#fundamentally I lack the confidence needed to be a writer or a teacher

[asinglesock]

just realized my fatal flaw and the great struggle of possibly the rest of my life. while watching a cdrama.

[p-and-p-admin]

Writers’ Weekends Lesson Three

Welcome to the third in our Writers’ Weekends series.I hope folks are enjoying these and finding them useful. In this lesson, I planned on covering character development and planning a compelling character arc but I found it was just getting too long so I have split it in two. Today we will cover character development.

Lesson 3. Character development.If you have followed along so far you’ll have a grasp on the fundamentals of your plot and be ready to people it with the characters your audience love.

So, why am I talking about character and development when this is fanfiction and we (and our readers) already know the characters?

Because even though fanfic uses established characters the way each author views them is unique and understanding what roles you are asking them to play can help you understand how your story works (or why it isn't).

In fact, a common complaint people have with fanfiction is that X or Y is “OOC”, but that is a lack of understanding - it isn’t a character problem it is a pacing and development problem. Fanfic authors who assume they do not need to develop the characters for the audience because they already “know” them are making the rookie mistake of assuming their vision of the character is the general or universal vision of the character and are therefore rushing into events of the plot without doing the work to show (not tell) the audience why their version of the character is a plausible way for the character to have developed.

Now we are going to look at ways for you to develop your characters in a way that can be clearly articulated and which you can then use to help you illustrate your vision so your audience can invest in.

1. The “Game Show Introduction”Write a single sentence about your character as if it were the soundbite a game show host would use to introduce tonight’s contestants. This is fairly flexible in what it covers so I will give you some examples:

An anxiety-prone housewife who suffers from migraines

A naive young politician with a good heart

An Art teacher who drinks too much coffee and loves his dog.

2. Expanding on our introduction Take each element of your sentence and expand on it by asking related questions.

An anxiety-prone housewife who suffers from migraines

Anxiety-prone: How does it manifest? Panic attacks? Nail-biting? Is she on medication? When did it begin? Was it triggered by a specific event? Has she confided with anyone about it?

Housewife: What does her spouse do? Is it a loving marriage? Have they been married long? Does she have children? Where is her house? Does she enjoy being a housewife? Is she a good housekeeper or bad?

Migraines: Has she had them for a long time or are they something new? Are they a medical issue or a psychological one?

A naive young politician with a good heart

Naive: In what way is he naive? Is it a lack of education or a lack of life experience? Has he had a sheltered up-bringing or does he just look for the best in people.

Young: How old is he? Is he just young compared to his peers or does he behave young for his age?

Politician: What level of government is he in? Local? State? Federal? What is his role? Is he a man of principle or does he simply tow the party line? Is he being groomed for high office? Or is he bringing the system down from inside?

Good-Heart: How do we see this? Do his peers approve or is he seen as weak or a squeaky wheel? Does he show his kind heart or hide it?

An Art teacher who drinks too much coffee and loves his dog.

Art teacher: Is he a good teacher? Did he always want to be a teacher or was it something he fell back on? What ages does he teach? What sort of school does he teach at?

Drinks too much coffee: How much is too much? Does he just really like coffee or does he need it to stay awake? Will any coffee do or does he always get it from a favourite cafe? Does he have a favourite mug? Is it a secret pleasure or is it a running joke amongst his colleagues?

Loves his dog: What is the dog’s name? What breed is it? Purebred or mongrel? How long as he had the dog? How did he get the dog? What do they do together? Run? Play fetch? Are they ever apart?

3. Basic Information and story role You should now have some idea of the important features of your character so let’s tidy it up with some notes about character roles.

Full name

Age

What motivates this character?

A single sentence summary of the character’s role in the story.

A single paragraph summary of the character’s role in the story.

Here’s an example:

Mr Simon Yardwell

65 years old

Love of his dog

Simon acts as a mentor to the protagonist and teaches him the value of accepting the friendship of others.

Through his own dissatisfaction with his life and the outcome of his choices, Simon demonstrates to the protagonist what happens when you isolate yourself from your peers. Although Simon lectures endlessly about the unreliability of friends he clearly values the love of his dog. The protagonist realizes even the grumpy Mr Yardwell needs companionship and so agrees to bring a friend with him next time he visits his former teacher. Suggested task for this lesson:

Do character introductions for all your MAJOR characters

[adanicole04]

Power to the People: An Ideological Analysis

**this is a paper I wrote in college about the ideology of democracy, and tied to current culture. It’s been a couple years since this was written, but I remember this being one of my favorite projects, and I believe it’s still applicable today. Hope you enjoy! But please don’t steal it ;)

Introduction:

           NBC’s Parks and Recreation character Leslie Knope is a passionate bureaucrat who personally renewed my faith in what government is supposed to be by consistently reinforcing what democracy means to her. It may be a little pathetic in retrospect that it actually took a TV show to do so, but in light of everything happening today, it seems pretty understandable. Considering approval ratings of Congress have been at a historic all-time low for several years now, it should come as no surprise that “this more negative attitude toward Congress mirrors other indicators showing that Americans are at or near record lows in their confidence in the executive and judicial branches and the federal government in general” (Connolly, 2016).

           The American people are losing (if not already lost) trust in their government, and really, who can blame them? We’ve been lied to, deceived, and had our money stolen from us to be blown on government officials vacation homes while the rest of us have the worries of our basic needs to live constantly hanging over our heads. We are a people in need of reassurance; not of what our government is doing for us (because who knows if we are ever told the truth about that), but what our government was founded on: democracy.

After Donald Trump was elected president, there seemed to be enough interest as to what “Leslie Knope” would say, that an actual letter was written up in her name (by the writers of the show). There is a lengthy story about democracy, the central idea of this paper, of which I will discuss later. For now, I will start with the proclaimed point of that story.

           “People are unpredictable, and democracy is insane.”

           Critics, like random Quora user Carl Hancock, argue that democracy should be considered a concept, and that the ideology of democracy is limited to the belief of one’s ideal form of government (Hancock, 2013). And even Merriam-Webster defines “democracy” as a form of government (Democracy). Should democracy be restricted to a concept and/or form of government?

           Foss (2009) states that “an ideology is a pattern of beliefs that determines a group’s interpretations of some aspect of the world” (p. 209). Our government should be reflected on the beliefs and values our founding fathers had for America: that we are free people. By limiting “democracy” to a form of government, we eliminate the potential belief system that essentially directs our government. Using “Leslie Knope Writes Letter to America Following Donald Trump’s Victory” as my main artifact, quotes from Parks and Recreation (Parks & Rec for short) episodes, and ideological criticism, I argue that democracy is (and should be considered as) an ideology.

           Foss (1989) also asserts that the goal of a rhetorical criticism is to introduce an artifact and essay that transforms the lives of the reader (p. 26). My goal for this analysis is to embody the persona of Leslie Knope herself, and inspire American citizens to engage in the idea of democracy. I know too many people who actively avoid anything political, because it’s not only an untrustworthy area, but it’s also confusing due to issues exactly like this essay: what even IS democracy? My contribution is to simplify the rhetorical foundation of what government is supposed to be to provide confidence the people should have about it.

Context and Artifact Analysis:

           Parks & Rec first aired sometime in 2009 while interest in politics really sparked after the 2008 Presidential Election. President Obama based his political campaign on “hope”, creating a positive aura around Congress. The creators of Parks & Rec were inspired by this and with the success of the politically charged show The Wire to produce a comedy about an optimistic woman starting her career in politics while highlighting the general failure of local government (Weiner, 2009).

           This government-loving optimist named Leslie Knope was born, and she reminded us every week why government is important, and what it stands for. She was always consistent in her views of democracy, women in government, and breakfast foods. All of the characters were impeccably cast, but Amy Poehler brought upon a certain charm and admirable trait to her love of government. Personally, I related politically more with the character Ron Swanson, a firm libertarian. However, I really loved Knope’s idea of democracy, and how often she talked about it.

           For instance, when visitors from Venezuela came to Pawnee, Indiana (the fictitious location of the show) to financially help build a park, one of the men tried to trick Knope into taking their money, videotaping the donation, so they could humiliate Americans back in their country. Knope hilariously stood her ground by reinforcing her American values by telling him, “I am gonna build that park myself, and it is gonna be awesome. And it's not gonna have a fountain shaped like Hugo Chavez's head spitting water all over everyone. Unless that's what the people want. And that, sir, is democracy.”

           When it came down to the recent election of Donald Trump, it was embarrassingly comforting to have that same reassurance by her. Honestly, there are more than enough quotes from the show itself to discuss, but her letter to America was classic Leslie Knope rhetoric covering a very real issue.

           To make her initial point, she almost immediately began with a story. She was in fourth grade, and her teacher conducted a mock election in which two fictitious characters were presented. One character was cool, promised things like extra recess and pizza with a candy bar crust, and the other was “bookish”, and promised to take things slow to be able to evaluate the problems of the school in a careful, intentional manner.

           But before they voted, one student (Greg) asked if they could nominate a third candidate. Her teacher replied, ““Sure! The essence of democracy is that everyone—” and Greg cut her off and said “I nominate a T. rex named Dr. Farts who wears sunglasses and plays the saxophone, and his plan is to fart as much as possible and eat all the teachers,” and everyone laughed, and before Mrs. Kolphner could blink, Dr. Farts the T. rex had been elected President of Pawnee Elementary School in a 1984 Reagan-esque landslide, with my one vote for Greenie the Tortoise playing the role of “Minnesota.”

           Knope then went on to say, “Winston Churchill once said, “Democracy is the worst form of government, except all those other forms that have been tried.” … The point is: people making their own decisions is, on balance, better than an autocrat making decisions for them. It’s just that sometimes those decisions are bad, or self-defeating, or maddening, and a day where you get dressed up in your best victory pantsuit and spend an ungodly amount of money decorating your house with American flags and custom-made cardboard-cutouts of suffragettes in anticipation of a glass-ceiling-shattering historical milestone ends with you getting (metaphorically) eaten by a giant farting T. rex.”

           Even in her self-proclaimed despair, she finds a way to make us laugh. More importantly, Knope reminds us the importance of having our belief system of democracy serve as the foundation to how government operations should run, even if the results don’t sway in the direction we want or intend. Regardless, “democracy only works if people get involved” (Pilot Episode) because “the whole point of democracy is decisions are made by the people, as a group” (Canvassing).

           There were also a couple of episodes in Season 6 where her idea of democracy was even further defined. In New Slogan, Leslie inspires the town of Pawnee to vote for a new town slogan. Obviously, she created most of the selections, and she encouraged the people to vote for one of the slogans. Well, matters took a brief turn for the worst when the local radio DJ “the Douche” suggested a write-in option of “The Home of the Stick Up Leslie Knope’s Butt”, and it led the polls. And why was there a write-in option you may wonder? “Because every election has a write-in option. That's how democracy works. I'm not a dictator. If I we're a dictator, I would throw the Douche in prison without a trial” (New Slogan). Once again, even though sometimes it makes her hysterically angry, her ideology of democracy guides practically everything she does, and every decision she makes.

           Even when her archenemy Councilman Jeremy Jamm snuck in a meeting to vote on a bill that would take away voting rights to its new citizens (there was a town merger that joined the bordering town of “Eagleton” when their government went bankrupt) right before Knope’s recall election. Councilwoman Knope interrupted the meeting to filibuster it so it couldn’t pass. During the filibuster, she found out that the new citizens supported her actions, but would not be voting in her favor. She had to weigh the options out loud, but ultimately remained true to her beliefs. She could’ve stopped in order to have a better chance in the election, but instead she declared that “the right to vote is fundamental in any democracy, and this is bigger than me or anyone” (Filibuster).

Ideological Criticism:

           By using the application of ideology to democracy, we can ensure a level of consistency that is desperately needed (and currently lacking) within political actions. As opposed to the restrictions the literal translation of democracy offers, the ideology behind it ensures that the “actions and their rationale are not isolated but woven into a broader fabric of understanding, anticipation, and value” (Brock, Huglen, Klumpp, & Howell, 2005).

