Ahh! I finally finished the book, and I must admit that I've learned so much more about writing than I've ever had before.
King opens the final reading assignment by talking about symbolism and themes coming into action at the second draft of your writing. King states, "Symbolism (and the other adornments, too) does serve a useful purpose, though - it's more than just chrome on the grille. It can serve as a focusing device for both you and your reader, helping to create a more unified and pleasing work. I think that, when you read your manuscript over, you'll see if symbolism, or the potential for it, exists. If it doesn't leave well enough alone. If it does, however - if it's clearly a part of the fossil you're working to unearth - go for it. Enhance it, You're a monkey if you don't." He advises the readers that they should focus on the story itself and only explore symbolism and themes if they become apparent.
King than discusses other tools and road blocks of the writing process such as thematic thinking, writer's block, and over-logic. He reminds the readers that, "Writing is not life, but I think that sometimes it can be a way back to life."
Finally, one of the greatest lessons King has taught me is to write for the right reasons. Don't do it just for the money or success or fame. Do it for the joy and excitement of writing. I couldn't agree more with King.
On Writing is an instructive novel that will continue to transform thousands of reader's ideas about writing. This book is filled with useful information for those who wish to further their writing. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about the craft of writing or just wants a good read. Once again, King's continuous, witty humor left me laughing out loud as I read each chapter. King's creative writing has made me want to write more and see where writing will take me.
"Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled up." -Stephen King
Monday, January 31, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
State of the Union Address
Now, I am going to go ahead and admit that I am not a big fan of Obama and his administration; however, after listening to Obama's State of the Union address, I've come to have more respect for Obama and his dedication to this country. I'm not saying I agree with everything Obama said in his address, but what I am saying is that Obama has many positive goals he wants to achieve for our country.
First and foremost, I would like to commend Obama on his excellent social and public speaking skills. He was respectful when he entered the chamber, shaking hands and greeting many congressmen and women. His eloquent speaking was fantastic; he came across as a confident, engaging, and persuasive speaker.
Now, moving on the actual speech. Obama began his address by addressing the current bipartisanship issue within congress. He uses pathos to appeal to the emotions of the listeners by correlating the bipartisanship issue to the Arizona shooting. In his opening remarks, Obama stated, "But there’s a reason the tragedy in Tucson gave us pause. Amid all the noise and passions and rancor of our public debate, Tucson reminded us that no matter who we are or where we come from, each of us is a part of something greater – something more consequential than party or political preference. He reasons that both Republicans and Democrats must work together to ensure the future prosperity of the United States. Both parties must move forward together to make the decisions of tomorrow.
Obama later jumps right into the economy of the US. He forecasts three major points, and the first is INNOVATION. Creativity and imagination are two key components to advancing into the technological world we are transforming into today, and Obama clearly understands this. He mentioned the growing influences China, Russia, and other countries have to indicate growing competition within the global community. For example, China is now the home of the largest solar power research facility and the fastest computer while the US is trying to play catch up. Obama references the Sputnik and the infamous Space Race the US had with the Soviet Union. Obama is calling this era our "Sputnik Moment", and I couldn't agree more. The US must catch up with other countries, especially China and Russia, in the fight for not only global dominance, but global innovation. From my experience from debate, the US is currently number one of the global hegemony list with Russia and China right behind us. Whatever we do in this country will set the global scale. No one is going to build to two standards, just like the bumper in Japan cannot be lower than a bumper in the US. To improve our innovation, Obama set certain goals to achieve:
Obama's next main point was EDUCATION. Our education system is in murky waters right now. As the NCLB Act continues to leave hundreds of schools without proper funding and college tuition skyrocketing for the past years, I'm glad Obama made a point to discuss this issue. Obama discusses abolishing the NCLB Act and reforming the US education system with a new program called Race to the Top. Race to the Top is essentially a point system that will nationalize public education. I'm not sure if this program will actually work or not. I guess we will have to see. Furthermore, I wish Obama would have gone further in depth with the proposed Race to the Top program. He then asked congress to make permanent the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which can provide up to $10,000 for four years of college. Education is key to a prospering country such as the US. I think this is a great proposal. Our generation is the future of the US, and we must ensure our future generation is educated. Obama's goals for education are:
First and foremost, I would like to commend Obama on his excellent social and public speaking skills. He was respectful when he entered the chamber, shaking hands and greeting many congressmen and women. His eloquent speaking was fantastic; he came across as a confident, engaging, and persuasive speaker.
