Youtube/ Low-bridge Videos

What stands out to me most about this topic is the difference between writing and making a quick video like the one we are working on. I hardly see them as the same thing, but I do think that they can be related in a lot of ways.

Firstly, well produced, home made movies like the ones we are working on usually have a plan and a script. Both of these are pieces of writing. Dialog has to be viewed in the same way an essay would have to be viewed. The writing has to be clear and understandable, and it has to sound good.

The difference between writing and the video making process comes in the production and post production aspects. Filming and editing have little to do with the writing process. Both of these things are done with the plan and script in mind, so they are adhering to a piece of writing that has already been done, but neither are writing themselves.

What I'm trying to say is that there is definitely a fair comparison to be made. A video is written, just like a story. I compare it to someone reading a story to a group of people. What does that have to do with writing? Is it writing itself? No, it isn't. What it is, however, is directly related to the writing, and therefore can be described as a part of the writing. I view films in the same light.

Most importantly, Youtube videos and other low-bridge videos allow us to do MORE with our writing. We can take it a step further. With current technology anybody can go out and do what only the best novelists and screenwriters and been able to do in the past: SHOW your writing in a medium other than simple words on paper.

Picturing Texts on the Web

The website I chose to look at was Twitter.com

I don't really use Twitter much, but I have at least made myself familiar with it. It is a site used for people to post little things about what they are doing, or little bits of information. It's like a blog, but only 140 characters can be posted. It is a great place to find news or information (or links to such things) if you know where to look.

I chose this site because it has one element that I really appreciate, and that's simplicity. Each member has their own page where their posts show. Responses to their posts are also seen on this page. While this site allows for some customization, it is nothing like Myspace or Facebook. There are some pictures or customized designs, but it all centers around being simple.

The goal is to share information.

Function is the driving force of the design, but it isn't too simple and uncreative. There is still a beauty to the site design, from the Twitter logo (simple, yet good looking font) to the color schemes throughout different parts of the site.

The site is easy to use, but still manages to look good.

Peer Review Recap, Part 2

I found the peer review process much easier and more enjoyable this time around. I like using Wikis far more than Google Docs, first of all, so that helped.

The #1 thing that made the process better this time is that I familiarized myself with the website before the time to actually review people's papers came. This meant that when it came time to start reviewing I knew what I was doing and could get to work.

I also put some extra work into my first draft this time around. Last peer review, my first draft was of lower quality and prevented me from getting lots of good feedback.

My major problem with the review this time around is that only one person (as of today) reviewed my paper. I was hoping for more feedback.

I must say, however, that Liz's feedback was very helpful and will make my final draft much easier. Her help with my citations was especially helpful because I am terrible with citations. In my major (Journalism) we don't use citations in articles, so I am trying to remember how to use them this semester. It was nice to have somebody who knew what they were doing in that regard helping me out.

So I guess what I'm saying is that if only one person was going to look at my paper, I am glad it was someone who could be really helpful.

Strunk and White: First Impressions

The first rule that really jumped out at me was the one about forming the possessive singular with 's. I was interested that they made it clear that it doesn't matter what the last consonant of the word is. While I somewhat knew this to be true, it still always bothers me when I write something that ends in an s but needs to be possessive. It just doesn't seem right to me, so I am glad that it was reinforced in Strunk and White.

The other part that I found interesting was about putting statements in positive form. This is something that I tend to do in my writing, but never really realized I was doing it. I think that the reason that I often write this way is because I read a lot and see it done that way. It was interesting to see why that was is best. The examples, especially the one about The Taming of the Shrew, were very helpful in allowing me to understand the rule.

The fifth chapter was the one I found easiest for me to read. I really liked the tips that it gave, such as "Write in a way that comes naturally." These are the types of things that I love about writing because they are what really makes one person's writing different from another. "Place yourself in the background," was another interesting tip. I have talked to journalists before about how they found their voice, and they said basically what the book says. To focus on getting your language use very fluid and you will find your voice.

Peer Review Recap, Part 1

This is late, but we didn't get our peer reviewing done until late, so I hadn't had time to write anything up yet.

The peer review process was a bit rocky in my group. Technical difficulties kind of put me off task for a bit. Once I was finally ready to get to reviewing, I found I had not been invited by many of my group members to review their papers. I enjoyed reviewing the ones that I could because it let me help people a bit (which I enjoyed) and it also gave me a chance to see what other people were doing with their project.

I thought that the peer review comments on my paper were extremely helpful. When I wrote my first draft I was in a bit of an avalanche of school work, so I didn't spend as much time as I would have liked on the draft. My group members were very quick to help me with a few sentences where it was obvious I hadn't put my full effort into writing. There were several choppy sentences that I wasn't seeing the problems with until my group pointed them out.

I really liked this exercise, and am excited to do it again (hopefully more successfully) so I can really write some better essays later in the semester.

My Writing Technologies

I find myself going back to writing technologies I used when I was younger. By this, I mean I have gone back to using pencils.

I carry a pencil and steno book with me everywhere I go. In my journalism classes, we learn that pencils are the best writing utensil for a journalist because the ink in a pen can freeze. A pencil cannot become unusable by freezing.

I use my steno books all of the time because they are smaller than normal notebooks so I can carry them with me easily. I can also write in them on the go, because there isn't always a table to sit and write at.

The other benefit is that I can separate interview questions and answers by the dividing line on each sheet of paper. It makes interviews much easier.

What is style?

The question posed was: What is style?

I am assuming this is meaning what is style in writing. Whether that is what the question is or not, that is the question I intend to answer.

Style in writing is everything that makes writing exciting. It takes the mundane and turns it into something beautiful. Take an article in a newspaper, for example: it tells the story and does so accurately (hopefully). The best articles, however, also add things to make the story interesting and fun to read. The best writers in most media use style to make the writing simply better.

Examples of style are things like repetition, rhyming and alliteration. These things, if used well, can truly turn a piece of writing into something extraordinary.

The best example of style (and voice) in writing that I can think of to link people to is Rick Reilly. Reilly wrote for Sports Illustrated for years, and now writes for ESPN the Magazine. He is a columnist, and his writing is all about style. Here is a link to some of his stories: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/archives/rick_reilly/

My First Post

I really haven't got much to say as of right now. I have been writing for a few hours working on an article for one of my Journalism classes, so my brain feels a bit empty. Anyhow, I hope I can get by with posting a few random nothings and playing with the fonts and uploading images etc.

Here we have a picture of my parents dogs. No real significance, but I was using it as a screen saver so I felt it would be an OK picture to post:

The white one is Charlie, the brown one is Gracie. They are a pain.

I haven't yet set up links to some of my favorite blogs and websites, but when I do you will be sure to see a link to Poynter Online. It is probably the best website for Journalism based information, and a website I spend a lot of time on.