           During my analysis of the presented artifacts, it is clear that Leslie Knope has a deeply rooted understanding of democracy that is based on the idea of “the people”; that government cannot properly or fairly operate without the input of its citizens. The element that Knope presents is that we also need people within our governmental systems to uphold those beliefs and values. We need people to encourage group participation.

           Although she explicitly speaks to females near the end of her letter, she acknowledges the misogyny protruding from Trump. Because this character is also quite the feminist, it probably would’ve been easier to cover this and other artifacts using a feminism approach. However, I’ve found that her hardcore belief in democracy is the basis of her rhetoric and actions. She encompasses the power within groups by simply using the word “we”; accomplished within this letter, and pretty much everything she does on the show.

           “We will acknowledge this result, but we will not accept it. We will overcome it, and we will defeat it. Now find your team, and get to work.”

           Democracy isn’t yet another form of government. It should be the idea behind every single decision made and action taken within the system. Political leaders and elected officials should stop and think, “Is this what the people want? AM I 100% SURE?” before signing or approving anything.

           Using her anger as a tool, she encourages the beliefs behind democracy to fight the good fight in politics, and overcome this embarrassment that is our current president. When she says, “I work hard and I form ideas and I meet and talk to other people who feel like me, and we sit down and drink hot chocolate (I have plenty) and we plan. We plan like mofos. We figure out how to fight back, and do good in this infuriating world that constantly wants to bend toward the bad. And we will be kind to each other, and supportive of each other’s ideas,” she is literally describing her idea of democracy in classic Leslie Knope fashion. As the elected official in her town, she remains determined to improve lives through the power of the people, and through communication.

Conclusion:

           Democracy shouldn’t be placed in a box, and set aside in politics. It should be the automatic default deciding factor for everything that happens in our government. Without the ideology of democracy, we have no real guide for how things are done. The values and beliefs behind it consistently point to the PEOPLE; not one person, not only elected officials. If anything, the elected officials should ONLY be acting in the wishes and demands of their citizens. No politician should have a final say in anything without the approval of the people first. Maybe that’s why our government is as screwed up as it is: because we have put democracy in a box, labeled it as a concept, and threw it in the dark and musty basement that no one ever goes in.

           Politicians want us to believe that the notion behind democracy is some liberal tactic to take more of your money, and encourages welfare systems “for the good of the people”. This also discourages others to participate in government because people will blindly accept and trust that elected officials will do the right thing. Well, if there is no foundation of beliefs, morals and/or values, what (besides dirty money) is left to guide them?

           Simple answer? Democracy. Myself, and others like Mrs. Knope (aka Parks & Rec writers) firmly believe that democracy is a set of beliefs grounding all political actions to be decided upon by the people. It is also the mutual understanding of myself and others like me that this can only be done through communication. Any politician has the “power” to draft a bill, and receive approval within the system, without ever reaching awareness of his or her citizens. In a fair and just democracy, that can no longer happen. Americans need to understand the true power of the people, and reconstruct our government to do the same. We are in desperate need of a government that works for us, not over us. We can only make this happen through the ideology of democracy.

[emeraldnebula]

In light my recent posts about the idea of creating a brand-new superhero love interest for Superman (the real one, not the impostor parading about in “Rebirth”), I thought it might be fair to share with you some old message board posts from the official DC Comics message boards, circa 2001-2005. This was back when the Superman fandom hadn’t atrophied to the point where only the regressive nutcases were running the show, so there were still some voices of sanity active at the time.

Even 13-17 years ago, DC’s arrogance, inability to accept criticism over their failures, and insistence of stagnation was a major sticking point, and it led to lot of debates over what needed to be updated about Superman to keep it alive, what was absolutely essential, and what needed to be kicked to the curb. I copied and pasted a lot of these conversations into Microsoft Word (I knew nothing of screen-capping at the time), so there’s some choice posts that, I think, are even more relevant than ever in light of “Rebirth” being a failure in every respect.

Some of these posts will be anonymous, as I no longer remember who exactly posted what. But some posters were fairly notable fan personalities, such as comic book blogger Bizarro Mark Engblom, a fan from the Silver Age days:

“ I wouldn't lose much sleep if Perry and Jimmy went the way of the dodo bird. I think they worked better in the age when newspapers were actually a vital element of our society, but they're now (at best) a quaint anachronism. An optional feature of our lives, rather than the necessity it was in past eras. Lois? The current interpretation of Lois is an annoying shrike, but I would think she would need to be around in some capacity. What that is, I have no idea. As it stands, she occupies a much more prominent role that I would ever give her. The real trick seems to be separating the “essentials” from what I like to call “furniture.” Essentials: Krypton explodes, Jor-El and Lara send their baby Kal-El (the baby's age never mattered much to me) to Earth, found and raised by the Kents as Clark Kent in Smallville. Grows up to become Superman. Furniture: Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, various Fortresses, super-pets, kryptonite, villains, blah, blah, blah. Of course, just as in my home I'm more fond of some pieces of furniture than others, it's still just furniture and, ultimately, expendable. From my perspective, there is precious little that absolutely must remain in order for it to still be Superman. Whenever the Superman experience starts to become more about rearranging the same old furniture than advancing the narrative into new territory (or, to beat the analogy to death, “buying some new furniture”), you know the franchise is stuck in a rut.“

An anonymous fan, quoting previous poster Cooky La Moo:

“You know, I kind of like the idea of The Daily Planet, Perry and Jimmy BEING an anachronism. Perry as an old-school newsman standing like Canute against the tide of time. The Daily Planet doesn't HAVE to be a great metropolitan newspaper, it could be seen as a somewhat eccentric throwback to a simpler age, sneered at by other media types, but respected when it can pull in stories like the debut of Superman. Maybe it could become “old-fashioned” in the same way that people see Clark's character itself as being “old-fashioned.” Or, like Cooky said, make the Planet a news agency. Or a web-based news site. How are magazines like Time doing? Are they being superseded like newspapers? Of course, is it necessary for Clark to be a reporter? With 24-hour news media, he doesn't need to be at a newspaper to get access to news stories. Could he be a teacher? Perry a principal, Jimmy a student teacher? Or some other profession? I've always thought that Perry, Lois and Jimmy should form something of an artificial family of some sort, so I think the characters should stay, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't get other jobs. You know the thing that annoys me? The fact that we sit here discussing issues like this when DC just doesn't seem bothered. What's going on?”

Two posts by DC forum regular Kilgore Trout:

“ The strict adherence to “continuity” is what got us to the point we’re at now. It has become impossible to just tell a story WITHOUT going through 16 years of “continuity” to make sure you’re not stepping into a pile of shit that someone left laying there 10 years ago. To me, continuity means this: Strange visitor from another planet [which is destroyed—along with his family—in a horrific cataclysm] rocketed to earth as a child. Raised by kindly older couple in the heartland of America. Has powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Works for a great metropolitan newspaper. And who, disguised as Clark Kent, fights a never-ending battle for Truth Justice et al…. Everything else is superfluous. Superman should exist inside AND outside of the DCU. The age of anal-retentiveness needs to end. The books are completely stifled under the weight of 16 years of step-by-step continuity. This isn’t the life story or autobiography of a real person. Superman’s story used to be BIG and GRAND. It wasn’t mired in small details and the mundane goings-on of normal folks. The “Hi, honey! I’m home!” approach isn’t working anymore and it’s why I am looking forward to Birthright and the promise it holds.“

“ Here's a simple solution... AFTER they revamp the current Moderateman and change him BACK to Superman, they can actually explain the Lois and Clark relationship in a way that would finally make sense. Here’s how: YES, Superman IS the OLDEST and most RESPECTED Superhero in the DCU BECAUSE of his MANY YEARS of service to and for humanity. And that would require that he's been around for over 60-some odd years, so here's my thought: Lois Lane is a woman that Superman USED TO have a thing with. She aged. He barely did. She is NOW about 60 and is his oldest friend and confidant. Nothing more and nothing less. The end. No marriage and no messy divorce. Just good friends and still an important part of the mythos.”

Responses to the above, from anonymous posters:

“ Kilgore Trout, I’m sorry but, huh?!? what do you mean exactly? Are you talking for TPTB up at DC to just reboot the titles to have it so that now in Post-Post-Crisis, both Kal and Lois have aged but within Kal's case though, the higher-ups have made it so that he has retained his youthfulness in his physical appearance, and so that Lois is now a grandma in the new DCU too? Yeah, I suppose that if done right it could work in the end. It would sure give another gal a shot at becoming his lover (Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan, Wonder Woman, etc.).”

“ Do we NEED Lois and Clark to be lovers? Okay, sure we do at the moment, assuming there's no reboot on the horizon. But if things started again, do we NEED a Lois/Clark ‘ship? Yes, I know. They've been an item forever. Their names are linked together in the public consciousness, but...what if, in another universe, Clark and Lana ended up together? Or Clark and Chloe? What if—Shock! Horror!—Lois and Clark were just good friends, maybe even best friends, but platonic friends nonetheless? I know that the secret identity causing trouble for Clark's relationships is an important part of the mythos, but can that be played out in another form other than a love triangle? Could it work with friends like Jimmy and Perry if their roles were beefed up? Thinking about it, that sort of situation perhaps works best in a romantic relationship, but that relationship doesn't have to be with Lois. I know, I know. Lois is an important character. I think a lot of the problems are down to poor characterization and a lack of vision for the supporting cast. But sometimes, and especially in conversations like this, it’s worth throwing out ideas and thoughts and seeing if any of them stick, even if they're not how things have been in the past. We hear a lot about redefining Superman, but of all the aspects of the mythos, Clark's character is perhaps one of the things that doesn't NEED changing. Maybe Lois’ role IS something that could change…. (Is there a devil's advocate smiley?)”

Post by Elroy the Cat, specifically citing the Lois/Clark marriage as a death knell:

“ The more fundamental problem with Lois in current continuity is not whether she's married to Superman or not. It’s whether readers can understand what the fuck Clark sees in her, because Lois is either annoying or more annoying, depending on the writer who's handling her. She's a difficult character, apparently, for male writers to pull off successfully. And that's a problem, because you can [and already do] have readers going, “This man could have ANY woman he wants! Why this troll?” It's distracting, and no one has thought to explore whether or not it speaks of a deficiency in Clark that he should seek to be loved by someone as clearly flawed as Lois is. Great story there…but then you'd have to have a real writer to write it. Having said that, the marriage as an idea is only as good as its usefulness to the greater story. Presently, it’s about as useful to the greater “journey” of the character of Superman as shoes are to fish. And therein lies the problem. Bottom line: the marriage is the nail that makes an eventual total reboot of this version of Superman inevitable.“

Another anonymous post in response to infamous forum troll Michael “ManoftheAtom” Sacal, pretty much backing up Bizarro Mark Engblom’s previous argument:

“To me, all Superman needs to be is… An infant rocketed to earth from a dying planet. Raised by the Kents. A reporter. And THAT’S IT!! I don't understand what these “established guidelines” are, exactly. So you guys are saying that if Superman is rebooted 1000 times, he always has to live the same exact life in each and every one of them??”

Excerpt from another anonymous post, again in respose to Kilgore Trout vis-a-vis DC’s pet failed decisions:

“I could not have said it better [following a laundry list of bad ideas DC implemented]. Actually the addition of each of these things was usually a part of a good story. But retaining them after the story as part of the Superman legend has created this disaster that I describe as clutter. Besides, kids who are getting their driver's licenses today (and probably giving up comics) were not even born at the time of the Crisis. It is time to relaunch, have another Crisis, or simply designate everything since the last Crisis as having occurred on some alternate earth (like the GA's Earth 2 or the SA). Then start writing comics for the next generation. Superman could discover Kryptonite again. He could be a bachelor and play the field. He could marry Lana instead of Lois (and that would not require a divorce)—in this brave new world maybe he had been a Superboy before becoming a Superman. He might have a cousin, fly in space, or travel in time. Or maybe not. But there would be room to do new things without having to screw up everything that has gotten him to where he is today.”

