I never really considered how technology affected my writing. For me writing, whether on my computer in a notebook, whatever was just writing. Admittedly writing on my computer was always easier than any other type of writing, but I never really considered how technology affected my writing. I had to use twitter this semester in order to complete my twitterive for this class. I HATED TWITTER! Still do. Thats because, for me at least I don't see the point. Its simply a way of letting everybody know what you're up to and I have my phone and facebook for that. However, I have realized something. Being forced to get my ideas down in a limited number of character got me to think more deeply about what I was writing. I had to struggle to find a way to get my main point across in a way that made sense, and since Im a bit of a longwinded person that was hard. Being forced to consider what I was writing on twitter got me considering what I was writing in papers, on my blog, on facebook, etc. It got me to begin to be a bit more concise in what I was saying. Its interesting how a technology as simple as twitter can have such a big impact on my writing.
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Having gone back and looked at the work that I have placed up on my site I realized that I really focus more on my class identity than my "real" identity. Admittedly there are a few areas where I my real identity pops through every now and again, but for the most part my class identity dominates this site. When Im writing on this site I am alot more formal than I am in real life. Even in the blog posts and twitterive where Im discussing parties, or going out with my friends, etc it is all very directly and properly written. The reason for that is that I know Im going to be a teacher. As such I need to present as professional front as possible to the "outside world". I cant afford to let the "real me" show in a place that would be visible to parents of my future students or my future students themselves. Thus, although I have let loose a bit of the real me on th
Im working on my twitterive and will be presenting it on my website within the next few days. However, as it is a work in progress I am trying to get different people's ideas on how to improve it.
1) What other genres do you think could be used to enhance my twitterive?
2) Do you have any suggestions to make my prologue flow more smoothly?
3) What to do think of the way that my pieces are arranged? Any suggestions for improving it?
4) Do you think that I should continue to include pictures of the people that I am focusing on in the pieces? Do the pictures add to the work, or distract from it?
5) Should I try and expand the poems that I have included?
6) Should I try and expand the piece where Im arriving home one night?
1) What other genres do you think could be used to enhance my twitterive?
2) Do you have any suggestions to make my prologue flow more smoothly?
3) What to do think of the way that my pieces are arranged? Any suggestions for improving it?
4) Do you think that I should continue to include pictures of the people that I am focusing on in the pieces? Do the pictures add to the work, or distract from it?
5) Should I try and expand the poems that I have included?
6) Should I try and expand the piece where Im arriving home one night?
No matter how many times I go through this I still wind up worrying myself senseless on nights like this. I know that out of all her 256 fights Jacqueline's won 250 of them, but still! Im her husband, and all i ever do is sit back and let her do this! I let her go off and risk herself, risk getting hurt, risk possibly getting killed! I cant stop her...ive learned that. Shes going to do whatever she feels like doing. Sometimes I don't know what to do. I wind up just sitting here thinking. I cant deny that shes good at what she does. When it comes to kicking ass my wife has it down pat. Still...one day its gonna end. One day the fame, the fights, or the stress will get to her, and then whats going to happen? Our entire life is built around her career. I gave up mine. I gave up everything so she could chase her dreams. My days are a never ending, never changing stream of dealing with our child...getting her to school, dealing with the homework, the teacher conferences, the bullying, the minor heartachers, the major heartaches...and the arm wrestling. Already, Im called into the school two or three times a week because she hurt another kid arm wrestling Am I surprised that she took after her mother? No, Im not. Shes the spitting image of her mother. I sit here, my brain whirling. Its almost midnight; almost time for another fight...
1)character-Dom, family, and friends
2/4)Place
Physical-House
Mental-Family-connection
3)when-short flashbacks of the past up to this year
5)Why-no visible tweet connection, but connection to what he was doing while tweeting
6)Short narratives, poems and pictures
comments) look at script writing program
Reflection
Having had someone look at my twitterive and helped me to focus on what I have figured out so far really helped. It helped me to see exactly where I was going so far, and gave me a number of ideas as to how to further my own plans with the twitterive. Also, Erica suggested that I try and add a couple of more genres to my twitterive. Because of this I am experimenting with my brother's script writing program to do "a day in the life" type of piece. I am also considering a stream of consciousness, though about what Im not entirely sure. I like the idea of using it so I am just free writing in stream form to try and see where it takes me.
