Project reflection
The goal of this project was to create a beautiful, refined, one page narrative. The subject of the story was a moment or event in our lives that held importance to us. At first we just brainstormed different moments in our lives that gave us certain feelings such as a time that we felt very afraid, or a time that we felt very happy. We chose the moment that stood out most to base our narratives on. The moment that I eventually settled on was the first time I swam with a dolphin. I chose this moment because that was the first time I realized that I wanted to be a marine biologist.
During this project I learned many things about writing. We watched a video in class near the beginning of the assignment called “Hardwired for Story.” The video talked about how the brain secretes chemicals like oxytocin and cortisol when listening to a good story. Those chemicals make you feel stress and sympathy for the character. Also, the listener's brain mirrors the teller’s brain. Another thing that we learned that really helped to improve my writing was an article called “Show, Don’t Tell - Chuck Palahniuk.” This article was about not using “thought” verbs such as realized, wondered, remembered, or even things like hated, and loved. It is better to show that the character feels something or remembers something through their actions and internal monologues. This article helped me a lot because I never realized how boring it made my writing when I “told” and didn't “show.” Writing about an event that was important to me transformed the moment because I was going so in depth with it and trying to make it as detailed as possible. Working on this project and having so much time and resources to refine it has also improved my writing a great deal.
One thing that was very difficult for me was making my writing only one page. I wanted to go into detail with everything and make the setting stand out, but also have good dialogue and a good climax. It was very difficult to put all that in one page. I had to pick and choose what to go into detail with and what was irrelevant and should be deleted to make space for things that made my writing better. One thing that I would like to change about my story is the ending. At the end everything was coming together and the character was nervous, about to participate in the big event that the whole story was building up to. Then everything went smoothly. The fact that everything went smoothly for the character at the end wasn’t the problem. I feel like I rushed through the end because there wasn't much detail about the dolphin and I feel like the last paragraph moved too quickly. This could have been because of the one page limit because I didn’t want to take away detail from the rest of the story just to add on to the end. Despite my worries, I think that this project has taught me a lot in the way of being a good writer.
During this project I grew as a writer, and as a person. I learned how to make a good story that people could connect with. I have much more practicing and learning to do before I become a good writer, but now that I have the tools, I know how to improve. I went in depth with a moment in my past that is important to me and I learned many things about it, such as how to tell it in a way that makes my readers feel as I had felt when I was living the event. In order to do that I had to deeply asses my own feelings about it. I think that this project has changed the way I see storytelling and my writing for the better.
During this project I learned many things about writing. We watched a video in class near the beginning of the assignment called “Hardwired for Story.” The video talked about how the brain secretes chemicals like oxytocin and cortisol when listening to a good story. Those chemicals make you feel stress and sympathy for the character. Also, the listener's brain mirrors the teller’s brain. Another thing that we learned that really helped to improve my writing was an article called “Show, Don’t Tell - Chuck Palahniuk.” This article was about not using “thought” verbs such as realized, wondered, remembered, or even things like hated, and loved. It is better to show that the character feels something or remembers something through their actions and internal monologues. This article helped me a lot because I never realized how boring it made my writing when I “told” and didn't “show.” Writing about an event that was important to me transformed the moment because I was going so in depth with it and trying to make it as detailed as possible. Working on this project and having so much time and resources to refine it has also improved my writing a great deal.
One thing that was very difficult for me was making my writing only one page. I wanted to go into detail with everything and make the setting stand out, but also have good dialogue and a good climax. It was very difficult to put all that in one page. I had to pick and choose what to go into detail with and what was irrelevant and should be deleted to make space for things that made my writing better. One thing that I would like to change about my story is the ending. At the end everything was coming together and the character was nervous, about to participate in the big event that the whole story was building up to. Then everything went smoothly. The fact that everything went smoothly for the character at the end wasn’t the problem. I feel like I rushed through the end because there wasn't much detail about the dolphin and I feel like the last paragraph moved too quickly. This could have been because of the one page limit because I didn’t want to take away detail from the rest of the story just to add on to the end. Despite my worries, I think that this project has taught me a lot in the way of being a good writer.
During this project I grew as a writer, and as a person. I learned how to make a good story that people could connect with. I have much more practicing and learning to do before I become a good writer, but now that I have the tools, I know how to improve. I went in depth with a moment in my past that is important to me and I learned many things about it, such as how to tell it in a way that makes my readers feel as I had felt when I was living the event. In order to do that I had to deeply asses my own feelings about it. I think that this project has changed the way I see storytelling and my writing for the better.
Moment in time story
It was a warm, tropical day in the Bahamas. Yellow sunlight was shining through the window of my room in Atlantis. It woke me with a warmth that enveloped my face. Turning my head the other way on my pillow so as to not be blinded by the early morning light, I cracked open my eyelids. “I can’t wait to get down to the beach,” I thought lazily as my brain struggled to reboot.
Once my body was sufficiently alert, my legs swung over the edge of the bed and walked me to the glass doors a few feet away. The door was slid open and I sat in a padded chair on the balcony. The heat of the day after cold air conditioning gave my skin pleasant shivers. I looked at the beach below with its crystal clear, teal waters crashing lazily against white sands. “I wish I could stay here forever.” My thoughts wandered until they came upon one that filled my stomach with excited flutters. I would get to swim with a dolphin today! I looked at the time on my phone and decided that it was okay to be a little early to the “Dolphin Cove,” so I hopped out of the chair and started getting dressed. I said goodbye to my grandmother and rushed out the door. I could hardly wait, but in an effort to not be painfully early, I slowed my pace.
