Journal 3

This reading was one like I've never read before. The writing is definately serious, but the writer adds in alot of dark humor. Things alot of people wouldn't think is funny, but it's still visible. She's being serious, but she's also trying to be funny. She portrays the insane writer cliche well in this story. The narrarator always talks about blowing people up, and thats kind of wierd. Her thoughts are literally all over the place, I don't even know where some of them came from. For instance, the part about "Seventh Heaven". That was completely random. I would be lost without plot. I don't think I could write without one. The whole concept of five paragraph essays doesn't even cross my mind. Her writing definately fit the stereotype of a mad writer, in my opinion. There are alot of stereotypes in todays world. People tend to place me as a meathead and rude. This definately isn't true, but that just goes to show how stereotypes can be extremely of basis sometimes.

Journal 3

I think that Moore's article is mostly serious, but throws in a bit of humor to make the reader more comfortable. The idea of an insane writer is cliche, but i don't think this article portrayed that as well as some others have. It seems more like Moore has an active imagination and an attention to detail. She feels that some things are important in her story that the reader may find to be pointless, but they probably have some meaning to her. A sense of plot means that the character is developing and going somewhere in the story. Moore's characters seem to blow up before they can be developed. I think that the five-paragraph writing style is overrated. Even though every writing teacher tried to make us use this format, artistic visions dont always come out into five neat little paragraphs. It stifles the creativity and the individuality of the writer. The most memorable essays to me have been things that have content that makes you think, makes you informed, makes you wonder. The concept of the five paragraph essay doesnt even register as anything important when i read essays.

Journal 3

Wow. I would say it is rather humorous, and Moore is really trying to get us to enter her crazy mind. I think her main goal here is the sarcasm of playing along with certain stereotypes of writers in general and how it really is kind of boring to deal with the common questions.

I am naturally a pretty goofy person and I enjoy making people laugh. Most people would probably say that I am immature and maybe a little childish, but to argue that I can say that well maybe life is too serious in general and someone has to make it interesting. Sometimes I feel that my life also has no plot, there is no great conflict or a rise and fall of a hero, there is no real point or lesson that can be taken from my life. I do think however, and just like Moore’s passages, that this isn’t really a bad thing at all. Ultimately my life is a story and there are parts that will make you laugh and parts that will make you cry, however I think that most would say, “Ok what was the point to this?” my reply would be “Yea but I made you laugh”. For that x amount of time I stole that person’s emotion and controlled it the way I wanted to and the entertainment of the story is the most important part.

Speaking towards the whole five-paragraph essay is a touchy subject for me. My whole life has been based on the quality of a five-paragraph essay. A very awkward and strict way to present thoughts and really took all the personality out of everything I wrote so naturally I was terrible at it. I have read a lot of essays and the only ones I like are a lot like the ones we have been reading. Kooky and humorous little personal essays that make me say, ”Oh hey, that’s exactly how I feel” They are often quite lax and follow no real written template like the five paragraph set up. 

Journal 3

I’ve always felt that the best type of reading is one that embodies a balance of humor and seriousness. For me the two work hand in hand to deliver a writing style that not only makes me laugh, but gives insight to the message the author is trying to convey.
Moore’s article “How to Become a Writer” makes you laugh as you read about Francie’s attempt at becoming a writer. Although some might view Moore as an “insane writer” I beg to differ. I don’t find her style to be insane in anyway. The flow of her writing is much like a stream of consciousness, and she seems to write every thought that comes to mind even if that means a short brief statement. It allows me to look into her mine and get a grasp of where she is coming from. I personally like the style Moore uses.
I don’t feel that there is anything wrong with writing in a five paragraph format; however I do feel it is a little drawn out. We have all been told to simple format of a five paragraph paper, and I choose not to use it. I write what I feel needs to be written, and I think following a format buts a limit on the ability of a person to write will all the creative juices they have. Write as the thoughts come, not as the format goes.

