Reflections
Part A: You The Writer
As a writer, I have improved in the variety of genres that I write in because prior to this course my writing style was very bland and ordinary, however, over the course of this program I have been able to learn how to write in categories such as:
- Familial bonds
- Tragedy
- Human Rights Issues
- Personal Experiences
In terms of ideas, I have realized that when I read a book or am given a situation my mind instantaneously begins to think like a writer. For example, my family always goes to Banff National Park and I found that for our most recent trip I thought of a lot of stories that could potentially come from the various activities that we did.
The reading itself that I have done has also been a contributing factor to the voice and style that I have developed writing in specifically, through Khaled Hosseini’s novels. The writing style of Khaled Hosseini in A Thousand Splendid Suns is both sympathetic and disgusted. He feels pity for those that bear the burden of the war. He shows this mostly through the use of two major literary devices: Symbolism and Imagery. These two literary devices impact the reader because it gives a deeper insight and understanding of the pain and fears these characters were forced into dealing with every day. An example of how Hosseini feels disgusted and sympathetic is when one of the main characters, Mariam Jo, is forced to go live with her father after her mother’s untimely death on page 36, “suddenly he was standing in front of her, trying to cover her eyes, pushing her back the way they had come saying ‘Go back!
(The information above is from the writer seminar that Sadia A. and I did)
https://rosesandthorns.edublogs.org/writer-seminar-2019/
As a mentor, I would advise new writers to not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone a little bit because these newer ideas that you come across can really shape both who you are as an individual and as a writer. Furthermore, even if you want to remain in your comfort zone you should explore your interests and see how far you can go with that interest. Finally, it is very easy to say that your piece is not good and give up, however, the more you do it the better you’ll get naturally this is easier said than done, but “Time will solve all problems.”
In regards to writing, my goal is to become better at critical essay writing, personal essay writing, source analysis, and position papers. I want to be able to be confident in my writing and know that I am applying the grammatical rules correctly and ensure that my writing flows and has a smooth finish.
Part B: You, The Blogger
I am really proud of my blog. Personally, I do not have any social media platforms because I do not want to be held back by such nonsense and my work is my priority, however, I found that using a blog I was able to show my vulnerable side to other people and share a side of me that they would not have otherwise known. Moreover, even if I want to share a story, but not in my own voice I can write a story and my experience could be potentially seen through the eyes of my character and then shared with others to get my perspective across.
Positives:
I really enjoyed the process of creating a blog because it was very fun customizing and developing a whole website of everything that I liked and the vibes that I felt. For instance, the theme of my blog is very Asian inspired it consists of beautiful cherry blossoms, a traditional Asian tea table, all in front of a background that is a wanted poster color. Furthermore, there are some things that I would like to convey to others about subjects, topics, or genres that I am interested in, however, sometimes I am not able to thus through a character’s eyes I am. Moreover, I really find it rewarding that if an individual is struggling or having a bad day I have the potential of helping them through their roughest times by writing a piece that I love. Finally, it also presents such a great time capsule of sorts because now I can look back on what my writing once was and how I want to improve it and enhance it.
Need To Improve
The main element that I would like to improve is the frequency of my posts. I truly do love this platform and I remember all of the work that I put into my blog when I was organizing every element of it, and by posting seldom I feel as though I have not utilized my blog as much as I could have. Which brings me to my next point is that I should be willing to not freak out when everything is not in order. For instance my blog I felt that because I highly prefer such a structure looking back I think that it is fine to have a little bit of chaos which is what I am attempting to embrace.
Professional Bloggers
The primary professional bloggers that I have explored include:
Anna Olson is a pastry chef that I have grown up watching with my mother and I have also made so many of her recipes from when I was young up till now. The content presented on her show primarily revolves around desserts though on her blog she has both sweet and savory recipes which is why I keep up with both.
https://www.bingingwithbabish.com/blog
Binging with Babish is a Youtube channel that a chef named Andrew Rae started and I watch his videos and visit his site regularly as I really love cooking and baking. Furthermore, he is quite humorous and he makes his own dishes while also using his technical skills to make food shown in movies or TV shows. On his blog, he includes more recipes that his YouTube channel does not include and he also adds more information on the various techniques that he is using.
