Reflecting on Open Letter Draft

In this blog post I will be discussing my final draft of my Open Letter and the questions posed on pg. 78-79 of Student's Guide for Writing.

The drafts I peer reviewed for this assignment were Sam's and Mira's.

Did you demonstrate the ability to think about your writing and yourself as a writer?
I did demonstrate the ability to think about my writing and myself as a writer. I described myself as heavy planner and the strengths and weaknesses that go along with this definition. I was able to accurately describe my writing process and what I thought was effective and what was not effective. I tried to discuss what went into my writing process and how I managed my time.

Did you provide analysis of your experiences, writing assignments, or concepts you have learned?
I analyzed several different projects and the steps I took to completing them and things I could have differently to improve on them. I heavily reflected on the way I completed assignments and major projects and which ones I thought were good and not so good.

Did you provide concrete examples from your own writing?
I provided several examples from previous blog posts and projects.

Did you explain why you made certain choices and whether those choices were effective?
I explained different choices I made when completing certain assignments. I think I could have been more specific about why I made certain choices instead of some others  however.

Did you use specific terms and concepts related to writing and the writing process?
Yes, I tried to use as many different terms that we learned over the course of the semester and incorporated them into my essay. Some of them were "genre" and "rhetorical strategies" - both things that I learned more about this past semester.

Zereshk. "Evening comes to Tucson." 12/31/07 via Wikipedia. Creative Commons License.

Draft of Open Letter

In this blog post I have linked to my Draft of Open Letter. You can access it by clicking here.

I think this draft sums up all my thoughts I have had and currently have about this past semester in ENGL109H. I tried to write in a formal writing style but not too formal that it sounded stiff. I would love feedback on different and new content ideas that I could add in to strengthen my letter. Also I am curious to know if I should add more links to my works. I'm not sure if I really need to include secondary sources but I would be interested to see if someone disagrees.

Durand, Chloe. "Italy beach." 07/11/15. Creative Commons License.

Reflecting More on My Writing Process

In this post I will be answering the questions below.

1. What were the biggest challenges you faced this semester, overall?
This semester I think the biggest challenge was time management. It was important to really force yourself to set aside a time and just finish the homework assigned for this week. I remember some of the more lengthy blog posts, like this one, required a lot of work and I if I didn't set out enough time aside to do it I don't think I would have been able to accomplish it.

2. What did you learn this semester about your own time management, writing and editorial skills?
I learned that I can work through assignments pretty fast if I just really focus on what I'm doing. Although it does require a lot of energy, if I just use all my energy into finishing the assignment I am able to write blog posts more concisely and efficiently.

3. What do you know about the concept of 'genre'? Explain how understanding this concept is central to being a more effective writer.
I was kind of aware of what genre was before starting this course. However, I really had more time to explore different genres in this course like the Quick Reference Guide which helped me become a better write because I have more awareness about the topic now. I think writing in different styles definitely strengthened my writing skills as well because it forced me to think in different ways and reform my main arguments.

4. What skills from this course might you use and/or develop further in the next few years of college coursework?
Some more skills I might develop later on in college is more editing skills to help during my revision process. I think the revision process is important to be efficient in both the revision and writing process in order to be truly successful.

5. What was your most effective moment from this semester in 109H? 
I think the most effective moment from this semester was writing my Project 3. I think I clearly outlined my project and how I wanted to say it and then got feedback on it. I planned my time wisely and was efficient in my writing process. I especially liked the guidelines for this project and I chose a topic that I was interested in so that helped make it more interesting.

6. What was your least effective moment from this semester in 109H? 
I think my least effective moment was a combination of busy weeks and less time to finish my assignments. It was particularly stressful trying to finish homework by the deadline especially when I was supposed to be somewhere at a certain time. However as the semester went on I was more efficient with planning my time and getting the job done.

Young, Robert. "Palm trees, cook islands." 02/14/08 via Wikipedia. Creative Commons License.

Revising My Writing Process

In this blog post I will be reflecting on my first two blog posts on my blog, titled "My Writing Process" and "Calendar Reflection."

In my first blog post I said I was a heavy planner and a procrastinator. I think that is still technically true now. Although I have been able to outline more of my essays and works based upon the different deadlines each week. I would still say I tend to think about what I'm going to write ahead of time before even writing anything. I also still spend way less time revising than I do if I tried to outline everything and then write multiple rough drafts.

In my second blog post I also think I have stayed the same. I wrote in mine how I would most likely space out my homework time into large chunks and try to finish one thing at a time. I think especially for this class I usually take a day out of the week and just sit down and write out everything at once. I don't usually spread out my work throughout the week.

Mingboaugdea. "Christmas trees in Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, Hong  Kong."
11/2/13 via Wikipedia. Creative Commons License.

Reflection on Project 3

In this blog post I will be answering some questions found in Writing Public Lives.

1. What was specifically revised from one draft to another?

In my peer reviews they specifically mentioned that I didn't really establish an argument in my article. So, I really took it upon myself in my revision process to identify it as a con argument and provide reasons as to why I preferred printed books to audiobooks. I tried to take pro arguments for audiobooks and deconstruct them. I thought I did a pretty good job.

2. Point to global changes: how did you rethink your thesis or organization?

I thought the way I organized it in my draft was pretty good but I needed to provide more information in order to really support my argument. I also realized I needed to make my argument more clear and so my thesis changed into more of a pro-printed book and con-audiobooks.

