[Prof. Masiello]

For our first day…
(If you need a clearer copy of this document, please send me an email. That is the
only way I can attach it.)

Welcome, class,

You must respond with answers which you should post on our class site. You have a week to do each
week’s assignment. Failure to write/post/answer will constitute an absence by next Wednesday
night.

1. Please upload a photo of your face as your avatar on OpenLab. (If you are camera shy, please
email me privately about the picture.)
2. Please read the syllabus. It is not broken down week by week. The most concerning part is the
research paper info. You are supposed to choose a novel to read that was later made into a
motion picture and do a comparison. However, since this is a research paper, you need to add
the opinions of professional book and film critics. I will show you how, but right now you should
look over the book list and chooses something.
It is not recommended to just coast by using a book you read in high school or some young adult
book. Now that you are in college, you need to read different titles.
Please post any questions you may have. Most of your classmates will have the same questions
and my answers will help all of you.
Questions for the start of our semester:
a. If you like to write, explain why you do and what kinds of writing you actually do aside from
class work. Some people like to keep journals, some like to write poems or lyrics, some write
actual letters on paper to mail, etc. We will not count texting since many people use
abbreviations, disregard punctuation, and add emojies.
b. If you do not like to write, explain why. Is it because of a language barrier? (To just say it takes
too long is not a good answer. It implies intellectual laziness.)
c. Explain whether you like to read and what kinds of things you read. Do you subscribe to any
magazines?
Do you read newspapers or read news articles online?
Do you have a favorite author and why is this writer good?
d. Explain whether you feel you write better than you speak, speak better than you write, or do
both the same (and hopefully both well, not the opposite, poorly).
e. Think about what you use when you speak, the things you do to help get your message across.

What parts of your face and body do you use?
Explain what you can do with your voice to help convey your message.
f. Now think about writing. In comparison it might seem that writing is dull compared to speaking,
but if you enjoy reading you know writing can be exciting and interesting. (I do not mean
reading textbooks because you do that to learn, not to be entertained. If you enjoy reading
textbooks, that is a nice plus. Now my question: What do you think good writers do that makes
their writing effective and enjoyable?
g. What can writers like you do to help add the emphasis and emotion that speakers use in their
voices and body language?
h. Create a list of every punctuation mark that is used in writing.
i. Make note of punctuation marks you are not sure about using. List those too.
Remember to post your responses on OpenLab as a discussion entry.
You have until next Wednesday night and you may post many different answers throughout the week.
Your name will be there so you get credit for your work.

[Makai]

I like to read horror stories and manga because I’m an anime fan and I have been one for the last 6-7 years or so. My favorite author so far is Stephen King because he can go into great detail on everything and since I love horror his books are like the cherry on top.

[Makai]

I feel like I am a good speaker and a writer when it comes to certain situations, but when needed I am good a both. When I speak in order for me to get my message across I might use hand gestures or have a more serious tone in order to capture attention from the audience.

[Makai]

I feel like good writers need to go through experience or enough drafts in order to make their writing effective or enjoyable. Writers like me use detail to express emotions of the character, like if someone is crying I can say “Jill in a raspy voice asks for help”.

[Makai]

A list of punctuation marks in writing:
!,?’ ” &.;()`:

Punctuation marks I’m not sure how to use:
: ` ()

[Ashley Adhar]

I like to write because I feel at times it allows me to clear my thoughts and express myself. Aside from classwork, sometimes I may write down my thoughts because to me it clears the mind. I don’t find myself doing much writing aside from classwork however. I feel like writing is a way to be expressive so I prefer to do free-writes.
Reading has not always been my favorite thing to do. With everything going on in the world. I find myself reading more health related articles, news stories or current events. If I had to pick a genre that I liked reading, it would be mystery (detective fiction), or romance. I don’t have a favorite author. However, one author that does stand out to me is Nicholas Sparks. I’ve read two of his books and it does catch my attention/ level of interest.
I feel like I am a better speaker than writer when it comes to certain aspects. Overall, I am quite social therefore I am used to public speaking or using my words wisely to express how I am feeling or to convey a message. At times, through writing I feel like messages may be misunderstood or it can’t quite be understood the way I want it to be. In order to get my messages across when speaking, I often use hand motions or facial expressions. When speaking, my hands are used most of the time to show emphasis or to really convey an idea. Our tone of voice can express a lot of things and it can also help convey whatever one is trying to convey. For example, if one is speaking in a loud tone or harsh, you can tell that they’re either upset or feel strongly about a certain topic.
Good writers can do various things to make their writing effective and enjoyable. To me, suspense adds a lot to one’s writing and makes it entertaining or makes me want to read more. In order to add emphasis and emotion that speakers use in their voices and body language, writers can add strong words or use literary devices. To add more emotions, one can try to “show rather than tell” as it adds more meaning to the writing as well.