Part C: You, The Student
One of the most beneficial activities that I have found that we have done in this class is No Red Ink. In the moment of when I was completing all of the quizzes I would simply do them because I had to do them, however, I did not really comprehend the value of the quizzes themselves. One of my primary writing setbacks is the grammar element; this is very important because the best of writing in proportions is distributed by the content if there is a prompt if you can connect to it clearly, and grammar. Furthermore, by establishing the grammar rules you are able to develop your own style of writing as well which can distinguish your writing from that of another’s.
Another activity that has really enhanced me as a writer and as an individual is the journal aspect. Whenever I had a bad day at school and wanted to keep to myself I knew that the one place where I could vent all of my emotions in was my journal. Furthermore, every day we would discuss a different topic and that allowed me to explore my writing because I wrote about ideas, topics, or responses that I did not think I would. For instance, most of my writing in the past would slowly develop into a tragic story about a girl and her sense of loneliness, however, after a few days into this course, I have developed my writing to be of all sports topics.
The last activity that I have found that has really assisted me in writing is the river walks. Throughout this course as a class, we have visited the river many times and every time I go I am able to have a change in headspace. Sitting in a desk for six hours every day can get very exhausting, so by going outside and spending time with nature can be great for any writer. Finally, by going to the river we are then provided the opportunity to interact with other people in the community this act heavily involves the morals that we hold as a school and should be trying our hardest to implement.
As a reader I have accomplished many things throughout this entire semester I have managed to complete thirteen books, this is a huge improvement because in the first semester I only read about five or six books in the entirety of the semester. Furthermore, in regards to the level of books that I am gravitating towards I am trying to enhance the level of difficulty steadily so I can ease into it slowly because there is no point in reading a book when I have no idea of what is being said. The next books that I am planning to read are Night written by Ellie Wiesel this story is a work about his experience with his father in the Nazi German concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald in 1944–1945, at the height of the Holocaust toward the end of the Second World War. It is a very devastating text, however, I think it is important to be educated on what happened in the past and how that could potentially affect the future also this book is followed by another called Dawn.
The all-time book that I have read this semester is a little difficult to decide though I think it would have to be Purification Of The Heart by Hamza Yusuf.
This novel is non-fiction it is an informative piece in regards to the religion that I practice which is Islam. I heard of this novel from my older brother and my father whom both enjoy reading; thus I decided to give the book a chance, and might I add I am glad that I decided to do so. This book provides a lot of information on the background of Islam and even individuals who are not Muslim should give this book a try I highly recommend it as it has a very therapeutic essence to it. For example, when I read this book it was almost as if I was reading in slow-motion because all of the words and sentences spoke to me with such gravity that I had no choice but to slow down. Furthermore, at the time when I read this book, there were a lot of questions that I thought, that I never truly realized. Also, there were elements within my personality that I knew I needed to change in order to be a better human being and this novel was able to present me with the right information at the right moment, and I will be forever grateful. After reading this book there was a feeling of both calmness that washed over me, but also a feeling of sadness that what I enjoyed most was over. For all of these reasons I have rated this novel a 5 out of 5, I may have a hint of bias because I practice this religion nonetheless even if I was not Muslim and had the same feelings as I do now this book still would have appealed to me because there are many elements that have made me lost who I am and this book was able to get me back on my own path.
Reading, in general, has allowed me to improve as a writer because I can read pieces written from professional well-known authors and that can help me develop ideas, a storyline, or take inspiration to create a whole character. Furthermore, these writers have made it their career they have been writing professionally for a long time in order to make a living, so these people are more who I aspire to be one day, but I think it is unrealistic to set that as my goal at this stage but if I continue to work hard I could potentially get to that level. Another element of reading that has improved my writing is reading pieces created by writers in high school for example recently I read the response to a diploma prompt by a former graduate student who received a perfect score on both of her English diploma exams and I was able to gather that it is not entirely impossible to achieve a perfect score as long as I put in the effort it can be attained.
