Friday, December 20, 2013

Friday, November 22, 2013

Thinking About Dialogue

Discuss the dialogue that you over heard:

1.) Talk about the process of eavesdropping:

i. Where did you go?
Around the school; hallways, classrooms,  the gym, the cafeteria, windowseats, wherever we could find groups of people. 

ii. How long did you listen to conversation?
As long as we could, they were usually just small talk trying to break the awkward silence while the small groups walk the halls. 

iii. Who was it between?
We walked around following quite a few different groups, they were all different kids but all most involved guys, with the random addition of a girl or two.


iv. How did it feel to be recording the conversation?
I felt kinda awkward because I know I wouldn't like it if someone was doing it to me, and you never know what someone is going to be talking about. Yet I wish we found someone talking about something more interesting. We got nothing. 

2.) What insights did you gain about the way people speak?
People are rude, the way they speak to each other sounds awful if I guess you don't know them well enough to know they are just kidding around with their friends. They also have terrible language, every second word out of every guys mouth seemed to be a swear. 

3.) How can you apply this to your writing?
I could apply this to my writing in the way that every different age group has different tones and language choice when talking to each other, and that would help me to choice what to use depending on the characters in my writing. 

4.) How is personality and character revealed through conversation/dialogue?
I believe personality and character is revealed through conversation/dialogue with:
- tone
- word choice
- body language
- conversation topic

5.) What happens when more than two people participate in a conversation?
From all the conversations I saw that involved more than two people, two people still did most of the talking, the other just kinda followed, maybe laughed everyone and a while, that's about it. 

6.) What was the most surprising thing you learned about the way people converse?
I wasn't really surprised about anything, I know the way highschool kids talk to each other. I think I maybe would have been more surprised if I was to go somewhere, such as the mall, and listened to conversation of people in all different age groups and were to compare. 

7.) What are the differences and similarities between written and spoken conversation?
The differences between written and spoken conversation to me would be:
- spoken: body language, facial expression can be seen
              : tone can literally be heard
              : usually much more casual, less thought put into word choice and language choice
- written: tone and mood have to be expressed through words
             : expressions and body language have to be described 
             : much more thought and description
             : word choice is more thought out

The similarities between written and spoken conversation to me would be that they both have equal opportunities of telling a story just as well, word choice and mood choice are equally important, tone and mood can be expressed, and insight on characters of the story can be reached. 

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Imagery Paragraph


Looking for Alaska: page 7

"God, we'll miss you," mom said suddenly, stepping through the minefield of suitcases to get to the bed. I stood and hugged her. My dad walked over, too, and we formed a sort of huddle. It was too hot, and we were too sweaty for the hug to last terribly long. I knew I ought to cry, but I'd lived with my parents for sixteen years, and a trail separation seemed overdue.

1.) Why did you select this particular passage? Why did it appeal to you?

I found it hard to find a passage in the book I am currently reading, Looking for Alaska, with really descriptive imagery. Though I thought this paragraph did a pretty good job. When I read it I was able to picture the whole situation, from the minefield of suitcases to the overly sweaty hug, and you could feel the situation too, the heat, the sweat, the sadness the family is feeling. It appealed to me because I think John Green, the author did a good job of making you feel like you were really there, or as if you were watching the whole situation. 

2.) What type of imagery is most common in the passage?

I believe the most common type of imagery represented in this passage is visuals. The way John Green has written it I feel asthough I can literally see the whole situation play out, from the very beginning to the very end. 

3.) What is the best snippet of imagery within this passage? Why is it so effective?

"stepping through the minefield of suitcases to get to the bed. I stood and hugged her. My dad walked over, too, and we formed a sort of huddle. It was too hot, and we were too sweaty for the hug to last terribly long."
I know this is the majority of the passage but it all connects to well. I believe it was the most effective because it give you an understanding of everything, the setting, the emotions, the expressions on there faces, the temperature, the sweat covering their bodies. It helps you see the room, see the characters, and feel what they are feeling. 

4.) Is the imagery positive or negative? How do you know? Give some words as examples to support this.  
AND
5.) What mood/emotion is being created by the author in this passage? How do you know?

