Throughout the class, I would ideally like to focus on writing short stories, specifically focusing on fantasy. Personally, fantasy is one of my favorite genres to read, as I feel that an author has more artistic liberty with their story. Fantasy challenges the mind, making people consider the impossible and unbelievably if only for the course of the story. That’s what I love about it--it inspires people seek out the fantastical in everyday life. In the future, I want to be an author and illustrator focusing on these same themes, and so I feel that focusing myself on writing stories now will only benefit me later in pursuing my profession. That being said, I still want to work on expanding my abilities with poetry, as well. Poetry is one
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The logical answer would be mentioning that the grammatical side of the piece is a stepping stone to good writing. Improper grammar, spelling, and pacing stands out like rocks on a paved road, making the journey bumpy and slightly distracting for the reader as they travel to get to the end. Yet while this is true, I have also trekked through some poorly edited short stories before due to their enthralling story lines encouraging me forward. So yes, grammar and spelling is important (as are the many other facets of writing), but what ultimately makes a piece good is its drive. “Good” varies from reader to reader, and so what pushes them to continue turning the page is their interest in the story. That’s what makes page-turners so interesting and inviting to people, as a book that is slow and does not catch the reader’s interest will not stick with them as long or as powerfully as a book they do enjoy. A piece that challenges and enthralls readers with an interesting storyline and complex characters lives past the reading time; it roots into the minds of the reader and makes them …show more content…
Growing up as a closeted lesbian meant that I spent a lot of my time wondering why the books I read never had characters I could relate to. I was an avid reader, reading two or three books a day at times before moving on to the next thing. Yet these stories always kept to familiar archetypes when it came to romance--most plainly, amongst the stereotypes, being the heteronormativity of the texts. It was disheartening as someone who lacked the resources to understand myself, yet I now understand why my evenings spent scouring the library for a relatable character left me empty handed. People write what they know. It is safer--no one can call you out on misrepresenting a character when you understand them so thoroughly that you can see yourself in them. But writers do not have to be confined to writing just what they know personally. For instance, it is not uncommon for writers to reach out to sensitivity readers--people (often from minority groups) who read to check the validity of characters that represent them if an author is uncertain about their telling of the character. It allows writers to branch out from what they know, while also telling the story in a way that they can feel comfortable in knowing is accurate. Granted, I personally feel that there are some things that are more difficult for writers to describe in the minority
The logical answer would be mentioning that the grammatical side of the piece is a stepping stone to good writing. Improper grammar, spelling, and pacing stands out like rocks on a paved road, making the journey bumpy and slightly distracting for the reader as they travel to get to the end. Yet while this is true, I have also trekked through some poorly edited short stories before due to their enthralling story lines encouraging me forward. So yes, grammar and spelling is important (as are the many other facets of writing), but what ultimately makes a piece good is its drive. “Good” varies from reader to reader, and so what pushes them to continue turning the page is their interest in the story. That’s what makes page-turners so interesting and inviting to people, as a book that is slow and does not catch the reader’s interest will not stick with them as long or as powerfully as a book they do enjoy. A piece that challenges and enthralls readers with an interesting storyline and complex characters lives past the reading time; it roots into the minds of the reader and makes them …show more content…
Growing up as a closeted lesbian meant that I spent a lot of my time wondering why the books I read never had characters I could relate to. I was an avid reader, reading two or three books a day at times before moving on to the next thing. Yet these stories always kept to familiar archetypes when it came to romance--most plainly, amongst the stereotypes, being the heteronormativity of the texts. It was disheartening as someone who lacked the resources to understand myself, yet I now understand why my evenings spent scouring the library for a relatable character left me empty handed. People write what they know. It is safer--no one can call you out on misrepresenting a character when you understand them so thoroughly that you can see yourself in them. But writers do not have to be confined to writing just what they know personally. For instance, it is not uncommon for writers to reach out to sensitivity readers--people (often from minority groups) who read to check the validity of characters that represent them if an author is uncertain about their telling of the character. It allows writers to branch out from what they know, while also telling the story in a way that they can feel comfortable in knowing is accurate. Granted, I personally feel that there are some things that are more difficult for writers to describe in the minority