[Ashley Adhar]

List of Punctuation that is used in writing:
! , . ? : ; ” ‘ – { } []

Punctuation not sure about using :
; { }

[Jaida Clouden]

I love writing. My love for writing started when I was just a little kid. The kind of writing that I do are mostly poems and writing short stories/books. Even though I like to write, reading is 50/50 with me. Sometimes I like to read things when it interests me. I read at a faster rate when what I’m reading is interesting. When something doesn’t interest me, it takes me longer to finish reading and then it makes me procrastinate.
Other than actual writings, I like to read comic books from DC Comics.
I don’t really have a favorite author.
I can say that I write better than I speak. I’m a shy person, so when it comes to speaking, I get all quiet. Once I’m writing, I write everything out in a way of how I would speak it. Writing is another way for me to express how I feel.
What I use to speak, are my hands. I like to motion my hands in certain ways that will make what I’m saying clearer to the human eye.
What I can do with my voice, is to speak louder so that everyone could be able to hear me. That is a way on how my message can be shared out.
Good writers tend to elaborate creatively when it comes down to their work. Writing about something interesting helps the readers enjoy what they are reading and it makes the writers work effective.
Writers can add more detail and sensitive word choice to show the emotion coming out of their tone from either writing or speaking.
The list of punctuations that is used in writing is: commas, colons, semicolon, parenthesis, periods, dashes, exclamation marks, quotes, question marks, brackets, slashes, etc…

[alhasen]

Alhasen Alawgari
I wouldn’t say I 100% don’t like to write, it’s just that I grew up in a family that speaks a different language at home so trying to share my thoughts in english is somewhat difficult. Especially when it comes to writing. I like to read news articles and blogs that are informational. Especially if they write about technology. I like to be up to date on technology and anything that can affect my way of life. I feel better speaking than writing because speaking just comes to me. However, when I write I take time expressing my thoughts. Which is a good thing. I use my mouth, face, and sometimes my hands, whenever I speak to someone. I can speak up louder to help convey my message. Writers put more emotion into their writing so readers can relate. I can use some punctuation marks Like the exclamation mark to show a strong feeling in my writing.

LIST of Punctuation Marks:
.
!
()
;
:
–
‘
“”
,

[Dawood]

A) Yes, I do like to write because it’s a way of going in more depth about what you are thinking, feeling, and seeing. The kind of writing that I like to do mainly is faction stories because it’s more about letting you pick how you want the story to go without any restrictions.
B) There some writings like poetry which are difficult because it wants rhyming and somewhat of a pattern which I can’t handle its confuses me and gets me off track.
C) I like to read a lot about nonfiction articles and little fiction stories. I used to read a lot of time for kids when I was younger and loved to learn more real-life information about our world. Yes, there are some new articles that I do read online from “Daily Mail”. My favorite author is Louis Sachar who wrote the book “Wayside School” which was a nonfiction book.
D) I speak better than the way I write because when I write something I get off track and forget works or punctuation.
E) When speaking I talking a normal and semi-slow you my message can get across to the other person.
F) Writers make their stories by having a clear idea of a plan of what they wanna do and sketch it out before writing.
G) Writers can explain more in-depth of what the idea we have and how we want to show the feeling of the story, each character has there own thoughts and personality.
H) ! – . ? ! ( ) : ‘ ”
F) , ; { }

[Saba Chaudhry]

I enjoy writing because I feel that it is a personal thing that no one can tell you what to write about. I like writing about my feelings in a journal type form. At times my feelings get so overwhelming, i find comfort in writing those down, in a way that I can later address it to the people who’ve made me feel that way.
Growing up and even now I love to read. I usually enjoy the Young Adult genre. Some of my favorite books are the “Harry Potter” series by J.K Rowling. The “StarCrossed” series by Josephini Angelini. I enjoy other types of books as long as they have some mystery or a very developed and interesting story. To be honest, I could read anything. I don’t subscribe to any magazines. I do not have a favorite author, only because I like to read a range of works, and there isn’t a particular author that I have yet to stick to. I do read online articles because it is easier than buying a newspaper. I like to stay updated on the current events.
I only like to speak if I am passionate about the topic, other than that i will stay quiet. I am not an extremely extroverted person, but I also not extremely introverted. I guess you can say I am in the middle. Times where i will definitely speak, are debates and voicing my opinion on issues. But socially, i wouldn’t be the first person to initiate a conversation with a person. With writing, I do not have that social fear, so it is much easier to write as I feel. I usually prefer communication over emails or anything that doesn’t involve face to face confrontation.
To speak, I usually use my hands as indicators of what I am saying. For example if I am talking about something going slow, I would use my hands to show the slowness. If I say “something is over there” I would use my index finger to point at it. Overall, the faster I speak to more hand movements can be expected from me. With my face I will usually use my mouth to accentuate the words im saying to convey a more prominent message. If I’m addressing a large crown I will use my chest voice to project what I need to say. Different situations call for different uses of voice, whether that be soft, loud, slow, or fast.
Good writers use different forms of literary devices to make their story interesting. There’s foreshadowing, adding suspense, using different words to attract different age groups. A writer needs to know his audience to be able to attract people. The audience is who determines, if a writer is worth reading.
I believe writers, need to make their work personal, and cater to how they want to portray their message. This can be used in anything, once you’re comfortable with what you’re writing you can go on for ages. Any task that is given to writers they should brainstorm on how they can make it their best piece ever.
Punctuation used in writing: ! , . ? : ; ” ‘ – { } []
Punctuation not sure about: ; [] {} :