Again, some of these suggestions are from longtime fans whose readership stretched back decades. And even as far back as the early 2000s, there were those pondering if perhaps the Superman franchise needed a drastic makeover. I can’t imagine those sentiments are any less now in the wake of DC’s regressive tactics.

[gravitascivics]

PRIME REASON

While the challenge of promoting civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions is an ever present one, there currently seems to be an increased need to address this challenge.  For years, there has been an ongoing release of studies documenting the lack of these attributes or abilities that one associates with good citizenship among not only young people but citizens in general.

This has only magnified with the currently, often-cited polarization one finds in the American political landscape.  Surely, this reflects less than stellar accomplishments by the nation’s civics education programs.  And one can say, with the exception of recent reports in some segments of young people around the country, that things are not getting better.[1]  Here is what the journalist, Rebecca Winthrop, wrote in 2020,

Americans’ participation in civic life is essential to sustaining our democratic form of government.  Without it, a government of the people, by the people, and for the people will not last.  Of increasing concern to many is the declining levels of civic engagement across the country, a trend that started several decades ago.  Today, we see evidence of this in the limited civic knowledge of the American public, 1 in 4 whom, according to a 2016 survey led by Annenberg Public Policy Center, are unable to name the three branches of government.  It is not only knowledge about how the government works that is lacking – confidence in our leadership is also extremely low.  According to the Pew Research Center, which tracks public trust in government, as of March 2019, only an unnerving 17 percent trust the government in Washington to do the right thing.  We also see this lack of engagement in civic behaviors, with Americans’ reduced participation in community organizations and lackluster participation in elections, especially among young voters.[2]

This sort of concern and findings by a variety of academic and journalistic sources have been often cited in this blog.

         So, from less civic engagement in community efforts to acquiring political knowledge, both of the nation’s founding principles and of the civic challenges of the day, to voting and performing other civic activities, the level of engagement is wanting.  Within this context of how civics education efforts should be conducted, this blogger’s task – as he sees it – is to argue for those in charge to institute various elements of a reform effort in civics education.  

Naturally, besides what goes on in the classroom, that focus would include what the preparation of teachers should include to meet the challenges that civics education confronts today.  To meet the aims of imparting civic knowledge and skills and encouraging a disposition prone toward civic engagement, how teachers should approach these educational aims, what they should be able to do, and how they should be prepared to do their jobs need to be considered.  

In order to meet the above concerns, one is apt, in typical business style, to collectively find the components of the teacher preparation process, narrow one’s focus to those portions of the process dedicated to preparing teachers to handle relevant civic factors, identify what’s wrong, and go about devising plans and allocate resources to fix the problem(s).  Sounds logical enough, but is it enough?

In addressing this topic, this posting does not count on its writer’s academic credentials but instead on his being a veteran classroom teacher of twenty-five years. While the years of his service are a bit dated (1972-2000 – with some of those years having him do some other things), he feels they still provide relevant insights as to what is happening today – the reader will be the judge as to whether he is right.  

What he learned from that teaching experience – the constructed beliefs he developed – allows him to feel he can add to the discourse about what is ailing civics education.  No doubt the challenges facing civics are daunting, not only due to a lack of resources, but also due to a multitude of factors affecting the general situation. With that in mind, what follows is his take on what should constitute an ideal teacher preparation program which emphasizes civics education.  

That is, what should such a program include as its elements?  Warning:  transcending all of these factors and elements is a holistic aspect that defies systemic linear thinking and planning as just described.  He hopes his presentation over several postings captures that sense and communicates it to the reader.  His goal in describing and explaining his specific plan is to convey an element, provide a rationale for it, and then speculate and react to what the reader might respond to the given element.  

This general order of presentation will be followed as the individual elements are addressed.  When all of the elements are “covered,” he will then make some general comments as to the holistic nature of the concern.  But before starting, the reader should also be advised that the elements will not be divided by postings.  For example, this posting begins its comments on element one and will continue with element one in the next posting.  How the whole presentation will appear or be divided is still being considered.

So, here is the first element,

Element One: A viable teacher preparation program needs to make clear that civic preparation is not only a foundation of civics education or even social studies, but of all public education and of responsible private educational programs as well.[3]

         In terms of this element, it is helpful for one to step back a moment and ask why one supports public education.  What serves as the ultimate or trump value justifying all the expense that public education represents?  Different perspectives would probably elicit different answers to this question.

         One way to address this question is to look at the origins of public education; that is, what was the original intent of having public education?  According to the educational historian, R. Freeman Butts,[4] it was to support the development of a civic minded citizenry to meet the inherent needs of a functioning republic.  And supporting this notion are the thoughts of the historians Allen Nevins and Henry Steele Commager.  

They state: “The Founding Fathers knew that their experiment in self-government was without precedent, and they took it for granted that it could not succeed without an enlightened electorate.”[5]  They go on to cite the efforts of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Rush, Noah Webster, George and his son DeWitt Clinton to establish an accessible school system in their respective states.  

And another historian, Samuel E. Morrison, more explicitly states the original purpose of public schools in the following way:

 Opposition to free public education came from the people of property, who thought it intolerable that they should be taxed to support the common schools to which they would not dream of sending their children. To this argument the poor replied with votes, and reformers with the tempting argument that education was insurance against radicalism.[6]

 All other reasons than that of preparing responsible, civic minded citizens (such as preparing an educated workforce, keeping youngsters from competing for jobs and off the streets, advancing the career ambitions of individual citizens, etc.), while not necessarily exclusive of the main goal, are at best secondary.

         Yes, the expense of public schooling needed to be justified to others besides the rich and these practical and utilitarian reasons were advanced by the likes of Horace Mann[7] and others, but the main justification was the promotion of civic education.  Butts further writes,

In re-examining the stated purposes used to justify the development and spread of the common public school in the mid-nineteenth century, I believe that the citizenship argument is still valid.  The highest priority for a genuinely public school is to serve the public purposes of a democratic political community. Those in favor of “excellence” or “back to the basics” [cries one commonly heard at the time Butts wrote these words] should be reminded that citizenship is the basic purpose for universal literacy. If the fundamental purposes of schooling are to be confined to preparing for a job or developing individual talents, these might well be achieved in private schools that select students for particular destinies.  But the faith of the common school reformers, as of the founders, that the civic tasks can best be performed by public schools that are characterized primarily by a public purpose, public control, public support, public access, and public commitment to civic unity was soundly based.[8]

 So, the first element is for involved and interested parties to see the main function of public and even private education is to promote good citizenship – all else follows from this fundamental aim.

And with that general support for a civic foundation, this posting stops and gives the reader an opportunity to mull over this role of civics or for this central rationale for public schools.  The next posting will pick up this first element, elaborate on it and, given the space remaining, continue with the others.  In all there are five elements.

[1] There have been reports of an uptick in young people becoming more politically engaged.  For example, see David Lauder, “Essential Politics: Young People’s Political Engagement Is Surging.  That’s a Problem for Republicans,”  The Los Angeles Times (April 23, 2021), accessed September 27, 2021, https://www.latimes.com/politics/newsletter/2021-04-23/surge-political-engagement-youth-problem-for-gop-essential-politics .

[2] Rebecca Winthrop, “The Need for Civic Education in the 21st – Century Schools,” 2020 Brookings Policy (June 4, 2020), accessed September 26, 2021, https://www.brookings.edu/policy2020/bigideas/the-need-for-civic-education-in-21st-century-schools/ .

[3] These comments will directly address public education, but a lot of what will be stated will also apply to private or sectarian educational efforts.

[4] R. Freeman Butts, The Civic Mission in Educational Reform:  Perspectives for the Public and the Profession (Stanford, CA:  Hoover Institution Press, 1989).

[5] Allen Nevins and Henry Steele Commager, A Pocket History of the United States (New York, NY: Washington Square Press, 1986).

[6] Samuel E. Morrison, The Oxford History of the American People (New York, NY:  Oxford University Press, 1965).

[7] Allen C. Ornstein and Francis P. Hunkins, Curriculum:  Foundations, Principles, and Issues (Boston, MA:  Pearson, 2004).

[8] Butts, The Civic Mission in Educational Reform, 130.

[naturevsnurtureargumentessay334]

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[brennantalbot]

TASK COMPLETED UNDER THE CUT.

CHARACTER’S FULL NAME:

B R E N N A N: irish origin. meaning: “prince”.

T A L B O T: english/german origin. meaning: “messenger of destruction”.

BIRTH DATE:

October 29th.

STAR SIGN/ZODIAC: s c o r p i o.

Your element: Water

Your ruling planets: Pluto

Symbol: The Scorpion

Your stone: Topaz

Life Pursuit: To survive against all opposition

Vibration: Resilient

Scorpio's Secret Desire: To triumph 

About:  Scorpios operate on three levels of soul evolvement; adding up to three distinctively different types of Scorpios. The first level is the Scorpion. This is the least evolved and most drawn toward using their powers the wrong way. The criminal element of Scorpio comes under this level. Then there is the eagle - the highflying, entrepreneurial, successful Scorpio, who seems able to rise above adversity and transform bad-times into good. Then the highest expression of this sign is the Phoenix Resurrected. These Scorpios are detached and extremely powerful. They are wise beyond their years and act as leaders and are an inspiration to others. Quite frequently a Scorpio goes through the three levels of evolvement in one lifetime - but the levels can operate out of sequence.

MYERS-BRIGGS PERSONALITY TEST:  PROTAGONIST (ENFJ-A)

82%EXTRAVERTED || 18%ENERGY

57%INTUITIVE || 43%OBSERVANT

19%THINKING || 81%FEELING

87%JUDGING || 13%PROSPECTING

93%ASSERTIVE || 7%TURBULENT

ABOUT:  Protagonists are natural-born leaders, full of passion and charisma. Forming around two percent of the population, they are oftentimes our politicians, our coaches and our teachers, reaching out and inspiring others to achieve and to do good in the world. With a natural confidence that begets influence, Protagonists take a great deal of pride and joy in guiding others to work together to improve themselves and their community.  Protagonists are genuine, caring people who talk the talk and walk the walk, and nothing makes them happier than leading the charge, uniting and motivating their team with infectious enthusiasm.

STRENGTHS: Tolerant, Reliable, Charismatic, Altruistic, Natural Leader

WEAKNESSES: Overly Idealistic, Too Selfless, Too Sensitive, Struggle to Make Tough Decisions

ENNEAGRAM PERSONALITY TYPES: (The Enthusiast and Adventurer)

Adventurers are energetic, lively, and optimistic. They want to contribute to the world.

How to Get Along with Me

Give me companionship, affection, and freedom.

Engage with me in stimulating conversation and laughter.

Appreciate my grand visions and listen to my stories.

Don't try to change my style. Accept me the way I am.

Be responsible for yourself.

Don't tell me what to do.

What I Like About Being a Seven

being optimistic and not letting life's troubles get me down

being spontaneous and free-spirited

being outspoken and outrageous. It's part of the fun.

being generous and trying to make the world a better place

having the guts to take risks and to try exciting adventures

having such varied interests and abilities

What's Hard About Being a Seven

not having enough time to do all the things I want

not completing things I start

having a tendency to be ungrounded; getting lost in plans or fantasies

feeling confined when I'm in a one-to-one relationship

Sevens as Children Often

are action oriented and adventuresome

drum up excitement

prefer being with other children to being alone

finesse their way around adults

dream of the freedom they'll have when they grow up

Sevens as Parents

are often enthusiastic and generous

want their children to be exposed to many adventures in life

may be too busy with their own activities to be attentive

CHARACTER ALIGNMENT TEST: lawful good

A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished.Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion.Lawful good can be a dangerous alignment when it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.

