It's almost time. . .

Okay chickadees. It's almost that time of year. The time when a whole group of writers jump off the deep end and pledge to write 50,000 words from 12:01 am on November 1st through midnight on November 30. It's a daunting task that requires you write 1,677 words every day for 30 days. Any many do it. They write 50,000 words and then some. Yours truly has never finished, but I've gotten half way. . . and I keep going back. It's gotten me writing, even if I haven't finished, and that's the purpose, isn't it? To write and write and write instead of killing every word you put on paper. I have a habit of over-editing instead of finishing writing first. I keep thinking that this year will be different, and maybe it will, but if I don't finish, at least I'm writing.

If you live in the Shreveport/Bossier area, feel free to stop in at our write-ins this year, so far it looks like the Barnes and Nobles on Youree or the Cupcake Gallery on Youree. And sign up and put your pen to the paper. If you want to follow my adventures this year, stay tuned to my blog for the link. I think I'll start a new blog for this year's story, like I did a few years back.

As always, keep on writing!

I shouldn't have kept you waiting...

Okay, I know, I know, I haven't written much lately at all, and it's wrong of me. I've been super busy at work the last couple of weeks, with my part time boss in from California and having to get all of his stuff done before he leaves again. Plus, my full-time boss took a trip and some vacation, so she put all of the stuff that has been piling up in her office for over a month on my desk so that it wouldn’t be in her office when she got back. I still haven’t finished sorting through all of it and I have the stuff I’m supposed to do on a daily basis that’s adding to the stack while I try to finish the “boss man’s” dictations. All in all, I’m exhausted and it gives me a headache. I’m actually typing this at the bottom of a dictation at the moment to rest my brain before I write about another pregnant woman with a baby problem or another sick baby with a bigger problem. And I know I’ll have a bunch more to do tomorrow and I still have two to finish today for him to sign.

On happier notes, I’ve finished the front side of Aaron’s scarf and about 1/3 of the back side. I would have probably finished it, but I ran out of yarn and need to go get some more, unless I make it strip-y and I don’t think Aaron would go for that. I even offered to do a design or two on the back, but he said he didn’t want it any more complex than it is. I was going to do the items that make the Marios on the back, but he said it was too much. Oh, well, I guess that means I’ll finish faster. Until I can get the yarn, I’m working on a baby kimono for Emily in the complex office because she’s having a baby girl in September. I’ll do another one after for Aaron’s niece or nephew. I think I’ll do one in lime and one in turquoise because neither color is really gender specific – and if she doesn’t like them, I’ll sell it on E-bay or something. I think I might do a stuffed toy too – or some baby booties. I’ve just been in a knit and not a write mood lately. I still have to do the quilled white rooster and the scrapbook for Disney last year and start this year and the trip we took to the Caldwell Zoo.

Oh well – I better get back to work. I’ll try to write more about my new fav band later!

Here's the pictures of the scarf.

Why I Write

I was reading Miss Snark's blog on agents -- I highly suggest it, even though she's retiring it, it's got great "snarkives." And one of the posters in the comments posted this bit from Dylan Thomas. I like his stuff, but this one just struck me. Writers should heed this when we write and write for us and because we can not do anything but write. I don't write to publish otherwise I would have finished more stuff and actually query my work. I write because I have to get the voices out. I have to give them breath and life and growth. I write because I have to.

In my craft or sullen art
Exercised in the still night
When only the moon rages
And the lovers lie abed
With all their griefs in their arms,
I labor by singing light
Not for ambition or bread
Or the strut and trade of charms
On the ivory stages
But for the common wages
Of their most secret heart.

Not for the proud man apart
From the raging moon I write
On these spindrift pages
Nor for the towering dead
With their nightingales and psalms
But for the lovers, their arms
Round the griefs of the ages,
Who pay no praise or wages
Nor heed my craft or art. --Dylan Thomas


Why do you write?

