Writers Block

I always experience writers block when I begin my essays. I just don’t know what to write and cannot see myself filling up 3, 4, 5 pages, until I find a center I am passionate about. When I find something I live in the topic I am given then my mind opens to ideas and I begin to understand the assignment better. I sometimes think reading other people essay will help me by giving me ideas however it is the total opposite. The ideas I read are things that wouldn’t interest me and sometimes discourages and frustrates me from finding my center. With essay #3 I did struggle with as I did with #2 and #1 the only difference between this essay and those is the struggle to find a source. I am trying to be choosey and picky but I feel like I do not find something as broad but specific about my topic.

Essay #3/writers block

I'm worried about writing the third essay that is due. I still don't have that strong "center" that everyone has in their essays. Reading other people's essays is sort of giving me a vague idea of what I need to do for the assignment so that is very helpful. I realize that there are so many topics I could focus on, but my pen is just at a stand still. I'm even having trouble producing in my own personal creative writing. This is very frustrating as I most always have something to write about. Anyone have any tips to get over writers block?

This weekend I was bombarded with issues and anecdotes pertaining to our class and have finally found some time to share them.  First, when I got home Thursday afternoon there was an article in the TU about classifying eggs.  There were eleven different categories to consider that included the expected organic and free-range labels.  But there are also vegetarian fed, Food Alliance certified, and Animal Welfare approved!  Wow!  The article had an amusing first line leading into the topic - something about buying eggs scrambles the brain . . . A good example of how to lure readers in. 

While at the dentist on Friday, I read an article about food language - how there is a difference between the words "homemade" and "housemade" despite them both meaning "prepared from scratch."  The connotation (implied meaning) of homemade often includes the image of a sweet grandma wearing an apron and baking cookies and pies in a cozy kitchen, whereas housemade is associated with a creative chef who personally and critically selects fresh ingredients and turns them into an imaginative culinary creation in the back of the house (establishment's kitchen).  I'm wondering what you think about this seemingly subtle distinction . . .

On Friday my eight year old son brought home a worksheet on paragraph development.  At the top there was a picture of a juicy burger with all the fixings (interesting enough given the "healthy eating" movement taking place in our school district right now).  However, what stood out were the suggestions next to the image:  the top bun is the introductory sentence; the meat and fixings are the supporting details; the bottom bun is the concluding sentence.  Does this sound familiar?  I threw out this same strategy for integrating outside material, but it's the same principle.  This is something we all have been doing since we were seven or eight years old.  At this point, it's expected that you have "gourmet" meat and fixings by now though.  Those supporting details should be carefully selected and arranged.  Think of a Black Angus burger encrusted with tri-colored cracked peppercorns; smothered with Blue's Ewe (blue cheese); topped apple-wood smoked bacon and carmelized onions; and served on homemade ciabatta (Italian bread).  Not for you? Then visualize your own to-die-for sandwich when writing and create it!  Just as a food creation is a reflection of the cook, your writing is a reflection of who you are, and this goes far beyond WRIT100.  For many, it's easy to throw together a mediocre meal.  The same goes for a piece of writing. 

Again, I enjoy reading your comments - whether you're commenting on the class or material, whether you're reflecting upon your own life, or whether you're flat out procrastinating.  I, too, get caught up with life; I need to write more often. 

I have a laundry list of things to do. I have to start getting into this writing essay we have due, start contemplating what I'm going to write for my literary perspectives paper, and turn in my foundations exam to my professor by midnight tonight. Yet, for some estranged reason, I'm just having trouble bringing myself to fold my laundry sitting in my hamper next to my desk. I blame the weather. Ever notice it's harder to get yourself to do work when it's all dark and dreary outside? Listening to the therapeutic sound of the drapes of rain pouring outside my window make it that much more difficult for me to resist the overwhelming sensation to get back in bed, curl up, and fall asleep...