journal 3

I found the tone to be very humurous and light-hearted. However, it did have a few instances that suggested an underlying or parallel tone that was quite serious. I don't find the term "insane writer" altogether "cliche" because historically, many great writers did have mental ailments. The only question being wether being such a skilled artist had in turn caused them to become "insane" or if being "insane" is what made them such a great writer in the first place.
"Highly opinionated" and "insane" have a fine line between them in my opinion, so considering that a lot of writers have very unique opinions, it's easy to see why people categorize them as crazy people, writers have to take this critisism because they are "going against the grain" with their writings and are easily misinterpreted by the mainstream brain-washed population. The stereotypes that i handed out in high-school included "clueless" and "over-simplified" characters of people that i considered to have missed out on the big picture and had essentially taken their constraints of the definition of self right off the television set. I think that plot is certainly needed in arguementative essays and reviews or any other informative paper or essay. Plot is the sense of direction or purpose for an essay and helps the reader and the writer to stay on topic much easier. This is why i think plot is not always needed in creative writing. When the intentions of a paper are undefined or when the paper has no purpose it has no need for a plot, the plot or purpose of the story is solely created by the reader and is different to every individual. An example being the film Napolean Dynamite, in which napolean is "out to prove he has nothing to prove" the movie has basically no plot to it at all yet was still a popular flick because it could mean anything to viewers. So in writing I think a paper without a plot can still be interesting or entertaining,but it can have no pre-set purpose or cause. So in other words, if you have anything specific to say or prove you definately need a plot. I think the five-paragraph style that i am all to familiar with does restrict creative thinking, how much can you really say with that perimeter on elaboration? Not much, i think that style tends to instruct writers to make bland conclusions and avoid more complex ones. It is a great style for simple topics and short writing prompts but leaves too much unwritten in most cases. It also creates verbose essays when a writer has perhaps only one strong arguement and really only needs three paragraphs to show his or her point of view. I am familiar with this style of writing but I never really took a liking to it.

Journal 3

In my opinion, Moore’s essay is definitely humorous, with a serious undertone. She uses funny anecdotes to describe her take on the stereotypical writer and the process of becoming a writer. I don’t think her article is a common misconception of writers, but a narrative that takes some assumed things about writers and magnifies them. I feel like every writer, in one way or another, could relate to the feelings and experiences of Francie. A plot is what everything in the story contributes to, a focus, and a direction. I think a plot could be useful for getting a particular point across, but not a necessity for story to be considered ‘good.’ For some things, not everything, a five-paragraph essay is problematic. It restricts the writer from being creative and maybe completely expressing himself. I’m not really used to using a five-paragraph format, I’ve usually been told to use a format I felt for the assignment.

Journal 3

I found the selected reading to be very lighthearted and humorous. The essay kept me engaged throughout and interested in which vivid imagery i would be exposed to next. The "crazy writer" is a very cliche idea and i think that the author does a good job of poking fun at the misconception. I did find myself scanning the essay looking for something that I had possibly missed. This was because of the lack of organization of the essay. It was simply one very vivid image after another. This leads to the author's point about a lack of plot. I truly think that some plot is absolutely necessary in any good writing. It keeps the reader engaged and focused on the writing. It also helps the author persuade or convince the reader of something. I do believe that for college students, the 5 paragraph essay is dead. It is simply to rigid and constricting to allow for a creatively worded essay.

Journal 3

Moore’s attitude in the article “How to become a Writer” in my opinion is very humorous. Everything she says has some sort of sarcastic remark to it and she most likely means everything she says. The idea of an insane writer is not a cliché because as you can tell in this article Moore is defiantly an insane writer. But when writers really do express their feeling and it comes out like that it is actually really fun to read. Her article shows really only her writing process and should not be assumed for all writers. Some common stereotypes that people assume about me is that because I am blonde, they think im airheaded and stupid. This might be true sometimes when I have “blonde moment” but I am in fact not stupid. People like Jessica Simpson have ruined the image for all blondes and should not be taken. Plots in a story are very important to keep the reader interested and to have them be entertained. If the story skips around the reader will become very confused and most likely not read the story. I like writing 5 paragraph essays because I feel like it is structured and easier to flow. Also I feel like I can come to the point of the paper easier when using 5 paragraphs.

Journal Three

Lorrie Moore is a crazy writer. However, I find that to be a good thing. What she is talking about is a pretty serious matter. However, she cushions the serious tone of her paper with jokes and comedic twist. It makes the essay a lot easier to read and doesn’t make it feel like she giving you some lecture on her evolution of a writer and the critique she has gotten. Her story does sort of fit the clichés of writers. I think that people assume that writers are always crazy and this was demonstrated when people would ask her if she was crazy. People stereotype me in many ways but probably the way I feel most stereotyped is as a New Yorker. Just because I am from New York doesn’t mean that I have a big attitude or just generally mean. I think a plot is very important. It helps keep the paper organized and the reader engaged. If there is no plot than it would be hard for a reader to follow along and essentially gain interest in the essay. I think that five-paragraph essays can be problematic when it comes to creativity. It doesn’t really allow you to just write as you feel but instead to write in a routine. It helps young kids understand writing technique but for someone who is older it is important to step outside your box. This is way my favorite essays that I have written are when the teacher allows us to write for however long in however setting. It really allows one to increase creativity.

