Free Write

I absolutely cannot wait for this weekend because my entire family is coming down to see me for parents weekend. My brother and sister are going to ACL instead of the tcu v smu game which is annoying because i wanted to see them. I'm even more excited because next Thursday I'm going home for fall break. I'm having a lot of trouble narrowing down my topic and question for this essay. I thought that doing the assignment last night wouldn't take long but it took forever for me to finish. Study hours lasted longer than three hours last night and it really sucked. Tonight I have a lot to do, including starting this essay. I have to read a really boring book and write a book review on it, do my question card for religion, and study for that exam. It's starting to get cold outside and that really makes me happy because I love bundling up when it's cold.

Free Write: Essay 2 Topic

Honestly, I have no idea what I want to write about. I don't know what interests me and I really need to think hard about a topic that I can write about for 5-7 pages. I've had a couple ideas and one is research on James Avery the jewlery. My family has been wearing James Avery since I was born and multiple items have been passed down to me. It's something that is very important to me because its meaningful in multiple ways. What I don't know is how and what I should research. I came up with this idea when I read how important starbucks was to the girl and her father and the relationship between them. In some ways my topic is very similar because James Avery plays a huge role between my mom, sister, cousins, aunts, and grandma.
What makes James Avery such a special jewler? (I'm not even sure I'm going to use this question) James Avery has unique and special jewlery that not everyone in the world can find. While Tiffany & Co. is all over the world, James Avery is in a select few states, including Texas, Oklahoma, and (I'd research this). Religion plays a huge role in my family and a lot of their jewlery is religious and special to me. I started going to kamp when I was 8 years old---the same camp my mom, grandma, and aunt went to. Every year we got charms that represented us as a camper and as a person. When my sister and I started going, we were handed down the same charms that they wore. (More research on jeweler and why he is so unique at what he does).
This question would be beneficial for others who read this to show how such a small object can mean the world to someone. Realizing that something so special can make someone feel that way is something not all of us may understand. I want to answer why James Avery is such a unique and special jewler and what makes him make so many families happy. From engagement rings, to confirmation rings, to camp rings, to heirlooms and charms, James Avery has impacted the lives of many.

Rhetorical Blogging # 2

While reading Tattoo Crazy and We Proudly Brew Starbucks Coffee, I found it extremely interesting how both author’s were able to turn such a personal and thoughtful essay into an essay that contained both personal thoughts and research. Without the detail and personalization that Parker used in, We Proudly Brew Starbucks Coffee it would not have been as fun to read. Simply reading about information on Starbuck’s Coffee and how it came to be would not be as interesting.

I think one thing that really helps engage the reader is the way that the essay is outlined. The outline of this essay is more than just a research paper; it’s an added opinion that coincides with the topic. The author of We Proudly Brew Starbucks Coffee does a good job of using detailed descriptions of how the relationship between her and her father and really personalized how it made her feel. She worked at changing paragraphs. By changing paragraphs she was able to go back and forth from researched information to her description and personal narrative. I found that a discovery essay can be hard to write for multiple reasons. Some writers have a hard time balancing between their research and their personal experience.

“With each sip, the warmth of the latte or the sweet flavoring of the frappuccino made this place become more than just a coffee shop because it did not just contain quality coffee, but quality conversations with my dad as well…

The Phenomenon of Starbucks began in 1971…”

Here the author switches off as she swaps from her personal experience between her and her dad to the informational research that she found. If the author were to continue to talk about her personal experience it wouldn’t flow with the outline of the essay.

In Tattoo Crazy the author also does a good job at balancing between telling her personal experience and switching to informational research. One thing that really caught my eye and made her essay completely different from the othe is that the information and personal experience weaved into one another when it came to organizing her essay. Although it sounds confusing, it really worked out well for a topic that wasn’t as interesting to me.

“I always had the idea that tattoos were for bikers and gang members; they “became associated with marginalized groups, signaling time spent in jail, punk status, membership in a motorcycle gang or a traveling circus” (Farah)

Here in this quote she really weaves her information into her own personal thoughts and experience. Because it is weaved into itself, it really makes it a lot easier for me as the reader to understand where she’s coming from. It’s almost like she immediately backing up her information with evidence. Getting into the informational part of the story became confusing when she brought up all the negative aspects of getting a tattoo. After naming multiple cons to getting a tattoo she immediately states that she “finally decided that a tattoo”. I feel as if she started to contradict what she believed in and went against the information she found. By doing this it not only confused me but also made me wonder if getting a tattoo really made her happy?

The second essay I read about was really helpful when it came to thinking about how I am going to outline my essay and the importance of forming some kind of structure. It is obvious between the two papers that the structure is the most important thing. Without balanced paragraphs between the research that I find and my personal experience, the essay it would be hard to keep the reader interested.

In Class Free Write

Thinking about this paper makes me feel a little overwhelmed. I don't have any ideas as to what I should write about. I'm not good at researching things and never have been. Essay one was really hard to get past because I had an idea as to what I was writing about but I had so many thoughts going on at once that I lost my train of thought. So far college is pretty intense. I regret choosing 8am classes and wish that i could sleep in longer. My roommate on the other hand has afternoon classes. Therefore she stays up all night and wakes up around 11 everyday. It's kind of annoying because when she does stay up late she's never studying and its extremely distracting. Last night she stayed up the entire night studying for a chem exam and when I woke up this morning she was awake sitting downstairs. I'm not good at staying up late because I will never be able to get up in time for an 8am class.

In Class: thoughts and questions - essay 1

While writing my personal essay I don't know how much information I need to reveal before I get to the point of the story. Should I start with explaining the story and then interpreting it for the reader? Or should I shorten the story and use more explaining of the idea of the story. It's hard to figure out when a story is going on for too long, and when to start explaining your thoughts. My story is about meeting my first friend when I was little and moved to a new state, and a new school. I talk a lot about how moving isn't easy and its not fun trying to have to make new friends. I also talk about how when were younger, were not usually the ones to make the friends--our parents are usually the ones who introduce us to our first friends. Whether our parents have friends who have kids, or if its forced through out of school activities--like joining a soccer team, or taking ballet classes.

In Class: Free Write 9/1/09

When I first started college I thought that it would be a lot easier to manage then it really is. I am having so much trouble getting organized and setting priorities. I hope that by mid-september things will fall into place. I really don't like writing while people talk because it distracts me and I lose my train of thought. I should have gone to bed a lot earlier but instead I stayed up reading a really boring book for my religion class. I cannot wait for the weekend so I can sleep in every morning.