3. What led you to these changes? A reconsideration of audience? A shift in purpose?

The changes I made mainly derived from the feedback I received during the peer review process. I rethought my purpose which both of my peer reviewers said I needed to focus on in order to improve my article.

4. How do these changes affect your credibility as an author?

I thought these improvements in my article made me seem more credible because I added more detail to my argument in terms of supporting printed books compared to audiobooks. Before it seemed like I was just evaluating the two but in my revision process I really tried to take a stance to make it more of an opinion piece.

5. How will these changes better address the audience or venue? 

I think the argument is more clear so the audience will have a better idea in the beginning of what the article about which will prompt them to think about their own opinion about the matter sooner. I think these changes will heavily benefit the reader.

6. Point to local changes: how did you reconsider sentence structure and style?

I tried to make my piece personal but at the same time professional to make myself seem credible. I tried to keep my sentences and paragraphs short in order to mimic the journalism genre I was attempting. I thought this was a perfect genre for the argument I was trying to make.

7. How will these changes assist your audience in understanding your purpose?

I think because I revised many of my sentences to become more coherent the overarching argument will become more apparent which will enable the reader to become more knowledgeable about the topic in general.

8. Did you have to reconsider the conventions of the particular genre in which you are writing?

I didn't have to revise much in terms of this because I was already pretty knowledgeable about journalistic writing because I worked on the newspaper in high school. I reread some New York Times articles in order to become familiar with how they write.

9. Finally, how does the process of reflection help you reconsider your identity as a writer?

I think it's important to reflect because it really helps you evaluate how you write and why you wrote the way you did. I had outlined in a couple of my previous blog posts how I was going to write this piece which was helpful but the actual writing process relies on one's own thinking at the moment. Looking back at what I just wrote I am glad I wrote it the way I did and spent some time revising it and making sure everything flowed together so it could really benefit the reader. I hope my argument is clear to the reader and I convinced them of my stance.

Submiter, Kinjeng. "pug-puppies." 12/26/09 via Wikipedia. Creative Commons License.

Publishing Public Argument

Here is a link to my final draft or Project 3! 

1. Mark with an "x" where you feel your target audience currently stands on the issue (before reading/watcing/hearing your argument) below:

←----------------------------------------------------X--------------------------------------------------------->

Strongly                                            Totally neutral                                                    Strongly

agree                                                                                                                          disagree

2. Now mark with an "x" where you feel your target audience should be (after they've read/watched/heard your argument) below:

←-----------------------------X-----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------->

Strongly                                            Totally neutral                                                    Strongly

agree                                                                                                                          disagree

3. Check one (and only one) of the argument types below for your public argument:

         _______ My public argument establishes an original pro position on an issue of debate.

         ___X____ My public argument establishes an original con position on an issue of debate.

         _______ My public argument clarifies the causes for a problem that is being debated.

         _______ My public argument proposes a solution for a problem that is being debated.

         _______ My public argument positively evaluate a specific solution or policy under debate (and clearly identifies the idea I'm supporting).

         _______ My public argument openly refutes a specific solution or policy under debate (and clearly identifies the idea I'm refuting).

4. Briefly explain how your public argument doesn’t simply restate information from other sources, but provides original context and insight into the situation:

When I was doing research on the topic of audiobooks for previous projects, I was generally running across the same ideology. I was a little bit tired to seeing such repetitive things so I was trying to brainstorm ways that I would be able to make mine more original. I thought the best way to do this would be to actually test out an audiobook myself and then write about my experience. I thought this was a really great way to share insight and opinion with the reader while seeming credible since I performed the task myself. I do use other sources' information but only in order to support the overarching idea of audiobooks. 

5. Identify the specific rhetorical appeals you believe you've employed in your public argument below:

Ethical or credibility-establishing appeals

                    ___X__ Telling personal stories that establish a credible point-of-view

                    __X___ Referring to credible sources (established journalism, credentialed experts, etc.)

                    __X___ Employing carefully chosen key words or phrases that demonstrate you are credible (proper terminology, strong but clear vocabulary, etc.)

                    __X___ Adopting a tone that is inviting and trustworthy rather than distancing or alienating

                    ___X__ Arranging visual elements properly (not employing watermarked images, cropping images carefully, avoiding sloppy presentation)

                    _____ Establishing your own public image in an inviting way (using an appropriate images of yourself, if you appear on camera dressing in a warm or friendly or professional manner, appearing against a background that’s welcoming or credibility-establishing)

                    ___X__ Sharing any personal expertise you may possess about the subject (your identity as a student in your discipline affords you some authority here)

                    __X___ Openly acknowledging counterarguments and refuting them intelligently

                    ___X__ Appealing openly to the values and beliefs shared by the audience (remember that the website/platform/YouTube channel your argument is designed for helps determine the kind of audience who will encounter your piece)

                    _____ Other: 

Emotional appeals

                    __X___ Telling personal stories that create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    _____ Telling emotionally compelling narratives drawn from history and/or the current culture

                    ___X__ Employing the repetition of key words or phrases that create an appropriate emotional impact

                    ___X__ Employing an appropriate level of formality for the subject matter (through appearance, formatting, style of language, etc.)

