First Steps

TORDA'S FALL 2024 TEACHING SITE

First Steps

1/29/2021

Welcome to 489 and to our first Discussion Board. You opted to be a part of the Writing Concentration for a reason. Maybe you've got a clear plan; maybe not so much. But here you are. In this space, tell me (and each other) about the writer you are, the writer you want to be, and what you hope to have accomplished by the end of this class. Be aware that at least some of your colleagues will read what you post.

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37 Comments

Michael Wood

1/29/2021 10:43:26 am

I hope to learn better sentence structure and ways that I can better elaborate in order to have a more organic writing voice. I am currently working on plans to write a series of short novels so I think this class would offer useful tools for me to strengthen my craft. In terms of the type of writer I am, I focus on scene, character, and ways for action to further the narrative.

Michael Wood

1/29/2021 10:52:08 am

While I'm not the best at nonfiction, I usually prefer writing fiction and I am best accustomed to adventure, horror, and science fiction. I think it comes naturally to me and it's something that I feel the most passionate about.

Ron Corbett

1/29/2021 10:53:07 am

I also want to improve my sentence structure. I have a habit of writing in short sentences. I look forward to seeing your work.

Brittany Ann Oppenheimer

1/29/2021 10:43:48 am

I love writing dark fiction material, though I love writing almost everything as well. In the future, I want to publish a my first novel, which is something I hope I can work on in class. A new onw actually, since I did already write a book, but so far no agents are willing to try and publish it. That's why I am now writing something new in hopes that things will turn out better in this regard in the end.

Also my twitter is @OppenheimerAnn (shameless plug) so don't be afraid to follow me on Twitter!

Paige Couture

1/29/2021 10:50:57 am

Hi Brittany,

I love reading dark fiction material as well! Especially anything that involves witches or witchcraft, or magic in general. That's awesome that you have written a book. What genre is your book and what is it about?

Brittany Ann Oppenheimer

1/29/2021 10:55:16 am

It's called "Imperfect." It's about a girl who is born with bipolar disorder that creates imaginary friends to get her through her rough life. I worked on it for almost four years and now it's stuck in the "trunk novel" category that maybe one day it will come out of.

Amanda Guindon

1/29/2021 10:44:38 am

For the majority of my writing career, I have been solely an academic writer and a lot of what I wrote only fit in a class setting. It wasn't until the past few years in my college career where I started writing more for myself, and I have discovered that I really enjoy creative nonfiction writing, and I have even based my honors thesis on the concept of creative nonfiction. Throughout the course of this class I hope that I will look both at writing that I have done and writing I will continue to do and prepare it for publication or professionalism in some way. My hope is that this course really helps me understand the transition from academic to professional writing as I feel like so much of my life has been academic writing.

Rebecca Monestime

1/29/2021 10:50:48 am

Yes I feel the same way I feel like up until college is when I started using my own voice rather than an academic voice.

Marissa Merlino

1/29/2021 10:50:59 am

I also love the creative nonfiction genre and will most likely do some creative nonfiction pieces for this class. I hope this class will encourage me to write more for myself as well.

Kate Bazarsky

1/29/2021 10:45:14 am

The thing I am excited most about is to read. Historically as an English major you would think I read often, but I don't. Truthfully, I do not have a large plethora of books in my mind. I do know that reading makes you a better writer; for that reason, I am excited to get new ideas and learn new things and see how other authors use words. As a writer, I write a lot of poetry and short stories. I have trouble reading novels because of their length--they do not normally capture my attention. I would love to work on writing a longer piece since I have not been able to commit to something over 15 pages lately.

Rebecca Monestime

1/29/2021 10:52:04 am

yes I don't read as much either but writing comes more natural to me than reading I am so glad I am not the only one

Matt McGuirk

1/29/2021 10:52:32 am

Hi Kate. I find myself agreeing with your comment regarding reading. As much as I enjoy writing, reading is not a hobby of mine. If anything, I'll get halfway through a novel before I get bored and put it away. However, I read Interior Chinatown and the young adult novel about Pepper during winter break and it's excited me for the rest of the books we'll be tackling in this class.

Side note: I've read a lot of your writing from our few English classes together and I would definitely like to read a longer piece of yours.

Brittany Ann Oppenheimer

1/29/2021 10:53:07 am

I can relate to that a lot. I love reading in my spare time, which is why I hang out at the library a lot. It's kind of my safe space whenever I am away from home. I also have a thing for poetry too and have tried recently to get a few of my poems published. Though I love fiction and nonfiction writing more, poetry is fun to write when you have nothing better to do since there is not a required length when it comes to that genera (I can't think of another way to say it.) Maybe we can share poetry sometime when your free? I love reading mostly everything anyway and I'm curious to what you have written. :)

Marissa Merlino

1/29/2021 10:55:45 am

I would like to say that I remember reading your piece in Creative Nonfiction with Sarah Fawn last semester and I thought it was really good, so you have a very strong ability to write well despite not reading much. I relate to this a lot because professors have commented on my writing ability without knowing that I don't spend a lot of time reading outside of classes.

1/29/2021 11:05:08 am

Kate! You made my day!

