Final Reflection

The past 5 weeks as a college student have been a wonderful experience. Before I started college I was so nervous about the whole thing. I didn’t know what it was going to be like with out my family or friends. I’m glad to say that I didn’t really get too homesick. I found that I really like my new independence and I think I have handled it responsibly. All my friends told me I wasn’t going to survive in college because I was going to have to do everything myself. I proved this to be false. Doing laundry and cleaning, two things I never did at home, have become routine. I realize now how much I took my mom for granted and I’m more appreciative of all she does for me. Time management I have also found to be very important. Its so easy to get distracted here, and its so important to keep your priorities straight. I learned this the hard way. I had my best friend stay with me one weekend and I had a huge psychology test that Monday. Needless to say I tried to cram 3 psych chapters into my brain the Sunday before and completely failed. Its through experiences like this that we learn about our selves and the things we need to do to succeed. The next test I took my time and started studying ahead of time and scored a 98 on my test. I think I made the right decision in starting in the summer. Fall is going to be completely different but at least now I have an idea of what college is like. I was pleasantly surprised by my first couple weeks as a college student. As much as I miss home, I cant wait to come back and start again in August.

I am not a morning person

Today I feel extremely tired. I didn’t go to sleep till almost 3 o’clock. My hair is a mess, and I did my makeup without really even looking in the mirror. Just by looking at me this morning anyone can guess that I literally just rolled out of bed. I was studying for a psychology test I have today that I have to do good on for the sake of my grade. My roommate over slept this morning, and somehow I ended up doing the same. I managed to get here on time by running to class. At this point I can’t wait to go home. I miss my bed and sleeping till 2 in the afternoon. I tell myself every day that it’s almost over and that’s my motivation. Now that I’m awake, I’m anxious for my test. It’s not until 2 this afternoon but I plan on studying non-stop until that time. This morning I’m definitely experiencing some negative emotions but I know I’ll get through it.

Tips for Fiction Writing

http://www.writingforward.com/news-announcements/guest-posts/10-tips-to-improve-your-fiction-writing-skills

For my 3rd paper I plan on writing in the fiction genre. This website offers 10 helpful tips for fiction writing. Immediately the first tip has helped me immensely. It says to start with a seed, and that most fiction starts off with the question "What if.." This is interesting because I see how asking questions like that could spark a lot of creativity. This is definitely a technique I plan on using when I sit down to write. I want to write about something that is out of the ordinary, and something the readers will never expect. Another tip I found helpful was to write what you know. In the past, it has been extremely helpful to build on information I already know, and topics that I am passionate about. The last tip I found extremely helpful was to put it away when I am finished. I have a problem with rereading everything I write an excessive amount of times before I feel comfortable with it. This technique can help me trust my writing and should trim down some of the time it takes to compose my story. Just from reading this short list of tips, I have so many ideas for my writing that I didn't have before. I'm excited to start composing my piece but I also find it intimidating. The amount of creative freedom we have for this paper scares me, but I think its going to be a great opportunity to showcase my writing abilities.

Reflection

Reflecting on the past four weeks, I think my writing has definitely evolved since the first day of class. In high school I was never challenged to write papers that were more than four pages, and at that time I thought it was a ridiculous amount of work. I am extremely proud that I have written two papers exceeding 6 pages. I have more confidence in myself and I realized that it is not as intimidating as I thought.
Another effect that has greatly impacted my writing is the use of details. I had never realized before how adding in sensory details can really help the reader visualize the situation you are trying to convey. Details allow the reader to feel emotion, visualize the setting, and allow them to relate on a deeper level. It has considerably changed my thought process when writing a paper. Now I think about what details I could add in to really make my scenes vibrant and alive. I also realized that by adding details it keeps your reader entertained, which is always a good thing because no one wants to read a boring story.
Another aspect that has greatly contributed to my writing is the writing process itself. I have learned that prewriting greatly contributes to my writing by making it more organized. I find it to be a lot easier to write a lengthy paper when I already have my ideas outlined. After reading Shitty First Drafts I realized how important drafting is, and that not everything I write is going to be perfect the first time. This also showed me that all writers go through this process and to not be self conscious of my first drafts. I think that a lot of the skills I have already learned in these short four weeks will continue to aid my writing in the future.

I Didn't Really Die

Nicole Jaeger, the beautiful daughter of Rob and Christina Fecht passed away at the tender age of 18. She was found very peacefully in her bed on the morning of July 21. Even though her life was tragically cut short, this teenager still lived a full, happy life. She graduated from Cypress Bay High School, class of 2011, and previously attended Florida State University where she was studying Psychology. She had a strong support system amongst family and was loved dearly by all of her friends. She will surely be missed, but never forgotten by the ones who loved her.