2/4)Place
Physical-House
Mental-Family-connection
3)when-short flashbacks of the past up to this year
5)Why-no visible tweet connection, but connection to what he was doing while tweeting
6)Short narratives, poems and pictures
comments) look at script writing program
Reflection
Having had someone look at my twitterive and helped me to focus on what I have figured out so far really helped. It helped me to see exactly where I was going so far, and gave me a number of ideas as to how to further my own plans with the twitterive. Also, Erica suggested that I try and add a couple of more genres to my twitterive. Because of this I am experimenting with my brother's script writing program to do "a day in the life" type of piece. I am also considering a stream of consciousness, though about what Im not entirely sure. I like the idea of using it so I am just free writing in stream form to try and see where it takes me.
As the semester has passed, i have experimented in a number of new sub genres of areas that I have written in before. Specifically, I have done some work in micro fiction, haiku, and found poems. As I worked on these pieces, I realized something about my own writing style...I am long winded. When I write, I love to hear myself "talk". Working on these pieces, I found it extremely difficult to complete the pieces within the guidelines of the sub genres. As I said part of it is that I like to hear myself talk, but part of it is that I love descriptive writing. I once wrote a piece in which I spend an entire page discussing a hut on an island that was the main location of a short story I was working on. However, there is one thing that I cannot turn down...a challenge. It really challenged me to do the haiku, found poem, and micro fiction. I wanted to make them all longer! 250 words to tell a story? Its not enough! But I love a challenge, so i powered through it. I tried to create a piece that was as good as it could be while still staying true to my own writing style.
I also have begun to look at things in a simpler way since I started these pieces. What I mean by that, is that I have tried to look deeper, in shorter pieces. Normally when I read shorter pieces I read them, get the main idea, and move on. However, having worked on these shorter pieces, I went back and tried to look beneath the surface. I still struggle with it. I like to read something, get the idea, and get on with my life. However, I am attempting to look deeper, and not just look at the length of the piece. I am trying to not just equate length with better writing, despite my own preferred style of writing.
I also have begun to look at things in a simpler way since I started these pieces. What I mean by that, is that I have tried to look deeper, in shorter pieces. Normally when I read shorter pieces I read them, get the main idea, and move on. However, having worked on these shorter pieces, I went back and tried to look beneath the surface. I still struggle with it. I like to read something, get the idea, and get on with my life. However, I am attempting to look deeper, and not just look at the length of the piece. I am trying to not just equate length with better writing, despite my own preferred style of writing.
This is a poem that is based off of a number of my tweets.
List of tweets
1)Snow yesterday, today, tomorrow and a snow storm that will last form Tuesday to Thursday and will drop 1 1/2 ft of snow.
2) Shoveling a 3 car driveway is gonna count as my workout. 1/3 of the way done! I hate snow
3) Im hearing 3-5, then 5-8, n 8-20. Dont ya love the weather channel?
4) hoping that theres no class tomorrow, because class or not...I still have to shovel the driveway. Please no class
5) Friends just got me hooked on this show shameless. Talk about serious dysfunctionality! cant wait for the new episode
6)You would think they would speak english, but that is the beauty of higher education....It doesn't make sense
7)Watching penn & tellers show on dvd. I love when people debunk bogus myths
8)The roads r not too bad right now but they r pretty slick. Careful everybody
9)couldnt get my front door open today. Had 2 go out the back n shovel out the front just 2 open the door. 2 much snow!
10)Alright you have me using twitter now. This is gonna be an experience
Poem
Snow yesterday, snow today
shoveling a three car driveway
hearing 5 to 8
hearing 8 to 5
2 much snow
hoping that theres no class
Friends just got me hooked; shameless
You would think they would learn
Bogus myths, debunked
Careful everybody
This is gonna be an experience
List of tweets
1)Snow yesterday, today, tomorrow and a snow storm that will last form Tuesday to Thursday and will drop 1 1/2 ft of snow.
2) Shoveling a 3 car driveway is gonna count as my workout. 1/3 of the way done! I hate snow
3) Im hearing 3-5, then 5-8, n 8-20. Dont ya love the weather channel?
4) hoping that theres no class tomorrow, because class or not...I still have to shovel the driveway. Please no class
5) Friends just got me hooked on this show shameless. Talk about serious dysfunctionality! cant wait for the new episode
6)You would think they would speak english, but that is the beauty of higher education....It doesn't make sense
7)Watching penn & tellers show on dvd. I love when people debunk bogus myths
8)The roads r not too bad right now but they r pretty slick. Careful everybody
9)couldnt get my front door open today. Had 2 go out the back n shovel out the front just 2 open the door. 2 much snow!