1/29/2021 10:46:25 am

I think that in academia there are two kinds of writing teachers. There are writers that teach (I would put our creative writers in that category) and teachers who write. And that is what I am. I write every day all day. I've learned to be a fast writer--I learned that years ago in a job I had during my PhD when I wrote for a business magazine called Metalfax (which was, actually a magazine for people in the metal industry. I wrote a lot about drill bits and eye wash stations). I do write creatively, non fiction, but not as much as I would like. A lot of my published material is nonfiction. I write scholarship because that is also part of my job, but I find a lot less joy in that than my colleagues do. One thing I'd like to get out of our time together is to 1) get better at teaching writing online and 2) write more with you. I used to really make time during 489 to write myself, but as my responsibilities have increased, I have not done that. But I hope I can this semester with all of you.

Paige Couture

1/29/2021 10:46:42 am

I’m an avid mystery, true crime, and fantasy reader. I’ve read most young adult books that fall into this genre, from Pretty Little Liars to Twilight. Just like reading, I’m really into writing anything that has to do with figuring out who did it and what happened to the victim. My plan in this class is to try to think of more words as I write and to overcome writer's block, even though I don’t like to think of it as writer's block. I write all the time. Depending on the day, I can think of a lot of words at once, or I can only think of 50 words at once. I try to write every day. My goal varies: from writing 1000 words per-day, to trying to fit in some writing time right after homework is completed. That is why I think the writing notebook will really help with writing, as we are required to sit down for a half-hour to free write. In this class, I'm really looking forward to the notebook part the most.

Michael Wood

1/29/2021 10:53:38 am

I understand as I too struggle with writers block on occasion. I'm also fascinated with true crime as a genre although it can be controversial.

Marissa Merlino

1/29/2021 10:47:10 am

I decided to major in English with a writing concentration because I aspire to go into the journalism or editing field. Either career path is ideal for me after graduation, though I would also consider doing some sort of technical writing. Currently, I believe my strong suit is nonfiction/essay writing, while my weakness lies in my ability (or non-ability) to write decent poetry. I love workshopping other people's work which leads me to believe that I could become a good editor in the future. Unfortunately, I currently do not spend a lot of time writing or reading outside of class due to lack of time and motivation. I am excited to take part in this course because I think it will push me to strengthen my abilities by doing more freewriting and enrich me in the major more than previous classes have. When I write my own pieces as a professional writer, I plan on focusing a lot on subjects surrounding mental health and current issues within our society/around the globe that I find to be pressing.

Maddie

1/29/2021 10:52:27 am

Marissa, I agree that sometimes it is hard to find the motivation to read, even for pleasure. I have always appreciated my English classes for "forcing" me to read and write. I also prefer more "professional" writing, and creative writing has been a challenge for me, but I took one of the creative writing workshops through the university and really enjoyed it. I hope you get the motivation and enrichment out of this class that you are looking for--I'm sure we all will!

Rebecca Monestime

1/29/2021 10:54:24 am

That is the path I want to take as well even though my major is communication, there is also a lot of writing there as well.

John Walden

1/29/2021 10:54:31 am

Hi Marissa

I'm on the same page as you about the lack of time and motivation to write and read in my own time. Hopefully this class will help with that.

Rebecca Monestime

1/29/2021 10:47:10 am

I am currently trying to discover what type of writer I am at the moment but at the moment I feel like I write a lot of memoirs especially when it pertains to myself. I have not discovered what type of writer I am when it comes to journalistic writing but that is the path of writing I want to take especially when it comes to my interests. By the end of the semester I hope to accomplish my own way of writing as well as finding the genre I am happy and interested in. I am looking forward to learning the different types of writing as well as beyond the scope of memoirs and journalism. As for right now, my plan is to become a editor for a big website or paper and to also do journalism especially ones where I am able to travel around the world and go back and write about my experiences within that country. I also hope to one day maybe write a book about my travels as well.

Matt McGuirk

1/29/2021 10:47:14 am

I'm a communication major with an English minor, so I've done a lot of different writing over my college career. I feel like I am a strong writer but I am always looking to improve. I'm interested in multiple forms of writing—I enjoy newswriting, academic writing, creative writing, screenwriting... you name it. For me, I really just want to become a better writer in every possible way. Sometimes I'll write a piece that makes me really happy, but other times I'll write a hot pile of trash that just eliminates all my confidence. By the end of this class, though, I really want to improve my fiction writing because it's the form of creative writing that I enjoy the most and I have multiple ideas for fiction stories that I just can't get out on the page.

Amanda Guindon

1/29/2021 10:52:09 am

That's so interesting because I'm the opposite! I'm an English major with a communication (and public relations) minor! Funny how the two fields really work hand in hand it seems.

Rebecca Monestime

1/29/2021 10:55:19 am

I have the same minor and major as well and I know exactly how you feel.

Derek Krysko

1/29/2021 10:55:52 am

I am also more interested in creative writing, and writing for television is certainly something I would love to do one day as well. This class will hopefully allows us to explore more writing in a more creative manner and will be less restrictive than some of our previous courses.

