Class Blogs

Hello fellow classmates! I'm enjoying your blogs but am noticing a ton of spelling errors which prompted me to send an overall comment or critique:   SPELLCHECK IS YOUR FRIEND!!! It's also in the top right corner... The content is great though and I hope I don't sound bitchy!

The Anti-Hero

    We all know about protagonists and antagonists. There's the good guy and the bad guy, good versus evil... blah, blah, blah. The stories are so familiar they're becoming cliche. This is why we find ourselves relating to a different type of character-- the anti-hero. The anti-hero is a relatively new phenomenon in television. He (or she) is the protagonist with extremely "iffy" qualities. We find ourselves liking this character although they possess questionable traits we may not respect or admire.

   Some examples/ Personal favorites:  Donald Draper - Mad Men
                                                          Hank Moody - Californication
                                                          Dexter Morgan - Dexter
                                                          "The Gang" - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

   We haven't gone over this in class but I still find it relevant to character development and interesting to write about.

Character Sketches

 
   Jon - Short for Jonathan but everyone knows him as Jon because he's, well... Jon. He's the guy who can talk to anyone about anything because he knows something about everything. He's smart without being smug and always willing to help his friends. He's the guy you call for advice or the answer to a trivia question.

  Lydia - A beautiful, down-to-earth girl who managed to escape the no-name town she grew up in. Although she is proud of the life she has made she misses her dad, who died a year ago. Her papa, the one person who knew her best and who she loved more than anyone. She still pictures their old house, him reading in bed in those striped pajamas. The house she now rents to another family, strangers...

 Rachel - Always up for an adventure and eager for change Rachel just moved to Florida. She graduated from college four years ago but hadn't been able to find a "real job" with her degree. She likes to live in the moment, so this doesn't concern her too much. For the time being she is happy being a bartender and is enjoying the change in scenery.

Storytelling Tips

     Stories are often used to explain "why things are the way they are." This is why fairytales usually have some moralistic aspect to them and are repeated over generations. The best way to tell a story is to make it engaging, memorable, and believable. Be concise and make it interesting! You not only want to capture your audience's attention, you want to keep it. Remember, the more bizarre a story is the more interesting it is. You always want to stand out!

You See A....

      The other day I was walking the half-mile from campus to my car when I saw something unusual. A man parked next to me was on his knees in the parking lot with his head near the ground. I assumed he had dropped his keys or was having car trouble and was about to offer help when I noticed his engine was running.
      Obviously his car was fine so I didn't understand what he was doing. As I approached  I noticed he was kneeling on a small mat. I was still confused for a second until I realized he wasn't searching for something, he was praying. All of a sudden it made sense and I wasn't confused so much as fascinated. I know Muslims pray five times a day but I have never seen it in action, much less in a parking lot in the middle of winter.
      With the mystery solved I got into my car and noted the time. It was a little after five and the sun was setting. I then remembered people of the Islamic faith pray when the day is coming to a close, which further  explained the situation. This is not something you see every day and I found it interesting so I thought I would write about it.

My First Absence

      Unfortunately I missed class on Friday so I don't know what we discussed. I do know we were going to learn the one thing you never see in McDonalds commercials. We were also going to discuss audience characteristics and how to view your audience as a demographic. This is obviously important because you can't put your audience first if you don't know who your audience is.

Infiltrating WIIFM Barrier

      Boobs! Cheeseburgers! Have I succeeded in grabbing your attention? If you feel compelled to keep reading then I have successfully infiltrated your WIIFM barrier by appealing to your basic human desires-- food and sex.
      In order to effectively communicate with an audience overloaded with messages each day writers must be original and concise. The best way to do this is to keep your messages sharp and limited and always put the audience first!

First day of class

    Today was our first day of class and so far my only complaint is the early meeting time. I never take courses before noon. At least our professor seems lively so I shouldn't have trouble staying awake. Participation might be an issue... I don't like to talk in the morning.
    We learned about how power is achieved through stories and the importance of breaking through the WIIFM barrier to influence people. We also learned about each other's career interests and favorite foods. Getting to know classmates through their snack preferences was interesting and unusual and I think the class will be as well.