Last night I sat down and wrote my first draft for this paper. I think that I did a decent job, at least for a first draft. Again, the distractions were kind of ridiculous on my floor. Everyone was running around making tons of sound--people were riding scooters, throwing a football, kicking a soccer ball, and one kid was walking around filming and interviewing everyone. This got me thinking, what times can I possibly do my work in a quiet setting. I realized that there have really only been three different settings when I have had quiet; on the top or bottom floor of the library, when my roomates are in class in our room, and really late at night when everyone falls asleep. This whole college thing is stressful; I'm about to start going home to get my work done, too.

I agree it is really hard to find a quiet place to study and do homework on campus. There have been many times when I wanted to do homework but I was distracted by the people in my hallway, whats on tv or facebook. I am lucky though when I really need to get things done I just go home and get everything done. I do this about once a week. I do think that I really need to just find a quiet place on campus so I can get my work done.

Just to build off of Courtney's latest entry, that number of distractions that we face while trying to write a paper or do any assignment can truly be overwhelming. As I sit right now and try to do my Poli Sci and writing homework in my room the window is open where people yell and cars drive by and there are a million things I can stare at. Open in other windows on my computer are facebook, AIM, blackboard, cnn.com, foxnews.com, majorleaguebaseball.com, ESPN.com...you get the point! The hallway is filled with noise which is so easy to hear even though the window is open. I can hear "Party in the U.S.A." blaring from another room, yes a guy's room, and another song playing in another. When you go to the library, even in the places where it should be quiet, people will always be talking. It is so hard to find a quiet place here!

Essay #2

I just submitted essay #2 and I feel really good about it. I tried to take a different approach then all the other essays I read in class. I tried to go about in a more positive aspect and how it unites us as a nation. I struggled with the structure but overall I think the ideas I put into the paper were genuinely good ideas. I feel better about this essay then essay #1, although I did not start off this essay on a positive note. It took me quite some time to actually start because I felt stumped and had no idea what to write about. After I read everyone else essay I was still stuck and very far behind. The day I realized what wanted to write about was when Ms. Liptak said in class she was waiting for someone to say we needed fast food, and it hit me we do need it. Especially as a freshman having a fast food I’m use to having with friends at home takes me back to home in a sense.

Second Essay

I know that I just blogged a few minutes ago, but it's late and I'm bored. I just finished this second essay, and I'm not entirely happy about it but that's okay I suppose. I never can make up my mind, which is probably why my essays go off on random tangents sometime. I blame facebook for my distraction. There's so much to do on there it's kind of ridiculous because I don't like to go on a lot, except when I have/am doing work. ichat too because I get to talk to my friends from home and they help with my ideas sometime, so it's a positive and negative. Well I am just about finished with this blog, but before I click publish post....isn't it ironic that, like my essays, this entry is unfocused?

I was very happy about my grade on the first paper. It was an interesting topic to write about and I enjoyed it very much. The idea about writing about food, in the beginning, seemed like a strange idea. After writing the first paper it became obvious that there is so much that goes along with food that can be discussed in a paper. This second paper is another very interesting way to look into food. It has been fun to look into, in my case, how different restaurants advertise to television viewers. I'm looking forward to handing this paper in tomorrow. I hope that I did as well on the second paper as I did on the first.

My second essay

Working on my second essay is a lot easier than I thought it would be. After getting advice from Professor Liptak on organization and working with my writing tutor I know I'll do better the second time around. Even though when I did my first paper I thought I did good but I didn't do as good, I'm alright with that. This time my paper will flow better and I'll have better content. My paper will be better and this will be the start of me doing better and working harder. I've gotten better at organizing all my classes and homework, this will help me get better grades. For this essay I should not get anything lower than a B.

I'm real worried about making sure my essay flow. whenever I write essays I try to write out my cognition, but it never translates itself onto the paper in the way I want it to. Creative writing is so much easier. Peer editing defiantly helps though because when I go back to edit my paper and I read people's comments, it helps me to keep focused in my paper.