On Second Thought

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Research on Senator

With blogger introducing mobile blogging and email blogging, maybe I’ll get the chance to update this page a little more often . . . then again, maybe not. It’s not that I don’t really have time to write, which is the case sometimes, but rather that I don’t have much to write here. I’ve been trying to work on my characterization for Senator, but I’m unsure on Antoinette’s looks. I’m pretty sure I want auburn hair and green eyes, but as far as length or style, I thought about longer hair so that I could have her in a ponytail cleaning the villa or in a short choppy Victoria Beckham look so that it’s not the classic Southern debutante that her mom is pushing for. M is helping me think about it, but she’s rather partial to long hair from years of having to have short hair from her mom. I’ve had both, and although I want to grow it out for my wedding, I’m okay with the short styles as well. It really depends on the facial structures of the person I think. I think I’ll have to do some more research on pictures and write some more to see what it feels natural for her to be doing. Chase on the other hand will be a bit easier since he has to be the height of fashion. It’s a little different having a female character that doesn’t care about fashion and a male that responds more to the society. Most of the novels I read – especially the Regencies – have men that have hair that’s a little longer than fashionable and does exactly what they want because they are high enough in society to ignore most of the rules. It will be a little different doing a more modern piece as well, where society shapes a lot, but is not as strict on what happens before or after marriage. I won’t have to pay as much attention to the ton since it isn’t England and they won’t be in a normal society too much since I want to base most of the story in Greece – I’m leaning a lot toward Kythria. I started with San Padre, but I think that’s a little too populated and touristy for her “confinement.” I haven’t decided yet if I want her to have the baby in Greece or not. She’s only 4, maybe 5 months when the story opens, so I have a few months to play with.

On another note, I've been looking for a good primer for my eyeshadow -- blame it on too many vlogs and youtube subscriptions on makeup (I especially love panacea81) since I have that huge manly 120 eyeshadow palette, I've been wanting it to come out right. I found one at Target, but it was awful-expensive, so back on the shelf it went. I tried vaseline -- Lauren promotes that if you can't get a good primer -- and I would love to have hers, but I did find these neat little cream shadows from Victoria's Secret (yes, I am biased since I used to work there). They're part of the Beauty Rush collection and although they're a little shiny, they work great as a primer for pigment powder shadows. I got three (Bronze Medal - kinda a bronzish brown, What a Blush - a light pink color, and Glampagne - a neutral cream) and I love them. Smooth, and they stay put! I was already addicted to the lipglosses (still use my Cupquake, Buttersgotcha, and Gimme Smore) but it looks like they have a lot of new flavors out. The mascara in that line seems really good too (I picked up a navy one and a purple one). More after I've played more with that or checked out the new makeup from VerySexy.

I don’t know if anyone is reading this blog, but if you are, leave me a message and let me know what you think.

Still moving

I've updated the Teases Blog for anyone interested in reading it. Just a partial song. Life is moving onward. Mom and Adam are coming in this weekend for a bowling tournament and I went home last weekend for Easter. Did a little bit of shopping and saw family that I really haven't seen in about 2 years. I have to work to clean up my apartment this week so it will be presentable for Mom to come, since I don't want litter and junk all over my rooms. It's pretty easy to clean up everything, just time consuming. And I have to go shopping so that I will have food for lunch this week and food for her this weekend, although on Saturday night we'll be going eat at Chef Lee's, so no chinese food during the week. . .We'll probably eat at the bowling alley on Saturday for lunch, but I don't know how long it will take for him to bowl his games. I think it's the state tournament, but Adam doesn't listen to anything, so I don't have any details. I'm not even sure it's at Holiday Lanes, I just know it's in Bossier and their website says they are completely booked for that day. I guess I better get back to working on my story. I started reading a new book on writing last night called Plot: How to build short stories and novels that don't sag, fizzle or trail off in revision -- and how to rescue stories that do. It seems pretty good so far and I hope it can keep me on track and maybe I'll finish Senator. I have an idea of what I want to happen and I have the two main characters although I don't know them as well as I should yet. I'll probably do some more work on them in the next couple of days. I have a villain I think, besides "society" but I don't have a personality or description, or hell, even a name for her yet. She's just the fiance so far. So, this blog is getting long enough and it's not helping me write Senator or Cowboy's Song, which I want to get a OneNote book started for as well, so that's all for now.

Comments will be wined and dined until complacent.

There is a reason. . .