As a writer my next steps to improve is as follows:
1. Ingrain The Basics
Before I can start writing incredible content, I will need a strong understanding of the basic principles of writing. Just as improvements in a sport are a result after practicing the beginner level skills again regardless of how “good” you already are and this is further demonstrated through the quote I have chosen to use for my blog.
“Today maybe the day where you seize the opportunity to make your talent bloom the time you choose to make it happen is up to you, but if you think you don’t have it, then you probably won’t have it for your entire life.”
-Unknown
This quote outlines how no one including yourself will know the full extent of your abilities thus you simply have to keep trying and never give up regardless of when the success will reach you.
2. Read Like It’s Your Job
The best writers are also keen readers, and reading on a regular basis is an easy way to start developing my writing skills. I don’t just mean blog posts, either – I should diversify my reading material. I need to expand my horizons to more challenging material than I typically read, and pay attention to sentence structure, word choice, and how the material flows.
3. Dissect Writing That You Admire
Often I was told by the greatest writer that I know says,
“Always think like a writer, anything you read or do in your life can serve as a breadcrumb for your journals.”
Most people read the same blogs or sites on a regular basis because the material appeals to them – but fewer people understand why their favorite blogs are so appealing thus it is important to take the pieces that have really inspired me and figure out why did it inspire me? How can I write like this? Are there any areas of improvements?
Part D: You, The Fan
Style Of The Novels: Which genres has the writer written in professionally? Which genre is most noteworthy/ recognized with the writer?
- To date, Hosseini has written three major novels: The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and And The Mountains Echoed.
- The genre that he has written in is fiction, however, it contains many issues of history, injustice in many aspects of life, living in a war infested country, and family politics
- Being settled in the United States, happily married, and ready to start a family did not make Hosseini forget his roots.
- Recalling his early upbringing in the capital of Kabul where the women and men were equal, he remembered it as cultivated and civilized. He longed to share a story that described these prior successes of his country before the Taliban seized control and seemed to destroy all of it.
About The Author: What biographical information about the writer is relevant to their writing?
- Born in 1965 in the capital city of Kabul, he lived there until 1976 when his father’s employer, the Afghan Foreign Ministry, relocated the family to Paris, France.
- Similar to Pari who goes to France in And The Mountains Echoed
- In 1980, after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, Hosseini’s father applied for political asylum in the United States and the family relocated to San Jose, California.
- After 11 years in Afghanistan and four years in Paris, 15-year-old Khaled was in America for the first time.
- Speaking virtually no English, there were many adjustments to come for Khaled, not only in terms of the language and cultural barriers but the major shift of being in an affluent family to living off of welfare with other Afghan refugees.
- Being the oldest of his siblings, he was determined to be successful and worked hard to understand the language.
- Deeply inspired by The Grapes of Wrath, his first book in English, he began writing stories of his own in English. After high school, he headed to Santa Clara College to study biology, which, after graduating in 1988, set him up perfectly for his next step of attending the University of California’s School of Medicine where he earned his medical degree.
- Similar to Idris in And The Mountains Echoed
- Moving on to a medical internship in 1996, he was well on his way to becoming a doctor.
- In 2001, he began his first book, The Kite Runner by writing every morning at 4 a.m. before seeing his daily patients. Eventually, he decided to give up practicing medicine in order to continue writing and pursue his passion of working with the United Nations to help support refugees.
More About The Author: Who/ what has been the greatest influences on the writer?
