Reflective

Choose one post. (My favorite? My least favorite? The one that surprises me the most when I reread it?) Analyze it in detail. Explain the "behind-the-scenes" of how it was written, what it truly means, where its inspiration came from, etc.


In what way(s) have I surprised myself this semester on my blog?


How is the open-ended writing I do on my blog different from the more structured academic assignments I write?


During this past year, i have learned a lot.  i have improved my speed writing and the ability to write for fun. Before, it would take me hours to compose a simple paragraph and i would hate it.  now it would take me a mere minutes and would actually be fun for me.  Over all, i enjoyed writing this year.  My favorite post was the one about the iPad.  this year, i improved a lot, and that surprised me.  I loved how we could write open ended, it made me actually enjoy writing. 

My favorite post was the one about the ipad.  I like this post the most because i wrote it in about 10 minutes and just jotted down what came to my mind.  In the end, it turned out really well, and i didn’t have to edit anything.  I like this post the most because it is proof of how much i improved.  At the beginning of the year, i took at least an hour on each post, trying to over come writers block.  I think blogging has improved my overall ability to write quickly.  Having these blogs weekly improved my ability top write quickly because i learned how to just write and not look back.  before, when writing, i would try to make every single sentence perfect the first time i wrote it.  As i wrote my blogs, over time, i realized that the end result is much better and it is much faster to write if i just wrote the first thing that comes to my mind, and then i would come back and edit at the end.  i would not have learned this skill without the help of weekly blog posts.  The posts made me rush each week because of procrastination, but in result, i learned how to write more efficiently, and more comprehensively.  this was my favorite post because of how it turned out.  I think it turned out nicely because  i liked the topic and it was easy for me to write about it.  I found that, like with everything, it is easier to write about something that i like, just like it is doing something that you like, compared to doing homework, work, etc. as i moved on through out the year, i found that i have improved my speed of writing and the ability to make the writing understandable.  

Over the course of this year, i think my writing has improved in quality a little, but what really changed was my ability to write more, more quickly.  each week, i have procrastinated on blogs until Friday night. that means i would have to write them rushed in time to turn in before 12 at night.  This was actually beneficial to me because i learned to write what popped into my mind and go back to edit later.  Without this experience of constant rushing, i would not have learned to write fast.  i would still be trying to make my first draft into a final.  i think my ability to do this will help me in the future, greatly.  Learning this skill started over the summer.  i had to go to Hawaii the next day, and i had not done any of my summer readers.  i stayed up all night working.  At first it took me more than an hour for each reader.  after a while of rushing more, i lowered my time to about  thirty to forty-five minutes each.  over the year, i lowered that time even more.  i could now write a blog (350 words) in about fifteen minutes.  many of my blog i have done in the past are rushed, but i think they all turned out relatively well.  i like the blog idea because i am able to just put up what ever i believed and publish.  at the beginning of the year, i spent more time, trying to make each blog perfect, and i continued this until i realized the blog is more for fun and just putting up what i believe online.  it is about spreading my opinion.   Over the year i think i improved greatly on a skill that would help me through college.  i will have to write numerous long papers and having the skill of speed writing would help me be able to finish quickly. Developing this skill surprised me greatly.  

I love the open ended ability of writing in blogger.  I love how you assigned free writes and it was just like a journal.  i think those were the most fun because i could just put up what ever i wanted and talk about anything.  For example, i wrote about pizzas, fears, Harry Potter, iPhones, cross country, my day, and many more.  These few were just recently, and over the year it was interesting to look back on what my interests are.  With the free writes, i could see what i was interested in at the time i wrote it.  in these, i loved the ability to write freely and informally.  I wrote like i would talk and, therefore, i learned how to write even faster.  the free writing made the blogs more fun and cushioned the other assigned home work, making those a little more fun too.  plus, the free writes where fun because i could get what ever was in my mind, clouding my head up, off my chest.  It was just like a journal that others could read and give comments to.  i loved having free writes and having people respond or comment because i like the fact that people are actually reading my thoughts.  i don't like the assignments that are clear cut because i feel like it is a little too structured and it doesn't feel like my own direct feelings.  i like being able to just write what ever is on my mind.  that is why this essay is a little more informal.  I feel like if i just try to write like i would talk, it is directly from my head and not clouded up by the fact that i have to make sure the wording is formal.  over all the free writes helped me have fun writing, and helped me learn how to write faster.  The blogging experience has been extremely fun for me this year.  Next year, i know that when i am bored, i will have something to do.  As i wrote my blog, i felt like i was expressing myself in an indirect way.  it was like an art to me, so i would like to thank you for this year, Mr. Sutherland.