Peer-Editing

In class couple of days ago I got my paper read by the whole class. I was scared because I'm not a good writer and I wrote the paper in a rush so. When I got to class I talked about my paper to two groups and one group ripped my paper up and it was all negative comments and the other group had comments but they also help give me ideas that i would need to expand my paper. I got a lot of useful advice that I'll use for my paper. At first I never understood why we had to do it because it would be a waste of time but I see that's actually helpful and a good idea that we do this in class.

This morning I was talking to one of my roommates about this class, and how each semester you give a certain topic to write about. We began brainstorming different ideas from family to school, but the best idea we came up with is music. It is such a important thing to so many people. Music has the ability to make you feel happy or sad, to bring you back to a different time in your life, or to allow you to express exactly what you are feeling. There are so many distinct genres of music. There is music in almost everything we do or see. Music is in a scary movie, or a jovial commercial. Why is music so prevalent? Why can't you get a certain song out of your head? These are interesting questions that I feel would be a great paper. There are so many different aspects of this topic. Therefore, I think it would be a good topic for a class in the future.

Family Weekend

This past weekend my it was family weekend and my mother, younger sister, aunt, uncle, and two cousins. It was so good to be able to see my family because being away from them has been very hard. It's difficult to go from seeing someone everyday to seeing maybe once a month. When they came ofcourse they were being loud telling old jokes and making fun of my Jonas Brother poster. Then my mom came late as always, but I wasn't too upset about it though because she brought all the clothes that I left at home. I was happy to see them. I ran up and gave my mom a huge hug and she waited on as we I got ready to go to the mall. I went to Wal-Mart to get all the food that I could think that will last me atleast until after November break. Then I had my mom by me some "other" things that I really needed. After that I we went to crossgates mall and used my debit card to buy too much. After I killed my debit card it was time to say bye to my aunt, uncle, and cousins that was sad. My younger cousin started to cry and it was so hard on me I couldn't believe she was cry and she made me start to cry. Then my mother came back to my dorm to clean my dorm a little then she left and I gave her a huge hug and kiss and she and my sister went down the elevator. I didn't cry but it really hurt because I knew it would be a probably another month before I see her again.

Midterm

My American History II midterm starts tonight at six o'clock. Since the class is only half a semester, I have it two nights a week from six to nine. It is a very long class and two nights a week is a little rough, but on the bright side I am done on October 21. After that I will only have four classes so the workload will be less. Even though the class is shorter, we are doing the same amount of work a full semester class would incorporate. Because of this, we have extensive readings and homework assignments every night. While it will be worth it in the end, this may be one of the hardest classes I have taken due to the amount of work we have been assigned.

First, I am being thoroughly genuine when I say this - I love reading your posts.  I hope that they are helping you feel more comfortable about voicing your opinions as well as feeling more connected to our writing community.  It seems as if they're making you more thoughtful in regard to your writing and writing process . . . I also hope that they are helping you to think more about what is going on around you, and that you really are a part of "it". 

It sounds as if several of you are struggling with this second assignment.  Please know - the assignment was purposely designed to be open.  While many of you are writing about the fast food industry and our unhealthy diets, these are just two possible subjects.  For example, I would be interested in exploring farmers' markets, u-pick farms, the increase in home gardening and how one of these are being promoted in the media.  Do you see where I'm going?  I should have emphasized this more - pick something that interests you and affects you.

I'm off to Minnesota for the weekend, for my niece is getting married.  I'll let send you an update on Minneapolis cuisine.  Enjoy the weekend!

Writing about the different food slogans and the way companies go about getting their products out to the public is something very interesting. To really hear other people talk about how hard the comapanies must work to get certain sayings right for the public is much more interesting than just thinking about them on my own. Not only do i hear what other people have to say i can also get different point of views, and that is always a interesting thing.

Essay Draft #2

I wasn't sure I was going to be able to pull this last essay off, but once I got started it was not as bad as I imagined. I got a late start on it because of my freewrites, and was real nervous sending it to everyone. After going over it again and doing some self-editing, I do not think it was too bad, given the circumstances. I'm looking forward to what the other drafts have written, and hearing from other people how I can make my draft better.