                    ___X__ Appropriate use of humor for subject matter, platform/website, audience

                    _____ Use of “shocking” statistics in order to underline a specific point

                    ___X__ Use of imagery to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    ___X__ Employing an attractive color palette that sets an appropriate emotional tone (no clashing or ‘ugly’ colors, no overuse of too many variant colors, etc.)

                    _____ Use of music to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    _____ Use of sound effects to create an appropriate emotional impact for the debate

                    __X__ Employing an engaging and appropriate tone of voice for the debate

                    _____ Other: 

Logical or rational appeals

                    _____ Using historical records from credible sources in order to establish precedents, trends, or patterns

                    ___X__ Using statistics from credible sources in order to establish precedents, trends, or patterns

                    _____ Using interviews from stakeholders that help affirm your stance or position

                    _____ Using expert opinions that help affirm your stance or position

                    __X___ Effective organization of elements, images, text, etc.

                    ____X_ Clear transitions between different sections of the argument (by using title cards, interstitial music, voiceover, etc.)

                    __X___ Crafted sequencing of images/text/content in order to make linear arguments

                    ___X__ Intentional emphasis on specific images/text/content in order to strengthen argument

                    ___X__ Careful design of size/color relationships between objects to effectively direct the viewer’s attention/gaze (for visual arguments)

                    _____ Other: 

6. Below, provide us with working hyperlinks to THREE good examples of the genre you've chosen to write in. These examples can come from Blog Post 11.3 or they can be new examples. But they should all come from the same specific website/platformand should demonstrate the conventions for your piece:

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

sheilapic76. "Atlantic Spotted Dolphin." 03/04/06 via Wikipedia. Creative Commons License.

Reflection on Project 3 Draft

For the peer review process, I reviewed Chelsea's and Samantha's Drafts.

Who reviewed your Project 3 rough draft?
Issac reviewed my rough draft. You can access it by clicking here.

What did you think and/or feel about the feedback you received? Be explicit and clear. Tell me what helped or what confused you about the feedback you got.
I was a little surprised by the feedback I got but I think over all it will only help me to strengthen my draft and turn it into a final draft. I liked how the peer review document was split into four different sections which made it easier to understand instead of just random comments on a document. I'm glad someone read over it because they brought up stuff I didn't realize while I was writing it, like the type of argument I am using and whether that is actually the best one to use.

What aspects of Project 3 need to most work going forward [Audience, Purpose, Argumentation, or Genre]? How do you plan on addressing these areas?
I think the one that needs the most work is purpose. I essentially describe me listening to an audiobook and what I liked and disliked about it. I think I could relate that back to a broader argument about why I like printed books better and what are the pros of that and some of the cons of audiobooks. I think I could be a little more specific by adding some more information.

How are you feeling overall about the direction of your project after peer review and/or instructor conferences this week?
I'm feeling a lot better because I actually have some feedback to go off of that will help me greatly in improving my rough draft in order to turn it into a final draft. I think there's a good amount of work I still need to do but I do think it's manageable.

BrokenSphere. "Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts." 1/30/10 via Wikipedia. Creative Commons License.

Draft of Public Argument

I finished my Project 3 draft. You can access it by clicking here

I didn't end up using as many images or graphs as I had originally planned. Instead, I used more subheadings and first person writing. I used some scientific research in order to sound more credible as otherwise it would not sound as professional since I am writing it as a news article. In the end it ended up being more of an opinion news mixed with a blog post for a news magazine. I think the way I wrote it is the best way and the visual elements I use enhance the article overall.

Parsons, Dan. "Apple pie." 11/14/2004 via Wikipedia. Creative Commons License.

Considering Visual Elements

In this blog post I will be answering the questions found on pgs. 396-402 of Writing Public Lives.

1. If my project uses headings for different sections of my argument, do these headings stand out and break up the text clearly? Should another font or font color be used to make the more distinct?
A lot of New York Times article have subheadings that are used to break up the article. I think I would use that in my article and maybe use color if I am aiming for more of a magazine style. A block quote might be useful in breaking up the text as well.

2. Is the theme or association that the image produces relevant to the theme of my argument?
I am planning on using different images of audiobooks or pictures of statistics from scientific journals. There are not that many interesting pictures of audiobooks so I will have to limit which ones I choose and make sure they are diverse enough in order to keep the reader entertained. Images should also be used to enhance the article, not to detract away from the main content. I feel like if there are too many images it is more of a distraction than anything.

3. If the image is a graph or chart, does it clearly support a major point of my argument?
I plan to use statistics in order to show the differences between auditory and visual learning in order to provide more information to my reader. I will need to make sure these are in line with what I am saying in the paragraph and are not randomly placed wherever in the article.

4. Do your eyes move easily from section to section in the order that you intended?
I will organize my article in such a way that it naturally flows from one idea to the next without interruption. Often times I struggle with making sure there is a logical flow between each paragraph and idea but it will be important in this article because there will be so much information.

5. Is the background and font color complementary to the visual images being used in the project? Do they clash?
I would like to use a white background with pops of color in order to enhance the article. Any other color besides white for the background is too distracting and is hard on the eyes for reading.

6. Do the different visual and textual elements come together persuasively as a whole, or are there elements that seem disconnected or out of place?
All of the visuals I intend to use will come together cohesively and will strengthen the article overall,  not detract from it.