next year, i would like to focus more on redundancy and fluency. I would like to practice avoiding repetition and get to the point to have my writing have more power. Also, this helps with fluency. Sometimes, i tend to write run on sentences, and that confuses my writing. I would like to work on that. this year, i got to the point where i can write fast, but i want to improve my writing so that i do not have to edit as much in the end. i want my first drafts to get better so that my final is even better and i would not have to work as hard. overall, i am satisfied with this years writing experience, both in English and in writing. I have improved greatly, and learned to enjoy writing again.

The Magicians Final

What was the author's purpose(s) in writing this book, and how can you tell?


If you've read other books in this same genre, how does this one compare?

Pick a character that interested you and write about them in depth

The novel, The Magicians, portrays a 17 year old Quentin who is a born magician.  Written by Lev Grossman, this book comments on real life issues.  Quentin, like many, is always wanting what he cannot have.  Humans are never content with what they have, and this could be what helps us excel and what causes us misery at the same time. Also, I've read many books like this one.  the genre is unclear.  It is a fantasy in everyday, average life.  It is like magic that can happen, but we are unaware of.  Other books like this, include Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Harry Potter.

Grossman wrote this book to show that people should reflect on their life and realize how good they have it and not seek for more.  He shows this through telling the failed life of Quentin.  He was a really smart, and liked by everyone, but he didn't have the girl he liked so he was "miserable".  Next, at Brakebills, the college for magicians, he was completely content when he got there, but after a while, he began to get bored and felt  not content.  He yearned to get out, and when he did get to the real world, he partied and drank and did drugs all day and night.  During this time, her ignored hsi girlfriend and ended up cheating on her.  He soon regrets it and realizes what a great girlfriend he had (they got back together later). He was still no content with life and went seeking for more. He then entered Fillory, the place he fantasized of visiting his whole life (the alternate world of adventure. a utopia).  Here is where everything feel apart.  the fun adventure they thought they were going on turned out to be a mad competition for survival.  His thirst for fulfilling his life (which was already complete, with all the greatest things ever) lead to the death of his beloved girlfriend.  He then realized how much he already had before, and that he should have never looked for anything more because he had magical powers, people who loved him, and all the money he could dream of. He didn't need anything else, but he was just being selfish. 

Grossman sums up all of this in this quote:  "You just go from one thing to the next, don't you, and you think it's going to make you happy.  Brakebills didn't. I didn't..."(255) here, it shows that Quentin is unsatisfied by small things and tries to move onto the next thing.  he tries to move on and make himself feel better.  Grossman shows this wrong and that you should look at all the great things that you have in your life because in the end, Quentin lost everything.  I think this is true.  Some people take things for granted, and they must realize how good they have it.


In this story, magic is real, and instead of attending Princeton, Quentin attends a college for magicians called Brakebills for five years instead of four.  There, they learn basic magic.  Normally, they are placed into their "disciplines", something like a major, and they get placed into their specific housing area.  For some strange reason, Quentin didn't place in any of the Disciplines.  Then in their fourth year, they go on a trip to prove who is fit to become a first class magician.  They set off on a trip to Antarctica, and there, they make a five hundred mile run to the South Pole, without any clothes on or food.  Only Alice, Quentin's girl friend and he made it.  They were the only ones that tried.  During their fifth year, they graduate.  This school hidden from the outside world and the people stay concealed from the outside world.  This school reminds me of Hogwarts, and the book reminds me of Harry potter. 