[Asif Khan]

I love to write. It brings you peace of mind, it drives you away from the world and allows you to be yourself creatively. I like to write in the notes app of my phone, just to make sure I remember things and write on the app like a diary. I love to read sports articles, I am a big NBA fan and I keep track of most news within the organization. I like to read inspiring writing, conspiracies about ghosts, gangs and holes in the world. One of my favorite authors is Caroline Kepnes. She wrote the books “YOU” and “Hidden Bodies. The books later adapted to the show “YOU” on Netflix and became a hit. Caroline intricately describes the characters and their intentions. When I speak, I use my hands a lot to get the persons attention, and to show genuine interest in what I’m speaking about. I don’t raise my voice much, but the tone I change depending on what I need to get across. Good writers have enticing statements that draw a reader in, they exaggerate parts of the reading and do many subtle things to show they know what they’re talking about. To emphasize what we’re writing, we can use punctuation and we can underline, bold, and/or italicize whatever we are writing.
All punctuation marks: Period, Comma, Question Mark, Exclamation Mark, Colon, Semicolon, Quotation Marks, Apostrophes, Hyphens, Ellipses, Parentheses, Dash, Brackets, Em-Dash.
I’m not sure about using Semicolons, Brackets, and Em-Dash.

[Brianna]

I like to write only if it is it express my feelings, thoughts or opinion.In writing I get my point across better without any stuttering because I am a shy person. Aside from class work, I don’t find myself writing at all.
I love to read a lot. I love reading mystery, action, and romance books. No I am not subscribed to any magazines not a fan of those. I have read news articles online. I don’t have a favorite author.I write better than I speak because in writing I get my point across more clear without any interruption or me stumbling over words. I use my hands when I speak to motion my words.To convey my message I can speak louder and slower.When writers use suspense it makes readers like myself want to read more.
Punctuation used in writing:
! : ; , ‘ ! ?
Punctuation I’m not sure about using: : {}

[Wei Ni]

I’m not strong in writing but I like to write about current events and war history. Most of the time other than classwork, I don’t see myself write anything (unless emails counts as writing with punctuation.) because I’ll rather read instead. I like to read about history, mostly World history and some US history and I’m super interested in war history. I don’t read newspapers and I can’t remember the last time I have. I’m not subscribed to any magazines. I don’t have a favorite author but I prefer mystery genre books more than others. I’m not good in public speaking, and my writing isn’t substantial, but If I had to choose then i’ll go with my ability to speak. When I want to get my message across in speaking, I use hand gestures because for some reason that helps me speak better. A lot of times I know what to say, but the words can’t come out my mouth as fast as my brain processes. To convey my message across an audience, I’ll just speak louder and scan the room with my eyes trying to survey everyone in the audience. I feel like good writers have a structure, a plan on what they’ll write and they execute that plan flawlessly. To add the emphasis and emotions that normally you’ll only feel through speech on paper, you’ll have to add punctuation and help the character express the emotions, you should also misdirect the readers so they can overlook what one might do or create a false belief regarding an issue that is ongoing.

Punctuation marks used in writing that I know of:
. , ? ! ‘ ” ; : () & –

Punctuation marks I don’t really use:
– ; :

[BrandonP]

Writing is a great way of expressing feelings at times since you may freeze up speaking about it aloud. I enjoy writing sometimes because it allows you to share your voice on topics that aren’t always easy to speak about in front of people. Occasionally I find myself writing notes to myself or small texts to stay focused and positive. However I do tend to write more in class rather than individually because mental notes to myself occur more than written ones.

I am not the biggest fan of reading because I have trouble finding articles, novels, poetry that interests me. I tend to always read texts that I have no interest in which causes me to steer away from reading often. However I am subscribed to magazines that write about music because I find lots of joy in reading about how musicians create their albums and their craft. Additionally to the magazines I read the New York Times when there is a big headline to stay up to date with the current events in the world.

I tend to speak better than I write whenever I am speaking to people I know. When speaking to individuals I am unfamiliar with I tend to stutter and get nervous. It is an obstacle I have yet to overcome however getting past that feeling is one of my main goals.

When I speak the use of body language, hand motions, and emotions play a role in getting my message across. If you have anything important to share, you must show emotion. People become more engaged due to the passion they see you have. Speaking with a strong loud voice also helps emphasize the feelings behind your statements which causes people to listen closely.

Good writers have effective and enjoyable writing due to the composure behind their work. Many writers like to write so the readers can make connections with the characters in fictional pieces. This allows many readers to relate to these characters and find enjoyment due to the similarities they share. Non-fiction writers keep their audience entertained by sharing amazing facts about certain events.

Writers can add suspenseful scenarios in their writing to get the readers on the edge of their seats and truly be interested. They also tend to have readers have a connection to the reading.

List of punctuation: . , ? ! ( ) “” ‘ : ; / – { }

Punctuation I am unsure about: { } ;