10)Alright you have me using twitter now. This is gonna be an experience
Poem
Snow yesterday, snow today
shoveling a three car driveway
hearing 5 to 8
hearing 8 to 5
2 much snow
hoping that theres no class
Friends just got me hooked; shameless
You would think they would learn
Bogus myths, debunked
Careful everybody
This is gonna be an experience
This Haiku is based off of my micro fiction "Struggle"
Sun burned down upon sands
Would be so easy to be bitter
Death not so fearsome
Sun burned down upon sands
Would be so easy to be bitter
Death not so fearsome
This short micro fiction is based off of a quote from Gloria Anzaldua's piece "How To Tame a Wild Tongue". The quote is "One day the inner struggle will cease, and a true integration take place."
The sun burned down upon the boiling sands. My body burned as I lay, my arms and legs numb. The stakes bloody from where they had punched through me. Sweat poured down my body as I laid trapped upon the rock of my own making. It was so much easier at the beginning.
I had walked into the throne room. My supporters draped in silks and armor. I had walked in, and sat upon the throne, placing the crown upon my head. I sat there as my supporters killed any who challenged my right. I started a war. Thousands, millions, died as my bloody banner trooped across the land. Eventually, it was my mens' blood that stained it. Eventually, enough rallied against me around a man of their choosing. Eventually...I lost.
It would be so easy to be bitter. I had been emperor! Placed upon the imperial throne by my own strength, not some silly ideal such as lineage! Now...I lay here; on a burning rock in the middle of a desert, staked out for the sun or the crows to kill me, whichever came first. It would be so easy to be bitter, but I have never been anything but a man able to recognize the reality of a situation. I was made emperor under my own power, I was dethroned by my own arrogance. I lay under the burning sun...Death is not so fearsome as life.
The sun burned down upon the boiling sands. My body burned as I lay, my arms and legs numb. The stakes bloody from where they had punched through me. Sweat poured down my body as I laid trapped upon the rock of my own making. It was so much easier at the beginning.
I had walked into the throne room. My supporters draped in silks and armor. I had walked in, and sat upon the throne, placing the crown upon my head. I sat there as my supporters killed any who challenged my right. I started a war. Thousands, millions, died as my bloody banner trooped across the land. Eventually, it was my mens' blood that stained it. Eventually, enough rallied against me around a man of their choosing. Eventually...I lost.
It would be so easy to be bitter. I had been emperor! Placed upon the imperial throne by my own strength, not some silly ideal such as lineage! Now...I lay here; on a burning rock in the middle of a desert, staked out for the sun or the crows to kill me, whichever came first. It would be so easy to be bitter, but I have never been anything but a man able to recognize the reality of a situation. I was made emperor under my own power, I was dethroned by my own arrogance. I lay under the burning sun...Death is not so fearsome as life.
This short micro fiction is based off of a tweet I made several weeks ago. "Is it just me or are people more awake on this campus at night than during the day?"
The moon shines pale above the row of townhouses. I walk through the darkness, the dim street lights doing little to illuminate the walk. It had been a long day. Class at eight til two, then to the library for a paper, and finally class at six until nine. I was tired.
I moved through the darkness slowly. My bag school bag dragging at my back, loaded down with the eight books I had needed for that day. My shoulders slouched more and more, as I trudged down the darkened boulevard. A shout broke through the night. Through the dim light I saw a crowd gathered outside my neighbor's dorm. I stepped into the light from the porch, and saw a case of yueng resting just inside their door.
I glanced down the lane, and saw a group of people bustling inside the door to another dorm. Further down the path the sounds of laughter drifted. Back the way I came, you could hear talking, laughing, singing. I smiled, and shook my head as I walked into my dorm. A case of yueng rested in the fridge. A bottle of jack sat in the freezer. My roommates sat in the living room, with a group of our friends. Music blared out of the ipod speakers. I heard my name shouted as I walked in. Mike tossed me a beer as I dropped my bag on the floor. Just a regular Thursday night on campus.
The moon shines pale above the row of townhouses. I walk through the darkness, the dim street lights doing little to illuminate the walk. It had been a long day. Class at eight til two, then to the library for a paper, and finally class at six until nine. I was tired.
I moved through the darkness slowly. My bag school bag dragging at my back, loaded down with the eight books I had needed for that day. My shoulders slouched more and more, as I trudged down the darkened boulevard. A shout broke through the night. Through the dim light I saw a crowd gathered outside my neighbor's dorm. I stepped into the light from the porch, and saw a case of yueng resting just inside their door.
I glanced down the lane, and saw a group of people bustling inside the door to another dorm. Further down the path the sounds of laughter drifted. Back the way I came, you could hear talking, laughing, singing. I smiled, and shook my head as I walked into my dorm. A case of yueng rested in the fridge. A bottle of jack sat in the freezer. My roommates sat in the living room, with a group of our friends. Music blared out of the ipod speakers. I heard my name shouted as I walked in. Mike tossed me a beer as I dropped my bag on the floor. Just a regular Thursday night on campus.