G.Goodwin Jr. and Snark. "Smiling Tan Pomeranian." 11/04/07 via Wikipedia. Public Domain License.

Project 3 Outline

I will use this post in order to create an outline for Project 3 based on questions found on pg. 415 of Writing Public Lives.

It became kind of long so  I made a google doc that answered all of the questions.

You can access it by clicking here.

Thai, Tom. "Scottish Fold." 02/17/09 via Flickr. Creative Commons License.

EDIT:

For this reflection I read Hallye and Alex's Considering Visual Elements posts. It was interesting to compare Hallye's project to my own because it seems like we are going in a similar direction. We are both going for a more simple style and organization in order to make our content easy to read. Both of our projects will be more text based. Alex, on the other hand, is using Prezi in order to create his project so his is more visual based. The visual content like color scheme and pictures are much more important for him because it determines how accessible and understandable the text will be. 

Analyzing My Genre

In this post I will be answering a couple questions that are found on page 342 of Writing Public Lives.

Here are five examples of my genre:
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
Example 5

Social Context

• Where is the genre typically set?

The genre, since it is a news-magazine piece, is generally published in a newspaper or in a magazine. Most, if not all of them, can be found by searching on the internet as well.

• What is the subject of the genre?

The subject of my genre is comparing listening to an audiobook vs. reading the book.

• Who uses the genre?

Almost everyone - since everyone reads. However,  not everybody listens to audiobooks and it is more consumer driven than anything.

• When and why is the genre being used? What purpose does the genre serve for the people who use it?

The genre is being used in order to inform people about something in a professional manner while also being interesting. People who read newspapers or magazines generally want to glean new information or learn more about a subject they are already interested in.

Rhetorical Patterns of the Genre

• What type of content is usually included and excluded?

It is critical for journalism and magazine articles to include sources and interviews in order to make the article newsworthy and credible. The five W's are usually a good idea to follow by: who, what, when, where, why and how.

• What rhetorical appeals are used most often? Do you notice any patterns in the appeals to logos, pathos or ethos?

If news articles are written in the first person they are generally trying to appeal through character and emotion because they are speaking directly to the reader. Almost all news articles try to appeal to logic because they are presenting factual information as well as credible sources.

• How are the texts organized? Do they generally open in similar ways? Conclude in similar ways? What common parts do the samples share?

News articles are usually organized with the most important information in the beginning and the less important information towards the end. It is set up that way because people only usually read the first couple sentences and then will move on. If they are interested, they will keep reading. The examples share this quality because they are all published in The New York Times, a popular and established newspaper.

• Do sentences in the genre share a certain style? Are they mostly active, passive, simple or complex? Is there an abundance or lack of questions, exclamation points, or semi colons?

News articles are usually written in past tense and the sentences are not too lengthy. In addition, not very long or complex words are used in order to not make the sentences too long. There is not much question marks, exclamation points or semi colons.

• What type of word choice is used? Do many of the words fit in a particular category of jargon or slang? Is the overall effect of the word choice formal, informal, humorous, or academic?

Most news articles are written in a formal tone because they are professional. Even when the writer is writing in first person he or she still retains a professional tone. 

Analyze What those Patterns Reveal about the Social Context of the Genre

• Who does the genre include and who does it exclude?

The genre includes almost anyone that has an interest in audiobooks. It does not really exclude anyone.

• What roles for writers and readers does the genre encourage?

It encourages diversity of thought because writers are most often times trying to incite a reaction from their readers. 

• What values and beliefs are assumed about or encouraged from users of the genre?

The reader of this genre is prompted to either side with the author or form their own opinion based off of the information presented by the author.

• What content does the genre treat as most valuable? Lease valuable?

The news genre treats the most crucial information pertinent to the story as the most valuable. Small details or opinion may not be as important unless it is an opinion piece.

"Hibiscus flowers and leaves." 01/02/2010 via Wikipedia. Creative Commons License.

EDIT:

For this reflection I read Casey and Andrea's blogs. It was interesting read theirs and comparing it to my own because they both are writing in news genres. Andrea however is writing in a scientific news genre but it turns out it is pretty similar to writing a regular news genre. Casey and I pretty much said all the same thing considering the way the news genre is written and formatted. 

Considering Types

In this blog post I will be looking at the different types of argument found on pg. 414 of Writing Public Lives. I will narrow down to two different arguments that I think will be suitable for my Public Argument project.

The first argument that I think would work for my project would be Evaluative Argument. I think this would work best because I would be examining the effectiveness of the information being transmitted either via audiobooks or by reading a book. It's not a piece of legislation, which is an example in the reading, but I think I could use the evaluative argument components in order to strengthen my overall argument.

The second argument that I think would work for my project is the Position Argument. Since I am evaluating audiobooks vs. books this seems to fit the classic model of pro/con which is what the Position Argument is modeled off of. In order to fit this argument I would have to pick a side and develop some own defenses would might be kind of tricky.

I don't know if a proposal argument would work because I'm not suggesting another way to absorb information, I'm simply evaluating two different sources and comparing them. Introducing something else would take away from the other information.

Library of Congress. "Dusk at U.S. Capitol." 12/07/13 via Wikipedia. Public Domain License.

