Reading is like riding a bike: Commonplace Book

           This post, instead of focusing on writing, is going to talk a little bit about reading. It was inspired by an analogy that compares reading to baseball, and while that analogy works to an extent, I'd like to offer another that's a little more representative of the complete reading experience. 

This is a little bit cheesy, but reading is like riding a bike. (Reading = Riding, and Bikes = Books.) It’s hard at first. You have to learn how to balance, how to go forward, how stop. Your parents start you off with training wheels so you don’t fall down or get too frustrated, and they gradually build up your confidence and abilities so that, eventually, you can do it on your own, without training wheels or their helping hands to guide you. You have to learn what to do, and what not to do, so that, when you come up against a rock or twig or patch of grass, you can roll right over it without a pause. Once you’ve learned, you never really forget. You can ride that bike to school each day, and to work when you’re older. It can take you all sorts of places in life, and in the world, that you never imagined going. It’s good for the environment (aka your brain), it’ll never run out of gas, and if you ride often enough, you’ll find yourself doing new, amazing things. Plus, if you keep it in good shape, you can pass it down to your grandkids, or sell it to a collector for a lot of money. And most importantly, once you get started, you will never forget how to ride.

It has occurred to me that writers = BMX riders. Lol. Imagine Dickens popping a wheelie.

It's Time to Rewire the Way You Think About Writing.

       Writing is an art. A very, very hard art that your teachers in high school didn't really prepare you for. And that's unfortunate, because the things you can do and write and create are truly amazing. You just have to figure out how. 

Why cant I just stick to what I’ve been doing?

Imagine that you were going shopping because you really needed new school clothes. You already have an idea of what you like or what your style is, and you gravitate towards those things naturally. Now, imagine that there weren’t any options. Everything came in one size and in one color, no matter how big or small you are, and no matter what colors you do or do not like. It would suck, wouldn’t it? Unfortunately, that is happening everyday, only we’ve become so accustomed to thinking that there’s only one right way to do things that we don’t even notice. Ever been told you have to write a five-paragraph essay with exactly one intro, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion? Were you told that the conclusion had to summarize, or that there was a specific formula for each body paragraph that you just HAD to follow? Sounds a little suffocating when you think about it in terms of clothes, doesn’t it?

            The problem with the one-method-fits-all approach is that it rarely works. In much the same way that one shirt size doesn’t fit everyone, one approach to writing does not allow for the creative stylistic differences that make up an individual’s voice. Different voices and styles may be more effective for different topics, and without the freedom to choose, students are losing out.

Why We Should Write: Commonplace Book

“Who wants to become a writer? And why? Because it’s the answer to everything. … It’s the streaming reason for living. To note, to pin down, to build up, to create, to be astonished at nothing, to cherish the oddities, to let nothing go down the drain, to make something, to make a great flower out of life, even if it’s a cactus.”
—Enid Bagnold

“Not a wasted word. This has been a main point to my literary thinking all my life.”
—Hunter S. Thompson

“The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over half a library to make one book.”
—Samuel Johnson

“If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can’t allow what we learned in English composition to disrupt the sound and rhythm of the narrative.”
—Elmore Leonard

“One thing that helps is to give myself permission to write badly. I tell myself that I’m going to do my five or 10 pages no matter what, and that I can always tear them up the following morning if I want. I’ll have lost nothing—writing and tearing up five pages would leave me no further behind than if I took the day off.”
—Lawrence Block

     
       I'm saving these five quotes as inspiration when I feel as though I have failed, am failing, or otherwise need encouragement. They are brought to you courtesy of Writer's Digest. 

       Writing is hard work. It is dirty, maddening, challenging in the worst ways, and sometimes, if you're really lucky, it's altogether wonderful. Even the best of us need occasional fortitude against self doubt. Even the best of us have off days. But when we do, what distinguishes the best from the worst and the just-okay is sheer determination, and a willingness to trudge through the pain, and the suffering, and the really long nights, all in the name of making art. 

A Who-Dunnit Mystery - Disputed Authorship in the 21st Century

       Best known for her children’s series Harry Potter, author JK Rowling has recently expanded her domain by composing several adult fiction novels. While some of her novels have been received more generously than others, none have experienced quite the same fan-fare as The Cuckoo’s Calling, which was originally published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. It was only a matter of weeks before an insider with knowledge gained from her attorney husband blew the whistle, unleashing a flurry of speculation, investigation, and eventual enthusiasm. While this case of disputed authorship was not long lived, the methods with which Rowling’s authorship was determined reflect a new component of life in a digital age – the public assumes, and often demands, a entitlement to information, even when that information comes at the cost of someone’s privacy.

