Blog 5!

Tell us about a piece of writing that has impacted your life. It could be something you wrote, something you read, or even something you wish that you'd written. What was the text, and how did it affect you and your choices? (For this exercise, I'm going to forbid quoting scripture. You all already know that words of scripture can be transforming. I want to push you beyond that, to see the hand of God not only in holy writ but also in "the best books" and the skill of your own pen.)

#4: Conference Rhetoric!

Tell us about a rhetorical tool you spotted during General Conference. (Yes, general authorities use rhetoric, too!) Did the tool enhance or detract from the speaker's message? Why?

Blog 3: Household Matters

Blog Post #3: How's life going with your roommates? Share a story about them . . . a conflict that's come up, a funny incident, a strange coincidence.

Blog #2: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

If you could invite one person, living or dead, to dinner at your house, who would it be and what would you serve them? Give us the reasons behind both your invitation and your menu choices. 

Blog 1: The Sound and the Fury

Tell us about something that just drives you nuts. It could be something that people do, a movie that should have been burned when it was still in script form, even a weather pattern that is completely unacceptable in civilized society. What just flat-out makes you mad?

Q: What if someone else already posted what I was thinking of? Or what if someone else's comment made me change my mind about what I want to write about?

A: Then go with it! You can always bring something new to a topic that someone else started.

Q: Can I use this as a starter for my OpEd?

A: No, absolutely not. You must have strong opinions about two separate things.

*crickets chirp*

Oh, wait, what I meant was "Yes, absolutely! Why do you think I picked this topic?"

Q: Do I HAVE to use this as a starter for my OpEd?

A: Nope. Not at all. Not even a little bit.

Introductions!

Good morning, Minions!

Just to check that everyone can find and use the class blog, please reply to this comment and give us a little more information about you.

Please give us:

Your Name

What you're hoping to get out of this class

The answer to the last person's question

A question for the next person

For Example:

My name is RoseE Hadden. I'm hoping that I can better develop my organizational skills this semester, so I can learn to provide clearer expectations and better feedback and reduce stress for me and everyone in class.

There is no last person's question yet, so I'll skip this for now.

My question: What is your biggest pet peeve?

Last Post! Huzzah!

As we wrap up the semester, I'd like to know your answers to two questions: 

1. Has anything you've learned in this class affected how you view the world, or how you think about writing, rhetoric, college, the world, or yourself?

2. If you could change one thing about our class this semster, what would it be and why?

#12

wasn't there supposed to be a blog post today? I couldn't find a prompt..

Blog #11: A Picture Is Worth . . .

In the spirit of multimodality, tell us about an image that has changed your life. It could be a photograph, a painting, a sculpture, a logo . . . or even a memory of something you once saw. Tell us about why it affected you and how it has influenced your life.

Holy Week

For Good Friday, take a moment to just sit down somewhere quiet and think about the Atonement in your life. Share with us something that occurred to you (and that you're comfortable sharing).

Blog 9!

Imagine for a moment that you are the absolute ruler of the planet for one week. In that week, what would you do to make the world a better place? Use your rhetorical skills to convince us that your chosen reforms will be beneficial.

Blog Post #8: Tell us about something that you learned during your research that's bothering you. It doesn't have to be directly related to your paper. Did you read something that challenged your assumptions about the world? Has it made you change your mind? Why or why not?

Starting a Conversation

For this post, take as your prompt one of the earlier posts on someone else's blog. Find something that sparks your interest or imagination, and respond to what your classmate has said.

Starting at the Very Beginning: Idea Generation.

Research Ideas. Using two or three of the ideas you generated in class, free-write for at least ten minutes. Remember that free-writing isn't for an audience, so there are no rules. Just keep typing anything that comes into your head related to your topic, to help generate a topic on which you'd like to focus. 

Out of the Best Books

Tell us about a piece of writing that has impacted your life. It could be something you wrote, something you read, or even something you wish that you'd written. What was the text, and how did it affect you and your choices? (For this exercise, I'm going to forbid quoting scripture. You all already know that words of scripture can be transforming. I want to push you beyond that, to see the hand of God not only in holy writ but also in "the best books" and the skill of your own pen.)

Blog Post #4: The Truth Shall Make You Free

Go forth to the internetz and find us a fallacious argument. It could be on a news website, a Facebook conversation, or an e-mail. (Comment sections are usually helpful.) In your post, explain the context, quote the argument, and explain to us what kind of argument it is and why it's fallacious. Extra brownie points if you reply to the fallacious argument in the original forum and tell us what you said. 

Ask the Experts

What is your area of expertise? Tell us about something you find interesting and know a lot about, but write in such a way that someone who doesn't know anything about your subject will still find it engaging.

Blog post #2: If you could invite one person, living or dead, to dinner at your house, who would it be and what would you serve them? Expand.

Hmm, who would I invite to dinner? I think I would invite my future wife (whoever she may be), and I'd make something generic, like spaghetti. Here's why: 1. I would meet my future wife, and it would be kind of nice to know who it is. 2. Most people don't have a great aversion to spaghetti, so I may not score on the favorite food category. If not, at least I would not have picked the most hated food by her (unless it was actually spaghetti and then that would stink). 3. I would be able to do the spaghetti and then add to the meal a bit with some warm garlic bread, so I may win brownie points in being able to cook and even cook well.
4. If making the meal turns out to be a complete failure, she may think that was way sweet of me to try to cook for her. I think it's pretty hard to royally mess up on spaghetti though, so that is a safeguard.

Post #1: Your Writing Process

 Tell us about your writing process. Do you have one? Is there a certain place you like to be when you write, or specific tools/resources/snacks/good luck charms you need to have on hand? How do you generate ideas for things to write about? Do you write one draft and then edit, or edit as you go along, or not edit at all? Share some of your best and worst practices for writing. 

Why A Blog?

Congratulations, Minions: You have a blog of your (collective) very own.

Throughout the semester I'll be posting prompts on this blog to which I'd like you to respond. These exercises are to give you some practice in writing to express and enjoy yourself, without having to frantically count your commas or wonder if you're being rhetorical enough.

Blogs are also useful for:

• Getting more input from the class about concepts with which you are struggling
• Ranting and raving about class, assignments, or life in general
• Posting prompts of your own, just to see what happens
• Practicing your writing and rhetoric skills by bringing up and arguing what's important to you
• Advertising performances or campus events you're involved/interested in
• Recommending books or movies you've discovered
• Share what you've been writing, discussing, or thinking with the wider world . . . even people outside class

Only two rules: be on time with your required posts, and be polite.

Because technology is a fickle mistress, please respond to this post with a brief introduction so that I know that you can read and respond without your computer exploding.

Here's mine. I am your teacher, but also still a student myself, so I feel your pain. I have been studying writing and literature since I was three years old, and I love to teach the skills of productive, useful argument . . . not just 'winning.' I served a mission in Busan, South Korea, where the food is very spicy and the number 4 is taboo. I am a geek of the highest order. I'm working towards a master's degree in British Literature, focusing on literary social activism of the mid-Victorian period. 

This is me making my 'mean teacher' face, which is the face you will get if you turn your work in late. Also I will eat your soul.