Free Blogging Today

This summer I will be having fun doing alot of things with my family. I'm going to go to Europe like i do every year to visit my relatives in France and Spain. It's always really fun to go and see everyone every summer that way I keep up my French while experiencing another culture. I love seeing all the castles and going to all the parks to visit and see the sites.

I'm not doing may term so i'll be here at school for the next two weeks just relaxing and enjoying classes and classmates. Just last night I went to the midnight premiere of the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian movie. I don't usually do that but since I have less homework I was able to go with my siblings and a friend. I've actually done this one time before my sophomore year when I went to go see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

I'm listening to Backstreet Boys right now; it's kinda weird because I haven't listened to them since I was in third grade. Actually I was more of an Nsync girl with Justin Timberlake and all but I feel like as I get older I like to listen to what i used to listen to when i was little. I also you used to be a hater of country music but with a little pushing from a friend of mine, she convinced me to give it a try and now I actually enjoy it!

We are about to watch our photo stories so I must depart, but its been fun, 'till next time readers! Just Kidding, But Really.

In Character

Indiana (Henry Jr.) Jones:
Indy has done so much for our country. He has been able to show the children of American through out countless decades that you can be cool, brave and a nerd. Heroes aren't always the most reckless but also the smartest and Indiana Jones shows that through out his many adventures. This character I find extremely fascinating because he just has a completely different "hero" feel. Indy isn't the James Bond or the Superman type that never gets hurt and is always smooth and that is what I love about the character. He's rough and rowdy but he's smart and he gets the job done!

Scarlett O'Hara:
Scarlett is a very interesting character that has had a rather strange and significant impact on America. She has allowed women to see another woman standing of for herself. Scarlett is a woman who doesn't let herself be pushed around and she also shows America that it is okay to show your emotions. She can be very misunderstood because she is greedy and selfish but really she's just an extreme of what most people feel. She's a realistic character, which is why so many people can relate to the beautiful southern belle.

Brodick Buchanan:
He is a character I read in a novel once. I found him very intriguing because he had a few very distinct traits. He was very blunt and told people what he thought straight out. No lying, no tricks and no nonsense. Brodick just said it as he saw it. This trait I feel could be beneficial to Americans because then people would be more open to each other and their opinions. Also Brodick was an intelligent man who always saw a resolution to a problem. This is a characteristic that should be promoted to many people because too many don't have enough imagination to get themselves out of a situation. Though he is very stubborn and sometimes quite the arrogant charming devil he promotes characteristics that on considered positive in our society. Overall Brodick Buchanan is an interesting character that I found was easy to relate to.

Characteristics of a well-told story

Part One: Stories in childhood are very important! It helps to further a child's imagination and help them understand the world. Stories are for entertaining children as well as teaching them something. Children learn moral values, the goods and the bads in life as well as a general sense of language and culture.


Part Two: Readers who are of the adult age tend to read for different reasons. Sometimes they MUST read because of a school project or assignment but other times readers read to get a different perspective on a subject or learn something new. An older reader will generally learn more intricate lessons of life rather than the "don't cross the street without looking both ways lesson."


Part Three: In America, we pride ourselves upon our declaration of freedom of speech. Stories fit into the fabric of our nation identity by allowing each American citizen to tell a story that shaped their lives. People's stories help create discussion by bringing up subjects that are otherwise not discussed such as abortion, global warming and the death penalty. Stories also allow a writer and reader relate and communicate through their settings and events. Overall, stories are very important in many peoples' lives.


Part Four: I loved the book "Goodnight Moon" when I was little I guess because of the images within the novel. That one I can specifically remember, but a story I enjoyed that was told to me orally was the "Chasseur et le Lapin." It was a french story/song that my mother would sing to me before I would go to bed. It spoke of a rabbit that was being chased by a hunter and that asked for shelter from a deer in his home. I liked that story because I related it to the good and the bad and I loved the hand motions that went along with it!

Part Five:
- The climax of the story should be unsuspected and should take you off guard. (like in a mystery)
- Characters shouldn't be overwhelmingly falt and the reader should be able to connect with at least ONE of the characters.
- Action packed story that doesn't have any dull and boring descriptions in it.
- An epilogue: I love those just because it makes for a great happy ending conclusion.
- Author should tie all the unanswered questions together at the end. I don't like when there are loose ends.
- Should be a unique and original plot setting (fanasty or mystery). I hate feeling like i've already heard that story before.
- Overall the story should consist of an underlying lesson or theme that can be taught to its readers.

Back to the Future

I couldn't think of anything SUPER cool to write about so I’ve decided to enlighten people about my fear of heights. I have what doctors call "vertigo": the fear of heights that causes involuntary physical reactions. The first time it ever happened to me, I was four years old with my mother going up the local mall's escalator. My mother said that she had been talking to me and looked down but I wasn't there. I was kneeling on all fours on the step breathing really hard with my eyes completely shut. Though I don't remember my earlier experiences, I can remember some I had when I was a little older. I would get this sense of panic in my head and I would have to relax for my muscles to unfreeze. It's not like its some sort of disorder but rather just a plain nuisance. My younger brother actually had it too when he was little but his story is much more interesting.