My Own Last Lines: Commonplace Book

Last week I wrote about the importance and impact of last lines, and presented you with a few of the better ones from a range of authors. This got me thinking about my own last lines, and while they differ in that they're from a series of journal entries I'm writing for my Brit lit course, and not from a full-fledged novel, they are consistently the most interesting lines, which I though warranted further exploration. Why is that? I'm not totally sure. Everything before them is okay or mostly good, but I feel as though I should deleted all that and start at the end, because the end is the best.

I was okay if it was one in a long series because I knew there was more to come, but finishing the series, or finishing a solo novel, was torture. 

We can create anything.

That doesn’t always work out so well, but it gets me through the day so it’s good enough in my book. 

I’d be worried, if I was a mom. 

She also doesn’t really do women any favors in the pr department – we can get stuff done, but only if we’re really lucky because we’re weak and not so good at planning in advance. Ugh.

Or, you know, they’re similar because aliens wrote them.

It just occurred to me that writers = BMX riders. Lol. Imagine Dickens popping a wheelie.
 

Titles: Commonplace Book

       I read a lot of articles. Articles about science, technology, popular culture, art, medicine, religion, state of the union, state of other unions, crime.... I read a lot of articles. As it happens, I today came across an article that got me thinking about titles. 

"Crocodile Hospitalized After Being Crushed By Heavy Russian Woman On Circus Bus"

       This particular gem was brought to you by The Huffington Post. It's awesome because 1) it's shocking/weird, and therefore attention grabbing, 2) it's completely accurate, and 3) it represents the subject matter perfectly. Not only does it tell us what the article is about, but it does so in a sensationalized but realistic manner that conveys the freakishness of the scenario. 

       My titles have a tendency to be boring and/or practical, but I might get in the habit of spicing things up a little. There's nothing better than a title that makes you laugh. 

The Great Gatsby: Commonplace Book

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” 
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby


I love the imagery in this quote. Usually, we think of birth and the start of life as new and fresh, just as the world is after winter. Spring is a time of renewal, and new beginnings. This deviates from a commonly accepted idea, and suggests a new time line, one which which I as a student can identify. Summer is the end of the school year, but marks the start of a separate chapter, one that was, for me at least, marked by new adventures to have, new places to go, new people to meet, new books to read... new everything. It's a time when we finally have the leisure to stay outdoors all day, enjoying the sunshine and foliage that were also described in the quote. It almost perfectly depicts the wonderful feeling of knowing you have an entire summer ahead of you. 

The Tyger: Commonplace Book

       I love this poem by William Blake for a few reasons, the most interesting of which is that fact that I don't understand any of it, and love it anyways. It could be a very creative metaphor for love, or government, or justice, or something, or it could literally just be a poem about a tiger. And even though I'm not really sure, I don't care. The words themselves are lovely enough that they can stand alone without whatever weight their meaning imparts, which is an impressive feat. 

Rhetorical Analysis : George Saunders

George Saunders, an acknowledged American writer of essays, short stories, and children’s books, delivered a lengthy speech to Syracuse University’s graduating class of 2013. It was an interesting take on graduation speeches, as it began with an ode to the many others that came before him. “Down through the ages, a traditional form has evolved for this type of speech, which is: Some old fart, his best years behind him, who, over the course of his life, has made a series of dreadful mistakes (that would be me), gives heartfelt advice to a group of shining, energetic young people, with all of their best years ahead of them (that would be you).” His opening remarks set the tone for what was to come – a delightfully agreeable speech that spoke to students at their level while both entertaining and educating, a feat not easily mastered.

Last Lines: Commonplace Book

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

The Great Gatsby, F.Scott Fitzgerald

"After all, tomorrow is another day."

Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell

"'From the Land of Oz,' said Dorothy gravely. 'And here is Toto, too. And oh, Aunt Em! I'm so glad to be at home again!'"

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum

"I wish you all a long and happy life."

The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold

"It's funny. Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody."

The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger

"But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest a little boy and his Bear will always be playing."

The House At Pooh Corner, A.A. Milne

"For Siddalee Walker, the need to understand has passed, at least for the moment. All that was left was love and wonder."

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Rebecca Wells

"Again and again I called out for Midori from the dead centre of this place that was no place."

Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami

"And then we continued blissfully into this small but perfect piece of our forever."

Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer

"'When the day shall come, that we do part,' he said softly, and turned to look at me, 'if my last words are not ‘I love you’ – ye’ll ken it was because I didna have time.'"

The Fiery Cross, Diana Gabaldon

       Last lines are not usually viewed as the most important lines of a book. Instead, they are often the last to be planned, the last to be written, and the last to be edited. But the last lines of a book are often as important as the first, as the provide the reader with a final, lasting impression, and as the last thing read, may be what is most remembered. This is a collection of ten good final lines, lines that make an impression both on their own and within the context of the story. They come from a wide range of books, some of which are more respected than others. What they have in common is their creativity, their effect on the reader, and their ability to serve as inspiration in my own writing. 

Lecture Recap : Dr. Mesle of the Los Angeles Review of Books

       Last Wednesday, I attended a lecture given by Dr. Mesle, the Senior Humanities Editor for Los Angeles Review of Books, and Co-Editor of avidly.org. The topic was "Why We Write and Where," and although I did not expect it to be the most beneficial, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of information, and the manner in which it was presented. 

       Perhaps most relevant to my own struggle with writing was her advice on how to become a writer for the internet. Her overall theme was "just start writing" - don't allow personal fears or insecurities prevent you from making progress. Start a blog, and start writing. That way, when you eventually apply for a job, you'll have material to show them, material that demonstrates your voice and abilities.
       When writing for an internet audience, it's important to keep a few factors in mind: 

• Grammar matters! Even in writing for the internet, grammar is important because good grammar sets your work apart from the many, many others out there. Why would anyone read bad writing when there's perfectly good writing on the same topic that is easily accessed? 
• Consider your audience. Why should they care enough to read your writing? 
• Consider the effect your writing has on the audience. What will they learn, or take away?
• What makes your article different from, or better than, others of similar topics? It's important to consider timeliness and relevance - a recap of a show that aired Sunday night should be posted by Monday morning. 

Perhaps her most important tip was to write with as much interest, voice, and even passion as you can. You have to care for your audience to care, but you also have to recognize the difference between things you can get an audience to care about, and things you can't. Minute details will probably not appeal to the masses, and it's important to weed those out so that they don't lose your readers. 

Rearview Mirror: Commonplace Book

"Then one day you look in the rearview mirror of your existence and realize that you can see clear down the hill-less and curveless and bridgeless road of your life, straight to the maternity ward where you were born. And then you go to college. Where your bland past meekly follows, sluggishly scraping its feet on the floor."

I Was Told There’d Be Cake, by Sloane Crosley

This quote is a great one - it has metaphors, a ritual of three, and generally just a really descriptive way of looking at life. I'm not so good with informal writing - I tend to be plain and to the point, which is good for educating, but not so good for entertaining. I'm working on that, and quotes like this serve as my inspiration. 

Proverbs : Commonplace Book

"If, at the time of choosing, Claire hadn't precisely reckoned the cost, she had, nevertheless, no right to expect others to help make up the reckoning.The trouble with Clair was, not only that she wanted to have her cake and eat it too, but that she wanted to nibble at the cakes of other folk as well." 
p 87, Passing, by Nella Larsen

       This is an interesting play on the well-known proverb, "She wanted to haver her cake and eat it too." It gives us very interesting imagery while also providing a commentary on Claire's character. We may not know exactly what the proverb means, but we do know that it's something that's generally looked down upon. It's selfish or greedy, and the idea that she is eating everyone else's cake in addition to her own goes so far as to sound absurd. We haven't met this woman, but we almost instantly dislike her. This use of a proverb is unique because it builds on it, instead of changing or altering it. 

Product Review: The ZooMed Daylight Blue Reptile Bulb

People all over the world often turn to reptiles as a source of easy pet ownership. When, after all, was the last time you had to walk a snake, lizard, or tortoise? Arguably, the best beginner pet is the Russian tortoise, as they are particularly hardy and easy to care for, and have wonderful personalities. Russians, which are naturally found in Afghanistan, Northern Pakistan, North Eastern Iran, North Western China, and Kazakhstan, are adapted to an arid desert habitat, and so they require specific types of food, humidity levels, and heat levels. (The Russian Tortoise)

