Patrick Beger
Writing: The Closest You're Gonna Get to the Innerworkings of my mind
Remediation Project
Minor in Writing Blog
Below you will find the link to my final Remediation project. Going along the same lines as the repurposing project, I recreated my argument into the form of a video to make a somewhat sarcastic, light-hearted, and humorous argument for the same audience and venue. I am quite pleased with how it turned out given the time constraints and my knowledge of iMovie. I hope you enjoy it:
The Minor in Writing Blog was definitely an important aspect of expanding my writing style. Blogging is a broad style of writing, and from what I've seen from myself and what others have wrote, it sounds very similar to the way we speak (only without the "ums"). This is useful in some contexts and too informal in others, but it was great practice for establishing a blog voice.
At first, I was not excited about starting this project. I did not have very many pieces of writing to 'repurpose' (which means recreating the idea or argument for a new audience and purpose) and had no idea what to write about. Once we were reminded to choose something we are passionate about because we will be working with it all semester, I found a piece of writing from my previous English class called 'The Power of One Song.' I ended up using that idea to repurpose my argument in order to ask 'Is Pop Music Making Us Stupid?' I am very proud of the result because it is a good representation of the publication venue (Pitchfork.com) and it was a good way to push my writing style.
Like I mentioned on the Home page, the 'Why I Write' piece says a lot about who I am and of course, my motivations to write. As the course continued and long after I submitted this final draft, I felt that I could have written ten times more about it and gone very in depth about what truly motivates me. But ultimately I think this paper is a good starting point to understanding myself and the reasons why writing attracts me.
Here are the stand-out essays, research papers and other academic papers from my time in college. You will find many of my interests embedded in them and can witness my personal style develop as I approach graduation.
Why I Write
Repurposing Project
Minor in Writing
Course Reflection
I will start by saying my goal in this class was to expand my ability to write in different styles and find my voice. Looking back I certainly feel more comfortable writing for different venues and feel closer to understanding my own style. I consider that a success, because the more I learn about writing the more I realize it's never going to feel perfect. Or mastered. Or like I finally 'got it.' Just like playing a sport, or acquiring any kind of skill, you can always be better.
We started this learning process with the 'Why I Write,' piece, which seems ever more relevant the more I write. I really enjoyed this assignment because I have never thought in detail about it and didn't realize how deep a question that really is. After reading some examples I expected to whip it out pretty easily, but that is not what happened. After having to examine myself in such a way, I actually ended up reconsidering why I do this, and being able to understand that really can make a difference in writing.
After that we moved on to the Repurposing piece, which like I mentioned, I was not very interested in starting. But after I found the piece I wanted to use, I realized I still have a lot to say about the topic which changed my outlook completely. Having to replicate the style of writing that is common on Pitchfork's website was my favorite challenge of the entire semester. I can't think of a better way to push my writing style than try out other forms. I learned that I had to amp up my level of sarcasm and humor to fit the venue, which was fun and rewarding once I finished.
Thankfully I was not over my topic by the time we reached the remediation portion, and quickly I was drawn to the idea of making a video. It seemed like the best way to present my argument since it could be funny, sarcastic, and informative at the same time. By attempting to mock MTV style camera shooting, I believe I created a very entertaining and concise video that explained my argument well. I am very pleased with the result, learned quite a bit more about video production, but mostly, I realized that learning how to use new technology doesn't have to be so daunting. That is something I will remember when I am faced with a similar challenge professionally.
Finally, I must say I focused so much effort into my Remediation that by the time I needed to start my e-portfolio I felt burnt out. But once I slowly dove in and found my favorite platform Wix, I started to find the fun in using that new technology as well. Presenting myself and my writing in the form of a website was definitely a challenge, but now that it is done I see how useful it can be (and I may go back and edit it again). Although I expected the class to be four papers and some blogging, I will admit that the unforeseen challenges were an exciting new learning experience which opened many more doors to my future. By accomplishing these tasks, I feel much more confident in my ability to apply new styles of writing where needed and especially more confident about taking on projects that seem impossible at first. I am proud of what I have created for this class and truly feel I have come a long way.