Blog 6

This class was easily the most entertaining college level English class I have ever taken. Do we go on workshop topic tangents? Yes. Is it common for someones ego to broken down and their name dragged through the mud even before the first break? Yes. Can the class easily morph into a yelling contest about arbitrary pop culture references from the 80s and 90s for the majority of the time? Yes. Will someone totally rip on Bryan everyday no matter what comes out of his mouth (even if his intentions were profound?) YOU BETTER DAMN WELL BELIEVE IT!
I have to admit, when I saw our plan for the class at the beginning of the semester I thought to myself "Wow! This entire class has instantly turned into six weeks of wasted bullshit!" Now I can't help but feel more mature as a writer since I finally see the true value of the blogs, workshops and reflections. Above all else, I am glad we conducted the workshops as a class, rather than just being broken up like cattle and prodded to be silent while reviewing three other students work. I have to also admit that although I wanted to learn, I am the king of conversational tangents. In the end, I think that's what made this class fresh no matter how many days in a row I had to lay my eyes on the same damn faces.No offense.


But I digress...


My writing, although still flawed, has improved by leaps and bounds since these last three fortnights. I have to admit that I came in wanting to change my correct use of rhetorical strategies and diction, not to mention when to have a serious tone and when to switch to a passive. My biggest concerns were my list impulsive writing processes and planning ...To quote an odd song I heard on the radio called Stress by the band Jim's Big Ego: 


I'm Addicted to stress
that's the way that i get things done
if I'm not under pressure then i sleep too long
and i hang around like a bum
i think I'm going nowhere and that makes me nervous

Well, at least the first two sentences apply to my writing process specifically (although I concur with the rest). For my writing process as it was, I am a daydreamer of sorts. When I hear about an assignment I will come back to the idea and play with it at least four to five times that day before even realizing it. By the time I get to writing a paper (usually the night before), I already have the topic points down in my head. However, I realized in this class that I never followed through with my idea. I can tell you the WHAT, but I always assumed the reader knew WHY( which is truly the more interesting side to any argument). Also, as you've seen with my Community review and my workshop, the diction usually is reminiscent of the story of Icarus (if you don't get that then just picture crashing and burning or just simply an epic fail). It wasn't until I got to the opinion piece that I realized how much planing these reports effected my reasoning. It's a funny story actually, I wrote three opinion pieces on three separate topics. This was since the first was a six page rant to why not to vote for Mitt Romney and the second being a four page rant on why President Obama needs to grow a pair. From what I learned through the entire experience here are a few tips that I would impart on a writer who struggles like me to not to have his work read as if I yelled into a tape recorder over a long weekend and instantly transcribed it (and yes that was a run-on.)

1) Use the AXES model when in doubt. You can clean up the flow after you have your idea on the paper.

2) Don't write the report from beginning to end if you seem all over the place and have to structure. What I did was write each  paragraph in word pad and made sure it could support itself independently before inserting it into Google docs. I saved the intro and then the conclusion until the end so I can tie them in together way easier and keep the same idea  in mind (it has a tendency to wander)

3) Read Read Read. I would say the best part writing was identifying reports that had an element that worked really well and working that into my report. I know for the opinion piece I read at least 50 articles. I actually printed out and wrote on a dozen to identify underlying themes that I should address in the paper.

4) I actually start with two extra sources and one extra topic sentence so that I can simply take the weakest one and cut it rather than racking my brain on how to polish a turd so to speak.

5) Framing. Actually the most joyful part of writing and a great tool in life is knowing how to spin things. Take a fact and make it your bitch. Refuting a morons idea gives me great pleasure no matter what time of day it is.

Other than that it's just small things. Not procrastinating, Having someone read the report out loud so you can take a pulse of the flow and diction, try not to write after heavy drinking or using illegal substances (trust me, something you think up might actually sound genius but it's probably the hallucinogens talking). Simple stuff really.

In retrospect, the class blew by so fast I can still remember our first day of class together. Now that it's over I can hopefully strive to find a balance between my inner-Steve, my inner-Jim and my inner-Will. I would let out my inner-Roxy more often but I think I'll just make people cry...I kid, I kid (Triumph)

I'd love to say I will see you guys next semester but I actually live in downtown San Diego and honestly there was no summer school there due to the sheer amount budget cuts. Plus, I don't have a Facebook. I swore it off since the days of MySpace drama (oh how old I am). But I will do you guys one better - My phone number.

It's (619)777-6911. 

No Really. 

That's not a made up number. 

If you find yourself down south call me or text me. I really think the class should go get a drink sometime (for some of you non-alcoholic), we could meet halfway - like Solana Beach or something. Just an idea. Run with it.

 It's been great hanging out and talking life for the last six week but it's time for us to finally enjoy the small amount of summer we have left...won't keep you waiting. 


Oh, and be well...