Having an Afghani background, Hosseini generally writes his tales from the perspective of prewar, wartime, and postwar Afghanis. For his novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Hosseini visited Afghanistan and spoke to women with experiences that inspired the characters of Mariam Jo and Laila. “I was speaking to them [the women] just to learn about what had happened in my country … [the main character in the novel] were based on the collective spirit of all the women that I met in Kabul in the spring.” He was also raised in a rich lifestyle before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and was encouraged to write as young as 7 years old.
A video that includes the writer’s influence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4kyalTT_wY
Authors Style: What stylistic techniques is the writer known for?
- The writing style of Khaled Hosseini in A Thousand Splendid Suns is both sympathetic and disgusted. He feels pity on those that bear the burden of the war. He shows this mostly through the use of two major literary devices: Symbolism and Imagery.
- These two literary devices impact the reader because it gives a deeper insight and understanding of the pain and fear these characters were forced into dealing with every day.
- An example of how Hosseini feels disgusted and sympathetic is when one of the main characters, Mariam Jo, is forced to go live with her father after her mother’s untimely death on page 36, “suddenly he was standing in front of her, trying to cover her eyes, pushing her back the way they had come saying ‘Go back!
Type Of Writing: What themes is the writer known for?
Hosseini illustrates a wide variety of themes in each of his books. Generally, he uses the same ones repeatedly, so each book has its own plot while reflecting his distinctive style. It gives the reader a, ‘THIS is definitely a Khaled Hosseini style of book. He highlights:
- Love and Relationships
Talk about finding love in a hopeless place. The characters of A Thousand Splendid Suns are wounded in wars, stuck in abusive relationships, and rejected by their families. They have to struggle every day to survive. How do they get through it? It’s simple
- Betrayal
- Hatred
- Warfare
A Thousand Splendid Suns is defined by war, but that doesn’t mean it has to like it. The novel does not shy from showing you the horrible reality of war and its effect on regular people, but it’s not a hopeless tale. Instead, it’s concerned with how people manage to endure despite the horrors that surround them. War is tough, sure, but people are tougher.
- Hierarchy of social class/gender patriarchy
If there’s one subject that A Thousand Splendid Suns focuses on, it’s the nature of women. Laila and Mariam live through a rough period for women’s rights in Afghanistan. They’re controlled by the government, treated as property by their husbands, and forbidden from taking part in society. Yet, through their strength and resilience, the two women are able to overcome these obstacles. It might not always be pretty, but that’s the point. The women in the novel aren’t like Princess Peach waiting for their Mario—they’re incredibly tough women trying to take control of their own lives.
- Injustice
- Family
Nobody loves his or her family all of the time. That’s just a fact of life. Despite this, A Thousand Splendid Suns suggests that there’s no one more important than your family. The novel also suggests that the concept of “family” extends beyond blood relatives. Think about how Mariam and Laila develop a mother-daughter relationship or think about the bond between Tariq and Zalmai that begins to grow at the end of the novel. Sometimes family is your blood, and sometimes it isn’t—but your family, however you define it, is always at the center of your life.
The most important dynamic of exploring different authors would be to develop an understanding of, first, what is the reason behind why I am attracted to the writing styles of these specific authors and, second, what exactly it is that makes these people such talented, effective writers.
I am very glad that I chose to revolve my writer seminar around Khaled Hosseini because his writing, in my opinion, is so impactful because he writes about real-world experiences and that aspect consistently opens my eyes to the good, bad, and ugly of this world.
On the contrary, another author that I would consider writing about would be Marrissa Meyer she has written the Lunar Chronicles which is not a difficult read at all by my standards however she really has captured the creative aspect by writing modified fairy tails. If I was to have explored her writing life I would really be interested in the process that she undergoes in order to develop her stories.
The genres that I am most interested in include tragedies of all kind, action/fighting books, and thriller to a certain extent. I am not a romanticist so I do not really enjoy reading romantic novels all that much, but a little bit incorporated into the genres that I have listed above is acceptable.
The Inspiration From Khaled Hosseini
Khaled Hosseini provides this advice to newer writers (below) and I found it very inspiring because he is speaking very honestly and emphasizing how it is a challenge that you have to overcome and once you do the road ahead will become a lot easier.