Okay, last couple of entries I talked about blogging more as a way to make myself write, but Aaron suggested that I start journaling as I did in high school and it's true, I kept a pretty updated journal from junior high until the start of college and it really helped me keep my thoughts organized enough to write, so i've picked up a notebook and started a new journal. I don't know if I will keep it in the notebook, since I can use all kinds of paper and clippings in a binder and I have an empty binder at mom's that I can put everything in. It will also help me to keep track of some of my pictures and ticket stubs and what not so keep it updated. I can't wait to go home for Easter and get it now. I've even started writing on one of my other stories recently to take a break from Mission so that I don't get overwhelmed with it and put it aside for as long a time this time. I think I'll update that on the Writing blog, so check it out, it's called Senator and I think it will make a great novel, or maybe even novella. I think there is a bit much there for a short story, but sometimes all of the background just makes the characters that much more mysterious. I don't want them to be boring.

Still Working. . .

Okay, I know I said I would try to write at least 15 minutes a day to get back into the swing of it, and I've been slacking big time. I have been writing. A letter here, a note there, just nothing major. I did work on my story today and added in about a page inside my already fleshed chapters. I need to move forward with it, but it's hard because I know what I want to eventually happen, it's just getting to those points without coming off really cheesy. Anyway, I have 10 minutes left to work and my writing time, so I'm going to work on biographical sketches. Maybe I'll post them here after so you can help me as I work through my characters.

Ja ne!

>*.*< Kat

Day 2 and 3

So yesterday instead of blogging I wrote a letter to my Japanese penpal. It was a pretty long letter. Longer than my last fiction post, but that's not going to cut it for today. I need to start writing something creative and something with a bit more substance because if I don't start writing again, it might go away. Some days I'm scared that I've lost it. . .that maybe the words won't ever come again like they used to. When I started getting sick, I was tired all the time and I didn't want to do anything. I just laid on the sofa and moped about. And now that I'm getting better, I am starting to want to do things again, like read and work with my knitting, but the words just trickle. They used to pour so fast into my brain that I could hardly keep up with the information before the next idea was crowding in. I used to have the voices of my characters in my head keeping me up at night and now I pass out so fast that the voices don't come. I try not to get depressed since, getting depressed won't fix it and it just upsets Aaron. I think I'll have to find a writing exercise page again and do one every day just to see if I can force myself into a habit since i know the talent and creativity is there. It just seems to be dormant. I tried my hand at writing fibonacci poems a while back to try to get creative. Here's a few that I came up with:

I
Fold
Paper
Cranes because
Maybe after a
Thousand my wish might be granted.

Wow.
Space
Can be
Really high
Maintenance when everyone
Takes a holiday from reality.

She
Is
Heather:
Lieutenant,
But do we really
Even know anything about her at all?

I've also had a song by Wynonna Judd stuck in my thoughts for a few days. I guess I'm feeling kinda nostalgic. I've been singing "Come Some Rainy Day," after all. Maybe I'll start a new story with that.

When I first saw you,
I knew I would love you
Halfway through sophomore year
I finally asked your name.
When I kissed you,
I lost my heart completely
And all we wanted
Was just to stay that way.

We move on,
Put those dreams away
Hoping that we'll find them
Come some rainy day.
How could I know
That everything would change
Except the way I miss you,
Come some rainy day.

New Beginnings

Since this is the month for NanoEdmo, and I didn't write a lick during November. . .to be fair, I was in the hospital with an IV in my right arm for a good portion of it. But instead, I'm going to use this month to start writing again. Since I already edit all the time, and it keeps me from writing a lot of the time, since I edit the same thing over and over instead of adding more, I'm going to start doing writing exercises again like I did to keep the creativity going back in college. The rules are simple. You must write at least 15 minutes every day. More if you wish, but at least that. And you can write about anything. . . your shopping goals, a new story piece, why you are too busy to write for today. . . anything. You can even expand on a piece you started on another day. So. Here is the piece for Monday, March 9, 2009. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

I watched her as she sat there for a while, pen in hand poised above the blank sheet of paper. her face was lax, her mind far away from the blank stare and the empty lines. I wonder what has triggered such a journey, as her eyes gaze in the general direction of the pen, unseeing and unmoving as her fingertips. She blinks and partial thought returns as she pushes the pen to dance along the page in loops and lines forming words and thoughts, even though I can tell by her absent minded smile that portions of her mind are still far away.