EDIT: 

For this reflection I read Hallye's  and Mira's blog posts. Hallye chose the position argument. I think she would use it in a different way than I would but it was interesting to compare the differences. After reading her blog post I also realized refutation would probably not work for my topic because I'm not refuting just one specific thing; I also need to discuss the positives of one side. Mira chose evaluative as well so it will be interesting to see how she uses it in comparison to me.

My Rhetorical Action Plan

In this blog post I will be Developing a Rhetorical Action plan based off of the questions found on pgs. 412-413 in Writing Public Lives.

Since it was pretty long, I decided to create it in a google doc. You can access it by clicking here.

Veganbaking.net. "Vegan Blueberry Muffins." 09/07/10 via Flickr. Creative Commons License.

EDIT:

I read both Hallye's and Alex's rhetorical action plans. Hallye was very detailed in hers and her rhetorical action plan ended up being pretty lengthy. Mine is also pretty long because I included all of the original questions. Alex was more concise and chose to answer all the questions in one long, lengthy paragraph which I think works as well. I think the genres that Hallye chose are suitable for her topic. Alex only included one kind of genre and that was the persuasive essay but I think that works too.

Analyzing Purpose

In this post I will be answering some questions found on pg. 326 of Writing Public Lives.

1. Freewrite for a few minutes on the goal of your public argument, or what you would like to see happen as a result of your argument. What do you want your readers to do, feel, think, believe, etc. as a result of leading it?

I made a coggle because this seemed to be the most logical for brainstorming. Click here to access it.

2. Now that you have an idea of what you want to accomplish, draw a line down the center of a piece of paper. Label the left side "Plausible Actions/Reactions" and the right side "Not Plausible." Then, fill these categories with likely and unlikely results of reading your analysis.

Here is a link to my google doc which I made to respond to this question.

3. From your freewriting and list, we can now build a chain of likely consequences for your public argument. Take a plausible action from your list and then trace out the possible effects of it. For example, if you said "Raise awareness about issue, draw a line beside it and then state what raising awareness might accomplish. Let's say that awareness might motivate the public to act. Draw lines outward from that for the possible actions the public might take.

Here is a link to a coggle which I made to respond to this question.

4. Now, think through the possible audiences that you might want to address. You want to think about the people who are most likely to move towards achieving your goal. Draft out a paragraph that describes the groups of people who are most likely to advance your cause.

I think one audience that might advance my cause would be neuroscientists or any kind of scientist that conducts research on the best ways to transmit information. They would be the ones that are most knowledgable about which medium is best for retaining and learning new information. They would also be aware of what kind of information is best suited for a certain kind of medium. Another group of people that might be interesting in advancing my cause are those in the English and writing fields. They are the ones that are most knowledgable about content writing and would be the best to turn to for producing an audiobook. These two groups of people are the most essential groups for my topic.

Diliff. "Beluga Whales." January 2006 via Wikipedia. Creative Commons license.

Analyzing Context

In this blog post I will be answering some questions found on pg. 340 of Writing Public Lives.

1. What are the key perspectives or schools of thought on the debate that you are studying?
Some of the key perspectives would be scholars in the English fields. Audiobooks rely on the written word in order to come to life so it would be important for them to analyze how audiobooks are transforming reading. Another key perspective would be from neuroscientists who would be able to examine how well the information is transmitted - are people able to retain more information through reading or listening? These two groups of people would be most important for understanding audiobook effects.

Here is a link to an article that discusses how information is retained through reading vs. listening. It discusses in depth an experiment conducted by Bill Bryson.

2. What are the major points of contention or major disagreements among these perspectives?

• Which way is more useful to retain information - listening or reading?
• Are audiobooks replacing printed books?
• Are audiobooks only successful because they are sensationalized through narration?

3. What are the possible points of agreement, or the possible common ground between these perspectives?

• Audiobooks have a positive environmental effect - digital, so they don't use trees
• Both audiobooks and printed books rely on the actual written word - however, the way the book is written may be better for printed vs. audiobook

4. What are the ideological differences, if any, between the perspectives?
Many people do not consider audiobooks as actual reading, because you are listening to the book rather than actually reading it and using your brain.

Here is an article by Barnes and Noble, one of the largest producers and sellers of audiobooks. In it they have people share their opinions on whether they believe audiobooks actually count as reading. They prompt people to comment with their own opinions.

5. What specific actions do their perspectives or texts ask their audience to take?
The perspectives prompt the audience to take a specific side - do they believe audiobooks count as actual reading or no? While they are technically books, simply spoken, it is up for debate. While the reader themselves aren't actually reading the book, someone else is reading it aloud for them and they are listening in.

6. What perspectives are useful in supporting your own arguments about the issue? Why did you choose these?
I think both sides are essential in the argument. Some believe that audiobooks are considered reading, but it's important to understand whether information is retained in the same way through listening than through reading. And if they are the same, then what becomes of actual reading? I chose these two sides because they are the most prominent and controversial in this debate. In a sense, they both support and contradict each other which is very interesting to see. They both like books, content, and writing, but the way these books are transmitted is what is causing a debate.

7. What perspectives do you think will be the greatest threat to your argument? Why so?
The biggest threat to the argument is what is becoming of audiobooks. Are they seeing a sharp increase or decline? Whether audiobooks are here to stay is pretty important, as otherwise there really is no debate to begin with. The most important piece of this argument is whether there is evidence that information is transmitted one way better than the other, or if it just depends on the person.