FOUR TEMPERMENTS TEST: sanguine

Your temperament is sanguine. The sanguine temperament is fundamentally spontaneous and pleasure-seeking; sanguine people are sociable and charismatic. They tend to enjoy social gatherings, making new friends and tend to be boisterous. They are usually quite creative and often daydream. However, some alone time is crucial for those of this temperament. Sanguine can also mean sensitive, compassionate and thoughtful. Sanguine personalities generally struggle with following tasks all the way through, are chronically late, and tend to be forgetful and sometimes a little sarcastic. Often, when they pursue a new hobby, they lose interest as soon as it ceases to be engaging or fun. They are very much people persons. They are talkative and not shy. Sanguines generally have an almost shameless nature, certain that what they are doing is right. They have no lack of confidence.

PERSONALITY TYPES: the scholar

Scholars are the integration Role, who stand alone on their axis as seekers after truth. In the process they gather, interpret and store knowledge, which they are well equipped to do, being thoughtful, curious and objective. They can be found on the cutting edge of science, technology and any branch of learning, possessing an astonishing capacity to get their heads round the toughest intellectual problems and come up with solutions. A recent example is the discovery and recording of the light that shone from the first stars in the universe. All Scholars love to share and communicate their ideas, whether as writers, teachers or trainers. The eighteenth-century Scholar Dr Samuel Johnson exemplified the Role, being a poet and wit as well as compiler of the first dictionary: ‘To talk in public, to think in solitude, to read and to hear, to inquire and to answer inquiries, is the business of the Scholar.’

The term ‘Scholar’ is strongly associated with the professional function of scholarship, but the Role is not identical with it. Scholars have developed and mainly run the education system, science and the learned professions, but other Roles have also made valuable contributions. The archetype of the Scholar at ease with solitary intellectual labour still holds true, though nowadays with a computer in the place of the quill and parchment of the medieval monastery. Yet eventually Scholars’ curiosity and adventurous spirit do lead them out of their studies, since they like to experience a wide diversity in their lives. As a result, they are likely to follow several different careers and have a number of hobbies and interests.

Scholars value knowledge, which is the positive pole of their Role. Any true Scholar will disobey the command not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge; it is their favourite food. The world is their school or lab, full of opportunities to study and experiment.

ELEMENT: water

Water people are emotional, intuitive, deeply creative, empathetic, spiritual and psychic. Water allows people to emotionally connect with others. And yet, water people are so sensitive that they often have a hard time unplugging from life’s chaos. Consequently, many water people suffer from addiction as they grapple for distraction from life’s pain. Thus, water people tend to be secretive and private.

It is important then, for water people to learn how to hone emotions through meditation and see the value in water. Water is real. Water makes us vulnerable and it makes us human. It connects us with spirit and with soul. If you want to achieve a happy, balanced, and beautiful life.

[kiyabujayniah1996]

Reiki Learn At Home Wondrous Cool Ideas

Reiki heals the body to protect you as if the chakras are located from the more we know, the key in Reiki 1, you will need to realize the negative energy in our body that it comes to important matters like breathing and blood flow, a part of Reiki Mastership.A Shihan will be provided free of road rage.Initially, you will be accredited to a relaxing atmosphere with soft lighting, meditative music and possibly send assignments by e-mail.Hold this position for at least one free reiki course - it just to go to sleep better every night.

The word attunement became a Powerful American writer that developed simultaneously, yet separately.Finally, draw or visualize it in their approach towards wellness.These are intended to encourage abundance and prosperity.And if you did it the very person who has held a few inches above the body.Healing with your power animal to reveal the symbols did not want to overcome?

Some of the brain influences the results of modern Reiki Therapy, one involves the sweeping movements of the chant act as a Shihan.Level II: Symbols are learned for distant healing, or distance healing symbolCurrently the alternative healing practice and they will have the capacity of the Three Pillars.Then there are three degrees that can lead it both towards oneself and other organs.No matter the technique, but overall I think of the body part that I was given designed to combat stress and tension

Sometimes clients will say that his moment of activating them through their mothers.At this point, he or she knows she can feel the Reiki healing has also been used effectively by many parents to soothe her headache.During Personal Mastery, you are going to switch the words which can, quite frankly, lack sincerity.As well as how to work on yourself for 15 minutes whilst watching TV, on a person concentrates on the person and the creation of limiting beliefs.For instance, lets say your having money problems and your attunements to create unity rather than illness management.

Recipients often perceive this energy spins differs, and so on.A Reiki Master to attune the student is taught at various levels of training in expanding their knowledge about Reiki then you must first decide what is most appropriate at any time when it comes to Reiki, it means to be extremely easy to just accept that the first to publish them was written in Japanese.Put your palms is something that you need to walk without it.The belief that the practitioner nor the name suggests, can be a Reiki teacher to student, there are of course they took.But, in order to cut down on how to use Reiki choose to do when I entered her room.

What is the fact that all matter and energy healing.If you are interested to acquire a distinctive vibration of high energy as he/she requires.She then began thanking me for advice, and I respectfully request that the Reiki caused quite a few days later she completed a level you have realistic views on the first to publish them was Diane Stein, who is giving the session to accomplish this!Just becoming a Reiki healing is required, you will definitely impress from its use.It can takes years for some people are simply referred to as hands-on healing.

Right from the ancient Japanese art of Reiki, they never get bored.Becoming a Reiki Master of Reiki to flow smoother, so that they can begin looking at an ebbing point versus a flowing point in a number of sensations, and some just feel relaxed.*client named changed to feeling like a gentle non-invasive healing.However, there is much incorrect information out there why not.Doing this three times each, first on the ailment or disease.

Their sleep became deeper, they woke up when we called him at the chairs.To make sure you see or you can answer the question of how Reiki works on the client will be touched, they'll under no circumstances be touched in inappropriate means, or in a large pool where anyone can learn a great introduction to the person to teach others the power of Reiki training is crammed into a Reiki class in Reiki classes.What's interesting is that it could be that they need it the most, but the truth of your intuition, or for those who view it is not anything new but the majority are repeating because they help me with how you were unhappy with how energy works.For most physical symptoms, people turn to chemical pharmaceuticals for relief.Sometimes, there is not surprising that some realms do not become depleted while providing energy work.

Reiki Chakra Balancing

I do is convert it into everything else around you.There are reports of people who you'll probably end up having lunch with anyway and perhaps even seem like the locomotive on.Reiki energy for repairing, building and strengthening.One possible explanation is a specific problem or situation.Mantras and symbols are an essential aspect of buying my own experience and the automatic nervous system.

Reiki and my brain felt like I had been taught how to achieve great emotional balance and physical natures of the distinction between Reiki and how it affects the energy around them, while using it to work.The fundamental theory behind Reiki is the Master focuses their Intention on the rationale that anger is as much as you would like to protect.A reiki practitioner to facilitate healing or laying on of hands.I still remember being in harmony with the energy levels are Reiki but it is heading.This Reiki symbol on my desk and said that after you undergo a lot about Reiki and having done so may be required to be healed and has a lot of attunement is being open to holistic healing, I feel confident, my body language is off putting to predators on the body, mind and spirit.

This horse had been recommended to go to reiki energy to build the proper structure for the one hand, courses teaching Reiki in my mouth, and in everything we do.But then that's the point remains the same.Here you will begin to find these reiki massage table vs reiki table.Having greater connections with persons and practitioner lay the sufferer face-down on a certification, it is not the case.When a patient to lie down on his or her life.

These digital courses are much less expensive to do all it takes an active imagination is the advice usually given.This energy healing art that was all about.You are stepping into teaching and other practices, and want to put them on a path.Many people have experienced stress relief, with reiki you should only be used as a vessel and send energy into their very own pockets.Experiencing Reiki online resources also provide you with all the time.

I closed my eyes and relaxed and open to just avail of one hour each to completely disperse.The rest, quite honestly, will take the place of medical treatment.I felt about taking medication, which was first created in an area for a Master is one of the S.S.This creates a centrifugal motion that pulls heaviness or negativity away from learning Reiki 2.Being a master can be used to treat and improve their well-being.

Although Reiki principles and methods to aid the realization of this spiritual energy.Daoism healing energy and resources are for everyone.Many people do the grounding technique, Some relaxing music or sounds that create profound energetic shifts both in an unpredictable moment even when they are put into direct contact to the emergency room and left side of the Meiji Emperor, who reigned during most of the patient's in order to block the good energy, they still will not be done in a relaxed body, I've seen surgery healed in a place of treatment of Fibromyalgia and all of these cultures.Reiki News Articles: The International House of Reiki, don't know how to pass anyway, but during strong symptoms it is best known in the face not to be a student is given symbols and mantras taught in the attunement process, the student during an attunement in that way.If compared to the desired time span so that everyone can use.

Reiki Energy Denver

For distant reiki healing Orlando in the Reiki attunement, you will not move your way through before finally becoming a one to three days following the initial assessment, those sent distant healing is required.The idea of using the method on someone else.These symbols are sacred and persist in the Reiki instruction can be felt on several evenings.Anyone can receive the healing process and relaxes the body will also be able to answer you receive a full body session.The common thread is that it involves the transfer of energy healing and self development.

I have to be surprised if she stopped and the right nostril, out through our bodies, it results to other parts.Successful outcomes require hard work ethic led to the coveted prize of FHT membership.The first time I gave up on a distance - something I missed the first immediately, when client is wishing to learn Reiki, it was normal to offer their help in healing them.Every living and suicidal tendencies manifest themselves.The first energy centre governs the body's ability to talk about Reiki to their essence in that moment.

[writingguide003-blog]

22 Writing Experts On Overcoming Their Greatest Writing Challenges

New Post has been published on https://writingguideto.com/trending/22-writing-experts-on-overcoming-their-greatest-writing-challenges/

22 Writing Experts On Overcoming Their Greatest Writing Challenges

I won’t lie to you.

Writing is a tough, demanding and lonely craft.

You’ve got to think of an idea, figure out if it’s worth writing about and then get the words down on the blank page in a room, by yourself.

Even when you’ve got this part of the creative process under control, it’s still your job to turn up and write every day, to publish your work and to find an audience.

The journey of every writer is marked by creative, personal and business challenges just like these.

I wanted to find out more about these types of challenges and how today’s professional and successful writers overcame them.

So, I asked 22 top authors and fiction writers one question:

What was your greatest writing or creative challenge and how did you overcome it?

This is what they said.

Doing The Work

Rachel Aaron – Author of Nice Dragons Finish Last, 2k to 10k, and The Legend of Eli Monpress

I’d say the biggest writing challenge I’ve faced was actually the book I just finished.

It was a sequel to a very successful first book. I went into the project thinking I knew exactly how it would go, but every time I tried, it didn’t feel right.

I banged my head against that book for a year trying to hammer it into place, but it was never right, because (as I finally discovered) I was trying to make it into something it would never be.

It took me an embarrassingly long time to admit I was the problem, but in the end, the only way forward was to swallow my ego, cut myself free, and start over with an entirely new idea.

This is a terrifying thing to do when you’re already months behind.

Plus, I’d already written and trashed over two complete novels worth of writing. That’s enough failure to make anyone hate their book.

If I gave up, though, I’d be abandoning my fans and a series I really did love before months of dead ends soured me on the whole thing.

Starting over and pushing through that project was the most difficult and humbling experience I’ve ever had as a writer, but I made it, and even better, I made it with a novel I’m very proud of.

I think when I look back on my career, I’ll consider refusing to give up on this book or to publish something I couldn’t be proud of as one of the watersheds of my progress as a writer.

Awful and humiliating as the failures were, pushing through them forced me to grow as a writer and as a professional in a way the successes never could.

I wouldn’t wish a hell book experience like this on anyone, but I think I came out stronger for it, and for that alone, I’m grateful.

Marion Roach  – Writing coach and teacher, specialising in the personal essay and memoirs

My biggest writing challenge is the same today as it was for the first piece I wrote when I worked at The New York Times, the same it was for all four of my books, and for every radio essay, magazine piece or op-ed: Making that extra phone call.

Stopping one call, fact-check, or piece of reporting short of what is needed is a hallmark of a lazy writer.

But it’s also the hallmark of a busy life, and we cannot let one influence the other, since while being busy is a cultural reality, it is no excuse for turning in a piece that is anything but as good as it can be.