We were on the Eiffel Tower in the summer of 1998. This was my fifth or sixth time on the Tower but this was the first time my brother could actually experience it with me. We had been up there looking at the view for a really long time and were ready to get down. When we approached the elevator, my brother noticed a large gap between the elevator entrance and the actually tower and that made him freak out. He dropped to the ground and started shaking really hard keeping his eyes glued shut the whole time. My mother had to hold my brother on the tower and in the elevator as well because the elevator is pure glass so that riders can see all around them. We laugh now about the experience but back then my brother was truly scared.

Now however having had many experiences with my fear of heights I have been able to harness my fear and no longer get such panic and reactions. I have been able to mountain climb, do obstacle courses through trees, go skiing in the mountains and even buggy jump on the beach. Vertigo is just a unique part of my life that makes for great stories and experiences.

Poem and Analysis

I chose the song "Sweet Isabel" by Enrique Inglesias

The autumn leaves are falling
Like tears from her eyes
There's no reason recalling
The pain you felt inside

And I know you're feeling like you should run away, run away
And I know you're wandering oh why you should stay why you should stay

Oh sweet sweet Isabel
Just believe it will be alright
Sweet sweet Isabel
No you don't have to leave tonight

You feel that change is coming
But you were so afraid inside
I know your heart's been broken
Oh way too many times

And I know you're feeling like you should run away, run away
[Sweet Isabel lyrics on http://www.metrolyrics.com]


Oh sweet sweet Isabel
Just believe it will be alright
Sweet sweet Isabel
No you don't have to leave tonight (you don't have to leave tonight)
You don't have to leave tonight(3x)

No you don't

Sweet sweet Isabel
Just believe it will be alright
Sweet sweet Isabel
No you don't have to leave tonight

The autumn leaves are falling
Like tears from her eyes
There's no reason recalling
The pain you felt inside

I selected this poem because my sister and I love Enrique's music to pieces and this song is my favorite. Though it sort of sounds depressing its actually quite an uplifting song. It's the fourth most played song on my itunes! I find this poem interesting because it doesn't hide anything and tells the girl to stop running and hiding because it will all be alright! Such great moral support!

The title is actually quite easy to understand since it is the girl "Sweet Isabel" that enrique is singing about in his song. Her name is sung several times in the chorus and actually i'm pretty sure that the Isabel he is singing about is his sister. Just a little fun fact.

I found two poetic devices used in this song/poem. The first I found was a simile actually right in the first stanza. "The autumn leaves are falling like tears from her eyes. " This really actually emphasizes the imagery of the pain the girl is feeling. Helps to create more of a deeper feeling in the listener when reading/listening to this song. The other device I found was the alliteration in the repeated phrase "Sweet sweet Isabel." The "S" sound made it more of a soft feeling and less harsh then say "Nice Nice Isabel".


The tone in this piece is sad but uplifting at the same time. He succeeded in creating the tone by using words that really express sad feelings and moods. "pain, hurt, cry" all those words help show that this song has a more serious tone then some of Enrique's might.

Being a Writer and Writing Territories

2.

There are several different kinds of writing I like to read. First and for most I love reading mystery and adventure novels. They are never boring and always entertaining to read because they don't go into too much detail but they always keep the action coming. Mysteries also allow me to think and try and guess the plot. I also enjoy reading plays especially by Shakespeare such as the Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing. They are rather hard to read but are very entertaining. Writing I like to write is definitely texting my friends as well as making picture collages with descriptions on them. When I was little I also used to write short stories that ended in endless papers of new ideas and no resolution to the plot. I actually don't write that often out of school work other than texting on my phone because I just don't have leisure time. Though I feel like if I had time I would enjoy it very much. Topics that intrigue me the most are probably murder mysteries or any events that take place in a historical context.



3.
Chestnut. Though this word to many people just sounds like a delicious food, to me the word means much much more. I must start from the beginning of my obsession which started when I was little. My first word ever spoken was "dog". When I began to write the first sentence I wrote was "I love dog." My drawings always depicted a little girl with a dog. So naturally many would believe that I then got a dog, but things were much more complicated than that. The fact of the matter is that my mother was deathly afraid of dogs. Ever since a tramatizing experience she had when she was little she had never been able to even touch a dog. I asked constantly when I would be able to get a doggy and finally after much persisting my mother finally said, "Okay Sylvie, you can get a dog when you turn eleven." Never did she think that I, a wild five year old child, would actually remember that promise. But the morning of my eleventh birthday I ran into my parents bedroom and demanded that they show me my well earned puppy. My mother never backing down on her word had to then buy me my dog. We went to the human society the next week and there I saw my future dog. His name was "Timber" though it did not fit him well and he was a brown adorable fully-grown mutt. He had been at the pound for so long that they were going to put him down that Saturday. So being his guardian angels, We bought our dog that thursday and renamed him Chestnut after the color of his soft fur.