Comet, Renee. "NCI Visuals Food Taco." 1994 via Wikipedia. Public Domain License.

EDIT:

For this reflection I read Alex's and Evan's blog posts. Both Alex and Evan had pretty differing, strong opinions. Alex's was about whether performance-enhancing drugs should be legal. People feel very strongly about one side. Same with Evan's, who was about outsourcing jobs. Although the general consensus from the public was that it was a bad idea. If anything, my controversy seems very relaxed. It's not a matter of life or death. It's simply about audiobooks. However, it could ultimately change the literary world forever.

Audience and Genre

In this blog post I will be analyzing what groups of people would most be interested in my controversy.

Group 1: students in  my own field
Other creative writing majors would most likely be interested in learning more about how audiobooks are shaping reading in the twenty-first century. Especially since we are learning how to write and what makes a good writer, all of that could eventually vanish if people suddenly no longer cared for printed books. Obviously, you would still need to write in order to produce audiobooks but the demand may be different.

Places of publication:
1. Research journal: This is where most students will turn if they are looking for more serious information concerning the topic and would like a reliable source. Usually these type of pieces are very formal and dense but provide a great deal of information that is worth reading about.
Example 1 
Example 2

2. Academic database: This is a great place to go to find scholarly sources from a wide array of different people. This is especially important for Creative Writing majors because it is useful to see how other people are writing and what techniques they are using in order to gain insightful information.
Example 1
Example 2

Group 2: avid audiobook listeners
Another group of people that would be most interested in this topic would be people that have been listening to audiobooks frequently and are exploring more ways to discover new, interesting audiobooks. They might also be interested in learning the effects that audiobooks have on reading in general.

Places of publication:
1. Magazine: These types of people may not be interested in intense scholarly articles and will most likely try to find a more leisurely form of learning more about audiobooks.
Example 1
Example 2

2. Blog posts: These are very easy to read and are more informal which will most likely draw these types of readers in. While they might not be as credible they are usually entertaining to read.
Example 1
Example 2

mbaylor. "La Crosse." 8/24/08 via Wikipedia. Public Domain License. 

Extended Annotated Bibliography

In this blog post I will be sharing my annotated bibliography I wrote. To access it, please click here.

Kujawa, Alex. "Pink tulips plants." 2/28/13 via Wikipedia. Creative Common License.

Narrowing My Focus

In this blog post I will narrow in on three questions from my previous blog post that I feel are most important for Project 3.

Question 1: How will audiobooks impact reading in general - will people become illiterate?
Ultimately, if audiobooks overtook written books then people could become illiterate because they wouldn't have to read anything anymore. Obviously this is very extreme but if there is no emphasis placed on reading physical text then people might lose important speaking and analytical skills that they will not gain through just listening to an audiobook.

Question 2: What country produces the most amount of audiobooks?
It would be interesting to see which country produces the most amount of audiobooks because then one can analyze whether people are smarter through just listening to audiobooks or also reading printed  books.

Question 3: What genres are the best sellers for audiobooks?
What kind of genres sell better for audiobooks - romance, mystery, non fiction? Then I would compare those results to what kind of genres sell best for printed books. It would be interesting to see the difference because audiobooks are more focused on narration than the content, like printed books.

ForestWander. "Owl-in-tree." 05/22/09 via Wikipedia. Creative Commons License.

Questions about Controversy

In this blog post I will be asking some questions concerning my controversy.

Who

• What other notable authors have published audiobooks?
• What are the main production companies that develop audiobooks?
• What genres are best sellers for audiobooks?

What

• Are audiobooks better than regular books?
• How much money does it take to make an audiobook versus a printed book?
• What reading medium do readers prefer to read in?

When

• When was the first audiobook published?
• When is the next release for John Schwartz's new audiobook?
• When will audiobooks replace printed books, if ever?

Where

• What country produces the most amount of audiobooks?
• Which country has the most audiobook listeners?
• What state in the United States has the most amount of audiobook listeners?

How

• How has audiobooks revolutionized the reading industry?
• How do english teachers feel about audiobooks?
• How will audiobooks impact reading in general - will people become illiterate?

T, Tomer. "Tulip Festival in Oregon." 2007 via Wikipedia. Creative Commons License.

Reflection on Project 2

In this blog post I will be reflecting on my revision process.

1. What was specifically revised from one draft to another?
I specifically wanted to revise how I addressed what rhetorical strategies the author used. I thought the article was especially well crafted in this regard. I realized in my first couple drafts I provided more summary than I did analysis so in my final draft I really attempted to narrow in on analysis.

2. Point to global changes? A reconsideration of audience? A shift in purpose?
I shifted in purpose in that I wanted to provide more analysis on why the author chose those rhetorical strategies over other ones.

3. What led you to these changes? A reconsideration of audience? A shift in purpose?
I actually re-read the article and then evaluated how I felt about it and then deemed what I thought was successful that the author used.

4. How does these changes affect your credibility as an author?
I think I wrote it in a way that is more understandable and clearer to the audience so they will be able to understand what I am saying more thoroughly. Through this they are better able to understand stand my argument and form their own opinion about the matter.

5. How will these changes better address the audience or venue?
The reader will better able to understand what I am saying and what Schwartz was saying his article. They will also understand more the rhetorical strategies he used because I broke it down for them with analysis.