I would think the imagery is positive, the passage doesn't make you feel awkward, or scared, or worried. To me it makes you feel included, or sympathy for the family. I know this because you get a really good sense of the emotion in this passage, a mix of sadness and excitement. "God, we'll miss you" followed by the huddled group huh shows sadness from everyone and maybe even worry from the mother. Though when Miles says "I knew I ought to cry, but I'd lives with my parents for sixteen years, and a trail separation seemed overdue" shows that he does show sadness, but excitement at the same time. To me, sadness and excitement are positive images for an author to express. 

6.) What is the purpose of this piece of imagery?

I believe the purpose of this piece of imagery is to interperate Miles' transition from his home in Florida to going to Culver Creek school in Alabama, and the emotions, and actions that were shown in his last few minutes that he would spend with his parents for quite a while. 







Sunday, November 17, 2013

I went to posh nails and spa for the first time today and this is what I got!


Love it! Follow @theglamnails on Instagram for more unique designs!

Friday, November 15, 2013

Quick Write #4 - Imagery


We couldn't take it anymore, we needed to get away, far away, somewhere where we wouldn't have to run anymore. So we did it, we left, we ran as far as we could till we hit the ocean. "What now?!" I screamed at my boyfriend Josh. He silently continued to pace back and forth, back and forth. "Josh they were right behind us, we need to get out of here" he just looked at me with a panicked expression. An old man with the typical sailor look must of heard our commotion and came out of his boat that was tied to the dock. "I have somewhere I can take you, there is an uncharted island not too far from here that my wife and I own" he explained. "It's no use to us and I would be more than happy to sell it to you". "Sir, we barely have any money, and nothing at all to trade" I replied. "Well how much do you have on you right now?". "Maybe five dollars between the two of us" Josh said embarrassed, heat rising in his cheeks. "That will do". Barely any money at all yet we struggled to get it together, we had just enough. We climbed aboard the boat just in time, sirens getting louder and louder, red and blue lights getting brighter through the fog. A few hours later, there it was, finally. Our island. Our very own island. It looked beautiful above the waves of fog but there was still one question to be answered; why had they sold it to us for only give dollars? This question may never be answered, though what I do know is that it was the worst five dollars we had ever spent. The moment we stepped off the boat the old man sped away faster than he drove the whole way here. I felt a chill down my spine, goose bumps rose on my skin, something just didn't feel right yet I just kept it to myself, me and Josh were finally free I thought, and that's all that mattered. A week in though, that now isn't what matters at all, there is something wrong with this island, something dark. I wish we could get out of here, but we have no way off. No boat, no phone, no shelter, barely any food. We are stranded. 

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Reading Tweets - POV #1

Point of view - Miles Halter

1: Goodbye Florida, Hello Alabama #ontheroad

2: Officially a Culver Creek Tiger!

3: Someone could have warned me there wasn't any air conditioning here #toohot

4: Well that was an awkward way to meet my roommate #hi #immiles #inatowel

5: "Die, my dear? Why that's the last thing I'll do!" - Groucho Max

6: "I can't sleep" - Sir James Matthew Barrie

7: I guess everyone has their own weird secret talent #famouslastwords #notalone

8: "I'm going away tonight" - James Brown

9: Life is good #lovinit

10: "Drink to me!" - Pablo Picasso

11: "No, you certainly can't" - John F. Kennedy

12: Apparently I spoke too soon #wtf

13: What did I ever do to you guys? I don't even know you #weekendwarriors

14: "I'd hate to die twice. It's so boring" - Richard Feynman

15: Don't want to jinx myself again but things are looking up!

Reading Tweets #3 - text connections

Text connections

Text to world
when Miles gets freshied
"Freshieing" or "hazing" has become a much larger problem in our world than it was in previous years. What happened to Miles is a pretty good example of that. He was taken from his room in the middle of the night, striped down, taped up and thrown into the lake. What may have started as a harmless "joke" could have ended very badly, which is something I don't think young people now a days really take into consideration. Like they say it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, but really is it fun for everyone? Would you wanted to be hazed? Have you been? A simple prank is one thing, but putting someone's life at risk is a whole nother story.

Text to self 
going to a new school

I can relate to Miles on the fact that I also went to a new school that I didn't know a single person. It was scary but unlike him I at least got to leave at the end of the day and go home to people I did know. Miles decided he wanted to leave his school and go to a boarding school for pretty unclear reasons. A boarding school that didn't know a single person, hundreds of miles from home. Starting at a new school is a nerve racking thing to do even when you are going with a group a friends, but doing it alone is a completely different story. But like him, I found that it really isn't all that bad, you just have to keep an open mind and be open to new friends. 