"Did you need something, Commander?" The flourish of scribbles halts as she turns her face to look up at me. She's taken to speaking only in Japanese to me, my native language rolling off her tongue with an ease I can't fathom after years of English.

"No." I respond simply -- harshly, even when I know it's a lie. I need more than she can give . . . more than she knows.

"Oh, okay." She returns to her scribbles, looking over the patterns of words as if they will impart the truth, but even they seem to be lying to her today. She bites her thumb as she contemplates adding more words to the rows of letters and after a brief smile, she puts the pen back to the paper and begins to write again, my presence mostly forgotten in the flurry of ideas and explanation. I want to ask her what she's writing that's so interesting and is growing so rapidly down the page, but I don't and instead watch her for a moment more before kicking myself and retreating back to the relative safety of my office across the hall.

Celebrity

Okay, now while I've had my share a meeting semi-famous people and people who have been on tv shows and stuff, like Brian Brushwood, Ron Irizarry, and my friend Ren (who is on K-Ville and works with Cal Penn,) I absolutely love my job and the celeb exposure it provides me. Since working here in June, I have met no less than 4 big name Hollywood people. . .well they may not be big name to you, but I have seen their work, so it's a big name to me. . .

First, Sharen Davis! She is such a phenomenal designer and so sweet and happy that you can't help but love her to death! In case you don't know, she was the designer on Dream Girls. I met her when she was working on the "Great Debaters" with Denzel Washington. Whom I also met. . .he was really laid back and kinda all over the place. On the day he came in the office, he was in jeans and a white tee. . .and he just kinda looked rugged.

Then yesterday, Matthew Broderick came in for the first time. He seems really introverted and quiet. (Dare I say, skittish?) I mean, he was in jeans but a really nice sweater both days (yesterday and today) but he doesn't talk much and he seems a lot older in person.

Then today was a major celeb day. . .they were casting for Feast, but that's nothing new . . .but Mr. Broderick came back and with him was Ally Walker. . . (well, at least it looked like her.) (AN: It was her.)She didn't even say hi. . .just walked through. . .I guess that's just my Southern Hospitality showing. (AN: When she came back through she was complaining about being tired and was really down to Earth, so I guess she was zoning this morning.)

Then, my favorite celeb sighting so far. . . JODELLE FERLAND!! She is so adorable. . .she just turned 13 this past week, and she's a phenomenal little actress. She's also really nice and loves smores poptarts, just like me! They were trying glasses on her for costuming this morning, and it's just awesome. She was just great in Kingdom Hospital, and although I haven't seen Silent Hill yet, I heard she was just awe-inspiring. I hope I can see her again this afternoon!!

Well, that's it for my brush with Celebrity in Louisiana today. . .I'll have to keep my eyes open and hopefully I'll recognize anymore people coming through!

The Off-lympics

Okay so I don't know if anyone out there has ever had Off-lympics, but I can tell you that four idiots running around a circular hall in rolling office chairs has to be like the funniest thing ever. First race: mano y mano - CC and DD raced each other around the hall while the BC spun circles and watched. . . hilarious, right? But then you add in myself and AP, subtract CC and add the other AP and it gets better. . . those office chairs were flying down the halls running in to desks and walls and spinning like freaking helicopter blades. . . ah sweet killer furniture.

And as if that wasn't enough, Hide-N-Seek was our second event. . . it's spooky in an empty building. . .then you make the elevators go in circles. With only two floors to play on and 3 stairwells and two elevators, there weren't too many places to hide especially when there is only one unlocked room door in the entire building. . .and that was base. Oh my goodness that freaking tile floor was cold. . .my feet were nearly frozen and then I ran all the way around to get to my spot, so I was trying to catch my breath with a twisted ankle in an empty stairwell. . . it echoed so bad I thought I would go deaf. But with the potential of a professor in the building. . .we abandoned that game for Name Tag Search Party.

AB, FAP, and BP hid the two name tags for the bosses in the office and the rest of us had to find them. . .boys can't find anything. . .even if you put it right in front of them. . . like under the hole puncher. . .

