Lydia's Story Analysis (p.131)

1)It seems to me that Brideau's main point is that there is a remarkable capacity for determination in the human race even when faced with mind-numbing challenges and that hope can bring light to the darkest loss.  Her anecdote does a beautiful job of illustrating this point, which she spells out in her concluding line.

2)The primary point of view of "Lydia's Story" was "Lydia's" point of view.  This perspective gives the readers a window into that scene of her life, allowing us to experience it as best we can without actually living through it.  This means that the anecdote is imprinted into our brains with more emotion than it would otherwise be.

3)Brideau brings her narrative to life by using her words to open the window onto the scene she describes.  Words such as: Slender, neatly, (these words present Lydia as a nice person perhaps perceived as delicate and nonthreatening, thus her survival gives her the appearance of great mental/emotional strength.) Precarious, (evokes sympathy).  Spurting, (provokes a visual to emphasize the true terror the situation).

4)The audience would likely be others in the medical professional field.  Brideau's tone gives them a look into what they may see, some of which is from a closer perspective then another profession might provide. Words and phrases such as the following set the tone; "Chemical odor of cleaning solution", "abscessed tooth", "water pressure", "she had gone to nursing school", "physician", "double hurricane".

List of writing;
1)Blog posts for Engl 101.
2)Poem on finding symmetry in Math 141.
3)Outline of lab procedures.
4)Autobiographys (brief), one each for Engl 101 and Chem 121.
5)Typical week schedule.

2)  The poem I wrote on the subject of finding symmetry was written for the audience of myself, with two intended purposes, first to pass the time and second to imprint the rules for finding symmetry into my brain.  I wrote it in poem form because it provides me the most entertainment, the better to achieve both my purposes.

3)  The outline that I wrote for this weeks lab went over the procedure I will follow.  The audience was myself and my teacher so I included details that would insure my teacher knew that I knew what I was doing.  As it was a procedural outline I wrote it chronologically.  I used a more formal tone than I did for the poem.

4)  The description that I wrote about myself for my Chem 121 class was tailored specifically to my audience and unlike my other two examples it was necessary for me to omit details as there was to much to write.  The audience being my chemistry teacher I picked the anecdotes and resume items that were scientific in nature.  But because it was a description of myself I included other details such as my poetic nature which I limited in the lab outline.

In Class Project

Similarities:

1)Authors share information in a medium accessible by the public.

2)They are different levels of author.

3)Everyone with access to a public medium has the potential to be an author.

Differences:

1)Some consider everyone an author whereas I qualify it so that not everyone is an author.

2)Some think that Facebook posts and texts always make an author whereas I think that it depends on the intent and consideration behind the post.

Writers:	Authors:
Writing stays private.	Some writing becomes public.
Only need to know themselves.	Must consider audience.
Write for themselves.	Write to communicate with others.
Don’t always need citations.	Always need citations.
Can skip pro-nouns and make obscure references to their own life.	Must explain things the audience might not get.

Type of Writing:	Why I Enjoy/Despise it:
Poetry	I love to play with words.
Texts	Tedious and inclined towards the mangling of writing conventions.
Essays	They are enjoyably easy and despicably formatted.

(By Ælfhild Wiklund)

Friend of mine, friend dear

Please help me with the party on the darkest day of the year,

Follow me to fetch pumpkins from the squash field

Several stalks of corn from this year’s yield

The wood to build the bonfire bright

And help me fill the cider jug to pour the toasts of the night,

Then dance with me around the burning fire

That our combined efforts have built higher.

(By Tori revised by Ælf)

To-Do list

Please help me get ready for our costume party by joining me to do these things

1) Buy cake, napkins, décor, candy and CD’s

2) Create and send invitations

3) Decorate the interior of the apartment

4. Set up candy for the trick-or-treaters

(By Jacob, revised by Ælf)

Letter

Dear Bob Saget,

I am of need of your assistance. There is party coming late this October, and the event is a costume gathering, but there’s a problem. The supplies we currently hold aren’t enough to provide to the people who are attending. What I need is for you to help me gather food, and hire a DJ for some hot jams. Also I need you to help me select candy for the children who happen to approach the door that late night, but before all that I really need you to help me obtain and send out invitations to everyone in the state. If you can help with all this, I would be very much if your debt. Thank you.

-Jacob

Shopping list is simple and to the point, the letter is friendly and the poem is focused on the words lending its form to tell a story.

Is everyone an author?

    Is everyone an author?  To answer I find myself seeking to define author.  I could consider an author to be someone who shares their thoughts as words in a medium accessible to the general public.  Books, blogs, songs and such are said to have authors.  But what about a Facebook post, it's available to many people too.   But is that really enough?  Does every random online comment on an open medium render their progenitor an author?  I think not.  I believe that in order to tread the tenuous line of quality between "author" and literate these days one must write with intent.  Not merely a casual, almost negligible, effort to communicate, but in a manner that invites the reader to consider, appreciate even, the words themselves.  Words that furthermore must be written with a serious and considered intent to communicate in such a way as to make a lasting impression and linger in a reader's mind, not all readers necessarily, but at least one.  By these definitions online comments, such as Facebook posts may or may not be the prodigy of authors depending on their purpose.  Simple communication? No.  A thoughtful attempt to communicate with intentionally chosen words? Yes.  A letter to your parents? Insufficient.  A collection of letters sent home during your trip around the world, that got published? Congratulations, you're an author!  So no, I believe that not everyone is an author, you must at the very least be literate and have access to a publishing medium before you can be an author, and even then you must write with thought for the language as well as the communicated idea.

Collaborative Writing on Writing

Collaborative Writing on Writing

What is Writing?

Expressing your opinion.

 A form of communication.

 Can be debatable.

 Answers questions.

What kind of writing do we do?

                                     Write about ourselves, and academic writings.

                                       Recording facts, or notes.

                                      Different genres such as fantasy, fiction, and nonfiction; specific                    formats such as poetry or stories, applications or essays.

How does your persona (tone, level of formality, etc.) shift depending on your audience?

Why?

                                      Your persona is more relaxed in comfortable situations such as a letter to your parents, you allow more of your personality and a wider range of tone to show.  However when you are applying for a scholarship you use a more formal tone and only allow the most appropriate side of your personality to show.  Fictional writing is more influenced by the author’s personality whereas nonfiction is more factual.

                                      You shift tones depending on the impression you wish to make, so they will perceive you in the most appropriate fashion, with sufficient clarity and suitable humor to drive home the point.