6. Point to local changes: how did you reconsider sentence structure and style?
I reformatted my essay in such a way that I immediately went into analysis of the two rhetorical strategies and then I shifted into a more theoretical analysis. This way it is more clearer what I am writing about right off the bat.

7. How will these changes assist your audience in understanding your purpose?
I think they will understand more of what the article was talking about without having actually read it since I tried to do a lot more of analysis of major quotes throughout the essay.

8. Did you have to reconsider the conventions of the particular genre in which you are writing?
I had to go back a couple times and re-evaluate how I was writing and who I was writing for. I think it helped a lot to read some of my classmates essays to see how they were formatting it so I could better format mine.

9. Finally, how does the process of reflection help you reconsider your identity as a writer?
I think this has helped me grow as a writer because instead of presenting an argument myself, I analyzed how someone else presented one and then deconstructed it which was super helpful in developing my analytical skills.

Young, Robert. "Palm_trees." 02/14/08 via Wikipedia. Creative Commons License.

EDIT:

I read Isaac's and Swati's reflections. I agreed with both of them on multiple ideas. Isaac and I both were able to develop our ideas further from draft to draft. This was helpful because I was able to expand on ideas and make them much more complex than I originally had them which helped the reader understand my essay better. Swati and I went through a similar experience where we wrote our essays in more of a QRG style than in this style so we had to spend some time revising.

Project 2

I have finished writing project 2 and have published it online. If you would like to read it, you can access it by clicking here.

Beckilee. "Fawn-pug-and-black-pug." 04/16/11 via Wikipedia. Creative Commons License.

Punctuation, Part 2

In this post I will be analyzing three different types of punctuation that I personally believe I could improve on in my writing. I have already commented on the colon, semicolon, and comma (Punctuation, Part 1).

Apostrophe
I've noticed that a fair number of people use apostrophes wrong. For example, a lot of people put in their biographies on Instagram, University of Arizona 19', which really doesn't make any sense because nothing comes after the 19. As mentioned in Rules for Writers, a lot of apostrophes are used as a way to show possession. I thought it was good they brought up joint possession because I wasn't really familiar with that beforehand.

Quotation Marks
Quotation marks are used a lot in essays, and I used them in especially in my rhetorical analysis essay because I wanted to provide support for my argument. I learned that you don't use quotation marks in long quotations; you simply indent the quote. I was already familiar that  you used an apostrophe to end a quotation inside a quotation. 

ie. I cited a quote in my essay. 
“An audiobook that is produced and performed well is a wonder that can make hours of driving slide by or take the dreariness out of a morning run, loading the dishwasher or folding laundry,” said Schwartz.

End punctuation
I think they only time I have been grammatically incorrect with periods is when I was citing something within an essay. I like how Rules for Writers addressed when to use a period, exclamation point or a quotation mark. I thought it was also helpful that they mentioned how after an abbreviation, like i.e., you do not add another period. 

ie. I put a period after the parenthetical citation.
While there can be certain qualities that can help make an audiobook better, there is no set of ingredients that make it an instant classic (Schwartz).

Fritz, Bruce. "Sunflowers." via Wikipedia. Public Domain License.

Paragraph Analysis 2

In this exercise I will be discussing the paragraph analysis I completed. I went paragraph by paragraph to analyze each one. I realized I could organize them more in terms of logos, pathos and ethos and make my conclusion paragraph tie together more some of the different ideas presented. Also I think I could lengthen some of my paragraphs to include more quotes and analysis in order to strengthen my thesis. Otherwise I think my grammar is pretty good and I worked hard to have good topic sentences.

Here is a link to my paragraph analysis.

Mozart, Wolfgangus. "Spoons." 2009 via Wikipedia. Creative Commons License.

Revised Conclusion

In this post I have revised my conclusion. I used the "Looking Forward" approach as described on pg. 56 of Student Guide's reading. I took into account my peers advice to talk about the author which I have done in  my new conclusion. I also have included a quote which gives the reader some food for thought and gives them room to form their own personal opinion. I think this conclusion is a lot more effective in making the reader think.

Old Conclusion:
Audiobooks do not take away imagination from the reader, but rather, enhance it. Actors personify the characters in order to give them a more animated, lively feel. This way the reader feels like he or she is personally interacting with the characters and story instead of just having a one-sided relationship, which is usual with just a printed book. Storytelling itself dates back centuries and with the rapid rise of technology it will only continue to change forms and grow into new mediums. Audiobooks are only the beginning of this new bridge between the author and the reader. In years to come, audiobooks will continue to rise which will lessen the environmental impact and continue to grow the literary base in a new form.

Revised Conclusion:
A story is a story, no matter what medium it is told in. The continued rise of digital stories, especially audiobooks, will only continue to rise in the next couple decades. Schwartz acknowledges this growing trend in the past couple years and indicates its continued rise in the foreseeable future. Audiobooks have enhanced the act of storytelling by alleviating the task of writing, and storytelling itself may continue to change forms in the next couple decades. As Schwartz mentioned in his article, "Storytelling is a unique performance medium that has its own performance dances, that is unique to its own experience."

DarlArthurS. "Colorado Springs Hot Air Balloon Classic." 08/31/08 via Wikipedia. Creative Commons License.

