JournalsI kept numerous journals when I was younger. I started with a purple unicorn diary that had little lock and a key (that I thought could keep my brother out). I tried to make my small daily victories sound dramatic and exciting. One entry in particular I wrote about finding something in the road that I claimed to be an ancient artifact, but it was probably truly just a dog toy. In middle school I wrote in a spiral bound mid size journal with black paper. I wrote with gel pen about how I had a crush on a boy named Danny. I often committed to making daily entries and subsequently forgot. My entries were often months or years apart. I wrote to tell a story or give my life meaning rather than express my thoughts or emotions.
Instant Messagingasl=age/sex/location 15/f/kzoo
u=you u? l8=late Ill be up l8 pos=parent over shoulder I have pos brb=be right back brb |
Writing is like...Writing is like doing a puzzle. I begin by pouring out the pieces on the floor and spreading them all out. I want to be able to see the fronts of all the pieces. That is simply the beginning, just identifying the pieces and gaining an idea of the components I have to work with. Like with any paper or piece of writing, I always take a step back and gain a perspective of the project as a whole and the pieces involved.
When I’m forming a puzzle I rely on the box cover to gain an idea of what my puzzle image is supposed to be. When writing you don’t have a model for what you are supposed to have, but many times you do have a format for a letter, paper, poem or what not. I rely on that format to understand how I will go about writing my paper. Do I need an introduction or certain punctuation? This provides a model for me to follow to ensure I can maintain all the pieces of my project. The first pieces I put together are the border pieces with the flat edges. They are easy to identify and tend to connect simply with their surrounding pieces. Once I have formed a complete border with corners I can gain an idea for the structure of my writing. This would translate to my introduction, main points, thesis, supporting facts, etc for a paper. Once I have completed much of the prep work it is time to get to the nitty gritty and fill in the insides of the puzzle. I try to separate the pieces based on similar colors or patterns to identify which belong with one another. This is similar to writing when I fill in the body of my piece with like material. I use support that flows from one point to another and as I edit my work I read through to make sure that my material where it belongs. Writing has not always has this structure for me. When I first began with puzzles I wouldn’t follow this plan. I would team up with a partner and separate the work. I may also try to find some pieces that remained together from previous puzzle efforts. These are all strategies that helped get me to a more independent stage. Similarly when I was a young writer I would use the support of another to edit my work. Or I may create my piece based on an unfinished piece that I felt I could expand upon. My mom used to catch me putting simple 9 piece children’s puzzles together upside down as a small child. She thought this to be brilliant and tried to figure out how I did it. Sometimes I wonder if I was a genius child who had creative, innovative ways to solve a problem. In a way I did this with my reading/writing too. I learned how to learn differently than others, and possibly more difficult than others. I would do writing in pieces rather than a flowing piece, which doesn’t make much sense to me now. |
I see in the mirrorI look in the mirror
I see a middle child yearn for attention Outgoing and loud Creating excitement in every room A never ending student Learning and sharing Ahead of herself, amongst those around Persistently marching down an unknown path With secret yearns to run fast It takes only a bit more to do your best And you’re only as good as your name Declaring a name Digging roots deep To stand tall on your own |