Elementary/Junior High School
All throughout my schooling, education has been my number one priority. In elementary school, I started getting straight A's and continued to do so until 8th grade. When I'm not dealing with school-related activities, I like to listen to music and I would write my own lyrics to popular songs that came on the radio.I was also the Mistress of Ceremonies for concerts that the music department held. This also involved me writing and proofreading dialogue and the order of events for the Chorus and Band concert programs. With this experience, I was able to transition into writing for audiences.
High School
Since I focused a lot on my schoolwork, my social life was at a standstill. To overcome this issue, I started playing sports. With playing sports, I had to manage my time more wisely. It was hard to write papers when I was thinking about the next game I was about to play. The good thing about playing sports was that they put the pressure on me to complete my schoolwork'; it prevented me from procrastinating. It was especially hard to procrastinate with 10 page papers due and several essay preparation for my Advanced Placement classes in almost every class period. Even though it was hard at first, the more I wrote, the easier it became and the more I was able to compile my thoughts into a work or art.
Miscellaneous
Since I had a lot of stress and pressure on me, I would get into my feelings sometimes. To deal with that, I listen to music and I would write down my feelings into a poem, spoken word, or in the form of a song. I felt like this was helping me to relieve myself of stress and it helped me as a writer because I learned how be vivid in my description as well as my rhetoric. But all of my hard work has paid off because I was the Salutatorian of my graduating class. With being Salutatorian, I had to write an introduction and a speech to read at graduation. This challenged me as a writer and as a student because this is the time that I used all of the things I learned throughout school and in English class into one work.
Writing Timeline
How did you get started writing?
I got started writing mostly through school. I really don't like to write unless it is recreational writing such as writing my feelings down in a poem or spoken word or in a daily journal about the things that I did during the day. If I write, it's only because I'm writing for a purpose. I don't like to write because I want to but only because I have to.
Look over your timeline and determine your favorite environment for writing. What materials do you need? When do you write? What conditions help you do your writing?
My favorite environment to write is in a private area whether it is in my bedroom or in a quiet room. Sometimes I write whenever I am going through a tough time in my life or if I experience something that I would like to document without actually "writing" it out.Whenever I do decide to write, I always, and this is a must, have my iPod with me. I love music so whenever I am writing, I may have a beat or a certain song that inspires me to write. As far as writing for school assignments, I prefer a library or a classroom. I still have to have my music or I will hum the music in my head. It helps me block outside noises and distractions.
Who most influenced you as a writer now? How did this person (these people) affect you?
The person that influenced me as a writer the most was my A.P. English Literature and Composition teacher, Ms. Woods. She pushed me and my writing further than i thought it could go. Every time I thought I was done writing, she always would ask me this same question over and over again, "Why is this important?" hearing this question made me think critically and influenced me to write more on the subject.
What generalizations or discoveries can you make that might apply to other writers?
Most writers have a place where they like to write and things that make themselves comfortable while they write. Also,most writers have someone who has influenced their writing or helped them to be a better writer.
My favorite environment to write is in a private area whether it is in my bedroom or in a quiet room. Sometimes I write whenever I am going through a tough time in my life or if I experience something that I would like to document without actually "writing" it out.Whenever I do decide to write, I always, and this is a must, have my iPod with me. I love music so whenever I am writing, I may have a beat or a certain song that inspires me to write. As far as writing for school assignments, I prefer a library or a classroom. I still have to have my music or I will hum the music in my head. It helps me block outside noises and distractions.
Who most influenced you as a writer now? How did this person (these people) affect you?
The person that influenced me as a writer the most was my A.P. English Literature and Composition teacher, Ms. Woods. She pushed me and my writing further than i thought it could go. Every time I thought I was done writing, she always would ask me this same question over and over again, "Why is this important?" hearing this question made me think critically and influenced me to write more on the subject.
What generalizations or discoveries can you make that might apply to other writers?
Most writers have a place where they like to write and things that make themselves comfortable while they write. Also,most writers have someone who has influenced their writing or helped them to be a better writer.
Schooling Trajectory
What did you discover about your path through school?
As I progressed throughout my schooling, I have discovered that I am really good at retaining information if I am demonstrating the techniques used to do such activity. I learn by doing and by visually seeing the processes.
Who, if anyone, affected you on your path?
I think that my parents have greatly impacted my path through school up until now. They have always encouraged me to do well in school and it soon became my own will to do so as well.
Who most influenced you? How did this person (these people) affect you?
My parents have influenced me, but my mother had the most influence. They would give incentives and when it became a habit for me to do well, the incentives were not as pressing because it turned into something that I should do whether I was being rewarded or not.
What generalizations or discoveries can you make?
My support system is my parents and if I have determination and drive then I can succeed in anything that I put my mind to.
Dominica, your writing timeline and schooling trajectory reflection is awesome! I am intrigued by the different influences you have had in your life thus far. First off, your use of extracurricular activities to motivate you is something that I can relate to dearly. I played varsity basketball in high school and I understand the commitment you have to make daily. Next, your ability to take obstacles and adversities and turn them into stories for the reader to enjoy and reflect on is amazing. Lastly, I enjoyed reading your reflection because I feel that it really related to my life prior to coming into college, well written Dominica!
ReplyDeleteDominica, your writing timeline and schooling timeline were very interesting. It is interesting that school is actually the thing that had a big influence on your writing. It is cool that a teacher had a big influence on your writing, for me it was someone in my personal life. There were some influential teachers that I had, but more significantly in my personal life. Maybe this was the same for you, both teachers and someone from your personal life. I totally understand you with the busy schedule and learning to manage your time more wisely. I have had the same obstacles, however, I have never used writing as a relief from my busy life. Your timeline definitely made me think about writing a little differently.
ReplyDeleteDominica, through this post I was able to learn about your dedication to your school work, which I found to be really impressive. I completely understand where you are coming from when you mention balancing school with extracurricular activities. Through high school I was very involved in my school's theatre department which required me to run three hour rehearsals every day after school. I often found myself up to awful hours of the morning writing papers. I can also relate to your love for music, and how much it inspires you. Music is a great way to relieve stress and calm yourself. I have enjoyed reading through your growth as a writer and as a person.
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