Stiches of Art

Art can be anything a person creates out of their imagination or feelings. The outcome of intense passion for something can be art. I have a love for fashion and thanks to my best friends mom, I also posses the skills to sew. When I was in 4th grade I was watching her sew one day and she asked me if I would like to make an outfit. I said sure thinking it was pretty cool. The finished product was a pink and yellow floral skirt. I was so proud of myself for creating a piece of clothing that I could actually wear. I kept up with the hobby by doing little projects every once and a while but never a huge project. One day when I was about 15 I was watching a marathon of project runway, and I envied their abilities to translate their concepts from paper to fabric. I thought to myself, I know how to use a sewing machine why can’t I create my own masterpieces as well? That night I sat at my desk with a sketchbook and a pencil and filled pages with clothes I wanted to make. I loved the idea of having complete freedom to make what ever I want, and the luxury of it fitting perfectly to me. It became obvious that I was going to have to start simple because just because I knew how to sew didn’t mean I was immediately going to be the next Donatella. I decided on a plain blue sundress with a simple ribbon design around the waist. Within a week my room completely transformed into a sweatshop, complete with an ironing board, sewing table, and a sewing mannequin. The finished product was nothing like what I was picturing in my head. It had crooked stich lines, a zipper that barely worked, and stray strings hanging everywhere. But to me it was perfect. I was so proud of the fact that I took an idea from my head and put it into action creating my very own work of art. Every great artist, or in this case clothing designer has to start somewhere. Sewing has become a major outlet for my creativity and it allows me to express myself in a way that most people cant.

Watcher.

My watcher is unique and very different from the one that Gail Godwin describes. He never makes and appearance while I am writing on a topic that I am passionate about. In situations like that I feel as if nothing can stop me and the words flow out of me like rushing water. If I am not so confident in the topic, my watcher makes me hesitate in my writing, drawing the process out and makes it take way longer than it should. My watcher really makes most of his appearances after I complete a work. That's when he brings thoughts of doubt and self consciousness. My watcher makes me want to keep my work a secret, most of the time I feel as though it is something very personal and if I were to share it would be an invasion of my privacy. I know that all of these thoughts are irrational, and I have my watcher to thank for it. I have no reason to doubt my writing, past experience has shown me that I am in fact a good writer. I hate my watcher for making me doubt myself and my abilities, but in a way he always ensures that I am putting forth my best efforts.

Cookie Cutter

I grew up in a home where English was spoken like words printed neatly on a page they came out of a novel depicting the very ordinary lives of your typical South Floridian family. The cookie cutter vocabulary perfectly shaped our conversations with no rough edges to diminish the intelligence of each conversation.

Gabrielle Nunez

Mid-length brown hair, brown eyes, and tan skin are not that hard to find waking around the campus of FSU. But when you add in a kick ass nose ring and some Latin flavor you get a unique girl that cannot compare to anyone else. Today she sits in the library with her head buried in her English book. Her signature oversized faux brown leather bag lies beside her on the table. She’s sipping on a Starbucks Double Shot to keep her attention to the task at hand. She stops every so often to check her Blackberry for any new incoming messages and replies speedily with the melodious clicks of the keys.

“I really don’t feel like doing this right now, I’m so tired I just want to take a nap, can we take a nap?” She said.

“No, we are going to get through this, finish all of our homework so that we can chill out tonight with nothing to worry about.” I said.

Ughhh she sighed

She is and individual who is not afraid to be different. The way she dresses is a perfect example of this. She is sporting a large poncho style shirt with a tribal design on the font with a pair of light wash, cut off denim shorts. Her wrists are brightly decorated with stings of bracelets; each one of them has a meaning that only she knows. Around her neck is a small pendent with a picture of the Virgin Mary hanging from a plain brown string. Three of her ten fingers are decorated with silver rings, one is a peace sign and the other two are just simple bands. Today she has no nail polish on which is a rarity for her, most of the time her fingers are painted with an array of colors to compliment her outfit. She has 5 body piercings in total, which further demonstrates her free spirit attitude and her own individuality.

“I feel like I’m writing a creeper love note about how I’m obsessed with you.” I said

“I love it,” she says as she chuckles.

In the harsh lighting of the bright room, you can see the curl of her long eyelashes flutter with each blink. She’s listening to the lyrics of sad songs come through her headphones. She’s here in person but her mind is somewhere else. She’s an amazing girl than any body would be lucky to have as a friend.

Dominican Republic

This is an image of what a normal village in the Dominican Republic looks like. Its not the exotic beaches and sprawling resorts that most people envision when they picture the country. The reality is poverty stricken villages like this lining the streets of the DR. They all have tin roofs that look more like sheets of shutters just draped along the top of their crumbling foundations. They have no electricity and no running water. The people in this particular town probably use their filthy, fly infested water source as a mean to bathe and wash their clothes. They consider this a luxury because in other towns they have to trek miles to reach the ocean so they can bathe. Incredibly not everything about this picture is somber and depressing. You can see how close the "houses" if you can even call them that, are to one another. The sense of community in these places are amazing. If you were to visit, as I did, the air would be filled the sounds of children singing and laughing as they play baseball in a dirt field. For them this slum is their home and some how they still manage to smile.