“Even my finished books are approximations of what I intended to do. I try to narrow the gap, as much as I possibly can, between what I wanted to say and what’s actually on the page. But there’s still a gap, there always is. It’s very, very difficult…But that’s what art is for—for both reader and writer to overcome their respective limitations and encounter something true. It seems miraculous, doesn’t it? That somebody can articulate something clearly and beautifully that exists inside you…Great art reaches through the fog, towards this secret heart—and it shows it to you, holds it before you. It’s a revelatory, incredibly moving experience when this happens. You feel understood. You feel heard. That’s why we come to art—we feel less alone. We are less alone.”A video that includes advice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oWstZMSMVo
This writer is very truthful he actually based his novel from his trip to Afghanistan and the people that he met and the experiences of those people. Thus that aspect of authenticity really appealed to me because I always want to be true to myself as an individual and by reading someone’s novel who has done the similarly done so with the inclusion of experiences of the life of the voiceless is inspiring in it of itself.
I definitely will read any of his future works because I have read A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Kite Runner, and The Mountains Echoed which are the main books that he has composed so I really would like to see how he further expands what he is writing about since he is such an amazing author and that next novel would be The Secret Sky.
Emulation
Emulating this quote
“With the passing of time, she would slowly tire of this exercise. She would find it increasingly exhausting to conjure up, to dust off, to resuscitate once again what was long dead. There would come a day, in fact, years later, when [she] would no longer bewail his loss. Or not as relentlessly; not nearly. There would come a day when the details of his face would begin to slip from memory’s grip when overhearing a mother on the street called after her child by [his] name would no longer cut her adrift. She would not miss him as she did now when the ache of his absence was her unremitting companion–like the phantom pain of an amputee.”
My Emulation
His features, his personality, his reactions she tried and tried to hold on to those final fragments.
With the passing of time she would slowly tire of this exercise.
She would no longer be cut adrift at the sight of a mother ever so gently nurturing her child so, she wants to believe.
Her heart is filled with hope that there would not come a day when the memories of her deceased son are not as strong not nearly.
However, she was a mother asking her to forget her deceased son was like asking a baby to run a marathon it was just that
Impossible.
The truth, she would always cling on to those memories with some false belief that if she held them long enough some how he would be returned to her good as new.
She can remember seeing the ever so slow rise of his chest tears pouring out of her eyes and then a horrific scream filling her ears and she realized she was screaming.
She watched as the short life was sucked right out of him.
Brought back to reality she took a step on to the chair gently pulling her hair to one side to make room for the noose then she stepped off of her chai-
She joined her son.
Part E: You, The Critic Of Your Work
Piece 1:
Poem and Explication/Explanation
River Poem:
Where It Belongs
Go ahead and say it to me
That you know all I can be,
You’ve been studying every droplet
Of my ever-changing sea.
But weren’t you ever taught
That seas are simply where it ends?
The aspects that tell the story
Are the river’s that swirls and bends.
The ocean isn’t everything,
It’s part of its’ of course,
But you can never judge its currents
If you do not know its’ beginning.
Explication:
First and foremost, this poem was inspired by the poem Rivers written by Eric Hansen an amazing poet that I recently found and I knew that I had to incorporate his works in my first official poetry attempts.
I was really stricken when I first read Eric Hansen’s poem from which my work was inspired because it revolved around many topics including belonging, and pretenses of all sorts.
The first few lines are directed towards those who derive their own false assumptions about others with little to no true facts specifically the line, “That you know all I can be.” This line made me think of adults or other teens that belittle others and come to an overall basis for the level skills that the individual has in a particular area; similar to words/phrases such as worthless, useless, you will amount to nothing, etc.,
The following lines talk about change and how with the passage of time we all as human beings progress for better or for worse. The line “studying every droplet of my ever-changing sea” suggests that outsiders be it specific individuals or the society as a whole are dissecting and watching every movement that you make; they are just waiting for you to fall.
