What should you be doing in life?

Apex - locator. How many people could actually tell me what it is? Nobody? I'm not surprised. It is a dental instument used to find the tip of the root during a root canal procedure. It informs the doctor when he is within a millimeter of the apex of the tooth. However, without the definition, very few people would know what it is. That is because, without a defintion, nobody knows or cares what it is, what it does, or why we need it. Definitions are used and needed in writing as well. Without a defintion of what something is or why its being done, and how its different from other things in life, the reader doesn't understand why its important!

In an article I recently read from the New York Times, it was discussed how young adults choose a career field. It is argued that we are taught from a young age to "find our passion". Well, that should be easy, right? Not quite. Some people never discover their passion, and others have more than one. So which career do they choose? The author has used the compare/contrast tool to decide between different careers, and different locations to live in. He argues that, while he has a passion for writing and could be a writer, he could also work for MicroSoft. The third option was to go to M.I.T (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) for their doctoral program in computer science. While the author could see the benefits of all three choices, like the wage and living in beautiful locations, he could also make the decision on where he wanted to go, by deciding what he wanted to do for a living. Saying people can always learn to love what they do, if they have passion for it, he chose to go to M. I. T. While he openly admits it was not easy, he looked at the pro's and con's of his options and decided that he would make the most impact here, instead of as a writer in a remote location, or a MicroSoft employee in Seattle. It does not mean that the other choices were wrong, just that in life you have to make decisions. Decisions are made by comparing different things and finding the pro's and con's that mater to us. Article is called "Follow a Career Passion? Let it Follow You" by Cal Newport

Why use subject specific tools?

The reason for using subject specifiic rhetorical tools is so that the paper that you are writing flows evenly. Whether you are comparing different things or trying to make the reader feel as if they are in the story, correctly using rhetorical tools is extremely important. If I said the girl loved her dog, I didn't give any definition as to why she loves her dog. I could go into great detail about what kind of dog it was, how long she has had the dog, it's name, and why she feels so attached to it. I can do all of these things with subject specific rhetorical tools, but without them, its just a boring statemen with nothing to back it up and the reader won't care to keep reading.

I could use the familial gaze to show the reader the story of when the girl went to the pound to rescue the dog. I could use the compare/contrast concept to show the different dogs that were also there, and why the girl picked the dog that she did. I could use timelines and flashbacks to remember the first day the girl spent with the dog after she adopted him. I could also use the setting of the pound, with the sounds, smells, and sights, to pull on the reader's heartstrings, making them want to go adopt a dog as well. I believe that with a little emphasis on how well dogs are for people's health, and teaching children responsibility, and showing how they help to unite a family, I could also deploy the persuasive theme. Rhetorical tools are everywhere! Whether we choose to label them or not, is not the point. The point is, if you know the tools, and how to use them, there is not reason as to why you can not write anything you want to.

Compare and Contrast

I have recently began to work with the compare and contrast element of narrative writing. I have been introduced to it before, and I have used it in my writing, so I feel comfortable with it. It is a useful rhetorical tool that allows the writer to compare one subject with another, or to simply point out the smaller differences of two things in the same subject.

Take my dogs, for example. I have a black lab and a yellow lab. The black lab is Sarah, and the yellow lab is Makenna. Yes, they are both female dogs, they are both labs, they are the same age, since they come from the same litter. However, their coats are of different colors. Their personalities are completely different, where Sarah loves to play tug-of-war, and Makenna can and will play catch all hours of the day. They are similar in their both being female dogs, of the same litter, and being the same age, however, they are both different based on their hobbies, their names, and their fur color.

Gazes

I have recently learned that there are many types of  gazes when it comes to narrative writing. Gazes are simply the different ways of describingwhat we see. There is the Familial gaze, which consists of how you and a small group of your friends and family experience things. There is the National Gaze, which consists of how we as a nation see things, such as how we felt during 9/11, or when we put a man on the moon. There is the Consumer gaze, which we encounter every time we step foot in a grocery store, through the adertisements on the products. Little kids prefer the cartoon characters on their cereal, and for it to be at eye level. Adults prefer the cereals that is healthier for them, and on their eye level. There is the Political gaze, which is how we view the politicians running for office, and how we view the president, whether we agree with what he is doing, or not. Last but not least, we have the Travel gaze, which urges us to want to travel and spend money on vacations. I have attached a photo of one of my recent vacations that never fails to make me want to do a return trip. With the amazing blue and green, clear waters, the white sandy beaches, and the clear skies, who could ask for more. The picture was taken on Nasseau during my cruise to the Bahamas, and every time that I see it, I want to go back.

Cause and Effect 4A

By using cause and effect, you show how one topic is related to another. How, because the dog ate the chocolate, he is now throwing up. You can show how many different things contribute to the end resut also.


 The  best way to analyze a cause and effect paper is to read it and see if you can find the cause, and then the effect. Or vice-versa. If you said there was a little boy and girl playing outside, and then you say that the little girl is crying, the reader doesn't know why she is crying. If you say that, while playing outside, the little boy pulled the girl's hair, making her cry, you are explaining the cause and effect. The cause is the little boy pulled the girl's hair. The effect is that the little girl is now crying.

The importance of Peer Reviews

I think peer reviews are crucial for good writing. Every good author has an editor. And editor is just someone who gets paid to do peer reviews. The review is a way to get a fresh set of eyes on your writing. Just because something makes sense in your mind, doesn’t mean it will make sense to everyone else. Errors in grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary may be found by others when you did not notice them yourself. The review gives you good suggestions on what works and what doesn’t.

Tools of narrative writing 3A

In the Zambreno article, we were introduced to new vocabulary. Throughout this post, I am going to use and explain some of it. I believe that we have all told or heard a story, whether it was part of it, or the whole thing, new way. There are a million stories that have been altered or added to, to show a different poit of view, or tell a different version of the story. This is called Plasticity. Being able to have at least five different Disney versions of Cinderella, all of which have different aspects, making people want to watch them all, is an example of this. In the movie, Ever After, with Drew Barrymore, Drew plays a Cinderella character in the days of kings, and riches, and poverty, while in, A Cinderella Story, Hilary Duff plays a teenge Cinderella character who has to deal with high school, working in her step mother's diner, and dealing with the technogy of emails and cell phones. Same story, just with adding different aspects of it, depending on the audience. Taking bits and parts from other places, and combining it into something new, is called using piecemeal.

Deciding to write a story of little red riding hood as a baby, and telling why she wears a red cape, would be a great example of using windows of opportunity.  I haven't heard a story which tells this, and it may be that I just haven't found it yet. It is a non-spoken example of open ended closure, which basically says, "this is the end of the story as I know it, if you would like more information on the subject, you will have to find it yourself."