Toward the Future and From the Past

1. Writing this play actually ended up being a lot more of a trail than I expected! Not being able to use a narrator made me realize that my dialogue between my characters was going to have to be lengthy and complex. It was fun being on the other side of the play because rather than watching a play we were creating it. Also sometimes a scene for you was very easy to understand while it's very complicated for your peer evaluators. The three rough drafts made the process long but more successful. Overall if a five page play takes THAT long, I’m glad I’m not Shakespeare.

2. If I were to give a ten year old advice my words of wisdom would probably be, never take the little things in life for grant it and take advantage of childhood. I would say this because too many children these days are going up way to fast. No longer do ten year olds want to play outside; they want to have cell phones and act like grown ups. I took advantage of my childhood and I am grateful to my parents for having urged me to explore the world around me. It would be a terrible a loss if all ten year olds only played video games. Being able to appreciate the world young makes you a happier and more grateful adult.


3. There are several things that make a novel have a great impact and last forever. First of all, the story has to effect and relate to the people of the author's time. Shakespeare or Jane Austen would never have been so well known if their types of stories and comedies hadn't appealed to the men and women of their era. The author of "forever novels" also has to have witty and quick dialogue that excites the audience as well as have a plot that isn't generic and bland. In a perfect world it would be nice to have one of my books read by millions and later become a novel that lives on forever but truthfully that will never happen. I don't think my stories would be catchy enough and I’d have to improve my writing quite a bit. Overall, everlasting novels are great but I’d rather read them, not write them.

Blogging: Theme

Tuesday, February 12, 2008


1. After having read various different novels through out my life, I have come to realize that great pieces of literature actually portray the theme through events and characters that show these traits. "The Great Gatsby" is a perfect example of this theme portrayal. Jay Gatsby along with Daisy and her husband revolve around this idea that materialism does NOT lead to idealism. The way the story plays out, people can see that the events occurring and the theme presented are very much parallel to each other. Though there may be come exceptions to the general rule but overall, must go novels have vivid themes.


2. There are several different themes that I feel I could express rather well in a personal play of mine but the most important one to me would be the theme; happiness is simple and complications of life hide that simplicity. I see this theme as a way to truly show something I believe to be true. We as a society complicate life trying to live it to the fullest. If we didn't do such a thing then maybe people would realize that happiness and fulfillment are right in arms grasp and all you need to do is reach for it.


3. The conflict I would use would be the person versus person conflict. I feel that the person versus self conflict would be rather complicated to portray and I would prefer to keep things simple. An old fashioned hero versus villain conflict has always caught my eye because there is so much you can work with in that situation. I would probably have my hero and villain fighting over something or someone the hero had once lost but wants back, maybe a lover’s trifle or some problem similar to that one. It makes things a lot more intense and on the edge!

First Blog!

1.

There are several reasons why reading for a writer is so important. Well, it's almost like taking another look at there own job. Jumping out of their own shoes you might say. Once writing, each author gets into their own niche which sometimes causes them to become narrower minded and less interesting. With reading each writer can be an observer of a novel and it gives them a different perspective on writing books. Also, it helps with the creative part of the writing. Authors sometimes get into ruts causing them to loose the focus and the imagination necessary for a best-selling novel. When reading it spurs many different thoughts and ideas that could potentially be used in their upcoming novel. Finally, it would just allow writers to enjoy other writers work. Rather than being analytical and in their own job mode, they can relax and immerse themselves into another author's world.

2.

Something that rather irks me about the world of today is our society lack of recognizing world catastrophes. Rwanda and Darfur are just example of the horrific man created problems that many governments refuse to recognize because the catastrophes are so inhuman and savage like. Many just believe genocides like these to be myths because of the lack of coverage on the events and censored information. No one would want to be in a situation such as that one, so why wouldn't we help other countries with such problems? Others argue that because they don't hit close to home so no one cares, but actually they could. If we were in the middle of a huge catastrophe wouldn't we want to call for reinforcements? And how would we feel if no one came? Horrible. Human societies need to come to grips with the truth of mankind’s nature and start helping as much as we can.

3.

There is one painting that truly does give me inspiration and I found it on my first trip to Milan my sophomore year. I was with friends in a Renaissance Museum full of sculptures, paintings and furniture when I first saw it. It was the last painting in the whole gallery and it portrayed a marvelous palace with a man and a woman walking together decorated with elaborate colors and real life expressions. It was like nothing I had every seen. Other paintings had never truly made me stop and just stare into the picture as much as this one had. It being a very simple picture with just a few props allowed me to realize the simplicity of life and relax. Once in the gift shop I immediately bought a poster and have been able to ponder upon it ever since.