Reaction to McCloud's Stages

McCloud's Path for Arts Steps

1. Idea/Purpose
2. Form
3. Idiom
4. Structure
5. Craft
6. Surface

The first step gives a motivation to the ideas, emotions, philosophies, and purpose of the content of the work.

The second step will take you to decide what it will be like.
Ex. A Book? A chalk? A folder? A pencil? A picture frame?

The third step is to check your vocabulary styles, gestures or subjects matter. Also the genre that your work will be placed in.

The fourth step is putting it all together. Cutting out the unnecessary and adding the necessary. The arrangement and composition is also important for the structure of  your work.

The fifth step is constructing the work, applying skills, practical knowledge, invention, problem-solving and getting the job done.
 
The sixth step is producing values and finishing the aspects most apparent on first superficial exposure to work.                                      

A goal that I would like to achieve as an artist is the fourth step, structure. I need to work on this step because I need to learn how to cut out the unnecessary parts of my writing pieces. I need to learn to not add words and sentences that do not have a symbol or meaning to the story/poem. When I kill the extra words, I change them into necessary ones. The necessary ones add  description and necessity because it catches the readers attention. That's what I need to do! Add the words that catch the readers attention and take out the ones that are just there taking space and have no meaning.

Ex. Katrina was soon going to get married with Bobby. Her mother had bought and planned everything ahead of time, so everything was already ready. Even though there were only two weeks left, her blue eyes had feelings for someone else.

This seems like a great story, but why do I care if she has blue eyes? Good to know that, but is it really necessary. When you add words that shouldn't be part of the story, it makes the story basic and simple. Sometimes it is great to add what the characters look like, but most of the time I like the readers to make up their own movie while they are reading and for them to pick how the character looks because it will make them like my story more since they are being part of building it up. Let's try this better version of the story!   

Ex. Katrina was soon going to get married with Bobby. Her mother had bought and planned everything ahead of time, so everything was already ready. Even though there were only two weeks left, Katrina did not feel ready because she was in love with someone else.

This new example made the story sound a more interesting. Many thought came to me while I even read it myself. Who does Katrina still love? Will she still be getting married? Will Bobby find out? How will her mother react to this? As you can see, this creates a story because it is saying something interesting that catches the readers attention. It also doesn't have simple words blocking the path of the story to build something with greater imagination.

I will be achieving this goal by revising my work with more than two drafts. I will also need to take Stephen King's advice: after you are done with a writing piece, leave it alone for at least six weeks and don't worry about it. Then, come back to the writing piece and read/revise it. You will see what you should add and what you should take out. The school teachers could help me reach this goal by setting time after a long time, to revise work and give me some questions of what else they would like to know about a part of the writing piece because it will help me know what should I press the 'delete' button and/or continuing typing.

I am hoping that this new writing program helps me put details step by step and how to know which words are needed and which are not. Sometimes I have so many ideas, but I make them into one boring part of the story because I want the process to go fast since I want to get rid of it and get going on with a new idea for the story. I want to learn to be patient and write things descriptively with structure. If I lose the thought, it means that it did not belong there. I just want to handle my ideas in a patient way in order for the character to fluently express itself instead of me pressuring the character.

Small Word Poem

A Fruitful Flag

How should I not love this flag?

This flag gave me a right.

This flag gave me liberty.

This flag gave me hope.

Where were you when we won independence?

My great, great, great grandparents were not yet born,

but I was destined to live in a land of freedom.

I was free ever since I was born.

Thanks to my old folks who were brave to fight.

Where were you when we almost divided into the Separate States of America?

God didn't allow for us to separate.

We are called for peace, not a split.

All these years,

ever since we gain independence from Britain.

As a united country, we went through a lot.

We have gone through peril, grief, woe, and ire.

But since we have eachother’s back,

we also have lived glee.

This flag is a badge.

We have achieved many things in this country,

but unitedly.