Performing Prose Exercise: Positioning Readers

I was standing in line at the Jamba Juice, passing time before class. I walked up, ordered, and paid. Then I turned around and stepped back to wait. They walked by, turning around to stare – apparently my white t-shirt and floral shorts were some kind of provocative. I made eye contact unintentionally. Just the day before my mother had encouraged me to be friendlier, to smile. So I did, awkwardly. Never before has a smile been a mistake, but this day it was. He came back for me, invading my space, forcing me to shake his hand. “You’re beautiful.” He said. I replied with quiet words of thanks, not sure what else to do. As a slight introvert, I don’t talk to strangers much, especially not strange leering men. He leaned towards me, pushing for me to talk to him, making me more uncomfortable by the minute. “You are beautiful” and “Will you buy me a smoothie?” were his go-to lines. He repeated them over, and over, almost as though it were a song, while running his hands through his dark brown hair that matched his chocolate skin. I did my best to rebuff him. “Thanks,” I said again. “My boyfriend tells me that every day.” He continued, and finally got to me, and I began to snap. “No, I wont buy you a smoothie. I work too hard for my money to spend on someone who has enough.” He was unfazed, he chuckled, he didn’t care. The last few minutes were a blur, but I think I remember finally letting the words “Go away” pass my lips in a whisper. He responded, for the first time in that long five minutes, the way I wanted him to, only, not. He declared that I was rude, and a bitch, and walked away clearly offended, griping to his friend about “women these days.” Because I forced myself into his personal space, because I asked him uncomfortable questions. Because, clearly, I am a bitch.

Writing this passage brought up a lot of feelings, and it was important to me to convey them to the audience. First, I did not refer to him by name, or by a descriptive pronoun. I considered using “the man” or “the boy” but I felt they gave him too much. In the moment that this happened, he was a “he” – something other, something threatening and scary. I gave details about his behavior and appearance slowly, only as they became relevant to the story. I think this highlights how foreign he was to me, because he presented himself in a predatory manner rather than as a fellow human. The main emotion I wanted the reader to experience was the feeling of being trapped. I was waiting for a smoothie I paid for, so I felt like I couldn’t just walk away. In another situation I probably would have. I referenced physical and social footings only as they became important. It began with physical footing, and social was developed later on. I also used direct quotes, which gives the reader further insight into the related social footing.

All in the Golden Afternoon: Commonplace Book

      Below is the opening poem for Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.  This poem has long been one of my favorites, as it accomplishes several things through beautifully woven stylistic language. First, it tells a story. It is a gloriously romanticized story that evokes a sense of wonder and a certain old world charm. Second, it identifies a possible explanation for the origins of the famous tale, which is most interesting because, generally, not many details are known. This is Lewis Carroll identifying the story of creation, if you will, in his own words. It may perhaps reflect an exaggerated version of events, but, either way, it adds another dimension to an already multidimensional tale.

A Brief History of Myself as a Writer, Part Two

       This is Part Two in a series of far too long posts. For background information, please view Part One first.

       I entered university as a very excited but extraordinary naive hospitality management student. My writing didn't improve much that first year, and instead, something rather unfortunate happened, something that completely changed the way I thought about myself as a writer. 

A Brief History of Myself as a Writer, Part One.

       My parents, bless their hearts, read to me every night from the moment I was born. Every night. At the time I had no recognition of the impact this  would have, but I now know that it, and my resultant love and obsession with reading, had an incredible influence on who I am today. Every detail of my life is directly related to reading, writing, and language as a whole. I get good grades because my parents read to me. I work as a tutor, and know the grammar rules, because my parents read to me. I am articulate and do well in interviews because my parents read to me. I am a writer because my parents read to me.

My style varies greatly, primarily based on topic. I adore blogging, and using a relaxed, informal tone, which is primarily what you’ll find in this exercise, but I also have great passion for formal writing, especially when it is a discussion or analysis of history. I’d like to explore my journey as a writer through a discussion of a few samples, and it is my hope that you have a chance to experience both of my writing voices as they are. Due to length, my ramblings and explorations will be split into a series of posts. The first part will focus on high school, while the second will address my years in university. 

Time Management for Students

       

       Time management is, currently, far too popular among bloggers, especially the mommy bloggers. There are posts for "Gen Y-ers," posts for students, posts for workers... I even found a post on how to "kick your time management habit" because, you know, time management is totally a bad thing. The one factor these posts have in common is claiming that their steps are 'essential' to your life, but really these steps aren't really anything new. Yes, I know I should prioritize. Yes, I know I need to set goals. Yes I know I need to prevent distractions (ahem, technology, we're looking at you...) But I also know that none of these so-called tips ever work for me.