like it’s a competition. So, I chose to continue with the sports theme and make it into a radio broadcast.
My original draft was relatively simple and I was able to read off my script. I decided that the draft could be edited later for another revision if I stuck with what I had. But I was pleased with what I came out with at first, and even found myself using hand motions, background music during commercials and intros, as well as different voices I imagined that characters having in my broadcast.
I thought about including a transcription of quotes, but thought that listening to the portion would allow the reader to follow along and see where I ad-libbed or changed the wording. It allowed myself, and hopefully listeners, to see where speaking and writing are different from one another. I believe this was the point of the remediation assignment.
The second draft didn’t include as much revision as I thought I should be including. I knew that I wanted to include more sounds, which I did, but I wasn’t quite sure where else to take the writing. I cut out some language that was too descriptive for speaking and added some extra characters for analysis like Sportscenter does in its broadcats. I think the changes, while not as noticeable in the script, indicate the “Why this matters” portion of any broadcast. The ending, which takes a look at how silly this all is, really acts a good conclusion for this piece.
And I think if I were doing this again, I wouldn’t add or subtract much. Aside from reworking the plot completely, I like the simple concept of failing and then coming back to fail again.
Sometimes when I write, I like to leave things without overhauling. I did this with my final draft of my why I write piece. The key is not to let my idea change. Perhaps I might use a different technology next time, or maybe I would add even more to the plot, but I like the end result.
And that’s what made this assignment so fun.
Why I Write
This assignment was by the far the toughest assignment I had during the semester.
I had no idea why I wrote in January, I just wrote and enjoyed it. So, when the first draft due date rolled around, I thought I would try to throw a few different reasons in there, tying them together somehow. When I turned it in, though, I realized that it wasn’t organized, lacked a theme and didn’t really get at the heart of why I write.
After waiting a few weeks, I attempted to fix the organization and theme of my piece of writing, so I narrowed it down more. But one thing this draft, and the first draft, did that detracted from the overall quality, was the use of humor in parentheses. I lacked the seriousness to continue with the assignment, and forced the humor in it to make up for not knowing why I write.
I sat on that assignment for a while, until the day I read two classmates’ papers on why they write. Both of my classmates had focused an event in their life, a moment they had pinpointed and described as the instance they knew why they wrote. That’s when I realized what I needed concentrate on before I wrote my third draft.
So, I went back to a moment early in my life, one my mother never let me forget and one of the few times I can remember what I saw. There are so few of those moments early in our lives, the ones that last no matter how old we get, and this was one of those times I can still replay.
As I recalled the moment I stole a pack of gum, the writing process unraveled and the piece transformed into something that flowed throughout, was based on a central theme and really got at the heart of why I write. It was that “ah hah!” moment we all get once in awhile. I liked that feeling.
My started with a good lead and finished with a strong end, but my final draft, the one I spent more time on than I should have in completing my portfolio, was the one that put it all together. I used repetition to reinforce the point that I should have known that I was a writer. And in a way, using the phrase “I should have known” was also connected to my process for writing this. I should have known that forcing humor or rambling about different reasons for why I write wasn’t going to work.
I think this assignment allowed me to take an unknown weight of my shoulders, to find a sense of purpose for writing., and made writing easier and quicker. Now I know that writing isn’t just random, it’s directed and shaped by every instance in our lives. And I wish I had known that four months ago.
Repurposed
When I heard about the assignment, I knew exactly what I wanted to repurpose. Of all the assignments, this one felt the easiest. Not the easiest to complete, but the easiest to envision, outline and develop since the first announcement of the assignment in class.
After a Communication Studies 101 paper, in which I was docked points for talking less about the “required material” and more about the analysis, I knew I wanted another chance to criticize one of my least favorite shows: Jersey Shore.
So, that’s what I’ve done with this paper. I’ve critiqued, and in a way, I’ve almost vented my thoughts and emotions about a show that ruined my Thursday nights. I finally took a chance to be analytical, looking at the structure, and not so much the effects of a show. Eventually, in the second draft, I realized that I could not go on in this paper, if I was not able to talk about the effects. Granted, I was willing to discuss the effects in the beginning, which I opted to keep (with minor tweaks), but I’ve added new content to the end that hits on the subliminal effects in its creation.
I think that in doing so, I’m worried I may have taken something away from the paper. It feels like I may have gone off topic, or presented a new argument I wasn’t making. Any maybe that would be a good place to look at a third draft, but I knew that I wanted this paper to be about the consequences. I like to think I merged them together well, but perhaps when I go back to try something similar, I’ll find a better way to connect.
But I stopped at two drafts for a reason. When I finished with the second draft I felt as if I had spent all my time ranting. Of course I talked about the three facets of the show that make it scripted, like the camera angles, choice of clothing, and unresolved conflicts, but I’m worried I spent too much time talking about how others are impacted. My first draft was less critical than my second and thus I decided to stop.
My belief, as I reflect, is that the writing needs a balance of critique and evidence. Like my work in journalism, my description of the events needs to have analysis or quotes to do the talking. So this piece was an attempt to balance both.
Regardless, I still feel like this paper gets at the heart of Jersey Shore and what similar reality TV shows do: distort reality. Which was my goal in the first place.
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