Journal Entry 12 - Telling A Story

First of all, making a good story must contains some fundamental and significant materials. First, a theme is important because it is something that story tries to tell us. Second, plot is often about a conflict or struggle that the main character goes through. Third, a story also needs characters to vivify the tale. Fourth, setting helps the author define a place and a time of the story. Fifth, style and tone, the way an author describes or tells his/her story. Last, a good story must need a good structure. Otherwise it will be difficult for readers to understand because it is unformatted.

There are many kinds of story; it will be hard to label every single of them out. However, few types of story are well known to everyone. For instance, there are science fiction, documentary, tragedy, comedy, suspense, etc. Comedy and suspense are the two kinds of story that I like the most, because when I felt depressed, comedy will be the most effective remedy to treat. Also, laugh is always a good thing for people’s health. The reason that I like suspense story is whenever I read that kind of story. I would be eager to flip the page in order to discover what happen next. Suspense story usually dig out one’s curiosity. Therefore, one will anxious to know how the story goes or ends.

Although I know it will not be an easy task to create a suspense story, I probably will still try to write a suspense story. The reason for creating a suspense story is simple, I also want to induce the readers to read my story and make them want to know how it goes and ends desirably like other authors did.

Journal Entry 11 - Worlds In Fiction

            The worlds that exist in fiction are often imaginary. People conceive the world that appears totally different from the reality in fictions. This kind of idea I think, however, can alter the unfairness or unsatisfactory that people refused to face. For instance, Sir Thomas More’s Utopia, which is a fictional island described in the Atlantic Ocean. Also, it is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system.  Moreover, one of the most popular novels in the world, Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling is another example. I think magic is one of the powers that people eager to obtain, yet it cannot be acquire in reality. Nevertheless, anything can be possible in fiction. That is also why I believe that people create the world they want in order to satisfy their desires in reality. 

            Actually, I do know an interesting world. The idea was came from the cartoon “Mickey Mouse”. One day, Mickey and Minnie went to picnic, but they accidently fell into a valley. When they woke up, the found out they were in a world that they never seen before. Everything in that world is totally opposite to the reality. For example, they don’t need to pay money when they buy things. In fact, sellers need to pay them cash in order let them purchase. I found this quite interesting, because everything we are familiar is totally opposite.

            There are two things came to my mind when I saw “Worlds we don’t know”. First thing is worlds we don’t know probably can be describing cultures. If we discovered a group of people lives differently, that can also be called as a world we don’t know. The second thing is probably alien’s world. We usually understand things about them from science fiction or movies. Yet, those things are imaginary. How can we tell whether they are exist or not?  Although no one has the correct answer for this, I believe that there must be worlds that we don’t know exist. Perhaps people from there will visit us someday.

Journal Entry 10 - Know Thyself

When you ask a person “Do you know yourself?” Some people might reply with they know or they don’t know. But, the question is asking what is the real “you”? I need to admit that although I understand my personalities, I do not understand what is the real me. Take the example that Mr. McCool gave us in class today, when a devastating disaster is coming. Will I be the one crying and calling mommy? Or I will guilefully using other people to save my life? Honestly, I don’t know the answer and I haven’t discovered the real characteristics, which is hide deeply inside me. However, I strongly agree with Mr. McCool’s example. I believed that only when people under critical circumstances or situation; their real identity will reveal.

Although I cannot elaborate on my real personalities, I can describe my individuality from what I’ve known. Sometimes, I might seem humor, generous, and easygoing. In fact, that is just the outside layer of me, which I used it to protect me from others. My real characteristics only expose in front of the people I am familiar with. For instance, I am a sensitive person. I have used to be joked about my weight. Yet, I only acted indifferently in front of those people. When I think about it alone, I actually felt sad and hurt. In addition, I believe that everyone must have his or her outside and inside personalities. When you meet this kind of people, you only see their outside first. But, gradually, when you get along with them a long time; you will then find out their personalities might actually different from what you imagine originally.