Now, moving on the actual speech. Obama began his address by addressing the current bipartisanship issue within congress. He uses pathos to appeal to the emotions of the listeners by correlating the bipartisanship issue to the Arizona shooting. In his opening remarks, Obama stated, "But there’s a reason the tragedy in Tucson gave us pause. Amid all the noise and passions and rancor of our public debate, Tucson reminded us that no matter who we are or where we come from, each of us is a part of something greater – something more consequential than party or political preference. He reasons that both Republicans and Democrats must work together to ensure the future prosperity of the United States. Both parties must move forward together to make the decisions of tomorrow.
Obama later jumps right into the economy of the US. He forecasts three major points, and the first is INNOVATION. Creativity and imagination are two key components to advancing into the technological world we are transforming into today, and Obama clearly understands this. He mentioned the growing influences China, Russia, and other countries have to indicate growing competition within the global community. For example, China is now the home of the largest solar power research facility and the fastest computer while the US is trying to play catch up. Obama references the Sputnik and the infamous Space Race the US had with the Soviet Union. Obama is calling this era our "Sputnik Moment", and I couldn't agree more. The US must catch up with other countries, especially China and Russia, in the fight for not only global dominance, but global innovation. From my experience from debate, the US is currently number one of the global hegemony list with Russia and China right behind us. Whatever we do in this country will set the global scale. No one is going to build to two standards, just like the bumper in Japan cannot be lower than a bumper in the US. To improve our innovation, Obama set certain goals to achieve:
- "We'll invest in biomedical research, information technology, and especially clean-energy technology - an investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet and create countless new jobs for our people."
- "Become the first country to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015."
- "By 2035, 80% of America's electricity will come from clean energy sources."
- "Over the next 10 years, we want to prepare 100,000 new teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math."
- "I ask Congress to make permanent our tuition tax credit - worth $10,000 for four years of college."
- "By the end of the decade, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world."
Next, Obama talks about INFRASTRUCTURE. This is Obama'a third step in rebuilding America. This point also correlates with Obama's mention of our "Sputnik Moment" and how the US must catch up with other countries. He states, "Our infrastructure used to be the best, but our lead has slipped. South Korean homes now have greater Internet access than we do. Countries in Europe and Russia invest more in their roads and railways than we do. China is building faster trains and new airports. meanwhile, when our own engineers graded our nation's infrastructure, they gave us a D." I completely agree with this point. With the growth of new jobs, people need a means of communication. Our infrastructure must be reformed. His goals for insfrastructure are:
- "Within 25 years, our goal is to give 80% of Americans access to high-speed rail."
- "Within the next five years, we'll make it possible for businesses to deploy the next generation of high-speed wireless coverage to 98% of all Americans."
"All these investments - in innovation, education, and infrastructure - will make America a better place to do business and create jobs."
Moving on from his three main points, Obama talked about the Health Care Reform. I'm glad that he is open to reforms of his proposed health care bill. For example, those with pre-existing conditions will continue with medical services without worrying too much about money, and in business, small companies will still be able to compete. He also talks about freezing government spending for the next five years. I wish he would've gone a bit more in depth with this proposal. What are we going to cut? Who will be affected? He listed possibilities, but I needed some reassurance. Obama also brings up leadership and diplomacy. At the Nuclear Security Summit in April, 44 nations will come together in Washington DC behind a clear goal: securing all vulnerable nuclear materials around the world in four years, so that they will never fall into the hands of terrorists. This will not only benefit national security for the US and other countries, it will help the US's diplomacy towards other countries.
