Scholastic-tastic! I hate personal narrative assignments and love the FFXII OST, and here's why!
While I'm on this FFXII kick, I should mention that I love writing to the game soundtrack. There's one story I've been trying to write for ages - had the characters living in my head for well over a year now - and having the right music as a backdrop seems to bring the right words out of me, at the right time. I'm not going to mention the particulars of the story; in my experience, that tends to jinx me. Some revelations are fine, but once I talk in depth about my ambitions and motivation regarding the story, it inevitably collapses around me like the Nerada, or explodes like the Death Star. Let's just say that it's a fantasy story with an ensemble cast of whom I'm quite proud - I love every single character, except one or two of the villains, but that's just because of what they intend for the protagonists - and multiple countries, so lots of room for worldbuilding and language construction. And as much romance as I can feasibly incorporate. I swear, I don't write anything that doesn't have romance in it, which is curious, since that's not the sort of thing I hope to suffer achieve for myself anytime soon.
But any soundtrack, including FFXII and Star Wars, seems to be excellent for writing a fantasy story, since the general lack of lyrics makes it easier to concentrate on mood and on my own words, rather than anybody else's. Sometimes, I do listen to other music, but my greatest successes have risen to greet me when I've been listening to soundtracks or classical. God, I hope I can keep this up. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me, writing this thing, but I want this story written. I want it done justice. And I will do it. I feel like I owe it to myself, to Zelly, and to the characters and their world.
I'm supposed to be reading an excerpt from a book called How People Learn, but sweet Hyne, I'm way too distracted. I'm not in the mood to study. I was last night, but last night, I let myself run off on a Frangent (a portmanteau of "Fran" + "tangent," lawlz, get it? XD), and neglected my readings. I know I'll study tomorrow, though, since I only have Korean tomorrow and will have more than adequate time to devote to studying after I get home from class. I'll set the goal to finish all my assignments tomorrow before dinnertime. :D I think that's a reasonable goal.
I'm also noticing a trend this year; my teachers are leaning more toward blogs than toward papers, which I like. I express myself more honestly 1) online, and 2) in a less restrictive format. Essays do have a place - I won't ever deny that - but I can't write a truly enlightened essay about my personal opinion, because it's a format that lends itself to research more than it does to free expression. That's why, if I ever want a "personal narrative" from my students, I'm not going to ask for it as an essay. They can format it however the hell they want as long as I can read it. They can write a sestina, for all I care, if it expresses their personality, beliefs, interests, etc., all that stuff teachers claim to want in a personal narrative that's supposed to introduce you to them. They can write screenplays about themselves, or about fictional strangers, as long as they're writing and as long as it gives me a feel for the student. vadalia commented to a post of mine a few days ago, about introductions in classrooms, and I totally agree with her: those "getting-to-know-you" activities rarely do anything but illustrate the stark and sometimes overwhelmingly divisive hierarchies that exist in school, and don't bring students any closer together. I find it helps more to have students learn each other's names and go from there, without the, "I'm Irksome Irvy and I'm a Capricorn. I like dramatic stories of civil wars between fictional countries and I dislike sunlight," business.
If I could somehow incorporate blogging into a high school assignment when I'm a teacher, I think I'd do it. Write about whatever you want, as long as it can't get you arrested, and I'll accept it as your assignment. It must be of a certain length, but other than that, you can write about your dog, about hating your parents, about your favorite band, about the time you tripped and fell in front of the girl you thought you were in love with at the time, whatever. Anything is fair game, as long as you're writing, because if there's one thing I hate, it's those self-conscious personal narratives and heavy-handed introductions that mean so little. And you have now heard my blah-de-blah on why personal narratives largely suck as an introductory exercise, and how I would do them differently in my classroom. If I did them at all. I think names are enough. (I mean, half the time, kids don't even remember each other's names from those supposedly fun activities. What's the point?)
So now that I've talked so candidly in my personal journal, rather than in a blog for school, I'm gonna watch AMV Hell 4 on full volume, and laugh myself to the pants-pissing point. Is it anything to do with my higher education and my desire to be a teacher? Hell, no. But it's fun, and sometimes you just wanna.
"True education means fostering the ability to be interested in something."
But any soundtrack, including FFXII and Star Wars, seems to be excellent for writing a fantasy story, since the general lack of lyrics makes it easier to concentrate on mood and on my own words, rather than anybody else's. Sometimes, I do listen to other music, but my greatest successes have risen to greet me when I've been listening to soundtracks or classical. God, I hope I can keep this up. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me, writing this thing, but I want this story written. I want it done justice. And I will do it. I feel like I owe it to myself, to Zelly, and to the characters and their world.
I'm supposed to be reading an excerpt from a book called How People Learn, but sweet Hyne, I'm way too distracted. I'm not in the mood to study. I was last night, but last night, I let myself run off on a Frangent (a portmanteau of "Fran" + "tangent," lawlz, get it? XD), and neglected my readings. I know I'll study tomorrow, though, since I only have Korean tomorrow and will have more than adequate time to devote to studying after I get home from class. I'll set the goal to finish all my assignments tomorrow before dinnertime. :D I think that's a reasonable goal.
I'm also noticing a trend this year; my teachers are leaning more toward blogs than toward papers, which I like. I express myself more honestly 1) online, and 2) in a less restrictive format. Essays do have a place - I won't ever deny that - but I can't write a truly enlightened essay about my personal opinion, because it's a format that lends itself to research more than it does to free expression. That's why, if I ever want a "personal narrative" from my students, I'm not going to ask for it as an essay. They can format it however the hell they want as long as I can read it. They can write a sestina, for all I care, if it expresses their personality, beliefs, interests, etc., all that stuff teachers claim to want in a personal narrative that's supposed to introduce you to them. They can write screenplays about themselves, or about fictional strangers, as long as they're writing and as long as it gives me a feel for the student. vadalia commented to a post of mine a few days ago, about introductions in classrooms, and I totally agree with her: those "getting-to-know-you" activities rarely do anything but illustrate the stark and sometimes overwhelmingly divisive hierarchies that exist in school, and don't bring students any closer together. I find it helps more to have students learn each other's names and go from there, without the, "I'm Irksome Irvy and I'm a Capricorn. I like dramatic stories of civil wars between fictional countries and I dislike sunlight," business.
If I could somehow incorporate blogging into a high school assignment when I'm a teacher, I think I'd do it. Write about whatever you want, as long as it can't get you arrested, and I'll accept it as your assignment. It must be of a certain length, but other than that, you can write about your dog, about hating your parents, about your favorite band, about the time you tripped and fell in front of the girl you thought you were in love with at the time, whatever. Anything is fair game, as long as you're writing, because if there's one thing I hate, it's those self-conscious personal narratives and heavy-handed introductions that mean so little. And you have now heard my blah-de-blah on why personal narratives largely suck as an introductory exercise, and how I would do them differently in my classroom. If I did them at all. I think names are enough. (I mean, half the time, kids don't even remember each other's names from those supposedly fun activities. What's the point?)
So now that I've talked so candidly in my personal journal, rather than in a blog for school, I'm gonna watch AMV Hell 4 on full volume, and laugh myself to the pants-pissing point. Is it anything to do with my higher education and my desire to be a teacher? Hell, no. But it's fun, and sometimes you just wanna.
"True education means fostering the ability to be interested in something."