Revised Introduction

In this post I will be completely revise my thesis for my essay. I think my new introduction clearly articulates what I am going to address over the course of my essay. I also focus more on the writer and article itself and the rhetorical strategies that the author employs. This is also good because that is the goal of the project.

Old thesis:
With the rise of technology in the late twentieth-century, and especially now in the twenty-first century, reading has been transformed into different forms. Most recently, Amazon launched the first e-reader in 2007 with the release of the "Kindle." In addition to e-books, audiobooks have also gained popularity especially with the release of online streaming services like iTunes and Amazon Audibles. Audiobooks enhance the act of storytelling through the use of narration to further supplement the reader's imagination and alleviate the task of reading. John Schwartz, a writer for The New York Times, effectively uses the rhetorical strategy of personal expertise in order to strengthen his argument.


Revised thesis: 
Audiobooks have increased in popularity in the last couple decades based on the introduction of new technology and a higher demand for more leisurely, accessible reading. New York Times writer John Schwartz analyzes the commercial success of audiobooks in his article, "Sound Check." Certain characteristics are essential to a successful audiobook. Schwartz uses the rhetorical strategies of personal expertise and anecdotes in order to create a personal connection with the reader, which very much mirrors the intended goal of audiobooks - to have the reader empathize with the story being told.

Betts, Steve. "Alaska Range from UAF." 11/19/2011 via Flickr. Creative Commons License.

Reflection on Project 2 Draft

For this exercise I peer reviewed Laurence's and Evan's drafts.

Do you have an identifiable thesis? Does it point to the specific rhetorical strategies you analyze in your essay, or are you merely using vague terms like ethos, pathos and logos?

I think my thesis is very identifiable. However, I do believe I can make my thesis more thesis and provide more support by being less general about the rhetorical strategy that my author uses. I would like to fix that in  my next draft.

How have you decided to organize your essay? Does each paragraph have a central point that is support with evidence from the text and in-depth analysis?

I have decided to organize it such that I introduce the article I am analyzing first, then a background on the author, and then analyzing the rhetorical strategies he uses in order to strengthen his argument. I think I could add more analysis about the rhetorical strategies which would lead to the development of more paragraphs.

Did you identify and analyze the five elements of the rhetorical situation?

I think I have included all five of them.  I would like to further develop on the idea of ethos, pathos and logos however in order to strengthen my essay overall. I will have to rely on peer feedback in order to see if they agree if I have included all of them.

Did you explain how and why certain rhetorical strategies were employed? Did you discuss what effects these strategies have on the intended audience and overall effectiveness of the text? 

I think this is something I am lacking. I did thoroughly explain what strategies the author uses but I think it would be helpful in analyzing why he used those strategies compared to other ones. I think I did a good job explaining the rhetorical strategies the author uses and then describing them.

Are you thoroughly using evidence in each paragraph? Do you mention specific examples from the text and explain why they are relevant?

I think I could add more quotes in order to strengthen my essay. This would be also helpful to the reader in case they hadn't read the article beforehand. Also I think the rhetorical strategies would make more sense with more evidence included in the essay.

Do you leave your reader wanting more? Do you answer the "so what" question in your conclusion?

I think I could definitely improve on this area. I give my own analysis of the author but I don't really invite the reader to form his or her conclusion based off of the information I give them.

Lon&Queta. "Cero llenar de Colombo cacti." 12/9/06 via Flickr. Creative Commons License.

Punctuation, Part 1

In this post I will be analyzing three different types of punctuation that I personally believe I could improve on in my writing.

Comma
Commas are very typical in everyday writing and even formal writing. The key is how to use them correctly and sometimes I think I can be excessive with the amount of commas I use. I think the section that really stuck out and helped me was 33d titled "Do not use a comma between cumulative adjectives, between an adjective and a noun, or between an adverb and an adjective." I feel like I make this mistake a lot when I use two or more adjectives to describe something and then end up using way too many commas. Overall I think this section really solidified my understanding of commas in general and how to properly use them.

Semicolon
The semicolon is kind of confusing to me but this section helped clear up some issues. I think you need to set up in your sentence in a way where it is an appropriate place to put it, as in planning out how you're going to write out your sentence ahead of time. I liked the section that said "use a semicolon between independent clauses linked with a transitional expression" and then listed a bunch of adverbs that would be useful in this area.

Colon
The colon has always been really confusing for me. I think the only time I have ever used it properly when I was listing off something. Sometimes it's really easy to put a colon where a comma should be, and the book addresses this. The book did give some good examples on how and where to use a colon which was especially helpful, ie. My roommate is guilty of two of the seven deadly sins: gluttony and sloth.

Jurvetson, Steve. "Colorless gem cut from diamond grown by chemical vapor deposition." 03/27/06 via Wikipedia. Creative Commons License.

EDIT:

For this reflection I peer edited Evan's and Laurence's drafts of rhetorical analysis. It was nice reading other people's drafts in order to compare them to my own. Evan had some punctuation errors that I was able to notice after reading the Student Guide's reading. For example, one of his sentences read "Politician, David Perdue, has been quoted saying that he supports and is proud of his past experiences in outsourcing jobs." I knew that there was no need for a comma between "politician" and "David." Good grammar is essential in writing an essay and so it was nice to have a refresher on this topic.