Vocabulary Words 12-19-11: Do you get along with your parents?

At times it seems as though my parents are the bane of my existence, however most of the time we have a good relationship. When we do fight, we joke to alleviate the tension. This usually ends the quarrel immediately, and it would be an aberration if it did not. Overall, my parents and I are very close and hopefully will stay that way.

Gothic Literature 12-16-11:

Suggestion of supernatural things:
In chapter 3, Mr. Lockwood learns that there was once a woman named Catherine Earnshaw. He reads her private journals and begins to have an image of who she was. Later that same night, he believes that the ghost of Catherine is outside the window of his quarters, begging to be allowed in. There is no evidence that this did not occur- providing an ominous heir, which is yet another characteristic of Gothic literature.
A great deal of the plot is psychological:
Throughout the novel, there is a myriad of struggles between characters. Most of these quarrels are over power, which is a mental battle. Although there is great violence in the novel, there are more issues with status and power. Wuthering Heights is a book that forces readers to think deeply about the plot- which shows that the worst struggles are not physical.

Vocabulary Words 12-5-11: If I could be any animal, I would be...

If I could be any animal, I would be a hawk. They are often denigrated because they are predators, but they are really beautiful creatures. I would not have to ingratiate myself into a flock or herd because hawks are independent. The only hapless part of being this majestic creature is being subjected to the pollution in the air and food. It could cause the normally swift movements of the bird to become languid.

Vocabulary Words 11-14-11: I wish I was there when...

I wish I was there when the Rocky Horror Picture Show was filmed. The movie is too sacrosanct for me to damage, so I would not want to time travel there for fear of messing up the time line. Not to mention my time travel trip could be tangential and I could end up stranded in the stone age with all of the vacuous cavemen and cavewomen. Then again, time travel ideas could be fallacies, but just to be safe I will simply continue on with the wish, and not try to travel back on my own.

Stephen King Reflection-- Vocabulary

• What does King say about vocabulary and word choice?
• Stephen King believes that word choice is extremely important when writing. The words you use are your way to get across what you would like to say. King's take on vocabulary is very different. He believes that using synonyms or large, fancy words in order to enhance your story is pointless and decreases the value of the story overall.
• Do you struggle with word choice in your writing? In what ways?
• Many times when I am writing I cannot think of the proper word to use in a sentence. This does not stem from the desire to impress or use large words, but rather that my readers will understand and not misinterpret what I am trying to say. Stephen King believes that when people can't think of the proper word to use, one must use the first word that comes to mind. He believes that words are meant to show someone an argument or point, or to tell a story, and they are not that important.
• Which advice does he give that you liked or that made you laugh?
• The advice about not beating around the bush and saying what you mean made me laugh, but I don't necessarily agree. Sometimes it is best to trust readers and allow them to make assumptions or discover things on their own. This keeps the reader's interest.

Vocabulary Words 10-24-11: If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

If I were a crayon, I would be happy with whatever color I turned out to be. I could be blue, red, orange, or even an eclectic mix of all of the colors. I apologize if this answer is garrulous, however, I am quite zealous about the topic of not judging based on looks. Choosing a color is the same as judging the other colors, or judging people by their race, thinness, or corpulence. Many authors have a corpus of written work on the topic of favoritism or discrimination, therefore I will not pick a particular color in the instance of me becoming a crayon.

On Writing "Toolbox" Reflections

Steven King often uses unique stories in order to make his points. It could be said that this is one of his most used tools. King's metaphor relating toolboxes and writing was inspirational, but is also slightly flawed. Although it is true that an author having all of his/her skills on hand can make things easier, it also has the potential to stifle creativity. Writing is not all about using the proper "tools", it is also about creating something new, which cannot happen if an author is repeatedly using the same toolbox for their pieces. Aside from this, Steven King's idea is very helpful for budding authors and those who wish to enhance their writing skills. The tools that King speaks of can be many different things. They can be literary devices, coined phrases, quotes, and a myriad of other things unique to each writer.

Vocabulary Words 10-11-11: If I was the President of the United states...

If I was the President of the United States, I would never rail at the public with regard to the current economic state. That is not to say, however, that I would be saccharine and pretend that everything is great in the U.S. I would never vacillate between ideas, I would make up my mind after careful deliberation and ensure the health and happiness of America.

Thesis Statements: Miss Brill and Yellow Wallpaper

Miss Brill:

• Thesis- The tale of Miss Brill shows how being an outcast can cause projection and personification of non-living objects.

• Avenues-
• Play
• Fox
• Band

Yellow Wallpaper:

• Thesis-  Yellow Wallpaper shows how gender roles can cause psychological issues within someone who feels as though they are limited.

• Avenues-
• Following orders
• Not trying or even imagining escaping
• Girls can not do anything belief (weak)

Vocabulary Words 10-4-11: If I could be doing anything right now it would be...

If I could be doing anything right now it would be finding a cure for cancer. I would hope that I could find a medicine that would render the disease benign. However, in order to do this I would need to be the beneficiary of a rich person dedicated to curing cancer. This disease continues to be a quagmire for many families and it would be a wonderful thing to find a cure.

Vocabulary Words 9-26-11: What is your favorite childhood games?

Although many teenagers are obdurate about the fact that board games are childish, I still become ebullient whenever I play them. Different board games require different artifices in order to beat the other players. However, whenever I lose I feel like it is the nadir of my day. My favorite childhood board game is Life. I always loved thinking about how awesome my future life would be.

Vocabulary Words 9-19-11; What is your favorite Disney/Pixar Dreamworks movie? Why?

It is a daunting task to have to pick a favorite Disney movie. There are so many wonderful movies regardless of the use of hackneyed and cliché phrases or bright garish animations. My personal favorite has to be The Little Mermaid. The best part of the movie was when Ariel first became human. She was so innocent to the human world that she repeatedly embarrassed herself in front of Prince Eric. It humanized her and made the movie much more interesting.

Vocabulary Words 9-12-11; If you won the lottery, what would you do?

If I won the lottery, the first thing that I would do would be to balk at the shocking surprise. After, I would become a benefactor for a children's hospital. Finally, I would make sure to abase myself and instead of becoming a big spender, I would save the rest of my money for college and emergencies.

Do you like studying vocabulary? Do you think studying vocabulary is important?

Vocabulary is not always interesting, and can be very difficult to study. However, learning new words and being able to understand various types of text can be an extremely important part of life. Personally, I have no particular preference with regard to studying vocabulary, but I do understand that it is tremendously important in high school and beyond.

Books vs. Fanfiction

There is no shortage of reading material in the world, however, there are many different types of text that are enjoyable to read. Personally, my favorite types of literature are books and fanfiction. There are pros and cons to each form. Fanfiction allows for constructive criticism (both given and received), practice with writing skills, and gives the reader the opportunity to see a new point of view on a book or series or even read a new story altogether. Books are uniquely interesting because they have been edited by many and chosen to be published out of many different stories available. However, books also do not allow for the reader to contact the author and provide comments or ask questions, and many series are created and get steadily worse as the reader gets through the novels. The negative facts about fanfiction are that the stories can potentially be abandoned, it takes a long time for certain writers to update their stories, and it can be difficult to find good stories.