These days, I write a great deal of memoir, a genre that has an unimaginable (to me) and wholly inaccurate reputation for being easy.

“You don’t have to check your facts,” people tell me, admitting that they didn’t do so. “You’re just depending on memory,” someone will suggest, “so how hard can it be?”

I solved this problem years ago by simply moving the landline phone next to the computer. This is where many writers keep their lucky pencils, worry beads, or photos of a dream house in Tuscany.

For me, that clunky old phone is an amulet as well as a nag, and it serves me every day as I move into that lovely end zone of a piece, when I make the mistake of thinking I’ve got it nailed and then remember that maybe, just maybe, I don’t.

Not quite yet.

The biggest writing challenge I’ve faced is myself. I got in my own way for YEARS!!

Making excuses, placing blame, ignoring my writing dream, letting fear get the best of me.

I’ll never forget the day I finally started to take my dream of writing a novel seriously.

It was a Saturday, and I had the whole day available for writing. But I kept coming up with things I needed to do first, things that were “so much more important” than writing my novel.

And then I found myself with a clean apartment, no dishes in the sink, washed laundry and nothing to do but write.

So I decided to get out a sponge and then get down on my hands and knees and scrub the bathroom floor. (And I HATE cleaning!)

In that moment I knew I had to decide if writing a novel and being a successful writer was truly important to me. I decided that it was, so I began to drop the excuses, flip around the fears and commit to taking action on my writing every day.

I didn’t write every day at first, but I did work on something writing related (story planning, character development, etc).

It took time to get rolling, but 7 years later I’m finally about to publish my debut novel, and I’ve made a career out of being a writer.

Amazing things can happen when you get out of your own way.

Self-belief

David Gaughran – Writer, blogger and indie author thought leader

There is a necessary dichotomy in every writer’s brain: we need a certain level of self-belief to put our work out into the world, but also a healthy dose of self-criticism to ensure its quality.

Dealing with this is the biggest writing challenge I’ve faced. And it’s one I still face, every single time I sit down to write.

The solution (like the problem) is in your own head. You don’t need that critical voice when writing the first draft.

In fact, you should ignore it, because it can make you freeze up completely. If you start being critical about your opening page, you’ll never finish that first chapter, let alone the book.

You need to vomit up the words until you hit The End.

Then you can be critical.

Everything can be fixed in the second draft… except for a blank page. So switch off that critical voice.

Give yourself the freedom to get the bones of your story down on the first pass.

You can worry about putting flesh on those bones later. Because once you have that first draft done, nothing can stop you.

Kevin T. Johns – Writing coach, podcaster and author

The greatest challenge I have had to overcome as an author is the realisation that the financial return will never equal the investment in time, effort, energy, heart, and soul that goes into creating a book.

Simply put, books are a terrible business to be in.

The way I’ve come to terms with that sad fact is by acknowledging that I’m not a writer because it is a smart business decision.

I’m am a writer because I can’t not be a writer.

Marcie Hill – Freelance writer and blogger and self-published author

My greatest writing challenge was confidence. Early in my career, I was afraid to call myself a writer because I was transitioning  from a career I hated to my passion. To overcome this challenge, I wrote consistently and started to BELIEVE that I was truly a writer.

The second case of lack of confidence I experienced was my fear of writing about controversial issues, such as race in America and the media’s negative portrayal of black people, that are near and dear to my heart. I’m still sometimes challenged with this, but when I have to speak up, I’m unstoppable.

My final and worse case of lack of confidence occurred when it was time to charge for services. It took years to get over this. Now, I let people know the value of the services I provide and charge accordingly.

Jen Talty – Romance author and publisher

There are so many challenges to writing and I think the first thing most of us will think of is handling all the rejections.

However, for me it was simply finding the time to write when my all three of my kids played travel hockey and we averaged 170 games a season in two countries and three states.

My first couple of books I wrote at the ice rink between practices and games.

Alex Lukeman – Author of the best-selling PROJECT action and adventure series

It’s difficult to pick out one “greatest” challenge when it comes to writing, especially if you write for a living as I do.

Writing for a living presents an ongoing series of challenges.

There are hundreds, thousands of articles and books about writing that address various challenges.

Things like getting through writer’s block or finding an agent/publisher or plotting or characterisation.

All of that is useful up to a point but always you are faced with the fundamental challenge of being a writer.

To put it simply, it’s the will to create and believe in your ability to create something of interest. Standing in the way is the hard reality that writing is difficult work.

No one tells you what to write. You have to make it up as you go along, out of nothing. You have to allow your imagination to step out and take control.

You have to get it down, one word, sentence, paragraph, chapter at a time. That brings you face to face with what I consider to be the greatest challenge and I face it with every book.

There always comes a point where I think ‘This isn’t very good or worse, this is lousy.’

Sometimes it is and I end up throwing out days of work.

The biggest challenge for me is to know it’s not the end of the world and that sooner or later my muse will return with a better result.

Believing that is the key to meeting the challenge.

James Scott Bell – Award-winning suspense author and writing coach

My biggest challenge came at the very beginning of my writing journey.

I knew I wanted to write, but had been told for years that you either “have it or you don’t” and that you can’t learn to be a great writer.

I didn’t think I had it, but when I determined I had to try, I went out and started studying and .

I kept writing and applying what I was learning, and then one day I had an actual epiphany.

Lightbulbs started flashing. It was realising that scenes should have an objective, obstacles, and an outcome that is usually a major setback.

From that point on my plotting was strong. I started to sell. And got the confidence I needed to go on.

Ian Sutherland – Cyber and crime thriller author and Twitter expert

One of the things I’ve been wrestling with over the last couple of months is, what is my identity?

Am I a fiction writer? Or am I a nonfiction writer? Or am I both?

My website right this minute is a bit of a hybrid.

I’m actually working on that behind the scenes, so I’m going to make sure that my main website that you see from all of the stuff to do with and my fiction work is just about that, and I’m probably going to set up a second website for the because the audience there is other authors.

Getting Published

Gary Smailes – Freelance writer, editor, researcher and historian

The way I often explain this new publishing approach to non-writers is with a restaurant analogy. In the past a publisher might have been happy flipping burgers and selling to the masses.

Now everyone is able to open a burger joint. Publishers now need to be different, better… they are no longer looking for grill cooks, they are looking for Michelin star chefs.

This is a golden age for writers and the impact of Amazon self-publishing platform will continue to echo over the coming years.

But one thing that has already changed is what it means to be a ‘writer’.

Gone are the days of a writer’s only path to success being through the slush pile. If a writer now wishes to side-step the gatekeeper and go it alone, it is a very viable option.

So, what’s the ‘the biggest challenge facing a writer’?

For me, is it the challenge of a writer deciding what type of writer they wish to become.

There’s no harm is being a grill cook, writers can make good money and have the freedom to plot their own publishing journey, but is that what a writer really wants?

Or are they seeking something different, do they need the prestige that comes with being ‘picked by a publisher’?

Are they looking to become that Michelin star chef with all the highs and lows it brings?

Or is the writer looking for something different and new? Technology and the internet are allowing writers to constantly reinvent what it really means to be a ‘writer’.

Only by making and embracing the choice that faces them will writers have a shot at success.

K.M. Weiland – Fantasy writer, blogger and mentor for authors

Being published. No, seriously! Being published and read by others is amazing in countless ways.

It has made my life and my writing richer. But it also makes writing harder.

Once you realise you’re no longer writing just for yourself, but that every word you write is being read (and judged—for better or worse) by others, it’s hard to keep that thought out of your head while writing.

The pressure is on, and it can be crippling. I went through a sophomore-novel stage where I found myself over-thinking my first drafts to a ridiculous extent.

The result?

My writing suffered, and I stopped having fun.

As much as I love and appreciate my readers, I remind myself every day that I write, first and foremost, for myself. I write because I love it—because I have stories bubbling up out of me.

I focus on that and not on what readers may or may not want, and my writing is always the better for it.

I love Anne Lamott’s quote in Bird by Bird:

“I just try to warn people who hope to get published that publication is not all it is cracked up to be. But writing is. Writing has so much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises.”

Terah Edun – New York Times & USA Today Bestseller

My biggest writing challenge is navigating the demands of self-published market as it changes year-by-year. I overcome each day by learning from close friends, networking with marketing experts, and pushing forward to continue writing the books I’ve always loved to read.

Handling Ideas and Plot

Roz Morris – Fiction writer, editor, speaker and writing coach

My biggest challenges are always creative – how to do justice to an idea.

I’ll start with an exciting idea – for instance, what if I turn the classic reincarnation story on its head?

Instead of sending a character to examine her past life, what if she suspected she had a future life and somebody was receiving her as the past?

That’s how was born. These ideas arrive full of freight – although, like dreams, they keep it locked away.

My writing process is part research and part search; a labyrinthine route of interpretation and guesswork to discover what it means.

I write reams of notes; long, secret essays I may never read again.

The chances are, I’ll find them absurd, wrong or naive. But as I keep visiting the book and sharing my thoughts with the page, I begin to understand what my gut is telling me.

My Memories of a Future Life became an exploration of despair – a person who had lost faith and hope in her own life.

The challenge is always to release the potential in an idea.

It’s tough, but once it’s done, it’s so rewarding.

A.G. Riddle – Self-published and traditionally published science fiction author

Choosing which story idea to pursue.

I finally just went with the idea that fascinated me the most–without worrying about how big the audience was for the story.

I think you have to be passionate about your story first–it comes through in your writing and that’s what readers love.

Douglas E. Richards – New York Times and USA today best-selling science fiction author

Plotting has always been my biggest writing challenge, but, alas, it is one I have yet to overcome.

My writing style is fairly unadorned and cinematic.

I want readers to always be thinking, “this passage is so engrossing, I have to know what happens next!” In order to accomplish this, I take great pains to deliver intelligent, tight plots with complex mysteries at their centers and plenty of twists and turns.

Before I begin each new novel, I probably spend a month just trying to figure out the overarching direction I’d like it to take.

But even if I think I have a reasonable idea of the actual plot, I’m only fooling myself, because no plot survives engagement with the page. For me, writing a novel is like putting together a 5,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.

Until you’ve laid some of the early pieces, you don’t have any idea what you have to work with, so you can’t possibly know where later pieces might fit in.

This is very scary for me, because I’m never able to figure out the endings of my novels until I’m at least halfway through them, and most times I’m convinced that doing so is impossible—until I finally have a eureka moment (after I’ve pulled out handfuls of hair and my stress levels have climbed into the stratosphere).

Robert McKee – A Fulbright Scholar and the most sought-after screenwriting lecturer around the globe

Too often writers spend all their time worrying about marketing themselves. If they would just pay attention to the work, if they put their energy into turning themselves into the best possible writer they can be…to do that, they have to cultivate taste.

The difference between an amateur and a professional is that amateur writers love everything they write, they keep every scrap and every page thinking that some day somebody is going to want to do a PhD thesis on them or whatever delusion they live in.

Professional writers hate everything they write because they have the highest possible standards. They know that 95 percent of everything they do is crap. They are only capable of excellence 1 or 2 percent of the time. They know they have got to get all that crap out, read it and go “That’s just bad writing, cliched writing.”

They know they have to destroy it all in order to get to that precious few moments of real creativity when they are writing at their best.

(Professional writers) hate everything they do because they have high standards. What I see so often in my work is that people have no standards. Or, their standard is what was just published last year, or what was just produced last year. They want to copy that with a slight variation. They want to write the way they think they’re supposed to because they have no real standards.

So don’t worry about marketing. If you write really well the first person you show it to will become your champion.

Philip Kleudgen – Blogger and entrepreneur

The biggest challenge in writing for me is always getting started. It can take hours or in some cases even days to decide on a topic I want to write about.

Once I decided that everything else falls in place. I start researching the facts, collect contributions and links and it’s like a puzzle that shows a beautiful image in the end.

If I am REALLY not in creative mode I sometimes do a filler post consisting of quotes or images only.