Emily Spagna

1/29/2021 10:47:16 am

I have always wanted to be a novel writer. It's a job I wouldn't have to be out in the public much with, and the ability to be creatively free sounds heavenly. I started writing and taking it relatively serious around 8th grade and have continued since. I had been taking one writing class every semester right up until the pandemic started. My writing fell to the side at that point, and my laptop broke at the same time. I thought I lost all of my writing, but I believe I saved most of it. I've been too scared to check honestly. I'm hoping this class will force me to check that first of all, but also finish one of the two novels I've been working on for around 10 years. My dream is to one day get them published, maybe then I'd feel like I actually accomplished something with my life.

Michael Wood

1/29/2021 10:55:26 am

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your projects but it's awesome that you saved most of it. What genres do you prefer to write in?

Madison Staples

1/29/2021 10:47:36 am

When I started at BSU three and a half years ago I had the vague idea that I wanted to go into "tech writing." When I actually took ENGL201, I focused more specifically on grant writing, and for a while that was the direction I was headed. More recently, though, I have been thinking that what I want to do is work in a library--whether that is a public library, a school library, or even eventually a university library. Sometimes this does feel less in line with the Writing Concentration path that I chose freshman year, but I believe that a lot of the skills will translate well. If I do end up going for a Masters in Library and Information Science, I would like to get my degree in reference work, and so the research and writing tools that I have gained throughout my undergrad experience would certainly be applicable. I prefer academic writing--I really enjoy putting together a well-argued essay--but I am hoping that this class gives me the chance to experiment with more creative endeavors as well.

C.J. Hall

1/29/2021 10:47:48 am

I use writing everyday to communicate effectively in business and to organize my thoughts. My planner is a place where I express myself with lists and drawings that leave each day feeling finished. I am a writer who is an absolute snob about paper and pen quality. I’m a lefty. But my most authentic writing is when I use it as a journal to process what I am feeling in my body and how thoughts are presenting visually. When I NEED to write, the words pour out of me in a hurricane force onslaught of sentences and paragraphs. Then I might not personally need to write again for days or weeks. I would like to be a more consistent writer and definitely more disciplined when it comes to my own word smithing. I really feel like this class’s structure will push me to places I’m uncomfortable, but ultimately where I want to end up.

Derek Krysko

1/29/2021 10:47:57 am

Writing has always come naturally to me, certainly more so than things like math or science. Over the years, my writing skills have improved as I began to focus more intently on developing them, and my time at BSU has helped me tremendously. While I appreciate dissecting literary works or conducting research, I generally prefer more creative writing assignments, and I tend to think that I excel in situations where I am able to think outside the box. My overarching goal is to one day write for sports or television in some capacity, whether that be in the form of journalism or being part of a writing team for a particular program. Media and sports are two passions of mine, and I would love to able to combine them with my aptitude for writing. I am hoping that this classes allows me to hone my writing ability and can teach me how to present information in a way that feels less like a student’s writing, and instead has more of a professional voice. Working with multiple genres in this course will also provide a solid foundation, and will make me a more well-rounded writer and thinker.

Lynne Campbell

1/29/2021 10:48:04 am

Throughout my many years of being a student, I have felt that English and writing have been the only thing that I have been good at. As a kid I wrote short stories that barely made any sense, but somehow I knew that writing was something that I wanted to keep doing with my life. I wanted to learn how to hone by abilities and see how far I could go. I enjoy many aspects of writing, but creative writing has been my passion for a while. When I write a story, a lot of the time it doesn't feel like I am working. I am creating an entire world around me and I love seeing where it takes me. I also really enjoy editing other creative works that I did not write. I found that out when I took the creative writing workshop at BSU. I really like seeing people's ideas and how they see their own work of fiction in their head. By the end of this class I would love to hone my abilities even further than I can imagine

John Walden

1/29/2021 10:48:25 am

I have always been the type of person in conversation to think about what I say before I speak at great length. In many ways, this is what has attracted me to writing as both a creative outlet and a potential profession. Being able to lay out my thoughts clearly and thoroughly through writing has always been easier for me than vocalizing them to any audience. Writing is therefore one of the most important tools that I can hone and utilize in my academic and future professional careers.

Matt McGuirk

1/29/2021 10:54:54 am

Hi John. That's definitely an interesting way to explain your passion for writing. I never considered that before. After reading your short stories in our fiction workshop last semester though, I think it's clear that you are putting a lot of thought and effort into what you write.

Ron Corbett

1/29/2021 10:50:33 am

Having always being a reader, I had always wanted to write my own story. I dabbled with various ideas before I enlisted in the Army. Never really thought about it until I began classes at BCC. Since then my platoon leader wrote a memoir of our time in Iraq. Then that got my imagination going. Since at Bridgewater, I have wrote some essay's that people have enjoyed and one story I want to finish. I would like to be published someday.

Vanessa Semeraro

1/31/2021 10:24:32 am

Writing has always been something I enjoyed doing despite not always being confident in my skills. I was told by a tough High School English Teacher that I was a great writer and he enjoyed reading my work. Since then, I have had a rocky road as I entered college with my writing abilities, but I hope this class allows me to regain the confidence I once had when writing.

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