Twenty Little Poetry Project

Rough Seas

1. The sea waters are a universe.
2. The waves come near me and wave at my feet.
3. Sand mixes all over my feet. The wind that blows my hair goes inside of my nose and smells as salty as last night's dinner. The color of the waves change the color of my eyes. The seas creatures make noises, but I understand their language. They call for me to join them in an adventure. I couldn’t because I can’t breathe with neither my nose or mouth. I tried to get in and all I tasted was green seaweed that tasted like lettuce and broccoli.
4. The sky turned dark enough to not be able to see the waters natural color the way that you swallow something solid as if you were dying.
5. a sudden blow in my face when I woke up by Carlos Rivera on the little house on top of the sand in Guanica, Puerto Rico because I was a sleep for two long that day in 2001.
6. I didn’t sleep all day long in 2001.
7. My brother was small and annoying, but most times I enjoyed his company.
8. I wondered if he wanted to join the chorus to sing. Easy Peasy for her.
9. She had the highest voice because of her high heels.
10. A quiet place where a sea breeze sings the song.
11. The fancy human of skill that is afraid to pass the sea shore.
12. I am as peaceful as the tsunami that’s gates been open to flood.
13. I am given natural gills to be able to breath under water.
14. Why couldn’t Karla just swim with all that talent that she received.
15. They will all see me tonight swim as fast as the sailfish and be surprised.
16. The flippers that move me like a lazy body because it is natural.
17. I need to remember this because it never happened.
18. Necesito aprender y parar de tener miedo.
19. The peebles smiled at me because they believed.
20. I am the swimmer who swims the seas that cover the land.

My Video Response #7

Margaret Atwood's Creative Process
This author thinks that if you can not get into a book/begin it, you should not be doing it. The question that you should be asking when writing is, which of the ideas will you be tackling (using more and most of). Sometimes you should stay in the safe zone and not take a risk, but do something with someone manageable. There are no rules, you just have to plunge into it.
An opening to a book/chapter that this author uses is to hint the point on how the book will end. Further into it you should use sticking outs (clues and/or main points). A bed side notebook for important thoughts is a great use because when you wake up and have an idea, jot it down.
There is no normal time that takes her to write a novel because it depend on how long the novel is and on how well or bad the novel is going. It can take a long time if you start on the wrong foot or if you get far on the path and find out that you have to change a few things/everything.

My Feedback on Video #6

Elizabeth Gilbert Discusses a Writer's Life
This author says that she writes because it is the only thing that she can do. I like this, because writing is a talent that not everyone has. My opinion is that some writers say that because they have not looked deeper inside of their heart. Everyone is passionate about something. Most writers are passionate about writing, but they also have some other talents. Most writers think that it is the only thing that the can do. That is why most of their other talents are hidden, but you have to dig deep in your heart to find them.
This author believes that having multiple talents is like a curse because you have to divide your time and be here and over there with using them, while when you have one, you will dedicate yourself to that only one. My opinion is that having multiple talents is something beautiful. Why only use one when you have many. Use all of them. Use one at a time or combine them and see what you get. It's true that's sometimes you will spend more time on one than the other, but when you have time to use them, use them the most and best that you can.
The authors states that she did not love or wasn't good at anything else other than writing. That may be true in some cases, but you can also experience other interest. I am not good at everything, but I like to experience new things and when I do, I give my all even if I am not good at it.
This author states that writing was just a simple gift that she received. That is why it is her only talent! Now I get it! She said that she didn't have any other talents because writing is the easiest for her. Some talents are easily given, others you have to work for to get them. Challenging yourself is good. When you don't have no  other choice in a challenge, you do the best that you can and the result is good. Challenge yourself with experiencing new interest and look at what you are getting passionate about, for that will bring out your talents.
The authors creative process begins with curiosity. I agree, and I also would add imagination to curiosity. Curiosity pulls your attention and imagination adds extra things (how you would want it or how you thought it would be, etc.)

My Feedback on Video #5

Ceridwen Dovey's Advice for Writers
 This author says that writing is hard work. I agree with her. Writing does take time and it also takes your most effort. If you do hard work and give your all, your writing will be good. If you do just whatever and not value your writing piece, it will not be good. Good writers are always working on new ideas and just writing and writing. Others are reading and reading. Not only should writers write and read, but live life to have experiences to write about. A writer takes lots of imagination. All writers have talent, but they should not be wasting it.

My Feedback on Video #4

Neil Gaiman's Advice for Young Writers

I really enjoyed what this author was talking about. As writers we need to read books. Many books. This world has many writers with different ideas and point of view of things. Many writers in the world have created stories and other writing pieces, but those stories say nothing (don't speak to you/ not interesting, or open your eyes in a different world). Gaiman spoke about writers needing to live. I agree with that. Live life as much as you can. Go through different experiences because it will bring the person that you are out. Go through different situations because those different situations create ideas. Those ideas create stories. Those stories are from your heart and they are true. You only have to do one thing as a writer. Just write and write about those experiences and your story will have something to say.

Comment what you have as a Bucket List for this year. (I am interested in hearing what you would like to experience and/or write about.