My thoughts about my play and such

1. The limitation that I had the most trouble with was the length. At first I had an idea for the play, but it was just too hard and too complex to write unless I wrote 30 or more pages. Then I thought of another play idea, the one I ended up using, but when I typed it up, it wasn't quite five pages. SO I ended up having to add lines, while not bad, they just didn't flow with the rest of my dialogue.

I don't really see myself getting involved with writing any more plays or any of its sister forms. My older brother, who is at college and studying theatre, is more apt to do something like that. I on the other hand will stick to poetry. Why? because it's not complicated, but it can be if you want it to be. Also it rymes and can be any length you want. It can tell a stroy or not tell a story. Ultimately there aren't too many regulations when it comes to writing poetry and that's why I like it.

2. Oh the endless possibililties of what I could write about... my life is just one big book of short stories... not really. I'm not completely sure as to what I'd want to write about. I could write about the time when I was 5 and I went to the Mall of America for the first time. That was quite the experience because I ran into those big, glass doors. However, there's not really a theme in that story unless you count "make sure there's not a glass door in front of you before you run down a hallway" a theme. Most likely I'll end up writing about my first day at South View because it was probably the biggest change I've had so far. Although I think the transition to college will top that.

3. If I could give advice to a 10-year-old child, I would tell him or her not to worry. I would say go just have fun with your friends and not worry a lot about school because at this point in your life, grades don't matter. However, that doesn't mean he or she should blow off school entirely. They should try their best, but if they don't get the grade they want, don't stress out about it. Also, I would tell him or her to stick with what they're doing. Whether it's an instrument, sport, or hobby, they should keep up with it. Even if they don't like it and don't want to put the time into it, just keep doing it because later in life you'll be glad you did. For example, I wish I had stuck with the piano because now I wish I could play anything and everything with ease. I also wish I had stuck with swimming and tennis because those are things you can do for the rest of your life. Oh and I'd tell them to work hard from 9th grade to 11th grade because those are the most crucial years of their whole education. Personally, I didn't work as hard in 9th or 10th grade as I should have and now I wish I had. I also wish I would have prepared for the ACT and SAT more. So I'd also tell them to prep early for those. And that would be pretty much all I would tell them. As for drinking, using drugs, and sex, I'd tell them to just be smart about it.

Creation... God vs. the "Big Bang" vs. Luigi Pirandello

1. Yes and no. I think there can be a theme or a moral in pieces of writing, but I don't think you necessarily need one to express an idea. Although, when there is a theme I think the piece has the potential to have more depth and enrichment than one that does not have a specific theme. However, some pieces that don't intentially have a meaning can end up impacting people in such a way it is as if it did. I feel like books and plays and poems can just tell a story without a set theme and it can still be "great". It's just up to each individual person to determine what they get out of it and whether or not it's worthwhile and inspiring. Plus I think certain themes can be stupid and meaningless/cliche anyway.

2. I have absolutely no idea why certain pieces of literature stay around longer than others. I do however think that it could be because of the piece's fame and popularity. If everyone makes a huge fuss over it, many people will probably read it and talk about it "for years to come". Also I think controversy and innovation can add to a piece's fame and popularity. For example, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, was/is still a very controversial book. While I may think it is extremely boring, at the time it was written, it was extremely controversial and innovative and, guess what? It's still around today. I've even been required to read it twice for school. What a treat... Oh, and no. I could never see myself writing anything that would last that long because I don't see myself writing as a career.

3. Frankly I don't want to make a "lasting impact" as a writer. If I did write something I would just want people to read it, like it maybe, and just enjoy it. I would want my writing to be entertaining and fun. Maybe I would write comics or something, I don't know. What I do know is that I will probably not write much when I am older because I will proabaly end up as an accountant or a doctor of some sort. So unless it's a prescription, I probably won't write much. However, I would like to leave a lasting impact as a person. Maybe not to the world, but to the people around me. I want to be the best wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend I can be. Plus, if I do get into the health/medical field and maybe become a researcher of some sort, it would be cool to cure a disease. So if I could leave a lasting impact, I'd want to cure a disease. Oh and maybe I'd want to write some killer Haikus : )

Metacognition... I think that's thinking about thinking...

1. I see A LOT of things in our society/world that concern me. I'm stressed out 24/7. One thing is the ever-present pressure of being perfect. While there may be different definitions of the word, the pressure is always there and the expectation is nearly never met. If it is met, there is the pressure of maintaining that perfection. I feel that this pressure is especially harsh on the females. You have to be thin, but not too thin and at the same time have enormous breasts and a nice butt, but not too big of breasts because otherwise you're considered a porn star. I think this pressure is ever present because the media is throwing images of "perfection" and the idea of the "perfect life" at us at a rapid rate.