It reminds me of Harry Potter because it is about magicians going to a concealed, mystical school.  There are some major differences though.  They use hand gestures to cast spells, instead of wands.  I really liked how Grossman referenced the Harry Potter series in his book because throughout reading it, I always thought to myself, “this reminds me of Harry Potter”.  He reference how the magic in each story is difference:

“He’d look at the kids with an obvious flawed feature… and wondered why they didn’t get somebody to fix them up, like Hermione with her teeth in Harry Potter.  But in reality it always ended in a disaster.”(page 188)

This was interesting to hear a reference to my favorite series in what seems like my new favorite book.  This book also reminds me of the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, in the fact that there is a whole new world living right in front of our eyes, but we don’t notice it.  I like these types because I feel like it can actually happen to me.  It can turn my boring life into a life of adventure and excitement.  

throughout this thrilling novel, Grossman layers on the importance of loving what you have in front of you, and not wishing for crazy, unattainable things.  He also portrays Quentin as a strong, perfect hero, but then in the middle, he takes him down.  Grossman writes about how a hero bounces back from being down on his knees.  This exhilarating story is recommended for anyone over the age of 15 because it has crude language and drug and alcohol suggestions, but it is a great book.  It is exciting, and fun for anyone looking to indulge themselfs into a world of fantasy and magic.  

I would say youneed to talk more about the plot to clearup some points. also, you should try and include more evidence and concrete details into your writing.- troy

I would say that you should clear up, and make the TAGS part for better. Also, include the questions at the beginning, and you should make your writing alittle more formal- kathy


hey. i think you did a really good job here. one thing i thought you could improve on is that the language is a little informal. also, i think you can change up the sentence varieties. they seem all kind of shortish... it seemed a little awkward to me. otherwise, a great post! -luis

What was the author's purpose(s) in writing this book, and how can you tell?
The novel, The Magicians, by Lev Grossman portrays a 17 year old boy, named Quentin, throughout his life at a college for magicians. In the second half of the book, Quentin graduates from Brakebills and moves onto the real world. He thinks that he can avoid boredom by partying all day and all night. He and his friends finally decide to do something with their life and they go on an adventure to Fillory. Fillory was always thought to be fake because it was written in children's book. They had always thought the author just made it up, but then they found out it was real and they took the adventure. there, they faced a beast that ends up killing Quentin's girlfriend.


Grossman wrote this book to show that people should reflect on their life and realize how good they have it and not seek for more. He shows this through telling the failed life of Quentin. He was a really smart, and liked by everyone, but he didn't have the girl he liked so he was "miserable". Next, at Brakebills, the college for magicians, he was completely content when he got there, but after a while, he began to get bored and felt not content. He yearned to get out, and when he did get to the real world, he partied and drank and did drugs all day and night. During this time, her ignored hsi girlfriend and ended up cheating on her. He soon regrets it and realizes what a great girlfriend he had (they got back together later). He was still no content with life and went seeking for more. He then entered Fillory, the place he fantasized of visiting his whole life (the alternate world of adventure. a utopia). Here is where everything feel apart. the fun adventure they thought they were going on turned out to be a mad competition for survival. His thirst for fulfilling his life (which was already complete, with all the greatest things ever) lead to the death of his beloved girlfriend. He then realized how much he already had before, and that he should have never looked for anything more because he had magical powers, people who loved him, and all the money he could dream of. He didn't need anything else, but he was just being selfish.


