The voice within

Just a final post to say goodbye to this wonderful semester.

My final author wrote a chapter on finding your voice, How I Discovered the Voice - or rather, How the Voice Discovered Me. That's what this class has helped me to do, find and listen to the writer's voice that I have always had.

Thanks to all for sharing voice and listening to my voice!

Final Blog

A few days late, but I wanted to finish this book before my last post. And to be honest, the first few chapters in the book, I really liked their points of view on certain aspects of writing. But towards the end I didn't feel like I was getting as much out of it. But I still think Ellen Gilchrist said it best about writing. Some of the few key phrases that stick out in my mind are, "Writing is Rewriting," "Writers read," "Just write what comes to mind," "you're allowed to have a shitty first draft," the list goes on and on. But I think there is something I have learned in class that is even more important than the act of writing. I think having confidence about whatever you write about is one of the top few things about writing. I dread and I mean dread reading my work out loud due to the fact I'd rather write and leave it on paper. I just don't have the most confidence in what I write especially after hearing all the talent we have in class. But really this class has made me face it and I think that is the most important thing to have when it comes to your writing. Anyone can write, but I think it takes more to read your own work or let other people read yours. And I think that is the most valuable thing I take away from this class. So thank you.

Finally

Well, I'm about to finish my book, The Spiral Staircase, by Karen Armstrong, and frankly there's nothing much in there as far as tips about writing. Toward the end, however, she says something that I thought quite appropo to what we have been learning. Her book is about her travels through finding herself after having spent 7 yrs. as a nun, and after Googling her I find that she has written several books about different religions. Her quote which touched me follows.

"Like the words of a poem, a religious idea, myth, or doctrine points beyond itself to truths that are elusive, that resist words and conceptualization. If you seize upon a poem and try to extort its meaning before you are ready, it remains opaque. If you bring your own personal agenda to bear upon it, the poem will close upon itself like a clam, because you have denied its unique and separate identity, its own inviolable holiness. I found this to be true in my study of literature. As soon as I had stopped trying to use it to advance my career, it began to speak to me again. Now I was having the exact same experience with theology."

Maybe sometimes we try too hard instead of letting things just evolve to a point we're ready to absorb and understand them. Of course, when "Teacher" says "do it," you can't always wait for the "aha" moment. OUR teacher has been very flexible about letting us do things at our own pace, and that is very much appreciated! Thank you, Kim.

last blog

As this course is coming to a close this will be the last blog. My last blog will be different from the rest. It will include not only something from the book, but also somethings that I have learned throughout this course from the classroom.

The end of the book speaks about style in great degree. It says that "writint at high speed is usually a good thing. " It further says, "It suggest enthusiasm, confidence and knowing what you want to say." I agree with that. When you write and you can do it at a high pace then you really know what you want to say and the energy is flowing. I have found that when I am really working on an assignement and have thought about it and know what I want to say, then I am able to write it and have the thoughts keeps coming to me. However, on the reverse end when I am having a hard time it is hard to get into any kind of pace.

If anyone has anything to say and writes about it is a writer. I believe that a writer is simply is person that writes. Now there are things that seperate writers but on average any person who writes can be a writer. The most important aspect of writting to me is to just get whatever you want to say on paper and then go from there.