Metacognition Take Two: Jane Eyre Writing Assignment

The Jane Eyre writing assignment was different, which simply meant there were some good things and bad, we wouldn’t have otherwise run into.
One thing that we should not have tried to do is complete 90% of the project the entire Wednesday we did not have school. It was one of the few options because of everyone’s schedule, but it did not make us very efficient when we tried to work. I thought it was nice, our method, because we alternated who typed on the computer, which may or may not have helped writers block. The third person (because we only had two laptops available) would overlook the others’ work, and help look for useful quotes and their page numbers. We had multiple quotes from what Mitchell and I found the Friday in lab we were given to work, but once we started writing, we realized there were certain quotes that would fit perfectly that we remembered. That really surprised me actually, that after awhile, this dialogue started writing itself in a way. It started out broad enough, each of us in our group not sure what we were planning on saying; however, we soon found we developed characters that had their own opinions and responses.
Over all I thought this project was an interesting change of pace from the drab old essays. Especially in a group project, it allowed different writers with different voices, produce a coherent piece. My writing sounds different from both Mitchell and Stephanie, which may mean I could write more Charlotte lines, while they wrote Jane and the Acadakid. This made it much easier to have equally divided work, come together as one, as opposed to one essay with three different writing styles alternating every two or so lines. The down side versus the alternative was the ending was much more difficult. The only way we end discussion in class in my mind, is when Mr.Allen is calling for the north kids to catch the bus. We couldn’t end like that, but we couldn’t end with a sappy cliché. That would have ruined all our work. We did our best to give some closure, while not allowing each character to lose their belief. I would have liked how to go over that part a little more during class, but in the end, it’s done and I’m pleased enough with it.

Metacognition: Short Stories

Beginning, Middle, End. What every short story, or even stories in general, require. Even my most beloved television show about nothing, Seinfeld, has a plot behind every story, a twist or absurdity from generic day to day life. My fear is this is what I’m lacking. I wanted to capture the awkwardness of life situations, such as an elevator ride, and provide just an alternative view on the emotions everyone feels. I find beauty in the stories that can suspend the readers predispositions; my attempt was to force the readers to not judge people, acknowledge the pain certain characters can feel, evoke empathy. I was involved in trying to create characters that I didn’t let any outside harm touch them. My story is stuck without much evolving pressure or situation to throw them off course, and frankly, I’m not sure how to do this to them at this point. What I would like, is to be able to not cling to what I have written. Where it stands for whatever reason I cannot open it up to be susceptible to an event. I’m surprised I would be so attached to certain aspects considering I do not like my story. I know the only way I will like it is to allow it to be changed in this way, I’m just in a predicament.