Journal Entry 9 - Nobody Like You

Everyone has a different life, and everyone learn every single day as he/she lives. Therefore, I believe that when people are old, their memories often contain many things. For instance, their memories have family, friends, different experience, and special events, etc.  Moreover, there will not be another person has the same memories to them. Take my grandparents as an example; they lived through the era when Japan ruled Taiwan. Although I can understand that period of history from school textbooks or Internet, I will never comprehend the real experience they have been through. I will not be able to understand how Japanese treat Taiwanese and what kind of policy Japan Government issued. So, that is why there will be no one has the same memories to my grandparents.

            Nevertheless, a person doesn’t have to be old to be unique. Why? The reason is that everyone is already unique. A person cannot find another person that is exactly the same as that of person; I believe even clone can still have slightly difference. As for me, I have a lot of memories that others cannot replace. The most individual I got will be the memories with my family. My family and I have the connections and relationships that are irreplaceable. That is also why I really cherish the memory with my family.

Journal Entry 8 - What Comes Next

“The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next”. I think it is correct, and it is what we are feeling now. Everyone has a different life. However, we do not have the ability to predict the future. We never know what will happen tomorrow. That’s exactly what Ursula K. LeGuin meant, our lives are vivid and colorful only because we cannot choose the path we want to go. So, uncertainty is what life contains.

In my life, I would prefer uncertainty. Why? I saw a movie called “Next”. In this movie, the protagonist is called Chris Jonson. He can foresee two minutes of future. This ability might sounds excellent in the beginning. Yet, imagine you are watching a movie, you can always know the end two minutes before others. Then, what is the point to watch the movies with friends? You won’t be able to impress by the movie at the same time with you friends, and then the whole entertainment will disappear.

The reason I chose uncertainty is that this is the only way to enjoy my life. Even though I cannot forecast what is going to happen in my life, and everything happened will be unexpected. Nevertheless, I can enjoy the pleasant amazement of my life. In addition, if I chose certainty. I will be able to foresee the day I die. Then, that will be pointless to keep living, because I will be worried about that date every single day in the rest of my life.

Journal Entry 7 - Last Thoughts

First of all, my mother gave an influential lesson. By writing this essay, I can recall the memorable experience, which changed a huge portion of my life. “Attitude decides everything” this may be a common sentence for everyone. However, when I was writing this article, I suddenly found that this single sentence is still deeply rooted in my mind. In fact, I am still holding this attitude toward anything I faced and had difficult with since she gave me this lesson. I strongly believe that this is the most significant lesson in my whole life so far; that is also why I not only categorize her as my mother but also a life teacher.

           Basically, the easiest aspect to write in this essay is describing the lesson, because I will remember it forever. It is powerful enough to made me realized that I was wrong and felt guilty about the things I’ve done.  In contrast, the most difficult aspect to write in this essay probably is describing my mother. Although on the surface she looks like a generous and easygoing person, beneath this facade, her potential personalities actually revealed her diligent and persistent attitudes toward everything she encounters. These are the personalities I admired profoundly.

Journal Entry 6 - Helping The Reader

A writer writes novel, biography, progress report, and other kinds of literature works. Therefore, a writer usually describes tone, mood, and emotions in his or her works. Thus, readers can receive the messages that a writer conveys from the articles. However, it is significant for a writer to understand and analyze the readers’ point of views. For instance, if a writer records his or her personal experience in the writings, it is simple for the writer to describe the emotions and impressions in the experience; nevertheless, can the readers interpret the potential images that described by writers? I believe that must be difficult to for them if the writers did not stand on reader’s viewpoint.  A writer should comprehend readers’ viewpoint in order to convey reasonable messages.

             The relationship between the writer and personal narrative must be closely related, because it is a personal experience, so the material inside the personal narrative must extract from the writer’s memories. Yet, the relationship to the reader might be aloof, and the reason is the readers only try to analyze the real meaning of the articles, so it is difficult for them to tight with the materials. To sum up, to understand the reader’s point of view is essential for a writer, because it will affects the real meanings that presented in the literatures.