I wandered through the open air, castle-by-the-sea styled halls of the resort as anticipation created images throughout my imagination. In my head, I swam in circles with the dolphin and held its fin, speeding through cool water. Although I was beyond happy to get this chance, I was also nervous. What if i tripped and made a fool of myself on the way to the water, or worse; what if the dolphin didn't like me?
Being lost in thought, I almost ran into the doors of the dolphin cove ticket desk area. I tried to stop but ended up tripping myself right into the door anyway. “Oh god, everyone's staring at me.” I pushed open the doors with a red face and headed straight out onto the beach. Digging my toes into the soft sand, I walked up to the person who appeared to be the trainer. “There are wet suits in the locker room,” he said when I awkwardly told him that I was here for the dolphins. “Go find your size and join the group in the water”. He pointed to a small, square building just to the the right of the main path. I went to it, found a wet suit and wriggled into it, pulling the tight, suffocating fabric over my legs and torso.
My arms flailed around feeling for the zipper at the top of my back and, after much struggle, I waddled out onto the beach, trying to make my movements as normal looking as possible. I found a spot in the line of people listening to the trainer talk about how to handle the dolphins. The man next to me looked over and, in a thick Australian accent, said “First time here?” I nodded politely.
Turning my head out towards the water where the trainer was standing, I heard him tell us to make our way into the water. When we were waist deep, he took out a whistle and blew making a noise that sent splashes through the water; a dolphin had been called and was swiftly making its way toward us. This was it. As it surfaced my face lit up in a wide smile. The trainer introduced the dolphin as Alexa and as he said her name she stuck her fin out of the water and waved. There was a chorus of giggles from the group. When it came time for my turn, I hesitantly strode forward through the water. Now that the time had come, all my worries were dissipating. Reaching my hand into the bucket, I took out a fish and held out my palm. She took it gently and overwhelmed with the beauty of the creature, I reached out my hand and touched her silky, rubber-like skin. Alexa almost seemed to smile. In that moment, with this amazing animal looking at me through intelligent eyes, I knew that this is what I wanted my life to be like. In that moment I knew that my life would be complete caring for creatures of the sea and keeping the oceans as shiningly beautiful as they have always been.
Once my body was sufficiently alert, my legs swung over the edge of the bed and walked me to the glass doors a few feet away. The door was slid open and I sat in a padded chair on the balcony. The heat of the day after cold air conditioning gave my skin pleasant shivers. I looked at the beach below with its crystal clear, teal waters crashing lazily against white sands. “I wish I could stay here forever.” My thoughts wandered until they came upon one that filled my stomach with excited flutters. I would get to swim with a dolphin today! I looked at the time on my phone and decided that it was okay to be a little early to the “Dolphin Cove,” so I hopped out of the chair and started getting dressed. I said goodbye to my grandmother and rushed out the door. I could hardly wait, but in an effort to not be painfully early, I slowed my pace.
I wandered through the open air, castle-by-the-sea styled halls of the resort as anticipation created images throughout my imagination. In my head, I swam in circles with the dolphin and held its fin, speeding through cool water. Although I was beyond happy to get this chance, I was also nervous. What if i tripped and made a fool of myself on the way to the water, or worse; what if the dolphin didn't like me?
Being lost in thought, I almost ran into the doors of the dolphin cove ticket desk area. I tried to stop but ended up tripping myself right into the door anyway. “Oh god, everyone's staring at me.” I pushed open the doors with a red face and headed straight out onto the beach. Digging my toes into the soft sand, I walked up to the person who appeared to be the trainer. “There are wet suits in the locker room,” he said when I awkwardly told him that I was here for the dolphins. “Go find your size and join the group in the water”. He pointed to a small, square building just to the the right of the main path. I went to it, found a wet suit and wriggled into it, pulling the tight, suffocating fabric over my legs and torso.
My arms flailed around feeling for the zipper at the top of my back and, after much struggle, I waddled out onto the beach, trying to make my movements as normal looking as possible. I found a spot in the line of people listening to the trainer talk about how to handle the dolphins. The man next to me looked over and, in a thick Australian accent, said “First time here?” I nodded politely.
Turning my head out towards the water where the trainer was standing, I heard him tell us to make our way into the water. When we were waist deep, he took out a whistle and blew making a noise that sent splashes through the water; a dolphin had been called and was swiftly making its way toward us. This was it. As it surfaced my face lit up in a wide smile. The trainer introduced the dolphin as Alexa and as he said her name she stuck her fin out of the water and waved. There was a chorus of giggles from the group. When it came time for my turn, I hesitantly strode forward through the water. Now that the time had come, all my worries were dissipating. Reaching my hand into the bucket, I took out a fish and held out my palm. She took it gently and overwhelmed with the beauty of the creature, I reached out my hand and touched her silky, rubber-like skin. Alexa almost seemed to smile. In that moment, with this amazing animal looking at me through intelligent eyes, I knew that this is what I wanted my life to be like. In that moment I knew that my life would be complete caring for creatures of the sea and keeping the oceans as shiningly beautiful as they have always been.