Quick Write #3 - choose your own


If I got one whole day of being immortal I would do everything I am too scared to do, even if those things don't even have a one in a million chance of killing you in the first place, but at least I would know for sure no matter what happened I would be fine. 
I would have a day full of adventure, I would go on all the biggest water slides and rollercoasters, the scariest amusement park rides. I would go skydiving and base jumping, scuba diving  and swimming with sharks, everything I have always wanted to do, whatever I can think of, I would make that day seem like it lasted forever. 


http://writingprompts.tumblr.com/post/32462809486/604-immortal-for-a-day

Quick Write #2 - Minions

if I got my very own set of minions for a week I would be in heaven. I would not make them do anything, they wouldn't be my little servants, I would just love them. I would take them out with me and buy them whatever they wanted, take them to movies and amusement parks, I would tuck them in a read them a story before bed. They are just so cute who could they not, plus they are constant entertainment so you pretty much owe them just because they are around. I would love to have my very own minions but I would be so sad when it was time for them to leave. I would only agree to have my own minions for a week if I got to keep at least one once the week was over.  


Thursday, November 7, 2013

Reading Tweets #3 - Text Connections

Text to world

"Freshieing" or "hazing" has become a much larger problem in our world than it was in previous years. What happened to Myles is a pretty good example of that. He was taken from his room in the middle of the night, striped down, taped up and thrown into the lake. What may have started as a harmless "joke" could have ended very badly, which is something I don't think young people now a days really take into consideration. Like they say it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, but really is it fun for everyone? Would you wanted to be hazed? Have you been? A simple prank is one thing, but putting someone's life at risk is a whole nother story.

Text to self 

I can relate to Myles on the fact that I also went to a new school that I didn't know a single person. It was scary but unlike him I at least got to leave at the end of the day and go home to people I did know. Myles decided he wanted to leave his school and go to a boarding school for pretty unclear reasons. A boarding school that didn't know a single person, hundreds of miles from home. Starting at a new school is a nerve racking thing to do even when you are going with a group a friends, but doing it alone is a completely different story. But like him, I found that it really isn't all that bad, you just have to keep an open mind and be open to new friends. 

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Daily Logbook

 
Finally completed the first side of my daily log book, I think it looks pretty good so far. As you can tell I would much rather draw out my days than write. 

Help me out, my friend said my peacock looks like a turkey ..

I would have to disagree, what do you think?

Reading Tweets #2

Looking for Alaska: (30) Miles just got "freshied" by the weekend warriors, but it wasn't just a typical harmless prank #intro

?- What did Chip do to the w.w's to make them so mad to do that to Mile's just for being friends with Chip? #question

"My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations" #quote #johngreen #tfios

I'm finding it a lot harder to get into Looking for Alaska then it was to get into tfios. Hope it picks up! #comment

A lot of people have told me that they enjoy L4A a lot more than tfios, I can't wait to find out why, but it's just so slow #losingintrest

Reading Tweets #1

Looking for Alaska(17) It always takes me a while to get into books, but I am sure I will love it because its #johngreen #intro

(?) What is this “Great Perhaps” Miles is wanting to find? Is that really why he is leaving or did something happen? #question

Miles will never find “The Great Perhaps” sitting in his dorm room alone dreaming of things that may happen and people he may meet #comment

(!) Chip, Miles’ room mate seems to be outgoing, maybe he will get Miles out and they will set out to fine there “G.P” together #prediction

The first #johngreen book I read was The Fault in our Stars and loved it! Has anyone else read it? What did you think? #discussion

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Quick Write #2 : choose your own


Quick Write #2

Explain Christmas to a young pine tree

You have been brought into this world to help celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. You may be a pine tree, though you are most commonly known as a Christmas tree all over the world. When you are big and grown a family will come and choose you as there very favourite. Then they will cut you down and take you home, but don't worry it doesn't hurt at all. When you are at your new families house they will dress you up with lights and decorations and make you look more beautiful then ever before. Come Christmas morning you will be surrounded by presents and excitement of what will be found inside, it'll be the best day of your life, and that is when you know your job is done. Though don't be sad that it's over because you have made some lucky families christmas perfect, and don't worry because the tradition of the Christmas tree will continue long after you. 