End results? A promise for more nametag hijinks later and wishes that we could do it again. . .but unlikely.

Planning and Planning

So I started getting together all the information I need to plan a trip to Disney for our Senior Trip. All I really know, is there may or may not be four of us, but there will at least be three of us. We want to stay on Disney grounds for at least a week, and that Aaron wants to go to Universal for at least a day.

Now, Disney is expensive enough, but when you factor in a hotel stay before and possibly after, plus 100 dollars for tickets into Universal to see both parks, meals for a week, and gas money. . .well, you get the picture.

I really want to do this with Aaron and Matt, and possibly, Lauren, but Matt and Lauren don't want to spend a lot of money. . .like more than like 5-6 hundred dollars. . . UGH. . .this is hard. . .I want to plan a good, fun vacation, but such strict boundries makes it really hard.

I hope I can do this.

JA NE!

How do you cope?

Days like this, I wonder why I bother. It's not that I got held a half hour extra at work. It's not that I have to work 8 hours on Saturday afternoon, even though I told my boss that I couldn't work Saturday afternoons and that I would rather work mornings. I meet with my therapist on Saturday afternoons, since the rest of the week he's in Shreveport on an internship for what maybe our future. I don't even know what I want with my life anymore. . .But I'll get into that later.

Mostly, it's because, not only are those two things happening, but also, I feel like total crap with a head ache, and a stomach ache, and I've been sniffling and coughing for like 3 days. When I was finally able to leave from HELL, I mean, McDonald's. . .I felt like I was going to puke, or pass out. . .Or something along those lines. . .But I was going home, so that was fine. The VCR didn't want to work, while I attempted to balance a plate of nasty cold macaroni and a baked potato in my lap so when I reached for the other remote, there went supper. Stomach ache not going away anytime soon as I starve until breakfast tomorrow. Then I work 7 hours tomorrow. . .Off Friday. . .And 8 hours on Saturday. . .Why couldn't I have 8 hours on Friday and ZERO on Saturday. . .Instead of getting off at 10 on Saturday (yea, like that's gonna happen. . .Probably be more like 11) then drive home and go straight to bed cause I have to be back up and out the door for 7:30 to be at work for 8. How in the HELL am I supposed to be cheery with all the elderly people and the morons that come in on Sunday mornings on like no sleep. I'm not cheery with no sleep. . .I'm more like Annie. Delirious and hating people. My highlights were looking cute going to the bowling alley, talking to Aaron and Attack of the Show. They are awesome. .. WATCH IT on G4 at 6 Central and 11 Central. Or you can check them out online and see everything from the site. They even play "Happy Tree Friends" on Monday and Friday. Today, they blinged out phones and an X-Box. Kevin and Sarah are f'in awesome. You can even get clothes like them at JINX. I want the shirt that says, "You are so off My Buddy List."

So yea. . .The future. . .Well, who knows. . . I don't even know what I want to do really cause everytime I think I do, something falls apart, or something else becomes a major obstacle for it that is mostly impassable in this retarded little town or with the people I'm with or my parents. I'll never get anything I want staying here unless I can do it over the internet. Maybe I'll loose weight by the time I go back to school, and I'll feel better . . . And maybe I'll be happy for a while. I want to be happy, but sometimes I feel as if I'm one of those people who weren't meant for happiness...It's so fleeting when it comes and not nearly often enough to be called more than not. I thought I was supposed to be the optimist. . . .Maybe that's all an act too. I should have been in theater. Problem is my act is real life and no one knows or can even really tell. I want someone I can be real with and they won't get upset or ask me what the hell is wrong that I'm not being myself.


SLEEP, like DEATH, chases us all and one by one, at some point in time, we call succumb.

Good night.

Just trudging through life. . .

I supposed I should post more, but lately, I don't feel like it. . . I'm still reading a lot, but I just don't feel like writing anything. Maybe I should start doing those writing excercises again where I make myself write for at least 30 minutes a day. . .I know I could make time to do it, but I just don't feel like doing that either. I played Fuel's Bad Day for a while tonight. . .that song kinda makes me depressed, but I like it, so I play it anyway and feel rather indifferent to everything. I've started diligent work on a scrapbook for Aaron and myself. I've got three pages done and several ideas, but I have no crafting glue since Elmer's makes the paper bubble, so they're just laid out and not really finished.