After that, the next few lines outline the ignorance and foolishness of these people through the line “But weren’t you ever taught” this line adds another layer of depth to the poem because it is almost revealed of the idiocy of those judgemental folks in the beginning. Moreover, there is parallelism, in the beginning, those who were acting all high and mighty were lowering others, but now they are being lowered.
Nearing the end of the poem the message leads to the fact that there are connections amongst many things and one thing may lead to the next. Furthermore, for those that choose to judge it is important to look at the bigger picture before coming to these false conclusions.
Finally, the last line “you can never judge its currents if you do not know its’ beginning” adds to the previous theme of acknowledging where something comes from and the circumstances that they are coming from before getting angry at them for their behavior or attitude.
Overall, this was my first attempt at writing an official poem and this piece really captures my emotions and how I feel about the treatment of many individuals within society today and I hope that that changes, and becomes more welcoming and accepting.
Process Of Writing The Poem
- Get in the right headspace for writing a poem by reading a few poems from other poets
- Write a few warm up poems of different styles so I could get a feel of which one I prefer
- Brainstorm ideas that I knew I wanted to include in the poem
- Find links between the ideas that I brainstormed
- Often the way I write is similar to acting I place myself in the shoes of the character in the piece that I am writing
- Begin writing a rough draft
- Review the rough draft many times in order to make it sound just how I want it to
Challenges
The main challenge that I was dealing with was experience; because I do not write poems as often when I am writing I did not know how to start writing it and where to begin and I did not know how to figure out if it was good enough. Also, like many people I had this preconceived notion that poems had to rhyme and have a specific rhythm in order for it to be considered as a poem. However, just as a guest speaker once said, ” Not all poetry has to have rhyme and if it does it can be hard to do it well there are amazing poems that do not contain rhyme and they are often more successful than those that have rhyme.” Overall writing poems is something that I will do more often as a hobby as this experience of writing a poem that I am proud of has taught me to have more trust in my own skills and abilities.
Piece 2:
May Free Choice: Bitter Sweet
Dear Mom and Dad,
I can’t believe that it’s already been ten years already . . . I know I write you guys pretty often, with the exception of these past few weeks; I’m really sorry I was just caught up in school and my part-time job it’s been rough, but I’m still grateful nonetheless. Besides if I didn’t have all of these To Do Lists then all I would do in my free time would be pondering about what could have been if you didn’t…Well it’s not like I’m alone or anything I have Aunt May she’s doing really well, her cooking as per usual is amazing she makes these pecan tarts, I know you would have loved them, Dad. These tarts are to die for. Their best eaten fresh when the crust is warm and flaky, it has this gooey filling with sweet corn syrup mixed with maple and then there are crunchy pecans to top it all off it really is a delight! Aunt May has been taking great care of me I know that I say this in my letters often, but I truly appreciate all that she has done for me: for example making sure I eat enough, pick me up from school if the bus doesn’t come, (you would be surprised how frequently that happens) and most importantly she always makes me feel loved which above all else is more than what I could have ever asked for.
Not to forget my partner in crime, Rose, she is getting old but at least she’s aliv- … I don’t think she has much time left. Her body is so frail and weak almost as if with the slightest touch she’ll just break into a million fragments that can’t be put back together. Whenever I see her I am always reminded of all of the memories that the three of us shared together, sitting around the fireplace telling stories and playing with Rose when she was just a kitten. Now things are a little different she can barely move, what was it that you always said mom, “It’s not about having time. It’s about making time.”
Time it really is evil it neither stops nor waits for wounds to heal before new ones arise on fresh skin I guess that’s what it means to live.
And, I forgot to mention to you guys I applied to the University of Calgary so I can be apart of the Biological Sciences Department in the fall of next year, and guess what I GOT IN! Isn’t that amazing, I still can’t believe it. Here, this is my plan for the future:
- I am going to complete my undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences (4 years)
- Then in my third year, I am going to write the MCAT
- Then hopefully get into the Medical School here in Calgary (4 years)
- Finally, after that, I can go and do my residency (3 years).