Monday, November 4, 2013

Halloween 2013 with my best friends

cave women, peacock, cat women, white swan, black swan.

Home made costumes are the best, wouldn't you agree?

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Quick Write - Robot


If I had my own personalized robot servant I think I would want it to act human though not look human because having something that looks so human but isn't around me all the time would be creepy. I would want it to have a changeable button for gender because sometimes I would want a girl to talk to who would understand my thought process, but let's be honest girls can be annoying and guy best friends are way better. That how I would want m robot to be, my best friend that would do whatever I wanted. It would most definitely clean my room and do my laundry, help me with my homework, be the best gossiper out there but also the best listening ear whenever I needed. I would also like to have the option to turn off my robots feelings because I wouldn't want it to get angry at me for always bossing it around.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

6 Word Memoir Debriefing

What did I learn about storytelling?

While working on my 6 word memoirs I actually had a lot of trouble. I have never been someone who was good with words but I do have a lot to say. I found that having to get my point / idea across in exactly 6 words was quite difficult. I always seemed to finish with 5or 7 words instead of the mandatory 6. I eventually did complete all 8 and learned a lot about storytelling. It is about quality not quantity. You don't need to write a novel to allow your story to be heard. You don't even really need words. You can tell a story with something as simple as a picture. Though you can also use your picture to enhance your words, along with font size, style, colour, etc. 

Where did I show my knowledge about using storytelling skills?

I used my knowledge about storytelling skills a lot through out this assignment
-word choice
-picture choice
-punctuation
-font
Everything was choose purposely to help further describe my story because of the small limit of words I could use.
Where I think I used all there skills the best was in my first 6 word memoir of my friends and I at last years husky classic. 
I wanted the words to look faded as well as the photo to make it look old and weathered because of how it complimented and helped convey my message of missing something once it's already gone. 

What did I learn as a reader, writer, thinker, storyteller?

I learned to look at storytelling in new, untraditional ways. To "break the rules" of what we have always been taught about reading, writing, and storytelling. 
I learned that you don't have to be good with words to get the story you want out your can use other tools to enhance your story, such as pictures and font. 
Lastly I learned to not put so much thought into everything, to just let the words, and stories come to me. 

Friday, October 4, 2013


Thank you for finally understanding John Green

6 word memoirs

This picture is one of my favourite pictures of me and my friends at our schools Husky Classic hockey tournament. 
Yes, we all complain about school, waking up early, homework, etc. Though I'm sure all us grade 12s will look back on high school a year from now and think "wow I miss it". So why not enjoy it while we still can. 
After high school we will all realize that it really wasn't that bad.


My mom always came up with the most creative Halloween costumes, me and my sister never had to worry about being dressed as the same thing as someone else when we got to school. In my life I remember being from Sam I am to electrocuted and everything in between. But this one, this one she took to a whole new level. 
This is a picture of me and my older sister Vienna, this is the Halloween of 2002. In this picture I am currently in grade 1(age 6) and my sister would have been in grade 5(age 10). Yes that is right, we are Boo and Mike from monsters inc. And yes my mother hand made these costumes.
This is one of those memories me and my sister can't help but look back on and laugh. 
I choose this picture to go along with this memoir because I can't even count how many times I have said this to my mom. I know she means well and at the time I'm sure I loved it but looking back sometimes you just can't help but to think.. Why?
I can't complain though, at least I have a mom that cares enough to put that much effort into something for us.
I choose this font because it looks like a child's hand writing and I wanted to show what I would have said if I was in the same mind set as I am now, back then. 


I feel as though a lot of kids I know have gone through something in there life that had made them all grow up so much faster than they should have had too. 
Even kids I don't know, actual children, not teenagers, are trying so hard to grow up with the way they dress, the way they talk, the things they do. Why is everyone in such a rush to grow up? What's so bad about being a care free kid?
I choose this picture of one if my best friends, Alana and I because of something that happened that I feel had made me and her and all our friends have to learn to grow up and deal with real things. 