Finally, after over 45 minutes in the address, Obama finally addresses a major issue: the war on terror. I was anxiously awaiting for this topic to come up. As a debater on the forensics team, I have debated about the Afghanistan war numerous times now and have now come to become more interested in this area. Obama talks about his current withdrawal plan from Afghanistan on July of 2011. Obama wasn't clear whether this is a complete withdrawal or not. I'm hoping he means that on this date, we will begin a gradual withdrawal from Afghanistan. A gradual withdrawal will better enhance the COIN and counter terrorism strategy in Afghanistan. The US leaving Iraq is a strong proposal. Iraq is in a strong nation building momentum and leaving now will allow Iraq to become more dependent on itself, rather than depending on the US and our aid.
I'm glad that I got a chance to listen to the State of the Union address. I certainly learned a lot more about what is going on in our government system and potential reforms in the future. However, I hope Obama keeps true to his word, and this wasn't just mindless babble. As the saying goes, "If you're going to talk the talk, you better be prepared to walk the walk." Overall, Obama communicated well at the emotional level, and his confidence for a prosperous future leaves me optimistic for what is to come in the future.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
"Fuhgeddaboudit!"
As I continued to read On Writing, I continued to not only be more amused by King's witty humor, I learned more about writing than I could in any high school English text book. For example, King's innovative use of a metaphorical tool box to teach the essentials of writing was ingenious. He teaches the readers the important tools needed to become a prolific writer. His critical analysis of writing left me thinking of my own writing and of how much more I needed to learn to grow as a writer. He analyzed every aspect of writing from one's vocabulary to the actual story plot.
Before I read the toolbox, I always had the mind set that the more complex the sentence was, the better the sentence is. For example, I would sometimes add an adjective or two to make a sentence more intellectual or interesting. King, however, argues that this is unnecessary. He argues that a good writing is cutting out useless words and getting straight to the point. He points out that "simple sentences provide a path you can follow when you fear getting lost in the tangles of rhetoric."
King later gets further in depth with writing and its techniques. King's use of extended metaphors to describe certain aspects of writing kept me interested and eager with every chapter. For example, he portrays fossils as stories, and a good writer must learn how to undercover these precious fossils using his or her toolbox to produce a good story or book. He argues that writing and reading are key components to a good writer, and I couldn't agree more. Writers must read in order to improve his or her writing. Also, his belief that stories make themselves, and it is the writer's job to give them a place to grow is a great observation.
King's writing continues to astound me. With every page turn, I learn more and more about writing and how to improve myself as a writer. I look forward to the rest of the book.
"Stories are relics, part of an undiscovered pre-existing world. The writer's job is to use the tools in his or her toolbox to get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible. Sometimes the fossil you uncover is small; a seashell. Sometimes it's enormous, a Tyrannosaurus Rex with all those gigantic ribs and grinning teeth. Either way, short story or thousand-page whopper of a novel, the techniques of excavation remain basically the same." -Stephen King
Before I read the toolbox, I always had the mind set that the more complex the sentence was, the better the sentence is. For example, I would sometimes add an adjective or two to make a sentence more intellectual or interesting. King, however, argues that this is unnecessary. He argues that a good writing is cutting out useless words and getting straight to the point. He points out that "simple sentences provide a path you can follow when you fear getting lost in the tangles of rhetoric."
King later gets further in depth with writing and its techniques. King's use of extended metaphors to describe certain aspects of writing kept me interested and eager with every chapter. For example, he portrays fossils as stories, and a good writer must learn how to undercover these precious fossils using his or her toolbox to produce a good story or book. He argues that writing and reading are key components to a good writer, and I couldn't agree more. Writers must read in order to improve his or her writing. Also, his belief that stories make themselves, and it is the writer's job to give them a place to grow is a great observation.
King's writing continues to astound me. With every page turn, I learn more and more about writing and how to improve myself as a writer. I look forward to the rest of the book.
"Stories are relics, part of an undiscovered pre-existing world. The writer's job is to use the tools in his or her toolbox to get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible. Sometimes the fossil you uncover is small; a seashell. Sometimes it's enormous, a Tyrannosaurus Rex with all those gigantic ribs and grinning teeth. Either way, short story or thousand-page whopper of a novel, the techniques of excavation remain basically the same." -Stephen King
Monday, January 17, 2011
"This Is Not An Autobiography."