Adam made the All-Star team in baseball and he got first place in Singles and him and Luke got first in Doubles at City Tournament. The scores were in the paper last Saturday. He has a game tomorrow, and I think another on Wednesday, but I can't go to that one.

I still haven't found a job for the summer yet. . .I've put in several apps, but no takers. . .I have one I have to fill out for Dillards as soon as I get off tonight. They're looking for two people.

Maybe after I get up and clean the house a bit tomorrow I'll feel better. Maybe.

=*.*= Weyrd Kat

Summer has arrived. . .

So Summer has started and like you, I'm hard at work trying to find that elusive summer job. . .I don't really care what it is. . .just work. No experience is a major issue. . .

Anyway, I went see 3 Doors Down on Wednesday, and they totally kicked ass. There was a mystery band called "Top of the Orange" that performed a half hour set, and they were awesome! Click the link up top and check them out! SilverTide sucked. . .who's that guy think he is? Keith Richards? It's not cool to dress like an 80's rocker. . .his band consisted of a nerd, a Chilli Pepper's wannabe, and two Monkees. . . come on. . .in rock, it's 1/3 music, 1/3 looks, and 1/3 presence. . .and he was 3/3 horrible. Breaking Benjamin on the other hand. . .that's a great presence. . .I wasn't too big into them after listening to the cd, but their performance was hot. After that, the guys from TOTO came out and I got autographs from the lead singer, Jeff Beritiech, and lead guitarist, Brandyn Ulmer. . .they're really down to Earth fun guys.

Then 3 Doors Down took the stage. . .Oh my! What an awesome show! I sang along and bounced around and had a great time. The lead singer, Brad Arnold is from Mississippi, and he was on 106.7 before the show, and I never really thought about him having that Miss. accent, but the minute he started talking on the radio it came out STRONG. It wasn't too bad during the show, however. Here's the rest of the band: Matt Roberts (guitar), Chris Henderson (guitar), Todd Harrell (bass), and Greg Upchurch (drummer) all from Escatawpa, Mississippi. You can check them out at their website or any cd store. Their new album, Seventeen Days is awesome too.

Anyway, that's it from me for now! Take care!

Journal 6 for C&C - Romantic Tech

Sorry I didn't do Journal 5. :(

My tech project is looking to be an extension of some of my research for my undergraduate thesis. So far, I want to look at what the romance novel actually is as compared to what popular culture defines it as and why it is not accepted in more academic circles for the work that goes into making it a piece of fiction. I know that a lot of critics call Romance novels ‘porn in words’ and that it is really just ‘sappy, annoying crap’ but there is a lot more that goes into a novel of the genre than just two characters having sex or confessing their love for one another. Historical novels must be accurate, or have a really good reason why something is portrayed in a not historically accurate way (which is most often frowned upon.) This topic is important to English literature because it is a large field of writers (one which I want to join) that aren’t getting their (although mostly, but not always her) proper credit for all the work that goes into a novel simply because it isn’t part of the ‘dead white guy’ canon. Romantic literature includes drama and poetry too, yet we accept William Blake and Shakespeare. Shakespeare wrote about emotions and romance. However, these were male writers, almost in the same way that Richards is accepted as canonical for his ‘romance’ Pamela, because he was Victorian and male. Romance novels are usually very good prose, written in a way that attracts a reader’s attention with not only what they are saying, but the format and style they say it in. I intend to add links to some of the sites I’ve looked at with information on selling statistics for romance novels and the most popular types of novels. There is a set formula followed by these authors without this formula being enforced or even stated. My thesis will look at this formula and my tech project will highlight some of the basis points and plot devices in romance and briefly explain what they are. Hopefully this will help me to more clearly define my thesis proposal and my thesis itself.