Flowers

I squinted as I walked out of my dorm into the blinding sunlight as I started my walk to Williams. I could feel the heat of the morning sun on my skin as I walked down the steps. The first unusual thing I saw was a water truck and a man with a hose. I presume this had something to do with the fire hydrant that is located by the side walk. I continued walking down the dirt scattered sidewalk and encountered the on-going construction that is occuring on campus. I could smell the lingering gas smell that radiated from behind a cement truck as it passed. I was almost there now, and I tried to block out all the chaos ensuing behind me and focus on the flowers just out side the building. I noticed one in particular, a beautiful purple flower with long, skinny pedals decorating a yellow center. It caught my attention because all the other one around it were shriveled up and decaying. This one flower was something beautiful in the mist of nothing and it made me smile as I walked into the building.

Comparing Essays

All three women have very distinct approaches to their writing, and all three of the essays offer great advice to young writers who are struggling to compose their own writings. In Anne Lamott’s “Shitty First Drafts,” she talks more about the writing processes, specifically the first draft. She explains how all writers, no matter how prestigious or successful they are, start off with a shitty first draft. The first draft is a place to let your ideas run wild and then see where they lead you. It doesn’t matter what the outcome of your first draft is because no one will see it except for you. Lamott also suggest ways to quiet the discouraging voices in your head, because they prevent the flow if creative ideas on to the page. She offers a plethora of great advise to writers who are hesitant to start a project. Every single story had to start somewhere and it all begins with a shitty first draft.

Lorrie Moore suggests that created an alternate persona will help divulge the details the details of characters and set a foundation to build your story upon. “How to become a writer” is a more random and sporadic essay that jumps from different personas to help further emphasize her idea. It depicts the development of a character and the situation they are in at that time to show how easy it can be to develop further from that one starting point. In her essay she also explains that if you have a passion for writing you cannot run away from it, eventually you will draw from your experiences and end up with a manuscript. Moore’s suggestion on creating an alternate self I think is a great approach to writing. It would draw out the creative side of me and challenge me to write in a whole new way.

The last essay was “The Watcher at the Gates” by Gail Godwin. This essay focuses on the “watcher” which is your anti-muse that puts a damper on your creative output and cast doubts upon what your write. Each writer has their own watcher and their own ways to deal with them. In the essay, Godwin makes a series of suggestions on how to discourage your watcher and bring out your own creativity. She says to write at weird times and in ways that your watcher will not expect. All of the tips offered in this essay are great ways to stop young writers from being discouraged during the writing process. I think all three of these women offer great pointers to writers who are unsure where to begin and how to write. I learned a lot from all the essays and plan to use the information to become a better writer

I Might Be Addicted

Social networking has become and extremely popular element of our society. I belong to 2 social networking sites, Facebook and Twitter. I only avidly keep up with my Facebook page because I personally don't like Twitter. I might have a slight addiction to Facebook. especially since I have accsess too it on my cell phone. I constantly check up on what my friends are doing as well as post media of my own. Checking Facebook is one of the first things I do when I wake up in the morning and one of the last things I do before I go to bed at night. Even when running errands such as grocery shopping I am constantly checking for any new notifications. I have noticed that since I have started college my obsession has become a little more severe. This is due to the fact that my friends have all separated and Facebooks gives us a way to still keep very much in touch. I don't think my digital self is much different than my actual self. For one thing I know every single person on my facebook page, so if I were to try to create an alternate persona people would notice that who I am in person not who I am online. If anything Facebook give me a way to be more out going because you are communicating in a way that is informal and not as intimidating as speaking to someone in person.

Fresh Start

When I arrived at FSU I felt a mixture of emotions both good and bad. At first I kind of felt like I wanted to throw up because I was so nervous. It was pretty intimidating driving up to the school knowing that my parents would soon be leaving me here all alone. I wasn't sure I was ready to be here on my own. The first two nights were hard, especially since I didn't have a roommate yet. I felt very alone and was hesitant to talk to anyone. I'm so thankful to have two really good friends here at FSU with me. They have made the transition so much easier and have given me the confidence I need to go out and meet new people. My attitude towards being here at FSU changed quickly from somber to an attitude of excitement! When my RA told me I finally had a roommate I was so excited and anxious to meet her. Turns out she is an awesome girl and someone I can really get along with. I'm sure there will be days that I get homesick and miss my friends and family, but I know I'm going to be okay. Starting this new chapter in my life is going to be challenging but I know ultimately I'm going to be okay, and looking to the future I am so excited to see what FSU has in store for me!