2. My friend "Mary-Loo" is ALWAYS very positive and energetic. She's always doing something fun and there is never a dull minute when you are with her. She's also a very loyal and trustworthy friend because I know if I tell her something she wont make me feel stupid or spread it around to everyone else. I also know she wont bitch about me behind my back. Also she is extremely outgoing and that is definitely one thing I envy about her.

3. Oh my lord... there are so many books and movies that I love that have inspired me. Of course I love all the Harry Potter books because there are so many details and images in JK Rowling's writing and the plot was intricately woven. Those books make me want to be more imaginative and make me want to be a better creative writer. Secondly, I love the Augusten Burroughs books because the language is so raw and blunt. Not to mention the dark and witty humor. These books just make me think of things in a whole new light. As for movies, they're really for just entertainment. However, if you look at some of the story lines to them, some of them have absolutely fantastic plot lines and dialogs, which are somethings I need to work on in my writing. I just need to make my dialogs more natural sounding.

Happyness

1. Happiness is when you smile for no reason. All of a sudden you feel lighter, and you just can't help but like everything around you. You feel more peaceful with the world and with yourself.

2. Hanging out with my friends (boyfriend included) makes me happy because they're fun and we like to do a lot of the same things. Also they're not catty or mean. I love going out to eat at restaraunts like Big Bowl and Tiger Sushi at MOA. I also love staying in and watching movies or DVDs of my favorite television shows like The Office and Arrested Development.

3. I feel that my family has a lot of influence on my happiness, especially my mom because we tend to fight with eachother. Also, my brothers can help elevate my mood because, now that we're older, we get along better. It's only certain friends that have an impact on me. Some of them can be mean and so I get frustrated with them.

4. I think I definitely affect my parents and my siblings. I think that if we're all getting along we're all happy and vice versa. Also I think I have an impact on my friends and boyfriend because, again, if I'm in a good mood, the're in a good mood as well, but if i'm in a bad mood, which to be honest isn't always pretty, they might not be in such a good mood.

5. My greatest need in life is... to find my passion. I have no idea what I want to do when I'm older and with college coming up I feel stressed out. I just wish I could find what I was passionate about so I could go to college with a plan. If I could figure that out, I think I'd be a lot happier.

First Quarter Reflection

1. So far I have enjoyed writing poetry because you have a lot of freedom with it. They can be short or long, and they can have different rhyme schemes, which I like. I have also enjoyed the writing prompts because they make me think and write about topics I wouldn't normally think or write about. In a way they challenge/push me in an intellectual way.

2. I think the two strongest pieces I've written so far have been my two poems, The Puppet Show and My Bestest Friend. I think these have been my strongest because I encorporated a lot of detail into them and they also had a plot or background story to them, which I think made them more complex than my other poems. I do feel that I have had a lot of inspiration for my poems and I feel that it is easier to be inspired to write poetry than a short story.

3. This quarter I have learned that I am a self-motivated writer, especially when I'm inspired. However, I do need to push myself when I'm not inspired or don't like the topic of which I am writing about. That's when it's the most challenging for me. I do like some structure because if there isn't any structure, the possiblilities are too vast and I'm too indecisive of a person to be able to pick one thing to write about.

4. I think non-fiction would be fun because I enjoy reading non-fiction and I think we've done a lot of fictional writing so far so I think it would be fun and refreshing to try something new. I also think writing a plat would be interesting because I definitely think it would be challenging.

Fear Factor

1. Yes I sometimes like to be scared. I like watching scary movies and I like going through haunted houses and on haunted hayrides. I'm fine with being scared with other people. I hate being alone and scared.
2. I'm scared of taking a shower and having a stranger walk in. I'm scared of sleeping and waking up only to find someone standing over me, staring at me. I'm scared of driving alone at night and having someone in the back seat of my car. I'm scared of walking home alone at night and having someone follow me. Basically I'm afraid of being alone in the dark and not knowing what's going to happen.I also really hate spiders.
3. When I think of madness, I think of a person who is out of control. They don't think before they act or speak. They also don't have any control of their emotions and get so overwhelmed by them that they act out in a dangerous or harmful way.
4. I think in our society, a lot of teenage girls go "mad" due to an extreme sense of insecurity. They don't like something about themselves and can't change it. Thus they lose control and go "mad". They lash out at other people and I know one girl who actually tried to "sabotage" a friend of hers because she was jealous of her. To me, that's madness.

Short Story Hooks

1. In an instant, pain and blood flooded his face. The basket ball had collided with his nose. Again, Michael hadn't been paying attention and his teammates had taken the opportunity to humilate him as usual.

2. After practice, Michael walked into the locker to find out that all of his clothes and belongings had been taken. This wasn't unusual for him and he knew who had done it. Disheartened, he sat down on a bench and waited. It would only be an hour or so before they returned everything.