Journal 4 for Comp & Comp - Bolter's Meaning

Please excuse this if it's not coherant. . .The flu medicine is making my system do loops. - Ashli =^.^=

I think Bolter’s book attempts to offer up the idea of an ever changing genre of writing. The writing space he attempts to define is not only the place where you postulate your ideas, but the mind where you form and shape the ideas you put out. In this way, the writing space of the mind is constantly being remediated by the changes our mind makes to the way we think and the way we perceive ideas and information. He outlines that not only is the field in which we write ever changing, but also the words, ideas, and the way we perceive them. As we saw in Chapter four, pictures and graphics are being remediated with text and vice versus. In this way, pictures are used on the web to enhance or even replace text such as a mailbox being used instead of the word Email. There are also places to get talking graphics instead of typing out instructions. Therefore, we remediate text with visual and sound art in order to catch the attention of the audience more readily and remove the need to read from our sites. However, Bolter makes it clear that those opposed to the remediation of print into hypertext often do so because the hypertext form could alter the argument by delineating the logical order of their idea. They also resist the loss of the authorial voice in hypertext that no longer lets the author denote the next step in the process or secquence in the story, but rather lets the reader decide how the story unfolds – in this manner, it is harder to distinguish who the real author is because the plot is no longer formulated by the writer but rather the audience. But, as Bolter makes it clear, there will always be a remediation of what is present because it is within human nature to always try to change things, whether it is for the better or not.

Journal 3 for Computers and Composition: The Problem with Bolter's Logic

Perhaps one of the major problems in Bolter’s explanation of hypertext is that instead of defining what it is, he defines what it does. In this manner, it makes it harder to separate what he considers hypertext from preexisting definitions of hypertext, such as those used in a hypertext markup language (HTML). He also uses the Cartesian method of explaining hypertext by what it is not. For example, hypertext, to Bolter, is non-linear, unlike a book, which follows a linear plot order. He also attempts to argue that the book is becoming less popular as a means of publication because of the accesability of internet publishing, but contradicts himself in stating that “Both as authors and as readers, we still regard books and journals as the place to locate our most prestigious texts” (Bolter 3). However, as we see with the library at this university, it is becoming simplier to find a full print journal as a pdf file or e-book, affectively cutting out the need to host years of printed paper journals on the shelves. Are these e-books hypertext as Bolter means the word? I find it hard to dissemilate what he means from what he says. Perhaps with this seperation of printed word and thought Bolter attempting to redefine what he means by hypertext, but I’m still not quite sure of his meaning. I know what the HTML coding does for building, but is this hypertext of links and pages what he means when he talks about hypertext media? If he means the hypertext language of the internet as a means of remediating the language of the printed book, can’t he just say that? Does he have to bury it in literary metaphors and theory of what it should be? Not everything is a metaphor or theory. I think it’s this abstraction that helps to distract readers from an accurate definition of his point.

The Hypertextuality of Graphics - Journal 2 C&C

For the most part, I am inclined to believe that even as we go to an image and visual based society from a textual, logic based founding we are still more inclined to use visual media arts as a enhancement of textual applications. Even if the text is not completely visible, as a viewer and reader, we are more inclined to pay attention to it and focus our attention on it if there is a visual stimulus accompanying the words. I was searching on friendfinder.net, trying to find a pen pal and updating my profile when they showed a statistic stating that you were three times as more likely to receive a response to your profile if you included a picture with it, and ten times as likely with a video file. There is an old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, but in this age of hypermediacy, those thousand words may very well be hidden in the picture to start with. One of my favorite examples, which you can see below, is the header graphic for a site that is no longer runnning. Elaine Castillo is the author of the picture, and she incorporates the words into a montage of pictures giving the feel of dispair and loss to an otherwise normal picture of a man and mulitple shots of a woman. It’s the text that lets you understand what is hiding in his eyes and what exactly she’s bracing herself against. Even though the words overlap themselves in a display of color, the words that are discernable say enough about the picture to not need to be able to see every part in its entirety. The fact that you can’t see every part of the text or the graphics also gives a sense of chaos and the unknown between these two people. Perhaps they are lovers. Perhaps it is a tale of unrequited love. Perhaps they love each other and don’t know it. The fact that there are so many different ways the picture can be interpreted with the texts given, or judging from the text missing, leads us to realize the hypertextuality of the graphic in regards to the user’s definition of the outcome of the picture based on what they see of it.