Journal 1 - Megan Quinn

            In one definition, writing is the communication of words through the development of letters and symbols used on different mediums. The creation of the alphabet was an important step in the growth of literacy, and over time it has become an integral part of literacy. From its original use of recording taxes, writing has taken to becoming an artistic endeavor in the modern world, while still maintaining its purpose of informing on knowledge and news and keeping records of events.

            Writing is a multi-use tool. As previously mentioned, it can be integral to have written accounts of news or events, or to have documentation of general knowledge. For example, scientific discoveries would run a higher risk of being forgotten if they were not written down.  In essence, writing is an advantageous means of spreading knowledge, a form of wealth in itself. The sharing of knowledge has allowed for a collective global evolution. Scientific discoveries, such as the discovery of electricity, did not have to be re-discovered by every nation because the written word allowed for the dissemination of this information to other countries. They could then build upon what is already known to make improvements.

            Writing has also found its way onto the spectrum of art forms. Modernity is marked by a prevalence of books. Fictitious works draw the attention of readers eager to escape into worlds outside of their own, outside of reality. Hundreds of books exist solely to teach the art of fiction writing. Authors must make decisions pertaining to style, setting, plot, and characters, to name a few elements. The brilliance of writing stems from its ability to document the truth as well as to allow for the creation of the impossible.

A danger can exist when facts or real-life events are written down falsely, whether intentionally or otherwise. Even in truth, the language used to describe an event influences perceptions; an example of this is how a fight way be described as a “massacre” or a “battle” depending on which side is speaking. Language is a delicate thing. Perhaps this is why analysis and interpretation of a piece is hugely important, in both historical and modern-day aspects.

Key terms of writing:

1. Communicative

2. Artistic

3. Persuasive

4. Informative

5. Pervasive

Journal Reflection #1 - Shannon Herlihy

What is Writing?

Writing is essential to the human experience. Generally speaking, it is a series of symbols, words, and sentences of a particular language strung together to create a greater form of information. Writing is a vital form of communication, acting as a way to share knowledge across multiple media, to record both personal and historical events, and even to entertain. We become acquainted with various modes of written language on a minute-by-minute basis, perhaps without even noticing. It may be encountered in an informative manner, like in the case of news stories, textbooks, and directions/signage, etc. Through the use of social media like Facebook, Twitter, and blogs, writing acts as a critical tool in the age of rapid communication. With books and poetry, it can serve to entertain, to grab your attention, and to pull at your emotions. Writing exists everywhere, all around us, at all times.

What Does It Do?

As a powerful and purposeful tool, writing can perform an assortment of tasks that have permanently altered humanity. Whether written within the physical world of pen and paper or typed in the intangible realm of technology, writing usually fulfills some specific intention. It may aim to entertain, to inform, to communicate, or to record.

Key Terms

1. Communication – Ultimately, writing is always used to communicate something, whether it be through symbols, a textbook, a journal, or a Facebook post, etc.
2. Information – When communicating, some form of information is always provided.
3. Record-keeping – This is perhaps one of the most important key terms for “writing;” Most written language systems were developed solely for the purpose of maintaining a physical record of information, like receipts, laws, and religious tales.
4. Entertainment – Writing systems will always serve as entertainment with books and poetry as main sources of amusement.
5. Language – Language provides meaning to all writing systems. 

Journal #1

Writing is the physical exertion of putting pen to paper—or in modern age, finger to computer keys--using symbols interpreted as words, sentences, and paragraphs to document thoughts. It is the most effective and longstanding form of communication. It usurped the oral tradition and allowed people to record their thoughts, stories, and sacred texts. Writing can used to express feelings to a loved one, record notes from a lecture, or provide an escape from the real world. The power of writing can stop wars, incite change within a nation, or simply provide directions from point a to point b. It is what we do every single day without thinking about it. It is what we read every day without trying. Authors and orators alike let audiences step into their imaginative world. However, it is the physical act of putting something down on a tangible medium that completely changes the relationship altogether. It is a powerful source that affects the way people view the world. If you think about it, we only ever ban books. It is because we know there is a special connection between the written word and man. A long, withstanding connection that will not easily be broken. Writing allows stories to be disseminated, recorded, shared, passed on without compromising the information. It gives a voice to anyone who has something to say. The advent of the Internet has completely changed the relationship we once has with writing; anyone can say anything to or about anyone and someone, somewhere will inevitably read it.  We are all content consumers and creators. We can all use of voices to say something we feel is important without ever actually, literally using our voices. We can sway people’s opinions about controversial topics or tell them how to make vanilla frosting with the tapping of a few keys. The possibilities have become endless. How, where, and who reads our messages has definitely changed. However, the power of the written word will never die no matter what surface, platform, or context it is written in.

1. Informative

2.  Subjective

3. Communal

4. Expressive

5. Purposeful

6. Powerful

Journal #1

Writing is a way of communicating with words through a form of media in order to convey a message. Different forms of media can include paper (for example: newspapers, magazines, letters, etc.), and the Internet (for example: blogs, websites, emails, social media, etc.). It is a form of expression and can even act as an outlet for people to illustrate their creativity. Writing impacts people to feel a certain way, to persuade them to agree or disagree with a certain perspective, and even to inform them about various subjects or current news. Writing not only conveys a message, but it also tells a person’s story. As we are modernizing and advancing the ways that we communicate, writing has become one of the most important concepts in today’s world. For example, everywhere you look there are billboards with words on them on the highway, or frequent text messages popping up on a cell phone, or magazines with written words all over the cover. We, as a community, are constantly looking at things that writers have written. We are constantly being moved by these words and changing our perspectives on different issues. We, (yes, I’m referring to “we” as us millenials) are “attached” to our cell phones, as some may say. We are entertained by the idea of writing and actually writing to others. We find it intriguing to be able to convey messages to others in a matter of seconds. Editing, Writing, and Media majors (like me) are captivated by creating these messages. Writing is our form of art. It is the fuel to our fire. The ability to be able to write something substantial and create a reaction out of your audience is such a satisfactory feeling. On the other hand, writing can be solely for yourself. For example, many people write in a diary just for messages to share with themselves. This form of writing is impacting that person in almost a therapeutic way. Writing in this form of media is acting as an outlet. Overall writing can be used in many ways in order to piece together an idea, it also impacts the way someone thinks, as well as formally documenting substantial messages.