3. A burning sensation crept up Michael's left leg as he skidded across the hard gym floor. One of his teammates had tripped him yet again. AS he gathered his dignity and stood up, he heard one of the boys murmur,
"What a loser. He can't even jog across the gym without tripping all over his fat self."

4. An explosion of laughter erupted as his shorts fell to the floor. One of Michael's teammates had taken the liberty to "depants" him as a joke. Half-naked, he quickly reached for his shorts and pulled them back up. Practice was now over and he sullenly walked back to the locker room to face more humiliation.

Connie and the Creeper

Basically, I thought this story was creepy and frustrating. It was also confusing because I didn't get that whole phone part. Why did she freak out so much when she was trying to call her family? Well the setting was important because A. It increased the creepiness because, how did he know where she lived? and B. It made her vulnerable because she was alone. Connie's character draws the reader in because she's an idiot. She thinks she's so hot and goes out to eat with random guys she hardly knows. She also answers the door to strangers when she's home alone. That's just stupid. In my opinion she was definitely asking for trouble. Teens can relate to the main character, parents can relate to the story because it is the worst fear of a parent to have some strnager come and kidnap your child. It also shows the dark side of human nature. Well, since I'm such a realist, I think she was taken, raped, and killed. I think Arnold Friend was rejected by women so much that he became extremely insecure aout himself. Thus he turned his attention to teenage girls because he thought he'd have a better chance with them. However, I don't know how he got to be so creepy and stalker like.

1. A character I can relate to.
2. A setting I can picture/imagine.
3. A twist in the plot at the end.
4. A love interest between characters.
5. Witty banter/dialogue.
6. Dark humor.
7. If it's a mystery, the end has to make sense and be surprising. (When a Stranger Calls was a horrible movie because the killer wasn't anyone in the story. He was just some random guy.)
8. Sometimes I like stories that are written like a journal/diary.
9. Drama.
10. Happy book has to have happy ending. (like HP) : )

Some Deep Thoughts...

Untitled

There came a time
when pigs flew high,
and rivers ran to touch the sky.

There came a time
when hearts beat true,
and hard bare feet felt morning's dew.

There came a time
when all else failed,
and widows black forever wailed.

The Puppet Show

Eyes wide open,
mouths shut tight.
Wonder and awe,
mixed with fright.
A sight never seen,
nor story heard,
they wait and listen,
to every word.
The wind starts to bite,
as their cheeks turn pink.
They can't help but stand,
motionless and think,
about those silly puppets,
and their friend,
just dreaming and wishing,
hoping it won't end.

Reading, Writing, and Wrong First Impressions

1. When I was about ten-years-old, my mom and I were walking through Barnes and Noble, trying to pick out a book for me to read for my fourth grade book report, when my mom saw the stand of Harry Potter books and asked me if I wanted to get one. I responded by saying no and that a story of a wizard looked nerdy and stupid. Well, sure enough, a couple days later almost everyone at school was reading those Potter books. Of course I made my mom go and pick me up a copy so I could find out what all of the fuss was about. it turned out that they were AMAZING!. The beginning was slow, but after the first couple of chapters, I was hooked. It was surprising that I liked Harry Potter because I wasn't usually into sci-fi or fantasy books. I'm stil not , but I've made an exception for the boy with the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

1. The writing I brought in with me was the book, Dry by Augusten Burroughs. I read this book over the summer and I found out about it through watching the movie, Running with Scissors, which was based off of his memiors.
2. It's really impacted me because it's raw, edgy, and witty. He completely frank about everything that happens to him and everything he does. I also think it "hits" me the way it does because he discusses his struggle with alcoholism and drugs and how much they've hurt him and affected his life.
3."At home, I sit at my desk and open the bottle. I bring my nose to the opening and inhale. The smell is sharp, powerful. For a moment, I think, How could I drink this stuff? This could power a lawn mower. But then I'm pouring it into a plastic cup and bringing the plastic cup to my lips, like a lawn mower with hands. I talk to myself. 'I can't relapse, this is just classic. I know better. I should go immediately to an AA meeting. This is code blue.' It burns going down..." (257). This is an extremely important passage because, after a year of being sober, he is relapsing. He then starts to drink again and this time, it is worse. He also starts smoking crack and his life basically goes into a downward spiral.
4. What are some causes of relapse? How can you oversome an addiction?

Me, Myself, and I

Hey everybody! I'm Sarah and I like to write : ) Um i'm seventeen-years-old, I'm a student, and my favorite color is green. I like to write short stories and haikus (sp?). Also, I'm excited to develop my writing skills and to tap into my creative subconscious. One writer who has inspired me has been J.K. Rowling (by the way, I'm a Harry Potter fanatic!). I think she is one of the most talkented people of our time. I admire her style and creativity. Up until this summer she was proabaly the only writer I really liked. However, recently I have been reading the memiors of Augusten Burroughs. I like the fact that he doesn't sugar-coat anything in his books and i love his dark sense of humor!

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