Journal Entry #2: "What Will You Leave Behind?"

Journal Entry #2: "What Will You Leave Behind?"

Why wait? It’s time to think about what you will leave behind after your time on the "third" rock from the sun is finished. Some people manage to leave a great deal of wealth or a legacy of public service. Others are long remembered for their monumental works of art. A lucky few are long cherished by adoring family and friends. How do you want to be remembered? What will be your reason for being?

I’ve never really thought about what I will leave behind after I die. I’m not entirely sure. There are so many people who have left things behind for which they are remembered. People who have been dead for decades, even centuries, are still studied today for their actions. Personally, I don’t think I will be one of those people. Maybe I’m a little pessimistic, but I don’t know too many people who still have that childhood ambition to be a movie star, or an astronaut. We have all adopted more attainable futures.

That being said, I think I will still be able to leave something behind for which I will be remembered. As it stands now, I would like to be a teacher when I’m older. This may be because my dad is a teacher at Westlane, and my grandfather was a teacher. I’m sure you could name many, if not all of your old teachers, some good, some bad. The point is, you remember them. I would like to be remembered as a good teacher. I have seen a lot of my dad’s former students from years before see him in public, say hi and talk about how great his classes were, and what they’re doing now. I was even out for a coffee the other day and ran into one of his students from last year, talking about how she loved his class, and what a great teacher he was. I would love to be remembered like that. And though my dad is years away from retiring, let alone dying, I doubt that he will be forgotten by these students.

There are other things I would love to be remembered for, such as writing a book. I love writing, and I think it would be great if I was ever able to write a really memorable novel. The problem with that is: how many authors are actually remembered? I know J. R. R. Tolkien, and of course ancient authors such as Homer, but I know few others by name, I only know their books. So I really can’t see this happening.

On a less pessimistic note, in the future I plan on getting married and starting a family. I hope I can be a great parent, grandparent, husband, uncle, and whatever else you can think of. I want to be able to live a happy life, and keep those around me happy. This, along with being remembered in my profession, is what I hope to do.

I may not be able to be that astronaut, or that movie star. I may not be able to write that memorable novel. However, that doesn’t bother me. I want to be remembered as a great person, who made a difference in the lives of those around me. I can’t think of anything more rewarding.

Journal Entry #1: "Write What You Know"

Journal Entry #1: "Write What You Know"

The first rule most writers learn is to write what you know. What do you know? What issues, topics, experiences, and genres do you feel comfortable tackling? What are some topics (etc.) you think you should avoid? What sort of research might you be interested in doing in order to write more effectively?

What do I know? That’s a good question. When it comes to writing, I would consider myself more or less a Jack of all trades. I find that I am able to write many different types of things fairly easily, though whether or not they are well written is up to you. However, the genre I feel most comfortable tackling is fiction. I find that I am easily able to come up with ideas if I am free to write fiction. That being said, I feel comfortable writing about most topics and do not feel like there is any topic I feel uncomfortable writing about, nor do I feel there is one I should necessarily avoid. If I want to become a better writer, I have to learn to write about a variety of topics, and constantly improve in doing so.

At times, I find it hard to get my ideas together, which makes it hard to start writing. However, once I start, I find that I am usually able to keep a continuous flow of ideas, although I still get writer’s block on occasion. As long as I know what I am supposed to be writing about, I should be able to produce good writing. However, I usually find that when I am free to write whatever I want, I am able to produce my best work. I would love to have an assignment where I am basically told "Write x number of pages about whatever you’d like. Tell a story, make a journal, do whatever you want." I could really take advantage of an assignment like that to write something that is very unique. I would be interested in researching the writing styles of various authors, in the hopes that I would be able to develop my own unique style of writing. I would also like to research popular books from various genres, and attempt to read a variety of different books, each with a different style of writing. I enjoy writing, and am really looking forward to this course.