END OF THE YEAR!!!

I just wanted to start off by saying this class was a blessing for me. It allowed me to be creative in my own time, and I feel that’s important when developing stories. In addition to that it was just a really awesome class with an amazing teacher. It has come and gone extremely fast! I wish I could do it over and gather more from what you have to offer Mrs. Skinner.

When it came to completing prompts this semester writing was more challenging for me than it was in any other class. Mainly the challenge came from the freedom in writing, and I found it to be a real positive. I think your prompts allowed our individuality and styles to shine through in our writing or at least mine.

As far as my writing style has grown I believe the biggest lesson I took away from the class was show not tell. I feel I’m doing way better about that. I think I have to work a harder when it comes to dialogue, I do not really use that tool in my writing so I will try and mess around with that a little more. I also learned that being aware of your audience is a tool you can use to really win your reader over. So I need to know who my writing is geared to, and find a creative way to hook them in. I am happy to walk away with these specific techniques and many more. Have a good break class, and an awesome new year!

The End of Nonfiction Class

It's so strange that we're halfway through December. Hell, the year's pretty much over now. So much has happened yet at the same time, it feels like barely any time has elapsed. Its the strangest feeling in the world. Nonfiction for me was very interesting and pretty challenging to write. Never have I done a Travelogue or a memoir before. I have plenty of regrets when it comes towards what I've been doing this semester and with this class. Usually, I'm the kind of writer that just goes with her first natural instinct, mostly because I find that work written by the heart and the initial part of it is usually me at my best. Then, of course, is time for the editing, and sometimes I do keep it the same. Now most of my regrets lie in my doubt and ability to write nonfiction. Fiction writing is  one thing and I've always had a huge imagination, but Nonfiction is basically telling it how it is, yet you've got to pull it out of the database of your mind and show it to the reader, not telling, which is the challenging aspect of it. 


I know I pulled that off quite nicely with my character sketch piece. However, it had taken me days and unsuccessful attempts at going at it. I had written three previous ones and I knew that they weren't going anywhere. It wasn't until the day it was "due" that i finally got the right kind of inspiration when Professor Skinner showed her family pictures did I realize what I should have been writing about the entire time. And yes, I do plan on editing it, adding some more bits after obtaining some research, and I'm going to submit it to the Advanced Nonfiction Workshop next semester. 


I hate having writer's block. It makes me grumpy, dissatisfied, and I act pretty bitchy when I'm frustrated and put too much thought into what I want to work on, but this semester (rather late, though), I realized that you cannot rush creativity and force it onto paper. I wish I could have written a much more efficient and entertaining travelogue rather than the appalling one I spent three hours blankfaced staring at the computer screen, wondering where I have been around Tallahassee. But yes, I learned so much in this class and I believe I'm one more step closer to my crazed ambition of becoming a writing Jack-Of-All-Trades. Thanks everyone! I guess I'll see you all around then.


-Kayla 

My writing

It's fair to say that this semester went by too quick. I was unsure as to what to expect from this course. From the first day to the last I learned so much. I can tell that my writing style has took a change.

DETAILS! No writing is complete without DETAILS! That is one thing I will always take form this course is to detail EVERYTHING! From the dust particle on the jacket to the fog in the glasses.

Thank you for the amazing semester. I enjoy every minute up it ... and even your readings at the beginning. ;)

I have become much more confident with my writing during this semester. I have also grown in the sense that I attempt to incorporate more of a world view into my pieces. I also like the idea of zooming in and out in a piece, and plan to use this more often as it serves to help the piece relate to a wider audience. I have also learned that there is a lot more freedom to creative nonfiction than I had initially thought. I came into this class very unsure of what this subset of nonfiction meant. I like the idea of telling a story through the lense of the writer, or character, and showing the world through that perspective. So, I can take artistic freedoms when describing the world according to Brittany, and I like that. I have also learned to eliminate “telling” and replace it with “showing.” I realized that I tend to use phrases like “I see something” or “something is doing blank.” I have learned to eliminate the “I see” and “something is” part and just make the verb an action! It has proven to create much more exciting and dynamic sentences.  
The comments I have received on my papers from you, Rebecca, have also been very helpful and encouraging! It shows me what I’m doing right and also gives me pointers on what to focus on next time! I have also come to discover that my writing process is the polar opposite of my boyfriend’s. We were discussing an essay he had just written and he told me that he had planned out every paragraph that he wanted to write about including the conclusion. I found this an impossible way to write. Part of the excitement of writing, for me, is having no idea where your writing will take you when you sit down to create something. I rarely ever have a plan before I start writing, because I think that it diminishes the massive amount of possibilities for one’s writing. A story could go in a million different directions if you just sit down and write whatever comes to your mind. That’s the way I’ve discovered that I prefer to work, and it seems to be working for me!