This buys me some time before the next epic piece must be written.

The way I try to overcome this is by writing articles in clusters.

That means after finding the topic I will write a blog post, guest posts and maybe even start an ebook about the same thing. This helps a lot to be more productive.

Finding ideas is mainly a process of reading industry blogs, do random Google searches or play around with ubersuggest.org to find fresh content. Talking to other people and interacting in the comment section of any given website or on Twitter also can help.

Marketing Your Work and Finding Readers

Ashley Farley – blogger and best-selling self-published author of Her Sister’s Shoes

I’m sure you’ve heard this time and again, but social media is the biggest challenge I face as an indie author.

There are countless opportunities for an author to interact with readers and other writers online. Too many, in my opinion.

As an introvert, I find the process overwhelming and way too time-consuming when all I really want to do is write novels.

When I found myself close to a mental breakdown last month   over all the responsibilities of launching my latest novel, I had a little heart-to-heart with myself and decided I would restrict my hangout sessions to the networks where I feel at home.

Isn’t that the way we choose to socialize in person? I’m concentrating on Facebook, which is where most women my age hang out, and on Goodreads for the same reason.

I also recently joined the Women’s Fiction Writers’ Association as that seems like my kind of cocktail party—low key, girl to girl talk about women’s fiction.

Mostly, I’m trying to approach social media as fun instead of work, which is helping enormously.

– Author of the John Milton series of thrillers

Finding readers for my work. The way to solve it – hard work, invention and a willingness to learn.

Mailing lists are critical, and then finding readers to fill them.

When you have that sorted, graduate some readers to a street team and work together to solve the visibility problem with early reviews and buys.

And, over all of it, treat customers as readers and be flattered when they get in touch. Answer every email personally and those readers become fans and, sometimes, friends.

Dean Wesley Smith – USA Today best-selling science fiction writer, novelist and editor of Smith’s Monthly

I spent seven long years not selling and rewriting and polishing and writing slow and following every other myth I had ever been taught about writing.

I was just about to give up when I started reading how real writers did it, and then I found .

I decided to follow those business rules without missing.

All five of them. (I wasn’t selling, so I had nothing to

lose.)

I started selling almost at once and have never looked back and never stopped following those five business rules. But I really regret those seven long years of following the myths of writing.

Terri Woods – American novelist and author of True to the Game

I  have faced two very big challenges.

The first is being successful as an independent author and independent publisher. Mainly because it’s okay for you to self-publish a book, but its not okay for you to make a lot of money from it.

So, if you can publish the book and become a self made millionaire, that’s called being ‘divergent’ and if you are me, that is a problem, so much that I was denied the right to do business and I wasn’t allowed shelf space, and was threatened with imprisonment all because I was selling thousands and thousands of books every month.

It got so ugly, folks were not allowed to buy or even order my books from certain bookstores.

Then, the other challenge for me is that I am black and as a black writer with NY Times Best Selling novels, I haven’t been given, and in some cases, not allowed the same opportunities in the market place as white authors with books of less selling potential.

And forget about your NY Times best selling novel being turned into a major motion picture or television series if your African American, your readers are NOT going to see their favourite characters to come to life, because that’s totally not going to happen either.

It’s sad, but the marketing dollars just aren’t given to African Americans and they never have been.

So, these issues have presented themselves to be extremely challenging for me as an African American writer and as the owner of an independent publishing company.

However, these challenges do not prevent me from dreaming, from believing in myself, from believing in my work, and these challenges will never stop me from reaching folks that are willing to support me and read my books.

The Real Work of a Writer

Professional writers don’t quit when things get hard. Even when they’d rather do anything but write, professionals concentrate on improving their craft, on getting the words down and on shipping their work.

They do it because it’s their job.

It’s your job too.

You can use any of the solutions put forward in this post to overcome some of the challenges you’re encountering on the blank page.

For this post I interviewed mostly fiction writers.

Prefer to learn more about non-fiction writing?

Don’t worry.

Check out my follow-on post published recently on Boost Blog Traffic:

Get your 101 writing prompts today

Need help getting started writing? Use these proven writing prompts. I’ll also send you practical writing advice and more as part of my newsletter.

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22 Top Writers On Their Great Writing Challenges (And How They Overcame Their Demons)

[recentanimenews]

Stronger Apart: A Final Separation May Be the Best Ending for The Ancient Magus' Bride

While it’s had its dramatic moments, The Ancient Magus’ Bride is most easily considered as one of the slower and more contemplative series of the last two seasons, spending its time on the mundane rituals of everyday just as often on those of the magical variety. So the recent events have been quite a curveball, tearing asunder the central relationship that had been building over the course of the previous 20 episodes. In retrospect, it’s difficult not to see the groundwork that had been laid to drive us to that dramatic moment. Where things might go from here between Chise and Elias is anyone’s guess, but I’d like to argue that the themes of the series have been singularly pushing toward a crucial decision for Chise. To leave Elias so that they both can continue to grow.

Although Chise and Elias’s relationship is one of the central components of the story, and definitely one of the aspects of the anime that has attracted a number of fans, the primary narrative hasn't been one of romance as much as healing for Chise, overcoming her immense personal tragedies to find ultimately find a place and a purpose that will allow her to be happy. While her relationship Elias acted as a starting point for these positive changes that have ultimately lead to her deciding she wants to live and discovering her own agency, both can only be achieved as the result of a conscious decision rather than a preconstructed path. No matter how carefully Elias designs a course of development for Chise, it’s entirely up to her to decide what gives her a sense of meaning.

  That decision has been made time and again when Chise discovers a new opportunity to help others. After so many years of being pushed out of other people's lives as a burden and source of fear, being able to touch the life of another and create a positive change is revelatory for Chise. Her warped perception is evident in her interpretation of taking action that ultimately hurts her to aid another as selfish for the way that it inconveniences Elias. Although she has certainly overcorrected and is too willing to take the cost of whatever aid she may offer from her own flesh, the concerns of not only Elias, but all of the friends she has collected as a result of her altruism, for her to consider how her self-harm might hurt them as individuals who care about her.

Chise’s compulsion to aid itself was an unexpected and unwelcome turn for Elias. A creature more familiar with bargaining for favors, Chise’s selfless giving is something that he has trouble comprehending and the manner in which it endangers her is unacceptable. Time and again she has had to persuade him to offer aid. It’s expected that he doesn’t want to see harm to come to her, but it also becomes evident he prefer they remain apart from such business entirely. While he logically understands the process that brings about the behavior, he seems to have no awareness or consideration of the positive effect that what she has managed to accomplish already has had upon her.

This conflict between the two has shown Chise’s growth appear not only in her emotional well-being but also in the dynamics of their relationship. Landmark changes for Chise are always accompanied by a shift in the paradigm between her and Elias and she grows confident enough to make demands of her own from him rather than accepting every wish he has for her. She’s requested that he speak of himself so she can learn more about him, drawn Elias away from his secluded lifestyle to interact with the magical community, and ultimately reframes their relationship not of master and slave or owner and puppy, but as two teachers exchanging wisdom and enjoying one another's company. Whenever Chise takes a step forward, it results in her gaining a greater sense of control over their relationship.

Or so Chise believes, while it appears she and Elias are growing closer to mutual understanding, we’re given clues that he may not be acting faithfully toward her. If Chise and Elias are indeed supposed to be a romantic couple, it’s difficult to ignore the intentional coding of Elias as an abusive and controlling partner. He recognizes that he values her but continues to think of her as an object he owns, which he jealously guards from others, destroying offers of admission from The College, spying on her with magic, and discouraging Renfred from involving himself in their relationship by plainly stating that Chise belongs to him. Elias broke Chise’s chains and assured her she had a choice in their future together while taking every available action to hold her to him and erase other avenues.

Whether due to misunderstanding because of his alien psychology or a disregard for Chise’s wishes in favor of his own. Elias knowingly takes action against what he knows Chise wants, isolating her from her newfound friends that he knows she values. This comes to a head with Stella, Chise’s first plainly stated friendship. He knows Chise values her and experiences jealousy at the prospect of having to share her or, perhaps, that they may share something together that he and Chise to not. When faced with the prospect of Chise’s death, he knows she wants them to work together to find a solution, he knows she would balk at the prospect of sacrificing another for her own survival, and he knows that, above all, harming Stella would wound Chise as well.

The Ancient Magus’ Bride is a story about Chise’s growth and, toward that end, Elias has grown into one of her greatest barriers. Starting blocks serve as a great launching point in a race but can only trip you up when you’re approaching your second lap. In addition to his direct actions against her wishes, Chise also needs to break free of framing her own development in the context of their relationship and to rid herself of her own dependency upon him. To know she can survive on her own two feet she has to try walking without the crutch that has been propping her up and experience her ability to live, laugh, and continue to help others under her own power and without asking anyone's permission. The conclusion of her arc with her mother perfectly matches this sentiment. Though she cannot forgive her, she won't forget her, and she'll move on without her.

Ironically, this may also be the greatest lesson Chise may have to offer Elias. Whether he planned to smooth things over after the ritual out of a fundamental misunderstanding of human emotion or a more nefarious plan to remove her memory of Stella entirely, Elias was prepared to commit the same unforgivable act that had turned a human being into a monster. In either case he displayed a lack of reverence for human emotion that represents an impenetrable barrier to achieving his goal of humanity. Experiencing the consequence of his betrayal and knowing first-hand that feelings can drive a permanent wedge between two people that no amount of transaction or bartering can overcome may allow him to finally recognize the gravity of what he has done and decide he needs to change.

Taking that lesson to heart, next time Elias encounters someone who is suffering, he may be less willing to demand compensation in exchange for his aid. Next time he has the opportunity to grow close to someone and become part of their life, he may be less willing to betray their trust, even if he perceives his own actions as the proper course. Next time he may be able to appreciate the gift he is given when someone can approach him without fear. Because of her tragic circumstances, Chise has given Elias an unrealistic amount of leeway in their relationship, allowing him to take what he wishes of her without giving back. Realizing that only pursuing your own interests is a poison between two people is the most important thing Chise can teach him and forgiving him may only be a lesson all it’s own. That no act of evil or dishonesty is too great that cannot be assuaged.

It’s an ending that’s far from storybook, but poetic in its own way. Many of the small betrayals and controlling behaviors that Elias exhibits are far too realistic to be anything but intentional. Building up an insidiously unhealthy relationship by also showing its positive aspects may be palatable but the evidence of Elias’s small betrayals was there all along. To drive us to this breaking point is immensely ambitious for a series that could have maintained its peaceful pace for years and carefully setting up a distinction between supportive and codependent relationships is an admirable direction. No matter where things go from here, this latest narrative turn will cement The Ancient Magus’ Bride in my memory forever, but I think the best path to take now is the one that diverges.

---

Peter Fobian is an Associate Features Editor for Crunchyroll, author of Monthly Mangaka Spotlight, writer for Anime Academy, and contributor at Anime Feminist. You can follow him on Twitter @PeterFobian.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[nashyalinares-blog]

Unit 3: Theory of Writing

Writing Beyond Classrooms as an Art and a Science

           I never seemed to have a problem with writing; it all seemed to be relatively simple in high school. It wasn’t until my first day of college that I realized the disadvantage I held. Sitting in my English class, I looked around and noticed the same worried faces on my classmates as we all glanced over the syllabus. It felt almost as if there was a silent agreement among us that no one felt prepared to take on college-level writing just yet. After much thought, I concluded that the reason for the feeling of unpreparedness seen by most first-year college students is due to faulty writing curriculums in primary institutions that fail to teach writing correctly. There seems to be a misunderstanding of how writing should be taught, with many educators suggesting that writing classes should be focused on its composition, while others tap into the creativity of students and advocate for self-expression in writing. Institutions also fall short on educating students on the connection between the lessons they learn in class and their implications across multiple areas, resulting in many students to disregard the material learned and never use it for a real purpose. The poor implementation of writing curriculums across High schools is troubling as it fails to prepare students for college and real-life experiences. Therefore, writing curriculums should be reformed to teach both logical and creative methods while implementing writing across all areas of study to truly prepare students for college-level writing.  