Grossman sums up all of this in this quote: "You just go from one thing to the next, don't you, and you think it's going to make you happy. Brakebills didn't. I didn't..."(255) here, it shows that Quentin is unsatisfied by small things and tries to move onto the next thing. he tries to move on and make himself feel better. Grossman shows this wrong and that you should look at all the great things that you have in your life because in the end, Quentin lost everything. I think this is true. Some people take things for granted, and they must realize how good they have it.
If you've read other books in this same genre, how does this one compare?
Currently, I am half way through the novel, The Magicians, by Lev Grossman. This book portrays a 17 year old boy, named Quentin, throughout his life at a college for magicians. Instead of attending Princeton, Quentin attends a college for magicians called Brakebills for five years instead of four. There, they learn basic magic. Normally, they are placed into their "disciplines", something like a major, and they get placed into their specific housing area. For some strange reason, Quentin didn't place in any of the Disciplines. Then in their fourth year, they go on a trip to prove who is fit to become a first class magician. They set off on a trip to Antarctica, and there, they make a five hundred mile run to the South Pole, without any clothes on or food. Only Alice, Quentin's girl friend and he made it. They were the only ones that tried. During their fifth year, they graduate. This school hidden from the outside world and the people stay concealed from the outside world. This school reminds me of Hogwarts, and the book reminds me of Harry potter.

It reminds me of Harry Potter because it is about magicians going to a concealed, mystical school. There are some major differences though. They use hand gestures to cast spells, instead of wands. I really liked how Grossman referenced the Harry Potter series in his book because throughout reading it, I always thought to myself, “this reminds me of Harry Potter”. He reference how the magic in each story is difference:
“He’d look at the kids with an obvious flawed feature… and wondered why they didn’t get somebody to fix them up, like Hermione with her teeth in Harry Potter. But in reality it always ended in a disaster.”(page 188)
This was interesting to hear a reference to my favorite series in what seems like my new favorite book. This book also reminds me of the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, in the fact that there is a whole new world living right in front of our eyes, but we don’t notice it. I like these types because I feel like it can actually happen to me. It can turn my boring life into a life of adventure and excitement. I know; I’m a nerd.

The Magicians Draft 2

What was the author's purpose(s) in writing this book, and how can you tell? 


*Spoiler Alert


The novel, The Magicians, by Lev Grossman portrays a 17 year old boy, named Quentin, throughout his life at a college for magicians.  In the second half of the book, Quentin graduates from Brakebills and moves onto the real world.  He thinks that he can avoid boredom by partying all day and all night.  He and his friends finally decide to do something with their life and they go on an adventure to Fillory.  Fillory was always thought to be fake because it was written in children's book.  They had always thought the author just made it up, but then they found out it was real and they took the adventure.  there, they faced a beast that ends up killing Quentin's girlfriend.  


Grossman wrote this book to show that people should reflect on their life and realize how good they have it and not seek for more.  He shows this through telling the failed life of Quentin.  He was a really smart, and liked by everyone, but he didn't have the girl he liked so he was "miserable".  Next, at Brakebills, the college for magicians, he was completely content when he got there, but after a while, he began to get bored and felt  not content.  He yearned to get out, and when he did get to the real world, he partied and drank and did drugs all day and night.  During this time, her ignored hsi girlfriend and ended up cheating on her.  He soon regrets it and realizes what a great girlfriend he had (they got back together later). He was still no content with life and went seeking for more. He then entered Fillory, the place he fantasized of visiting his whole life (the alternate world of adventure. a utopia).  Here is where everything feel apart.  the fun adventure they thought they were going on turned out to be a mad competition for survival.  His thirst for fulfilling his life (which was already complete, with all the greatest things ever) lead to the death of his beloved girlfriend.  He then realized how much he already had before, and that he should have never looked for anything more because he had magical powers, people who loved him, and all the money he could dream of. He didn't need anything else, but he was just being selfish.


Grossman sums up all of this in this quote:  "You just go from one thing to the next, don't you, and you think it's going to make you happy.  Brakebills didn't. I didn't..."(255) here, it shows that Quentin is unsatisfied by small things and tries to move onto the next thing.  he tries to move on and make himself feel better.  Grossman shows this wrong and that you should look at all the great things that you have in your life because in the end, Quentin lost everything.  I think this is true.  Some people take things for granted, and they must realize how good they have it.