Looking Back...

Looking back on the first day of class I can remember I was very nervous. I was going into my Junior year and beginning one of my first classes for my major (even thought this class was an elective). When I entered this class I was very excited because I wanted to learn new ways to improve my writing skills. I always love gaining experience with anything. Now, that we have finished this class, I can say this is one of the most fun classes I have taken at FSU. This class was laid back and was the least bit stressful. I really enjoy going to class every day, and mark my word on this, I don’t say this often. I’ve gathered and retained so much information to guide me along in other classes that I will take with me in the near future.
When I think of reflection the first thing that comes to my mind is the Disney movie, Mulan. But we all know this isn’t what we are referring to. Reflection is the process of looking back over your work and noticing how you have grown as a writer. When we reflect back on our writing we often find things that we might have not found before. The reflection process for me usually comes twice. I reflect before I begin to think about what I want to write about. I sprawl out my thoughts and put them on paper. I begin writing my paper and stop throughout to takes breaks. I then reflect again after I am finished writing. I look back over my work and revise it. I make sure I have all the research and all my ideas correct. To me, reflection will help me become the best writer I can be. Another important part of my writing process is editing. Editing is everywhere whether we simply know it or not. Not only do you edit your papers and revise them but you also can edit your Facebook status or twitter. Anything I write I want to try and tailor it to make others engage in it. When I compose I go over my work several times before I have the final product. I find myself doing this with my Facebook as well. Whenever I write on someone’s wall or make a status I go over it to make sure everything is spelled correctly and is acceptable. Editing is an important process. What I have also gained from this class is to SHOW not TELL. I never really would do this before but now, every time I sit down to write I find myself pulling out adjectives. Our workshops we did in class helped me gain many ideas from other people that I would have never thought of on my own. I feel it helps me become a better writer when I have other opinions. Composing and being creative with your work plays a vital role with most of us being EWM majors or Creative Writing majors.

Becca, you did an amazing job teaching all of us. I wanted to thank you for being so lenient and giving us the opportunity to take our time when writing and extending so many deadlines that no other teacher would have done! Thanks again!!

What have you learned, this semester-- about yourself, your writing, the world? Which ways have you grown in writing? Character, scene, dialog, immediacy, meaning-making, showing-not-telling, sense of audience?
What techniques have helped you on the way to becoming a better writer? These and any other musings on your writing process welcome here!

Workshop

Being familiar with workshops in previous courses, I can definitely see the appeal for teachers to implement the participation of workshops. It is not only a critical tool used to help enhance your writing abilities, but it is also fun and informative in a classroom setting. As young writers we often feel our materials are not adequate enough and so we often create barriers. These barriers creates doubt and hinder the creative, reasoning, and thought process involved in all successful literary works. Reading a fellow students work helps release some of the stresses as you can equate the imperfection within the work to your own novices. Not only do we sometimes get the informative feedback from our peers, but in the process of "work-shopping" someone else paper, you too are learning from the mistakes made. You observe new approaches and ideas to writing different from your own and as a result, you grow as a writer.

Workshops are a simple way of getting access to the many and multitudes of different styles and creations of writing from people like you and me. After all, isn't that what being a writer is all about; learning from the mistakes you make through constructive criticism. 

Workshops can be done in numerous ways as long as the inner workings and intent is there. The purpose is to leave a better writer, with new and inventive ideas that you can always apply to writing later on.

