In Thinking About Lamott's Polaroids

     The packet called Polaroids is just as interesting and helpful as Goldberg's book, Writing Down the Bones. The only difference is that Lamott is talking about fiction, not just overall writing or poetry. In this packet, he talks about tips and how to create a fiction story and overall to be a better writer. If someone is having trouble with developing characters, plot and dialogue, this packet is perfect. There are some things I really liked in this set of pages and I thought it was great advice to beginning writers.

     In the beginning, Lamott talks about writing an article on the Special Olympics. He went with great interest, but he didn't know how or what he was going to write about it. Enjoying himself, he took notes all day and had a good time. During the twenty-five yard race, he watched a young girl trying her best to get through it. Once she did, she was stoked that she was able to finish, regardless of how long it took her. This and many other things that happened throughout that day would've been endless details to write, in Lamott's opinion. I think he is right and telling us this story is to show that people who want to write should focus on the event or surroundings that are around them. Everything that's happening can be written into some sort of story or anything, as long as the writer has the right mind or perspective. Something simple that someone else is doing can be written so beautifully, even if they are just reading a book or simply walking across the street.

     Another point that Lamott talked about that I thought was interesting was when he talked about the plot. It was really different reading his advice to not worry about the plot, but worry about the development of the characters. When you get involved with the characters, that creates the plot. I like the quote, "You are not going to be able to give us the plans to the submarine. Life is not a submarine" because in life there are no plans, so in stories, there shouldn't be so much worry or plans in the plot. With any type of story development, you must be patient. Once you are able to see the capability of the characters, you can take more action in developing the plot. He also said that your dreams, or in this case your work, mus be vivid and continuous. The material has got to work on its own, You have to roll with it. It will go smoothly with time. Beginning writers, especially me, have a hard time feeling like the plot is not good enough, or are impatient with how good the story will be. You just have to be patient and everything will fall into place.
    This packet is truly helpful when it comes to the ultimate worries of "Will my story be any good?" Reading this overall helps with letting you calm down and give tips on how to develop stories really well. Characters are the most important thing. They are the parts that reel readers in the story, and what makes the story pleasurable and unique. If a writer needs insight on how to write a story, this packet is perfect. With this, I feel that this packet boosted my confidence in writing, and I hope others felt the same way too.

The Message from "Morning News"

     As we go into the fiction part in class, we are reading the first fiction packet. In this packet, there are a few very interesting short stories, but this one was one of my favorites. This short story, Morning News, is by Jerome Stern. The main character, a husband in North Carolina, gets the news that his wife is sick. Her sickness is unknown, but my guesses are cancer, because the language in it seems to be more accurate to this type of sickness than other sicknesses. As he gets the news, he faints, and is automatically picturing the worse. He thinks about what he would do if he was in his wife's shoes; how he would spend his remaining life before he passes. By the end of the story, he and his wife go to a discount warehouse and buys the biggest television set they have. Although the story doesn't give a message or a moral in plain sight, I think it gives a message that we all need to learn.
     Some readers will say that the meaning of this story is to,"Live your life to the fullest," and that can be true. We only have one life and if we spend it not doing things that can give you complete satisfaction, then you'll pass on without knowing what it would've been like. However, I think that this story is telling more than that. When something goes wrong in a person's life, they either mope in their sorrow and will never get over it. Others will try to do everything that they can to fix it, or make the best of the problem. regardless, they waste their time not looking at the big picture. When something goes wrong in our life, we are so quick to fix it or deny it and it falls apart. Our lives are fragile, and one simple mistake can make everything can go wrong. The message I felt from this story was to stop, and breathe. Look at the big picture. Okay, so there is a bump in the road in my life. I can either, go slowly over the bump, or I can go really fast over it. Most people never think about taking a breather on what has thrown onto them. No one ever thinks about going the "middle" speed, or the" middle" position. I think what this story is trying to say is that, "Yes, something like this can happen in our lives, but it takes us to inhale for a second and look at every side of the situation." Realize what is happening, and try to do the best decision possible that would make you happy.
     The husband realizes that he can either rush his wife to do every glorious thing they can think of, or spend his and her life worrying and trying to not over do it. He should see that he should see how she feels about it and do whatever it takes to make her and him happy. He must take a step at a time. However, we may feel in some way that time is running out, so spontaneous things must happen. This is why he still buys the biggest television set in the store. Although there still is time to do things before they get worse, we are humans and we must act on our impulses.
     When it comes to situations like this, people are quick to go to one side or the other. No one ever thinks about the middle. If we start to think about the middle decisions in situations, I think things will go more pleasantly and no one will regret what they did or didn't do. If the husband thinks about what the middle part is in his situation, he might be able to satisfy his and his wife's wants and needs, thus lessening the chances that they will regret anything. Like I said earlier, we only have one life. If we sit back and think about what we can do to help our problems, there will be a better chance to live our lives in a better way.

Thoughts on "On My Mind" from the book Tocqueville

     Throughout the book, Tocqueville, there are a lot of interesting poems to read. Some are cryptic and some are easier to understand, just like other poems from other authors. Many poems are also a combination of this. Some parts you might understand, whereas the rest is a little more difficult to read. I thought one particular poem from this book was like this. It's called "On My Mind."

     This poem gives me two ideas on what it is about. As I read it several times, it seems like he is talking about someone he knows. Someone who had a whole different life than what he remembers long ago. For some reason, I had an idea that he was referring to his mother. However, at the end of the poem he says, "I think her name was Georgia." After I read that, I felt like it couldn't be his mother anymore. Then to think of it, maybe the narrator in the poem is stating the fact that she is so different now, that he no longer knows who she is. Another reason why it could be the mother he is talking about, is because overall the whole poem talks about a women that he loves, but it doesn't seem like an intimate kind of love. Some of the lines can give the idea that his mother was once around to care for him, but since she is consumed by other things, she is not there for him now. He still loves her and wants to care for her, because he might be the only family member she has.

     Another idea of what could be the meaning of this poem is that the narrator may be talking about women nowadays in America's society. Overall, the poem kind of creates a stereotypical image of a woman who would maybe considered "White Trash." I actually had the image of the mother from the movie Matilda, pop into my head while I read the poem. It seems like the language is saying that long ago she, or women, were not like this. As if maybe because some of the habits that we have in society have made a big impact on what we do or look like. For example, the lady in the story smokes a carton a day. This habit is unhealthy and could of changed the woman in a small way. She is so consumed into smoking, or other habits, that she could lose a part of who she was before all of this. Things like this can change people, making seem like they are not who they used to be anymore. Like how a drug addict can change their personality by using harsh drugs and will eventually lose everything good around them. Maybe with some of the choices we made as a society has changed on what we think on certain subjects, making us different to others.
     Overall, this poem is really interesting. It is a combination of a cryptic message and an easy language we can understand. I think to find the real meaning of this poem, besides asking the author himself, is to read piece by piece and try to figure out what each piece means. Poems are puzzles, with enough effort, you are able to make out which pieces or ideas will click and which ones don't. I would be really interested to see if I was right or somewhat right with the background or meaning of this poem.