Five Key Terms:

1.     Journalistic

2.     Entertaining

3.     Informative

4.     Social

5.     Formal

6.     Message

7.     Expression

8.     Media

What is writing? Carly Gillingham Journal Reflection #1

Writing is a way to put letters and words together (by means of numerous different platforms) in order to convey some sort of idea. This idea can take many different forms; writing can be a song, a poem, or a nursery rhyme, or it could be things like thesis projects, obituaries, and medical reports. One way or another, writing seeks to utilize words, and only words, to convey an idea or inform an audience of some sort; writing is composition of text using the letters of the alphabet and words of a certain language. All of this, however, is the boring, Webster dictionary type of definition for writing. Writing is much more than that for many people, and can do a number of things outside of simply conveying an idea. For us EWM majors, writing is something more journalistic - it is an art used to discuss in-depth topics of all different kinds. We write to inform and to open up the eyes of an audience. For creative writers, poets, songwriters, and novelists, writing is something more creative. It is their chosen medium for their art, and they use words to create entire alternate universes, and entirely new characters and concepts that may not exist in our world. It is used to entertain an audience and allow them an escape into a different kind of world, or to relate to their audience; many readers of novels or poetry find solace in this kind of writing because the emotions or story lines are relatable for them. For historians, writing tells a story; the earliest human writings are mankind’s only clue in the puzzle of early languages. Journal writings by historical figures have provided us with the history with which we are presently familiar. For others, writing is less artistically meaningful, but still important; it is through writing that we take and read notes, stay informed on current news events, record important information for later reference, and more.

Some key terms that define writing:

1.  Informative: The basic idea behind writing, as discussed, is that it informs an audience of some sort of idea/concept.

2. Individualistic: Every individual person has a different and unique style or take on writing.

3. Functional: Usually, there is some sort of function behind writing words, whether it is profound or simple.

4. Emblematic: Through history, writing has held different meaning and symbolism.

5. Cultural: Writing means different things, and is used differently, in different cultures and languages

6. Imaginative: A writer’s own personal creativity and imagination plays a great role in their writing.

Journal Reflection #1

Journal Reflection #1

What is writing? 
Writing is a form of communication that involves putting words on paper or online. Writing is a non-verbal way to speak to others. It is often used to inform, entertain, and persuade others.

What does writing do?
Writing allows people to express their emotions, ideals, and information to others. Reading a persons writing allows one to be entertained, informed, and persuaded. Writing has the ability to strongly affect it's readers. People's emotions are affected when reading certain pieces of writing, whether it be a sappy romance novel or a mean text message. The simple act of writing something down can greatly affect a person who reads it. Writing also allows us to become more educated.  Our society today uses many different mediums to share writing. It is easier today to write to someone rather than to talk to them vocally. Most of us rather write text messages to each other instead of talking on the phone. It has become more popular to spread information and opinions on blogs and websites instead of magazines and newspapers. Writing allows people to communicate when they are not able to or rather not do it vocally.

Key Terms: 
1. Entertaining
2. Informative
3. Expressive
4. Persuasive
5. Communicative
6. Affective
7. Powerful

Journal Response #1: Allie Wisniewski

Writing, in simplest terms, can be described as the recording of thoughts and ideas using a language of letters, numbers, and/or symbols. Essentially, it is the act of utilizing words in order to communicate for entertainment, transference of information, persuasion, encouragements, etc. to a particular or unspecified audience. It is useful and impactful in almost an infinite number of ways by, for example, appealing to human emotion, conveying factual or instructional information, encouraging a person or group of people to think or act in a certain manner, or by simply entertaining the reader.

Writing:

1. Explanatory

         Writing is often explanatory in the sense that it can provide factual (or fictional) information about a topic in order to better articulate its meaning and elucidate certain aspects and details. Examples of explanatory writing include informative essays, nonfiction books, and news sources such as CNN online or a local newspaper. Explanatory writing can also be instructive, such as how-to manuals or recipes, or persuasive, like petitions or speeches.

2. Entertaining

         Writing can be extremely entertaining, engulfing readers in fictional narratives as they begin to lose touch with reality and find themselves sinking deeper and deeper into the imaginations of the authors. A writer may also make use of comedy, horror, or tragedy to affect the reader emotionally, making for an engaging and entertaining experience.

3. Descriptive

         In order to describe something, whether it be an object, place, event, person, or feeling, writing can be used effectively to describe and give more information about whatever it is one intends to make more clear for the reader.

4. Communicative

         Writing, for thousands of years, has been used to communicate words, ideas, and information. Since the invention of correspondence, people of the world have taken advantage of writing in order to remain in contact over long, or even short, distances. What began as telegrams and handwritten letters has today evolved into emails and text messages. Writing allows for nonverbal communication, which is both convenient and oftentimes more efficient.

5. Symbolic

From cuneiform and hieroglyphics in ancient times to the modern languages such as English, Spanish, and Chinese in use today, writing in itself is symbolic. Letters represent sounds that represent words that represent things that represent sentences that represent ideas—and so on, and so on. Writing is not only physically symbolic but also can hold infinitely deep meaning and significance through the use of figurative language like similes, metaphors, and personification.