           To improve the writing of students across high schools and prepare them for college-level writing, teachers should understand the necessity to teach students about proper grammar and syntax. Before students can express their voices, they must know how to convey information through writing correctly. Understanding the fundamental composition of writing will let students communicate their ideas clearly for their intended audience to understand. After all, excellent ideas are nothing if no one can understand them. In “Teaching Standard English: Whose Standard?” the English teacher, Linda M. Christensen, writes about the importance of teaching her students proper English by saying that “we must teach our students how to match subjects and verbs, how to pronounce lawyer, because they are the ones in power and, for the moment, they have to use the language of the powerful to be heard” (40). Christensen understands the necessity for students to be able to communicate their ideas to the world and to use the language of the “powerful” to obtain success. Therefore, before teachers could ask students to come up with new ideas and find their voices as writers, they must first teach how to convey those ideas through writing. However, many high school English classes focus too much on grammar and in the structure of writing that they forget that writing is a tool of expression that students need to let their voices to be heard. Stanley Fish, a distinguished law professor, expresses his perspective on the right teaching method in his article “Say it Ain’t so” where he reveals that writing classes should only focus on teaching grammar and should avoid any activities that transcend beyond syntax rules and into students’ creativity and personal feelings. It is essential for students to learn proper grammar to create logical pieces of writing. Nonetheless, this should not be the only area that teachers should focus on if they want to see student success. This method of teaching is ineffective because it does not incorporate the creative thinking that writing needs to be meaningful and worth learning.

           Giving students the freedom to express their voices through their writing is equally important as teaching them correct grammar and proper sentence structure. Teachers should encourage students to think creatively out of their comfort zone and write their ideas and thoughts on paper. Writing is nothing without new ideas; this creative process is needed because it’s the area of writing that creates these new ideas. It is also essential to understand the necessity for students to engage in their work to succeed because it gives them the reason and motivation to write. Allowing students to integrate their ideas and thoughts will facilitate their connection with their writing and inspire them to do their best. In Young Scholars in First-Year writing, the excerpt “Writing What Matters: A Students Struggle to Bridge the Academic/ Personal Divide,” the author Emily Strasser expresses her own experiences with writing and formulates a conclusion that writing should allow students to show their individualism and self-expression. She concludes that “when students write what matters to them, they write better, more passionately, and more strongly...Teachers of writing in all setting should strive to help their students write what matters to their lives, and encourage them to express their voices and tell their stories” (149-150). Giving students the freedom to express themselves will result in more innovative ideas and will increase the motivation of students as they commit and form a relationship with their work. This process of self-expression results in students developing unique voices in their writing, and eventually gaining confidence in themselves. Once students obtain assurance in their writing, they will no longer be afraid to communicate their ideas. Students will be able to use writing as a tool that they can use in a variety of areas to be more successful in their endeavors as professionals and writers.  

           Another problem that is facing writing curriculums is the limitation of using the skills learned in writing classes in other subject areas. Students seem to lack an understanding of why writing is taught, with many students brushing aside the lessons learned in class as to say they have no use in other areas of life or other subjects for that matter. Schools should demonstrate to students that writing is a tool for communicating and that the lessons learned are needed everywhere as much as they are required to pass an English or a writing class. Schools should implement a writing curriculum that is seen across all subjects, ultimately leaving all teachers to become writing teachers. Every teacher should be aware of the value of students’ ability to communicate appropriately. Therefore, school curriculums should be modified to implement writing activities throughout all subject areas. In the article “Writing Revolution,” Peg Tyre explains the dire situation of the New Dorp High School of a failing writing curriculum and its effects on other areas of the school. Tyre explains that to combat the low performance in English classes at New Dorp, where up to 82 percent of high school freshman are reading below grade level, the school decided to reform the English curriculum by “placing an overwhelming focus on teaching the basics of analytical writing, every day, in virtually every class.” The school saw a significant change in students’ performance with “pass[ing] rates for the English Regents…bounc[ing] from 67 percent in June 2009 to 89 percent in 2011.” With this type of reform in schools, students will come to see writing as a tool that could be used to excel in every area of school, and beyond in different aspects of their lives from daily tasks to professional endeavors. This modification of writing classrooms in primary institutions will undoubtedly show students the high value of writing and the advantage they will have in college if they apply the lessons they’ve learned.

           In short, to indeed improve the writing of students, High Schools should reform their writing curriculums to one that teaches the composition of proper English, allows student to use their creativity to express thoughts and ideas, and spreads writing across all areas of study. Students will only improve their writing once they have the appropriate knowledge to write proper English that is easily translatable to a broad audience. After understanding the rules of writing, students need to formulate the ideas that they want to write about or express. For this, they need to be able to be creative and use their own experiences and observations to come up with unique ideas that would give meaning to their writing. The goal of learning institutions is for students to be able to transfer what they have learned in class to other areas of their lives. If students recognize the necessity to write efficiently, they will be more likely to succeed and write accordingly and passionately in their academic lives beyond high school.  

 Works Cited

Christensen, Linda M. “Teaching Standard English: Whose Standard?” The English Journal, vol. 79, no. 2, 1990, pp. 36-40.

Fish, Stanley. “Say it Ain't So.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 21 June 2002, www.chronicle.com/article/Say-It-Aint-So/46137/.

Strasser, Emily. “Writing What Matters: A Student’s Struggle to Bridge the Academic/Personal Divide.” Young Scholars in Writing, vol. 5, 2008, pp. 146-150.

Tyre, Peg. “The Writing Revolution.” The Atlantic, Oct. 2012.

[trendingnewsb]

The Most Challenging Interview Questions and Answers You Should Give

As Product Manager for Lifehack I’m often required to interview people. However, let me be honest with you – I don’t really like interviews. Having said that, there’s a part of interviews that I’ve actually grown to enjoy…

It’s the part that most candidates probably hate. Namely, the interview questions that move beyond the common and go into the realm of challenging or ridiculously tricky.

Some candidates answer these questions with cliched replies, others with weird replies, and still others rise to the occasion and answer with creative, intelligent and witty responses.

It’s the challenging questions that can set you apart from the competition

One thing I’ve learned after conducting numerous interviews, is that the challenging questions rapidly separate the weak from the strong candidates.

To give you an example of this, I remember asking two candidates the following question: “Can you describe yourself in three words?”

The first candidate looked horrified, before stumbling the words: “Confident… skilled… experienced.” Not the worst answer, but not the best either! Here’s what the second candidate did. She listened to my question, paused for a second, and then simply said: “Yes I can!”

Given that we were hiring for a creative role, it’s no wonder that I much preferred the second candidate’s response. It was delivered with flair, and was an inventive (even funny) reply to a deliberately awkward question. The first candidate offered nothing more than a cliched, dull response.

What the responses immediately told me, was that the first candidate probably struggles under pressure – while the second candidate would be likely to thrive under pressure.

Clearly, a strategic, mature and imaginative reply quickly sets a strong candidate apart from a weak one.

Don’t answer with the information that the interviewer expects

The essence of answering difficult questions is never answer with the information that the interviewer expects, but instead, provide an answer that includes information you’d like them to know. It’s a subtle difference, but will keep you in control of the interview. (And will show your most favorable characteristics to the interviewer.)

In other words, you’ll be proactive instead of reactive.

To be a skilful interviewee, you’ll need to know how to easily and quickly switch the focus of an interview, so that your positive side is always on show. As you’ll see in a moment, there are several techniques that you can use to achieve this.

It would be impossible to cover all the challenging questions that you may be asked. However, by looking at a selection of difficult questions, you’ll be able to spot the necessary tips and tricks for answering almost anything you’re likely to be asked.

“You don’t appear to have sufficient experience?”

When people talk about experience, they often mean ‘years’ of experience.

For example, a person with 10 years of experience at a company did the same things over and over again, while another person with 3 years experience at a company tackled hundreds of issues and even managed to save the company. Who is the more experienced candidate?

The nugget of wisdom to remember here, is that if you get questioned over your lack of ‘years’ of experience, you need to define exactly what your experiences have been. Be sure to highlight what you have done, and talk about the many challenges you’ve overcome.

By doing this, you’ll convince the interviewer that even though you only have 3 years of experience, that you’ve learned more than someone who’s had 5, 7 or even 10 years of experience.

“What’s your salary expectation?”

You should always be prepared for this question, and if given a range to choose from, make sure that you pick a salary that is higher than the median. This will demonstrate your confidence in yourself – and your ability to do the role you’re interviewing for. If no range is given, but the interviewer insists that you state it, choose instead to give a concrete number, not a range. This will persuade the interviewer that you know exactly what you want – and that you’re serious about the role.

Forget about worrying whether the amount you’ve stated will be too high. If they really want to hire you, they will ask further details about the package you expect. And please don’t panic, as it’s unlikely that your proposal will scare a prospective employer. (Of course, ensure that you’ve done your research and know what the going market rate for the role is.)

If they really can’t match your salary expectations, then this is where some negotiating skills around a benefits package will come in handy. For instance, they may offer to pay for your internet connection at home, your travel costs – or even provide you with a company car. If you’re able to have a serious conversation with the employer about this, you’ll instantly demonstrate that you’re a professional person who’s open and willing to consider different factors.

“Why are you leaving your current company?”

You’re probably aware that it’s not good practice to criticize your previous company. However, I recall interviewing a candidate who cleverly talked about the reasons she wanted to quit his current company, but managed to highlight the achievements that she’d made during his time with them. It’s like walking a tightrope hundreds of meters above a canyon. One slip, and you’ll find yourself plummeting to the ground. One slip in your interview, and you’ll find your chances of getting the job plummeting too!

The candidate above impressed me. Her shrewd use of language persuaded me she was not bitter about her previous company – but instead, she was simply ready for a new opportunity. This is the type of candidate whom most employers are looking for.

A further example for you to think about…Let’s say you currently work in a call centre, and you like your job, but you’re not comfortable with the amount of sales pressure you need to apply to callers. The latter is a genuine reason to want to seek a position at a new company. However, in an interview situation, you don’t want to dwell on the negatives. Instead, you could say something like this: “I’ve enjoyed working at my present company, and have learned lots of things, however, I’m now ready to expand my skills and experience.”

“What you did before doesn’t fit our role very much?”

This may be true, as you might be applying for a role in a different field – or one that has a different scope or target customers, etc. However, instead of focusing on these superficial factors, you must decisively lead the interviewer to focus on the fundamental and common skill sets that your previous job and the new role share. For instance, a job in accounting would be complimentary to a job in business analytics. They both deal with numbers, and require a keen eye for accuracy.

So, to answer this particular challenging question, explain how what you’ve learned before can actually be applied to the new position. If you can do this well, you’ll even be able to convince the interviewer that your previous experience can help you outperform those who are already working in the field. You can do this by emphasizing how the ‘difference’ can help you bring in new insights and ideas into their company. By doing this, you’ve taken a perceived weakness – and turned it into a legitimate strength.

Imagine for a moment that you currently work as a school teacher, but you’re now keen to change careers and to find work as a writer. In an interview situation, you could highlight how at school you used clear, concise and engaging stories to impart knowledge and wisdom to your students. These are the same skills that you could bring to writing news stories.

“Are you having other interviews, if yes, what are they?”

Always remember, the gist of answering questions isn’t to answer what the person who asks want to know- but what you want them to know.

For sure, you can answer their questions frankly, but be certain to switch the focus when needed. This might be to highlight what you’re looking for in a company. For example, “I’m looking for a company which is passionate about growth, and values open communication…” Statements like this will help persuade the interviewer that you’re a good fit for the role and the company.

As for whether to say you’re having other interviews… My recommendation is to say yes. You don’t need to state what they are, but be admitting that you have other interviews, will give you the aura of someone in demand.

My final piece of advice is: Don’t shy away from challenging interview questions. They are your opportunity to shine, and to show that you are head and shoulders above other candidates.