The Magicians First Impressions

Currently, I am half way through the novel, The Magicians, by Lev Grossman.  This book portrays a 17 year old boy, named Quentin, throughout his life at a college for magicians.  Instead of attending Princeton, Quentin attends a college for magicians called Brakebills for five years instead of four.  There, they learn basic magic.  Normally, they are placed into their "disciplines", something like a major, and they get placed into their specific housing area.  For some strange reason, Quentin didn't place in any of the Disciplines.  Then in their fourth year, they go on a trip to prove who is fit to become a first class magician.  They set off on a trip to Antarctica, and there, they make a five hundred mile run to the South Pole, without any clothes on or food.  Only Alice, Quentin's girl friend and he made it.  They were the only ones that tried.  During their fifth year, they graduate.  This school hidden from the outside world and the people stay concealed from the outside world.  This school reminds me of Hogwarts, and the book reminds me of Harry potter. 

It reminds me of Harry Potter because it is about magicians going to a concealed, mystical school.  There are some major differences though.  They use hand gestures to cast spells, instead of wands.  I really liked how Grossman referenced the Harry Potter series in his book because throughout reading it, I always thought to myself, “this reminds me of Harry Potter”.  He reference how the magic in each story is difference:

“He’d look at the kids with an obvious flawed feature… and wondered why they didn’t get somebody to fix them up, like Hermione with her teeth in Harry Potter.  But in reality it always ended in a disaster.”(page 188)

This was interesting to hear a reference to my favorite series in what seems like my new favorite book.  This book also reminds me of the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, in the fact that there is a whole new world living right in front of our eyes, but we don’t notice it.  I like these types because I feel like it can actually happen to me.  It can turn my boring life into a life of adventure and excitement.  I know; I’m a nerd.  

Response To Vignettes

Over the past few days, I’ve skimmed a few blogs.  I especially liked Victor’s blog because it was funny and cute, Melissa’s blog because it was serious and emotional, and Alex’s blog because it was straight forward and had strong morals.   Though they were each different, I saw that all of them commented heavily on family.  They knew how important family was and how they couldn’t live with out their family.  I feel the same way.  My family backs me up on everything, and I know I would be lost with out time. Victor explains a situation where he got lost during a trip to the Sydney Opera House.  He explained how worried he was about losing his family. I would be too:

My eyes started to water as I felt the need to collapse. I thought that my whole life would end right then and there. I picked myself up from the ground, and started yelling out to my parents. I cried and cried while I started to lose hope. Not one adult bothered to help me. They just glanced at me in a sorry way, and just walked by. A few more seconds of me weeping went by until I finally saw my worried parents running towards me. The second I wiped my eyes to see them, my whole body relaxed. It felt like I was finally at peace after being tortured

This was amazing.  I loved the vivid details of how sad and scared he was without his family right beside him.  And on the contrary, he explained flawlessly how overcome with joy he was to find them.  He even compared it to being relieved from torture.  I think this is how family should be.  Family should be so close and interconnected that when they are separated, they feel physical pain. This is what makes a strong, united, loving family. 

Melissa also stated that family is forgiving.  She never held a grudge against her mom for leaving because she was her mom.  She would always love her mom no matter what and couldn’t stay mad at her: “I love my mother and I understand why she had to leave. I have no hate towards her because in the end I know she is my mother.”  I thought it was a very strong sign of family.  One should always forgive and forget in family, no matter what because without a family, who do you have to lean on? No one ever, no friend, no one, will ever have the same relationship with you like a family member.  Never.

She also showed that family had jobs and obligations that tops everything else.  He sister had to take care of her when she was young and that interfered with her sister’s social time.  Her sister deep down inside, didn’t enjoy taking care of Melissa because it made her sacrifice so much of her time.  Though she truly felt this way, she barely complained and never made Melissa feel bad about it because she loves her time, no matter what circumstances, they should love each other and never let anything, anything at all come in the way of that..  She knows that as an older sister, it is her responsibility to take care of her and this takes priority over anything else.  This is how family should be.  Family should be supportive and loving all the