Who I am as a writer (Final Presentation)

1. Who I am as a writer(Final Presentation) Katie Thomas 12/2/12

2. Unifying Theme • “Write something to suit yourself and many people will like it, write something to suit everybody and scarcely anyone will care for it.” • - Jessie Stuart • This quote directly reflects who I am as a writer, play to your strengths and you can evoke the attention of any reader.

3. Can you play your strengths? • Quick write • Write for one minute regarding this topic. • "What book or movie 'blew your mind' when you first read or saw it? Write about that experience.“ • Then write for one minute and expand on the topic below. • "You awake from a nap only to discover you are 80 years old. Describe what happens next."

4. The best of both worlds • Its never good to be a one trick pony; having one or two specialties can get you noticed, but in the real world you have to be able to acquire new strengths and abilities along the way in order to go far. • This course has taught me that I need to learn to stay true to my abilities, but while learning new talents as I go.

5. My personal strengths • When it comes to writing and art, my personal strengths include: • Writing about what I know • Using detail • Photography

6. How art taught me to write • My favorite thing about photography is being able to produce a picture that tells a story. Even the smallest details are an important part of the final product. • I learned how to transfer this concept from my photography to my writing; I figured that the smallest of details can help to take my writing to the next level.

7. A pictures worth a thousand words • Can you tell me what’s the story behind these photos?

8. A pictures worth a thousand words • “She loved reading the American girl series, staying up past her bed time with a flashlight under her covers so my parents wouldn’t catch her.” • “When I was in the fourth grade, I was diagnosed with Attention deficit Disorder. There are many skeptics who do not think A.D.D is a real learning disability, but I believe it’s real; it’s a feeling that’s almost indescribable yet something that feels almost normal.”

9. Writing about what I know • When we were assigned the Literacy Memoir, I thought that I was going to struggle the entire way; but once I started writing everything began to flow because I was able to write about my past experiences. • But, when we were assigned the Discourse Communities paper, I remember staring at a blank word document for at least an hour before I was able to bring myself to write. Since we had to research information, I didn’t know where to begin.

10. Writing about what I know(and what I learned) • When I visited the writing research center, I brought my DCP with me. The tutor said that I was a very good writer I just needed to learn how to make every sentence as good as the one before it. • I learned that I needed to sit and try to reword my sentences, this way everything had a better flow.

11. Summary • This semester I learned • What I do well • How to try to balance what I know with trying to learn new techniques along the way. • I will take with me all of the lessons I have learned from this course, I hope to continue to improve my writing techniques by trying new ways to evoke the reader, as well as pushing myself to write about many different topics. • The best way to improve one’s writing, is by just continuing to write.