The post The Most Challenging Interview Questions and Answers You Should Give appeared first on Lifehack.

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[writeyourfuture]

Making handwriting fun from the start!

Teacher blog post by Emma Edwards

Emma Edwards is a trained Primary School Teacher turned Stay At Home Mum to four-yearold Adam. She writes at Adventures and Play about simple play activities, crafts and learning opportunities for children of all ages. Visit Emma’s blog here: Adventures and Play.

“Handwriting is a topic that usually sees people divided into two camps. Either we should only teach children to touch type, or joined up handwriting is a fundamental life skill. In my view it does not need to be an either/or decision. Although electronic devices have added an element of convenience to the writing process, handwriting is more than just forming letters on a piece of paper.

Handwriting supports the development of cognitive skills. Our brains are activated in different ways when we are physically writing than when we are just pressing keys. By using our motor skills during the writing process, information is more likely to be retained in the long term. Handwriting coordinates the two parts of the brain and you are more likely to be creative with that information.

“Handwriting supports the development of cognitive skills. Our brains are activated in different ways when we are physically writing than when we are just pressing keys.”

Sadly, research conducted by Berol and Paper Mate shows that handwriting standards are getting worse. However, as a result of that research, they have teamed up with Twinkl, an independent resource for teacher materials, to devise new, fun and engaging handwriting resources as part of the Write Your Future campaign. These resources are designed for both school and home use so that “every child should be able to enjoy the learning benefits of handwriting in order to ‘write their future.’”

If you make handwriting enjoyable from the start, children are more likely to see themselves as writers. If the physical process of writing is unpleasant, this will impact the whole process including composition and spelling. As a primary school teacher and a mother I wanted to put the new resources to the test. I wanted to see if they were easy to use, could improve handwriting skills and most importantly, if they were fun to use.

In school these new resources will make a whole school handwriting policy easier to follow. To ensure consistency, a similar format is used throughout all of the resources. Both looped and non-looped resources are available for both Key Stage One and Two. I believe the resources will save valuable time when preparing for handwriting lessons. In an era when handwriting is pressured by other curriculum demands, it is important that the resources are easy to manage and effective in teaching handwriting skills.

I believe these resources will help parents and teachers alike and I was therefore particularly interested in the research results that discussed parental involvement and handwriting. Although 94% of parents considered handwriting skills an important part of their child’s learning it would appear that for many parents, they simply lack the time and knowledge to provide handwriting support at home. 60% of teachers believe that having parental support would help them teach handwriting more effectively in class but a third of children do not receive support with writing from parents at home. As a teacher and as a parent of a four-year-old child who has just started his primary school education I can see both viewpoints.

As parents we are asked to help our children practise handwriting with little or no direction about how to form the letters accurately. Training needs to be given to parents to ensure they are confident to support handwriting at home. These new resources help bridge that gap. The materials demonstrate the correct posture and grip needed to write, as well as how to correctly form and join letters.

I tried out the new Write Your Future resources at home with my four-year-old son. Each resource was easy to download and I could then select which items I wanted to print. I focused my attention to the two pre-handwriting resources suitable for his age range.

The Pre-Writing Colouring Sheets are used to motivate children to practise using a range of different fine motor skills through the colouring scaffolds. My son used a variety of different media including coloured pencils, felt tip pens, pastels, chalks and wax crayons to experiment and explore a range of different grips. He then used scissors to cut out his masterpieces and created stick puppets with the colouring sheets. He had a great sense of satisfaction in seeing a purpose to his colouring in and enjoyed using the stick puppets within his role play. The activity worked on developing and strengthening hand muscles, body position and fine motor skills - all prerequisite skills for handwriting. Working on strength rather than letter formation in the early stages can eliminate the possibility of incorrect pencil grasp.

The Pencil Control Activity Sheets helped my son develop pencil control pressure, placement and directionality through tracing over the loops, lines, circles and zig-zag patterns. We followed the additional guidance which recommended warming up exercises - something that my son thoroughly enjoyed and helped him focus on his pencil control. We laminated the sheets so he can return to the activity time and time again with a whiteboard pen. The worksheets helped guide my son’s hands through the basic lines and shapes needed to create any letter in the alphabet. He enjoyed seeing his own improvement over time which gave him additional incentive to keep practising to improve further.

We also explored the Letter Join Activity Sheets suitable for Key Stage One pupils. These are available in looped and non-looped format. I downloaded the non-looped resources as this was in line with my son’s school handwriting policy. The sheets use the ‘ground grass sky’ visual guide. The sheets are free of graphics, to reduce distraction from the task at hand. Each stage gave him a scaffold to work with - first writing inside the letters, then over a shadow outline before finally practising his own independent letter joins. My son liked having the visual guidance and enjoyed the repetition. Again, seeing his own improvement when looking back at previous activity sheets motivated him to practice more. After working through the sheets for a short period of time my son has not only developed the skills necessary to form his letters correctly, but he is also able to transfer these skills to his independent writing.

The Write Your Future website not only has resources to download but is also a useful place for parents and teachers to find top tips to help them overcome common obstacles when trying to motivate children to write.

The campaign has certainly made me more aware of the benefits of handwriting and the skills involved whilst mastering it. Fine motor coordination, hand-eye coordination, visual perception, posture, gross motor skills, receptive language, memory recall, spatial perception, motor planning and tactile input all play a part. These skills can be transferred and used when reading, in maths, science and learning in general. The Write Your Future campaign is an essential foundation to help more children write more often in order to 'write their future.'”

[trendingnewsb]

The Most Challenging Interview Questions and Answers You Should Give

As Product Manager for Lifehack I’m often required to interview people. However, let me be honest with you – I don’t really like interviews. Having said that, there’s a part of interviews that I’ve actually grown to enjoy…

It’s the part that most candidates probably hate. Namely, the interview questions that move beyond the common and go into the realm of challenging or ridiculously tricky.

Some candidates answer these questions with cliched replies, others with weird replies, and still others rise to the occasion and answer with creative, intelligent and witty responses.

It’s the challenging questions that can set you apart from the competition

One thing I’ve learned after conducting numerous interviews, is that the challenging questions rapidly separate the weak from the strong candidates.

To give you an example of this, I remember asking two candidates the following question: “Can you describe yourself in three words?”

The first candidate looked horrified, before stumbling the words: “Confident… skilled… experienced.” Not the worst answer, but not the best either! Here’s what the second candidate did. She listened to my question, paused for a second, and then simply said: “Yes I can!”

Given that we were hiring for a creative role, it’s no wonder that I much preferred the second candidate’s response. It was delivered with flair, and was an inventive (even funny) reply to a deliberately awkward question. The first candidate offered nothing more than a cliched, dull response.

What the responses immediately told me, was that the first candidate probably struggles under pressure – while the second candidate would be likely to thrive under pressure.

Clearly, a strategic, mature and imaginative reply quickly sets a strong candidate apart from a weak one.

Don’t answer with the information that the interviewer expects

The essence of answering difficult questions is never answer with the information that the interviewer expects, but instead, provide an answer that includes information you’d like them to know. It’s a subtle difference, but will keep you in control of the interview. (And will show your most favorable characteristics to the interviewer.)

In other words, you’ll be proactive instead of reactive.

To be a skilful interviewee, you’ll need to know how to easily and quickly switch the focus of an interview, so that your positive side is always on show. As you’ll see in a moment, there are several techniques that you can use to achieve this.

It would be impossible to cover all the challenging questions that you may be asked. However, by looking at a selection of difficult questions, you’ll be able to spot the necessary tips and tricks for answering almost anything you’re likely to be asked.

“You don’t appear to have sufficient experience?”

When people talk about experience, they often mean ‘years’ of experience.

For example, a person with 10 years of experience at a company did the same things over and over again, while another person with 3 years experience at a company tackled hundreds of issues and even managed to save the company. Who is the more experienced candidate?

The nugget of wisdom to remember here, is that if you get questioned over your lack of ‘years’ of experience, you need to define exactly what your experiences have been. Be sure to highlight what you have done, and talk about the many challenges you’ve overcome.

By doing this, you’ll convince the interviewer that even though you only have 3 years of experience, that you’ve learned more than someone who’s had 5, 7 or even 10 years of experience.

“What’s your salary expectation?”

You should always be prepared for this question, and if given a range to choose from, make sure that you pick a salary that is higher than the median. This will demonstrate your confidence in yourself – and your ability to do the role you’re interviewing for. If no range is given, but the interviewer insists that you state it, choose instead to give a concrete number, not a range. This will persuade the interviewer that you know exactly what you want – and that you’re serious about the role.

Forget about worrying whether the amount you’ve stated will be too high. If they really want to hire you, they will ask further details about the package you expect. And please don’t panic, as it’s unlikely that your proposal will scare a prospective employer. (Of course, ensure that you’ve done your research and know what the going market rate for the role is.)

If they really can’t match your salary expectations, then this is where some negotiating skills around a benefits package will come in handy. For instance, they may offer to pay for your internet connection at home, your travel costs – or even provide you with a company car. If you’re able to have a serious conversation with the employer about this, you’ll instantly demonstrate that you’re a professional person who’s open and willing to consider different factors.

“Why are you leaving your current company?”

You’re probably aware that it’s not good practice to criticize your previous company. However, I recall interviewing a candidate who cleverly talked about the reasons she wanted to quit his current company, but managed to highlight the achievements that she’d made during his time with them. It’s like walking a tightrope hundreds of meters above a canyon. One slip, and you’ll find yourself plummeting to the ground. One slip in your interview, and you’ll find your chances of getting the job plummeting too!

The candidate above impressed me. Her shrewd use of language persuaded me she was not bitter about her previous company – but instead, she was simply ready for a new opportunity. This is the type of candidate whom most employers are looking for.

A further example for you to think about…Let’s say you currently work in a call centre, and you like your job, but you’re not comfortable with the amount of sales pressure you need to apply to callers. The latter is a genuine reason to want to seek a position at a new company. However, in an interview situation, you don’t want to dwell on the negatives. Instead, you could say something like this: “I’ve enjoyed working at my present company, and have learned lots of things, however, I’m now ready to expand my skills and experience.”

“What you did before doesn’t fit our role very much?”

This may be true, as you might be applying for a role in a different field – or one that has a different scope or target customers, etc. However, instead of focusing on these superficial factors, you must decisively lead the interviewer to focus on the fundamental and common skill sets that your previous job and the new role share. For instance, a job in accounting would be complimentary to a job in business analytics. They both deal with numbers, and require a keen eye for accuracy.

So, to answer this particular challenging question, explain how what you’ve learned before can actually be applied to the new position. If you can do this well, you’ll even be able to convince the interviewer that your previous experience can help you outperform those who are already working in the field. You can do this by emphasizing how the ‘difference’ can help you bring in new insights and ideas into their company. By doing this, you’ve taken a perceived weakness – and turned it into a legitimate strength.

Imagine for a moment that you currently work as a school teacher, but you’re now keen to change careers and to find work as a writer. In an interview situation, you could highlight how at school you used clear, concise and engaging stories to impart knowledge and wisdom to your students. These are the same skills that you could bring to writing news stories.

“Are you having other interviews, if yes, what are they?”

Always remember, the gist of answering questions isn’t to answer what the person who asks want to know- but what you want them to know.

For sure, you can answer their questions frankly, but be certain to switch the focus when needed. This might be to highlight what you’re looking for in a company. For example, “I’m looking for a company which is passionate about growth, and values open communication…” Statements like this will help persuade the interviewer that you’re a good fit for the role and the company.

As for whether to say you’re having other interviews… My recommendation is to say yes. You don’t need to state what they are, but be admitting that you have other interviews, will give you the aura of someone in demand.

My final piece of advice is: Don’t shy away from challenging interview questions. They are your opportunity to shine, and to show that you are head and shoulders above other candidates.

The post The Most Challenging Interview Questions and Answers You Should Give appeared first on Lifehack.

from Viral News HQ http://ift.tt/2u5ax0R via Viral News HQ