Journal 3

I think that the article is more humorous than serious, but there is some seriousness also. I think that she uses humor to deal with the situations she's faced with. Every story she wrote and showed to others was labeled as without having a plot, but I think that that's what made her technique unique, and most people thought her stories were bad. I personally think that a plot is needed in most cases to help you stay focused on your topic. In my opinion a five paragraph essay is problematic. I am used to writing five paragraph essays because that is how I was taught to write all throughout school. Now I'm starting to stray away from that, but I feel that writing five paragraphs was easy because it was so easy to plan, and then from there you just write. I really enjoyed reading this story because she's not like every other writer, she feels that writing with no plot works best for her. This story lets me know that it's okay to be different and not be like everyone else and it's good to be unique.

Journal 3

Lorrie Moore’s article has a serious tone with flashes of humor here and there to lighten it up every once and a while. The idea of an “insane writer” is a cliché because a person doesn’t have to be crazy or home all the time to be a writer, they can lead normal lives like the rest of us. I guess as a surfer people would stereotype me as a person who would probably smoke pot all day and do nothing with my life other than hang out at the beach. Every group has at least one stereotype against them. For example, I am Cuban and whenever I tell someone that, they want me to quote Scarface like that is how I talk. As far as plot goes, when I write I find it important because if not I would get lost and way too off topic, but I feel some of the best writing occurs when no plot is involved. A plot is basically the storyline which a writer follows and develops along the course of the writing. I am used to writing papers in the five-paragraph format and find it better to write that way because you have a very organized paper with an introduction, three main points, and a conclusion. If I am reading something informative then I would prefer a five-paragraph essay because I know where to look for the information and how the essay would be organized. When reading for enjoyment, a five-paragraph essay would not be my first choice that’s for sure.

Journal 3

Moore's article has a more serious tone to it although humor is used in points to clarify how tough it was when she started writing. Lorrie uses to humor to lighten up situations that were very tough and sad in Francie's life. Writing was her life, although everyone around her thought she should try something else. They said she had no plot, which is basically the backbone of your writing, and since they didn't see an evident plot they took it as bad writing technique and criticized her. Her story is a common cliche' of writers. People take writers as loners who sit in their rooms all day and do nothing but write about strange occurrences and weird stories. I have been stereotyped as the typical jock who is dumber then everyone and has no concept of reality, but this is untrue. I am used to the five paragraph essay. I think it is more strenuous and can lead to a worse paper if you use this format, because as a paper increases, paragraphs weaken and loose main points. This is why when i write i try to stick to a three paragraph style. I think this story is very inspiring to people who have been told they are terrible writers, because if you stick it out you can be successful.

JOURNAL 3

I think Moore's article is serious, but tries to make it funny. When she uses examples like shoving the forks in the fork drawer and start dating someone who is funny, she doesn't mean to actually do those things but do put yourself in other "shoes." She wants to show her point through these some what humorous examples while still proving the message of having a persona, when the author writes. Moore repeatively says there is "no sense of plot." I disagree with the statement. When reading, I think it is easier if the author has a plot and a foundation for the writing. It helps to direct the rest of the story line and stay on the same track. I've always used a plot, so I guess that's all I've learned when writing. I'm used to having a plot and having a five-paragraph format. I like having that because it gives a structure to go off of. However, a five paragraph essay with an introduction and outro could limit the detail and specifics of the subject someone is writing about. In general I like writing essays on personal experiences and stories. I find it easier to write on something personal compared to a prompt you have to analyze and interpret.

Journal 3

Read and respond to Lorrie Moore’s “How to Become a Writer.” Is Moore’s article humorous or serious? Is the idea of an “insane writer” a cliché? Is her article a common misconception of writers? What are some common stereotypes you have or that people have about you? Moore continually repeats that her character has “no sense of plot.” What is a plot and do you need it? Also, is a five-paragraph essay problematic? Are you used to writing papers in a five-paragraph format? Think of essays that you like and why you find them memorable and not.