As a beginner to any of Stephen King's books, I didn't know what to expect as I read the CV. However, as I read more into King's life, I couldn't help but to follow him through his journey to becoming who he is today. King's sense of humor is shown throughout the CV through his childhood stories and use of swear words. Yes, the CV has many swear words; however, King only uses these words when he thought the timing was appropriate. Also, King did not "sugar coat" anything as he told his story. A clear example was when he recalls the period in his life where he fell into the hands of alcohol and drug abuse.
One of my favorite quotes from the CV was right after King's mom encouraged him to start writing some of his own stories: "I remember an immense feeling of possibility at the idea, as if I had been ushered into a vast building filled with closed doors and had been given leave to open any I like. There were more doors than one person could ever open in a lifetime, I thought (and still think)." This realization led King to who he is today. From contributing to his brother's newspaper, Dave's Rag, to publishing The Village Vomit, King's own interpretation of the school newspaper, King prospered in putting his ideas on paper. Even when he was rejected hundreds of times before, King's determination to pursue his passion continued throughout his childhood and into his adulthood.
Soon enough, King met his future wife, Tabatha (Or, as King refers to her, Tabby). She is later one of his most loyal supporters as King tries to get his books published to support his family. King soon has his biggest break as the rights of his book, Carrie, goes for $400,000. However, his success was followed by a period of drugs and alcohol. King soon overcomes this with not only the help of his family and friends, but with his rational thinking. ("Any claims that the drugs and alcohol are necessary to dull a finer sensibility are just the usual self-serving bullshit.")
While I found King's On Writing a great piece of literature, I couldn't help think of the excessive amount of chapters. Just from the CV, there were 38 chapters. I felt that King left many "empty spaces" from his story. I know that he left many periods of his life out for different reasons; I couldn't help but feel that King would leave me hanging after a chapter or two. Nevertheless, King left a great impression on me. Just from the CV, he showed me that hard work and determination can lead to whatever my imagination can take me. I look forward to reading the rest of the book and learning more about not only King but more about writing.
"This is not an autobiography. It is, rather, a king of curriculum vitae - my attempt o show how one writer was formed. Not how one writer was made; I don't believe writers can be made, either by circumstances or by self-will (although I did believe those things once)." -Stephen King
One of my favorite quotes from the CV was right after King's mom encouraged him to start writing some of his own stories: "I remember an immense feeling of possibility at the idea, as if I had been ushered into a vast building filled with closed doors and had been given leave to open any I like. There were more doors than one person could ever open in a lifetime, I thought (and still think)." This realization led King to who he is today. From contributing to his brother's newspaper, Dave's Rag, to publishing The Village Vomit, King's own interpretation of the school newspaper, King prospered in putting his ideas on paper. Even when he was rejected hundreds of times before, King's determination to pursue his passion continued throughout his childhood and into his adulthood.
Soon enough, King met his future wife, Tabatha (Or, as King refers to her, Tabby). She is later one of his most loyal supporters as King tries to get his books published to support his family. King soon has his biggest break as the rights of his book, Carrie, goes for $400,000. However, his success was followed by a period of drugs and alcohol. King soon overcomes this with not only the help of his family and friends, but with his rational thinking. ("Any claims that the drugs and alcohol are necessary to dull a finer sensibility are just the usual self-serving bullshit.")
While I found King's On Writing a great piece of literature, I couldn't help think of the excessive amount of chapters. Just from the CV, there were 38 chapters. I felt that King left many "empty spaces" from his story. I know that he left many periods of his life out for different reasons; I couldn't help but feel that King would leave me hanging after a chapter or two. Nevertheless, King left a great impression on me. Just from the CV, he showed me that hard work and determination can lead to whatever my imagination can take me. I look forward to reading the rest of the book and learning more about not only King but more about writing.
"This is not an autobiography. It is, rather, a king of curriculum vitae - my attempt o show how one writer was formed. Not how one writer was made; I don't believe writers can be made, either by circumstances or by self-will (although I did believe those things once)." -Stephen King
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