Slammed

Is it my destiny to be completely slammed by people? I'm taking an online creative non-fiction class. I woke up this morning to check my email and received a message from a member of my new online small writing group. Her message said that her comments usually caused people to be discouraged with their writing, so if she was too harsh or critical that I should let her know. At this point, before reading any feedback, her comments are too harsh and critical. I mean, really. You would only say that if you were being too harsh and critical. I finally read her comments. She, of course, picked out some lower order concerns and gave me some very generic comments--specific details, narrow your focus, blah, blah, blah. I already knew that stuff. I really wanted a movie of her mind. I wanted someone to see what I was trying to say but not quite saying.

I'm in the writing project right now, and her comment really contradicts everything we are doing. To go back to what she said, "I'm one of those English teachers who makes people feel discouraged about their writing." If you are an English teacher and you are making people feel discouraged, shouldn't you re-think your tactics when discussing writing. Something is wrong.

creative non-fiction

'Fiction, from a literal standpoint, is not true — or at least not totally true (not so as the writer is willing to admit) while creative nonfiction, if not completely true, is as true as the writer can make it. I am not unaware of the foggy grey line being drawn here, but one can't be easily literal about art and literature. The creative nonfiction writer tries to be as truthful and factual as possible. Making things up to enhance the narrative is unacceptable. But creative nonfiction is very similar to fiction in technique. The creative nonfiction writer is permitted (encouraged, in fact) to take advantage of all of the literary techniques available to fiction writers and poets. By this I mean writing in scenes, using description, dialogue, specificity of detail, characterisation and point of view. By 'point of view' I mean that the reader can be made to see the world through the eyes of the writer, the subject about whom the writer is writing — or through the invisible third person objective eye. Creative nonfiction is very story-oriented; it is narrative. That's the 'style' part — the creative part.'--Lee Gutkind, interview, taken from dotlit

I am taking a creative non-fiction class, and I feel like I know what creative non-fiction. I think this "definition" really helps to show what creative non-fiction tends to be. It's story. I love how multi-genre encourages this story aspect--this meshing of reality with fictional writing technique.

Sometimes students want to write fiction. I really want them to write what they know first. What they know if infinitely more interesting than the beginning stories they make up. What an amazing success to show students that their stories are important and worthy of being written about and recorded.

Writing for Myself: Writing to Teach

Writing for Myself: Writing to Teach

I'm sticking with this blogging thing because it is hard for me. I really struggle against it, but maybe this "publicness" makes me push myself a big--write more than I usually do? I notice spelling and punctuation problems because I am usually in a hurry and I don't read it over it before I "publish." I'm wondering about fear right now. Fear holds us back. Marcia is doing her presentation on blogging and some people aren't participating. Why? This is such a great experience. Wouldn't we expect our own students to participate and try giving it a shot? But it comes down to fear. Fear that some people will read and judge what we write. I fear that, I know. But I think the writing project last year really helped me to come to the conclusion that I need to write and I have to write, and I need to share.

Writing for Myself: Writing to Teach

Writing for Myself: Writing to Teach


Technology autobiography

I'm embarrassed to tell this story. My brother said that my parents should buy me a computer, and a lot of times he is full of hot air and I blew him off and got a word processor instead. Can you believe it? I used a word processor to write my big composition paper my senior year in high school. I used it in my freshman comp class also. I remember going to the computer lab in the library my junior, I think, year of college and playing with an early form of the Internet. You know, my roommate in college my sophomore year had a computer in our room. I used her computer to type. Then, my senior year of college, I bought my first computer, in Dec., right before I did my student teaching. That also reminds me that I took a distance learning class from the University of Iowa and I would type my answers on Shakespeare and snail mail them to her. I imagine we would do it much differently today. We would probably email. When I started working on my master's, I began playing with the idea of using computers in first year comp. I wondered how hypertext changed the way people thought and made connections. I also wondered if discussion boards could provide a way to open up conversations between students in the same composition class. Some people might think that this seems artificial, but sometimes we would stay in the same lab and have conversations via discussion board, while we were in the same room together. I felt like the comments toward student writing were better. Do I love computers? hmmm. I did get my third computer a year ago last December. Aaron bought it as a Christmas present because he knew I would need it for school. I love my laptop. I went computer shopping with my sister last week, and it made me want a new and improved computer. Oh, well. Thinking of how technology has affected my life--or is part of my life is very interesting question. Thanks for asking it. I would like to write more about it later.

Writing for Myself: Writing to Teach

Writing for Myself: Writing to Teach

Today, the Missouri Writing Project went to Rocheport. It was a beautiful day. 83 degrees. Very windy. Blue sky. When I blog, I think of Marcia. She was on her way to Stanford to do a presentation. I can't wait for her to present her round table about blogging to the other teachers in the institute. She is having everyone make their own blog, and I think it will be pretty neat. I'm wondering if we should post everyone's blog on our blackboard site. It might help keep us in touch better or help us to read each other's writing more.

I'm thinking right now about doing what is hard for you. This also make me think of Lesley's round table. Breaking down to break through. June Rae Wood broke down. When it is important, some times we shed a tear--we break down a bit, but that is when the good writing comes out. I wondered today about how I am not writing about important matters. Not that everything has to be important, but I am not tapping into myself like I could. I'm playing it safe. Isn't that the way we prefer to do it? Not share. Somehow, maybe subconsciously, avoid writing about the events that matter. We think that others can't possible understand, or maybe that we feel a little shame for some reason.

I asked today in my freewrite if we are committed to the writing life (thanks, Annie Dillard, for the term), but by the end of the 2nd week of the institute, we should start thinking as writers. We are writers.