A really extensive plan I know (the information above is a summary of the actual plan that I have), but don’t worry I have been taking all three sciences for the last two years and have been doing very well all my teachers have been providing me with great feedback and I am really grateful to all of them. Not to mention I have been volunteering at a lot of places recently to help underprivileged children with their learning or with activities and recreation that they have been meaning to do. Even though this is not an employed job it really is rewarding, there is this girl her name is Ella her mother and father are trying to make ends meet so, in order to let their daughter have some fun she drops her off at the facility I volunteer at. The look on that little girl’s face as she completes a craft project or if I read her a really good story is sheer bliss, and in turn, it fills me up with bliss as well: that is why I continue what I do.
Overall, I am very content with how my life is progressing these days. I am also very excited to see what will later become of my life as I begin university later, but whatever happens I will be very grateful; don’t worry I am very determined to become a general thoracic surgeon because they have so many specializations that can save countless lives not only here in Calgary, but in third-world countries as well. Not to mention I can work extremely hard to make sure that no other eight-year-old girl loses both her and mother and father…
Thank you for all of your love I will always keep you updated.
Love your Daughter,
Frost
Summary
This is a piece about a young woman who is writing a letter to her parents and she is updating her parents about what is currently happening in her life. She is telling her parents about her future plans to become a doctor and by writing this novel she finds therapy in it. Finally, it is revealed that her parents are dead and they died from an illness which is why she is becoming a doctor so she can prevent the death of another’s loved one.
Process Of Writing The Poem
- Come up with an idea that I have not written about and make a list of all of them
- Based on the way that I am feeling narrow down the options until there is only one remaining
- Brainstorm ideas for the formatting of that topic that could best convey the emotions to the readers
- Finalize the topic and the formatting of the writing
- Often the way I write is similar to acting I place myself in the shoes of the character in the piece that I am writing
- I wanted to try to make the character of this prose come across as genuine as possible so I did stop to read some prose of other people in order to get inspiration
- Begin writing and creating a rough draft
- Review the rough draft many times in order to make it sound just how I want it to
Challenges
The main challenges that I had were that I did not want the character to sound artificial I wanted it to be as real as possible and walking on that thin line of what is the right amount to make it sound right was difficult. Finally, I knew I wanted to lead up to the revelation of the death of the parents steadily so, I had to add easter eggs in my writing and that was challenging because I had never done that before so I did not know when to stop and if the reader would be able to understand what I am trying to achieve. All in all, I had never really written a piece in this style before and I have to say that I am very pleased with the way that it turned out and I can not wait to expand on this style and write more that has a similar feel as this one.
Information:
Fassler, J. (2019). How to Write: A Year in Advice from Franzen, King, Hosseini, and More. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/12/how-to-write-a-year-in-advice-from-franzen-king-hosseini-and-more/282445/
Khaled Hosseini: Biography, Books & Awards | Study.com. (2019). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/khaled-hosseini-biography-books-awards.html
Shmoop Editorial Team. (2008, November 11). A Thousand Splendid Suns Themes. Retrieved April 14, 2019, from https://www.shmoop.com/a-thousand-splendid-suns/themes.html
Devdhat, V. (2019). Powerful Themes to Appreciate in Khaled Hosseini’s Novels. Retrieved from https://booksrockmyworld.com/2017/05/17/powerful-themes-to-appreciate-in-khaled-hosseinis-novels/
Digital Images:
(2019). [Image]. Retrieved from http://writeplayrepeat.com/2011/04/14/stop-buying-beautiful-journals/
http://www.bingwallpaperhd.com/giverny-garden-spring.html
https://media.giphy.com/media/KjvlWLTmKqAww/giphy.gif
Inspirations:
The River Poem was inspired by:
The River Walk that we did as a class and the beautiful poem Rivers by Erin Hanson