My grandpa is probably on of my favourite people in the whole world, he moved to Newfoundland about 6 years ago and since then I have seen him about 3 times, yes it is hard but he is still with me everyday. 
I choose the bold writing because I wanted my message to be clear and to stand out. 
I also choose to add the arrow because when I was little, about the age I am in this picture our favourite game to play was Robin Hood, I'm not really sure where the game came from, but I guess we played it once and it just stuck. 
I may not see him much but I think about him every day. 


I hope one day you and I can learn to get along. I hope we grow up and look back on all the stupid fights we ever had and regret all the time we had wasted. I hope now that we are getting older we can make up for lost time and at least pretend we like each other. 
This is me and my sister, we have never been those close sisters that I have always wished we would be but I know that with every year that passes we get a little closer and someday we will be.
Because Vienna, you are stuck with me so you might as well get used to it. 


If you really think about it, yes we are so close to being done high school but after high school real life is just beginning. 
To me this is a scary thought, I don't feel old enough to have to already be figuring out what I want to do with my life. 
We thought high school was tough? Wait till we hit the real world of university, full time jobs, and actual responsibilities, but for now, we can just stay positive and focus on that fact that we are so close. 

This is Lucky boy, he was the very first pet I ever had. My sister and I got him from "Santa" when I was one and she was 5, for that reason my sister obviously got to choose his name. She said "I am a lucky girl for getting him and he is a lucky boy for having a home" and that is how Lucky got his name. 
He was the most loyal and loving dog you would have ever met.
He was 13 when we had to put him down so I know it was his time to go, but it was still one of the hardest things in my life to this day. 
I choose this picture to go with my six word memoir for the obvious reason that I miss him, but also because losing him truly was my first heartbreak. 
The writing is placed upside down because that is how Lucky loved to lay and I wanted everyone to turn the picture to get a good look at just how cute he was. 



I could not think of anything for my last memoir because well I've never been good with words exactly like it says. I know it's only 6 words we had to think of though that maybe have made it even harder. Exactly 6 words every time, not 5 not 7, 6. 
I choose a completely unrelated photo that I took at my grandpas house in Newfoundland to show that things don't always have to make sense for them to look good together. 
I choose the fancy writing to once again just make it look nice, I wanted more the writing and picture to be the focal point then the what the writing actually says. 

___________________________________
 




Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Digital Footprint (pre-iOS7 update)


Reading Survery

How do you decide which books you will read?

When looking for a new book to read I usually first of all look for familiar authors to see if they have any other books, or any new ones. If there is no luck there I will just move on to looking at the covers and reading titles. If something interests me or catches my eye, I'll read the summary on the back or inside cover of the book and decide from there. Though most of the time the books I read I hear about or see them through social networking and friends. A lot of books I have read have come from reading a tweet or seeing something on tumblr.

Who are your favourite authors?

My all time favourite author is Ellen Hopkins. I love her style of writing, the way she breaks up her stories up to make it seem like they are all nice light reads. Though her topics  at the same time are so interesting and intense. Ellen Hopkins writes the kind of books that you can't put down until you finish, even though most of her books are around 600 pages in length. I have read all of her books and I could read them over and over again.
One of my new favourites though is John Green, I kept hearing about The Fault in our Stars and decided I had to read it. After that I was hooked. I love the way his words cause you to become so attached to the characters as if you know them personally. I just bought Looking For Alaska, and I can't read to see if it measures up to tfios, but I think I am going to save it for in class reading on Fridays. 

Have you ever re-read a book? Why do you enjoy them?

I have re-read every single Ellen Hopkins books at least twice, they are just those kinda of books that it's like every time you read them they get better and better. Also every once in a while the new books connect to some of her old ones, so I always like to re-read the old ones before I read the new one, just to refresh my memory. 
It's sometimes hard to find new books that interest me so when I find something I like I tend to just stick with it. 

Do you have a smartphone with Internet access? Tell me about it. 

I have a white Iphone 5 with unlimited data, so yes it always has access to the internet, whether it be wifi or i actually find a place in the school with enough service. 

Do you have a twitter feed? Tell me about it.

Yes I do, I'm not really sure what to say about it though. I would describe it as a typical teenage girls twitter. 

Do you have a blog? Tell me about it. 

Yes I do, I have a tumble blog. It doesn't really have a theme and I very rarely post my own stuff, I mostly just re blog things I like that show up on my dashboard.