Journal 21: Your Audience

     Why people are crazy about someone or something? The reason might because the person or thing is attractive that is also similar to stories. Some people like romantic story, but some prefer tragedy story. The supporters or fans of a story depend on its type. My story is simple and straight ford, so children who below the age of 10 might be my major audience. The whole characters in my story are children and some activities which are only for them. Teenagers might think that my story is not mature and childish because teenagers tend to read more romantic or deeper level stories than those of children. My audience can be both boys and girls. I do focus on children’s lives. Moreover, I think that teachers probably are parts of my major audience. It is easier for children to learn lessons through stories than to teach lessons from text books. For example, the lesson from “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Seven Little Sheep” is talking about that we can’t let strangers into our horses without parents’ permission. Children can understand the situation quickly and clearly by learning a lesson from a story. Therefore, I think that both children and teachers are the main audience of my story.

 

Journal 20: Putting it All Together

     I like to write a story and create settings, characters, plot elements, and dialogs for my own story. I always enjoy about the story which I made because I put all my creativities and imaginations to the story. However, I am not good at narrowing down a general idea to small details. I think that I haven’t prepared enough to write my story. My setting, characters, and plot elements are good, but I am not sure how to write vivid conversations for my characters. Sometimes when I put conversations into the story, I probably talk too many small details and make the audience feel bored. For example, I would focus on some tiny conversations which are not very important, but I worry that readers might not understand well if I don’t provide enough information. Therefore, I haven’t ready to share my story to other people yet. I create five parts of a plot-exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. I also make some details for each part of the plot. I think that I have idea for every plot, but I don’t know how to connect all of them into a story. The connection should be very clear or readers might get confused.

 

Journal 19: POV

     Everyone has different perspectives and point of views even to the same event. People tend to support the side which they believe and oppose the side which they disagree with. I don’t like to make any comment or judgment on anyone because that is just my own thought. I only share my point of view if it is necessary. Sometimes I don’t want to hurt any side’s view, so I usually stay neutral. It is clear to see my personality that I don’t like conflict. However, I also face some problems with this kind of attitude. For example, I don’t really know what I should do when two of my friends have a conflict. The most memorable one was happened two years ago. (A represent one of my friends and B represents the other one.) They had a conflict because A thought that B should share all her personal things to her because they were close friend. No one should keep any secret from each other. On the other hand, B felt that some personal stuff was able to share with friends but some were not. Both of them complained about each other to me, but I didn’t know I should believe in which side of point. That is why I only provide my point of view if needed.

 

Journal 18: Let's Talk

     Some people say directly what they want to say. On the other hand, some people choose to talk around the subject. The way how I talk to others depends on the subject and people. I can directly talk to the people who I am familiar with. Sometimes I can only talk around the subject to the people who I am not really familiar with because I feel uncomfortable to talk to them. For example, I can share almost everything with my close friends. Our conversations include personal thoughts and some private things. However, the conversations between the people who I am not familiar with are very limited, such as homework stuffs or something which is not personal. There is a short conversation between one of my close friends and me just few days ago. (“A” would represent my friend and “B” would represent I in the following conversation. ) B: “I just skype with a senior, my best friend, from last senior.” A: “Are you still good friend now?” B: “Of course. We have sent messages to each other since she went to the States.” A: “Oh……okay……I just think that an eternal friendship is impossible.” B: “Why? Don’t you have any best friend?” A: “No. I don’t really share my personal stuffs to my friends ever.” I was so surprised when I heard this from him, but I could feel that he said this to me because we have known each other for over three years. If we were not “friend”, he might not share his perspective to me.

 

Journal 17: My Mini-Saga

     Lily was not popular when she moved to Heaven, a village with no school work pressures for children. Unlike majority children playing after school, Lily created artworks alone at her house. Lily's life started to change and became better than before until she saved a little girl in the forest.

Journal 16: What's the Story?

     For the exposition: The beginning of a story where the characters are introduced and the setting is revealed. I briefly describe of the setting that where, what, who, and when happen at the beginning of the story. I also mention the main character’s personality in this part. Rising Action: This is where a problem arises and tension builds in the story. According to my story, all children who live in Heaven are carefree and play together after school. On the other hand, Lily is excluded by other children, but she doesn’t care about those bad words. She continues to create her artworks. Climax: The most interesting point and turning point of the story. The reader wants to know what happens next. Additionally, one day, a five-year-old girl falls into a pound. No one notices except Lily. She runs swiftly toward the pound and finds a long stick in order to pull the little girl out off the pound. Falling Action: The action that follows directly after the climax. This is where the problem begins unwinding. Until everyone knows that Lily saves a little girl in Heaven, Lily is treated differently. People change their views on how they think about Lily. Resolution: This is the end of the story where the problem us worked out. Finally, the little girl’s parents give Lily a big gift that they decide to let Lily live at their house and treat her as their daughter. Since then none of the people in Heaven excludes Lily any more.

Journal 15: What's Your Problem?

     Although all the people in Heaven think that Lily’s drawings and paintings are ugly, Lily doesn’t care about those negative comments. Traveling is Lily’s biggest interest. That is how her inspirations of creating artworks come from. She can stay at the same place for more than a week because she will leave until her painting is finished. Looking from her appearance, Lily seems like a quiet and confidence girl. However, she is very lonely and depress due to her breaking family. Beside these unfortunates, Lily enjoys the time creating her artworks. Most children play after school, but Lily doesn’t because she is afraid to talk to others. Some kids play jumping rope, some play soccer, some lie on the ground, and some chat with each other. Each time people see Lily, they don’t treat her nicely instead they speak some dirty words to her and tell their children not to play with her. Lily has no choice. She can only do her paintings or drawings alone. As an artist, Lily doesn’t look clean because she spends almost her free time creating artworks. That is why her shirt and face are usually stained with pigments. Her works look special and colorful, but people in Heaven don’t appreciate them.

Journal 14: Who?

     The big garden is located in a village which called “Heaven.” People in this place are all energetic and lively except for Lily, who is tall, fat, and quiet. No one has ever known how she is here and where does she come from. Lily lives in a wooden made house which is a little bit far away from the garden. When every child plays in the garden, Lily seats on the ground and starts drawing or painting. Children throw little stones toward Lily just because she doesn’t have a good appearance. However, she never complained about how other people treat her badly. “Hey girl! How is your artwork? Oh my god! It looks like you draw all the garbage together.” Many children say some bad words and make fun to Lily’s artworks. Lily has no parents, siblings, and friends. She lives alone. Everyday she walks an hour to a town outside the Heaven and sells her artworks. That is the only way how she earns her money. She puts all the money in a box and calculates it almost everyday. Actually, she is a good kid, who behaves well, knows how to live by herself, and is more independent than other children.

Journal 13: Where Am I?

     Wind softly blows in the air. It is clear to hear the twitter from a group of birds right in front of the garden. Not many trees are planted here, but a tallest one is a wonderful place for children. After school, majority of children put their bags under the tree, and start any kind of games which they want. Laughing, screaming, and shouting are around the garden. By the way, it is a big garden that it too big to see the edge of it. That is why there are many people inside the garden. Flowers on the ground are small but colorful-red, pink, yellow, and white. Those flowers are little girls’ favorite because they are beautiful and attractive. The garden is not a piece of grassland; however it is a wooden floor. During the summer, all flowers look vividly with great smell that also brings people good moods. It is very reasonable why children like to play in this garden. Without the school pressures, children play happily and carelessly. During the winter, we can see nothing in the garden but snow. No children, no flowers, no lively laughing, and no bags under the tree because the only time that children can’t play here.