Note: Workshops only work if participants participate :-) 

Workshops

I personally like workshops, I think that it is beneficial to the writer to get feedback back from different perspectives. In my opinion in order for them to really help, we should take our time and not rush the workshop because it is "not your paper". I my previous writing classes, my professor divided the class in half group A and B. Then he would assign certain days for the groups to have their papers ready and post it on blackboard. Everyone who is included in that group will be responsible for reviewing/work shopping their peers writing. In class everyone is responsible for printing out the workshops for the week. and everyone in class will take time to talk about the students paper. In the end, everyone would pass the paper to the student being work-shopped with their notes. and the student would use that for revision. Our professor would also workshop the paper. I thought this was very helpful and everyone contributed to the workshop.

Workshops of Creativity!

Willing to hear the voices of others.
Others taking time to read your works.
Ready to make changes.
Key points drawn to attention to help the creativity run easier.
Students working together.
Hoping to improve your grades with the help of your classmates.

Open minded to hear different opinions.
Positive reinforcements towards additional creative ideas.
Super happy to get help from fellow classmates.

Workshop Winning?

My first real experience with workshops was traumatizing to say the least. It was my first semester at Florida State University and my anxiety was already at an all time high as I entered my Poetic Technique class. Unaware of what was in store for me I was faced with a pow-wow style class room and immediently thrown to the wolves as my (terrible) writing was shared with the class. The workshops that took place in this 'circle of trust' were painful and of little help to my 'poetic future'. Just when I thought I had finally written a decent poem the class would rip it to shreds and instead of offering helpful feedback I would be lectured by fellow class mates. I had thought that by the end of the class maybe the workshops would have helped me understand what readers might have to say about my work and perhaps I would discover new ways in which I could structure my writing or how I could gear it towards certain audiences but in the end all I had gained was the realization that poetry was not for me. I do believe that workshops can be extremely beneficial when given enough time and respect. It can make all the difference in one's writing to hear the opinions and feedback from readers before submitting a final draft. Often times simple details can be overlooked by the writer which might be critical to the reader, workshops are a great time for questions to be asked.  I also believe that the professor's role is crutial, instead of lecturing a student about his/her work, offering simple suggestions can be a great help whether it be a grammatical error or an undeveloped thought, pushing the student to dig deeper or pay closer attention to detail can be extremely beneficial.

In my experience, workshopping can be really great or a total waste of time. I like workshops when they help me expand my writing and give me another pair of eyes for a different perspective. However, I dislike workshop because its hard to fit an effective workshop into a class because students feel rushed to be sure they can get to everyone in their group.
I prefer to use the Writing Center where I can sit with someone and talk about what I've got going on and work together to form ideas. Otherwise, I end up with a couple scribbled notes and no clear idea of what the person was trying to tell me.

workshops :) or :/

For me workshops are like school sometimes I like it, and other times I do not. There are several reasons I am back and forth between fully committing to a love or hate relationship with workshops. The main reason I like workshops is because, they give me as a writer another set of eyes. The main reason I dislike workshops is because, legitimate full functioning workshops do not always take place in class.

I have to admit even though; some of my peers probably just skim through my work cause they really could care less. If he or she finds one misspelled word or sentence fragment in the end it bettered my paper. I am awful with over looking minor details as those so this is when work shopping comes in handy. I feel I benefit the most when I get comments on my writing style, or things my reader enjoyed. Workshops help me realize my strengths and weaknesses in writing. Although, it sucks to see the paper I worked so hard to create marked up and down with pen. Obviously those corrections/inputs are a positive thing to be brought to my attention.

Unfortunately, these out comes are only possible with a full functioning workshop. What I mean by this is the student reading your has to care enough to actually read it. Trust me I have been the problem before like many of my classmates. Maybe they had a bad morning, something more important is weighing on their mind, or honestly they just might be bored out of their mind to really give a person good criticism. Criticism is another reason I am kind of iffy about workshops. There has been plenty of times I thought a paper just blew, but who am I to tell someone that. To be perfectly honest I just do not have guts to rain all over someone’s parade. This is a major negative in peer editing because, there are plenty of people out there like me, or even worse. There is a great possibility a student reviewed my paper and thought this paper is good enough to wipe my butt. Yet, all they did was fixed a couple of misspelled words, tossed in some commas, and drew a smiley face at the top. This is why I think workshops can be a waste of time.

This concludes why I feel workshops are something I participate in when needed, but I do not take to seriously.