Thank you for taking the time to consider author Maya Angelou's ideas about how dreams play into the writing process. Please do a new post to your blog with your answers to 4-6 of the questions on the yellow handout I gave you. Your post should be a decent length (400-500 words) if you've provided thoughtful answers. Also include an image (of Maya, of something connected to dreaming or an aspect of one of your answers) on this post.If you're interested in learning more about Maya Angelou, her interesting life and her beloved works, you can start at her official website. I bought this t-shirt showcasing her autobiography (one of my favorite books) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings from a little store downtown next to Maria's called 5# Apparel. Most of the proceeds the store nets are donated to charities around the world. You can also find the t-shirt and others featuring classic, challenged books (ones that have been put on banned books lists at one time or another) at Out of Print. Click the "Shop" link to get to the t-shirts--the site donates a book to Books for Africa for every purchase made. I'd like to do some thinking this week about books that have made a difference to us as people and as writers, and I wonder if you've read any of the classics featured on their other shirts...
Continue to customize your blog layout with gadgets in the right column, maybe a new background or header. Click on the Edit Profile link on your Dashboard and fill in the information about yourself. You can also have a look at your classmates' pages. If you're inclined to comment, be sure to be positive and supportive and write in the best English you can. Please don't be lazy and write in all lowercase with no punctuation, and don't leave only meaningless "what's up/i heart you" type comments. We'll talk more about giving feedback on our posts in the near future.
I love that several of you mentioned you "dream" of becoming professional writers. Leave a comment here telling us why you'd like/not like to be a professional writer and/or what kind of writing you see yourself doing. Stephenie Meyer said on Oprah that she always heard that was an unrealistic, financially hopeless goal, but I hope that no matter what anyone says, if that's your dream, you go for it. Seems like you'd regret not trying more than you'd regret taking a shot at it...
Take a look at the grade check I printed for you and use any extra time today to make up missing assignments. Please let me know when you do so I'll be sure to adjust your points. I'm sorry that I've gotten a little behind on commenting on your posts--I will catch up in the next few days as well. What you have to say is important to me.
For class Wednesday: Please bring at least 3 books that matter or have mattered to you. These can be books from your childhood, books you've read recently, books that matter because you love them, books that matter because they taught you something or changed your mind, books that made you want to read...We will each briefly share the books with the class.
For class Friday: Be ready to turn in your journal for a mid-quarter check. You should have at least 20 full pages. Make sure the pages are filled completely to count (partial pages can be combined to make a full page--I'll consider that when I look through your notebook).
I would enjoy becoming a professional writer, either writing for a magazine or writing lyrics. It would also be interesting to be a novelist, but I guess we'll see what happens.
ReplyDeleteI would love to become a professional writer for cartoon television shows, because I love television.
ReplyDeleteI would want to be a professional writer but I don't think it will work out that way. There are so many people that are way much more talented than I am so I think it would be better to just keep this as hobby.
ReplyDeleteI would not like to become a professional writer. My dream is to be a atheltic trainer or a physcial therapist. Even though I love reading, writing stresses me out.
ReplyDeleteI would like to become a professional fiction writer. My only problem with that is that I can start a story but get to the middle and run out of ideas. It can take me several weeks or even months to finish my train of though. So I guess I will stick to helping animals and become a vet tech.
ReplyDeleteI very much like the idea of becoming a professional writer. It is my dream to be an Author and to be a good one at that. I want my stories and my books to be liked and for people to actually enjoy what I wrote. I would also like to be a teacher, either History or Creative writing teacher just so if the author job dont take off then I have something to fall back on.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd like to be a professional writer, maybe write every now and then, but nothing too serious. I might want to become a psychologist, but who knows? I'm still young.
ReplyDeleteI would like to be a professional writer, though not as my main career option because it would take up a lot of time, and unless I'm the next J.K. Rowling, it proably won't make me much momey.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd like to be a professional writer.I find writing to be very difficult.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't be a professional writer, I just don't think I have the creativity to write a book that would be interesting enough to have people buy and read.
ReplyDeleteI do not think I would want to become a professional writer, I enjoy reading, and I love to write- but every time I sit down to write I can not come up with what to put on paper. I like to write stories of my past, but I am not too good at fictional writing or writing about other people.
ReplyDeleteI would like to be a professional writer. It is something I enjoy doing and could see myself doing every day. Although I would want to have some kind of other job and do writing on the side since writing is so strictly based on how many books you sell.
ReplyDeleteI really don’t know if I would want to be a writer. It’s always something that I thought would be fun and would love to do. But as it is right now I’m going to be a baker in my own store. Now if I do decide to be a writer than I might do it part time and mostly write fiction stories.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd ever want to be a professional writer, simply because i don't think I'd ever have enough time to actually sit down and write an entire novel, plus I don't think I could keep anything interesting for that long, so none of my books would sell. I'll just stick to reading (:
ReplyDeletei would not want to be a professional writer because Im not that good at it and I don't see a very good way to make a living off of it.
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy writing, however I don't believe that I should personally become a professional writer because if I did, then my writing ability would become pressured to become stronger, and that would make writing not fun for me anymore.
ReplyDeleteI would not want to be a professional writer because it doesnt seem intresting to me. i love to read but the time and thought that goes into a good book is not what i am willing to put forth.
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy writing don't get me wrong, but I could never write professionally. I wouldnt like the pressure of people always reading my thoughts and feeling they are not good enough.
ReplyDeleteI would love to become a professional writer, but I feel like it would be difficult to come up with something you love and having someone wanting to change it, or just not like it enought to publish.
ReplyDeleteI would not want to be a professional writer, because I'm not as good at it as I once was. I really don't enjoy writing like I use to, but I really do enjoy this class. This class has helped me see that I still am pretty good at it.
ReplyDeleteI would absolutely love to become a professional writer! Writing is a passion for me, I best express myself on a blank sheet of paper with a pen in hand. I mostly write just for personal reasons, but whenever I share my poetry or lyrics with anyone they seem to enjoy it, so maybe I should get to finishing one of the many stories I have begun. If my books were published, I don't know what I would do, I would be ecstatic! Fingers crossed!
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