Introduction
As we all know, the newspaper industry today is slowly, but surely fading. Today’s trends do not necessarily mean the end of newspapers completely, but do signify a change in the way we receive media. With more and more people turning to the internet for information, the students in Ms Roops Creative Writing classes have created a blog. We hope this blog will appeal to readers of all ages.
For the past year or so everywhere I look I see Bella Swan. On slow days I’ll come across Edward Cullen, but that’s only when all the posters of Kristin Stewart are sold out. It amazes me that a single book has become so popular with an entire nation. Not only are stores covered in Bella and Edward merchandise, but the actual novel is being sold like a piece of clothing. Everyone who is anybody has to have this book, and to have read it. I seriously can’t tell you how often I’ll hear two girls review Jacob’s behavior in the last chapter, the Edward-Bella-Jacob love triangle, or arguing the point that Breaking Dawn was an awful conclusion. I've even been known to hear boys converse over their interest of Alice and Rosalie. (Though I must admit I’m not oblivious to such statements escaping my lips, but they always seem to kick my gag reflex up a notch.) The entire story is elementary, not to mention far too cliché. But how did we come to this? A generation that was raised on an orphaned wizard is now resorting to a horrible version of Romeo and Juliette. What happened for Twilight that put it in the position it currently sits in? To begin with, I suppose I should mention the fact that I’ve read Twilight, and much to my dismay, finished the entire series. I will not attempt to defend my hypocrisy in an elaborate manner; I just felt I had to read them. Upon discussing with a friend of mine, I found many people read this book before it became main stream. Like me, they simply enjoyed a good story, and therefore read just for the simple reason that it’s a hobby. We’re nerds. I read Twilight two years ago, having checked it out of a library not big enough to have George Orwell’s 1984. After reading this novel, I came to two conclusions. (Surprisingly without the help of the media or the oh-so-gorgeous Robert Pattinson to influence my review.) Number one, it had a good story. Despite the fact that star-crossed lovers have been done over three million times, and at least a million different ways, I had to admit; vampire falls in love with human, vampire wants to kill human, human falls in love with vampire, was a bit original. My second conclusion lacked benevolence. Stephanie Meyer, the author, writes like a high school girl wishing she could have Prince Charming. Throughout the book I pictured this woman as a whiney, brat who couldn’t have her way; thus becoming the premise of Bella Swan. Bella is an awkward but, beautiful junior (we can’t leave out the detail where every boy in the school wants to take her to prom) who moves to Forks, Seattle. I don’t care how much I’d like to; Bella is too much of a perfect girl to be seen as otherwise. This leads me to her “soul mate”, Edward Cullen. Not only is this character not flawed in anyway, he’s gorgeous, charming and graciously opulent. Where in the world did Stephanie get this? Teenagers crave Prince Charmings, yes, but Prince Charming has to be deep, and somewhat imperfect. How else can he be believable? I refuse to accept the fact that either of these people could ever exist except in the minds of an eighth grader. Maybe it’s simply the cynic in me who hates this couple, but it’s also the jerk that refuses to conform. After reading the 2,000+ page series I couldn’t help but wonder why it was so popular. It was the book in everyone’s hands, the book everyone was talking about, and the book that had everything; why? What does this book have that hundreds of thousands before it don’t? Maybe it’s not as special as everyone thinks it is. Maybe it’s simply a book; a book about two people who can’t be together, suffering mellow-dramatic problems, and fighting the same people book after book. I can’t help but attempt to make it more. There’s nothing overly unique about this story. It doesn’t have the wit of Harry Potter, the realistic love triangle of Gone with the Wind, or even a hint of meaning like the Life of Pi. Perhaps it’s only a passing phase taking a sojourn in the hands of our youth. Then again, maybe that’s our answer. There’s actually a book in the hands of today’s youth. A book we all seem to want to talk about, regardless of our opinions toward the lump of paper. For some it has become a bible, and for others far more pessimistic, it is only a book. A book I’d much rather use as a prop to keep the table in my kitchen from throwing our dinner plates to the floor. Or perhaps I could hit someone with it? They’re awfully thick you know…
On Unoriginality in Modern Movies By: Brandon Wells
I don’t know about you, but I’m not too excited about the new Friday the 13th movie everyone keeps raving about. Neither was I eagerly awaiting the release of the new Halloween remake about a year or so ago. That might be because I don’t enjoy paying for something I have already seen. Or maybe I’m also just tired of crappy sequels. Or it might be that I would just like to see something new, and good, period. It just seems that these days filmmakers aren’t even trying to come up with new, original ideas, and just try to make up for it by wowing audiences with special effects. I think that one problem is filmmakers are just a little too nostalgic for their own good. For example, I imagine Steven Spielberg had a conversation with George Lucas that sounded something like this: “Hey, remember when we made Indiana Jones? Those were some good times. Lets make an unnecessary sequel to it!”. By the way, the lack of originality was not the only thing wrong with The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (aliens do not belong in an Indiana Jones film). The other problem might just be that people today are pretty easily amused and will pay for anything. Filmmakers like to take advantage of that to make an easy buck. If filmmakers want their work to have the quality that old movies had, then they should consider “getting in touch with their muse”. To go back, watch their old movies, remember what inspired them to make those films might be able to conjure new ideas that would be just as good as their old work. On the other hand, I guess I can understand why filmmakers would be so cheap in making their movies these days, if just to make easy money. After all, why spend a lot of effort on making something that people are going to buy anyway? But if these filmmakers want to save their work from a death by mediocrity, then to learn of their own muse might be able to help. That way, we wouldn’t have to deal with Quentin Tarantino making a remake, or unneeded sequel, to Pulp Fiction (which I really hope never happens).
In an old broke down shack in California is a young boy name Barron who goes by Dirty. Dirty is living by his self because his parents have abandoned him when he was a little boy. The only thing that Dirty knows is the streets because that’s all he grew up around. One scary night Dirty has decided that he is tired of the streets and wants to go to a homeless shelter. He gets there and feels out the paper thinking that this is going to be the best life ever or at least better than before. Dirty realizes that everything is going good but he misses his friends Tiny and Slim. The only problem with that is the last time he saw them they were getting chased by the cops. As a few more boring strange days goes bye he just thinks of what life would be like if he had a real family. The bright and sunny Sunday morning Dirty has stole food and robbed a store. The owners of the Homeless Shelter didn’t want to have anything to do with somebody who would do something like that. Finally the owners have come up with a decision and that is to kick him out. In some way Dirty was happy because he missed the streets. Now every time he has the best opportunity he always turns it down or messes it up. Ever since that day, Dirty has been making bad decisions like smoking selling weed and etc. Tiny and Slim have just reached their last day in Jail and wants to meet up with Dirty. They are so happy to see each other and starts to make their own business out on the streets. A guy on the streets come up late at night around one o’ clock in the morning saying “are you holding or what” Dirty replies “what you want and how much you need?” Tiny and Slim give Dirty the merchandise to sale to the very tall strange looking guy. As he gets it he pulls out his badge and it is the cops. Tiny and Slim are running as fast as they can while Dirty is caught because the police officer has his hands handcuffs. Dirty’s eyes starts to wonder around and he notices that he homeboys didn’t have his back. As he is having a long ride in the car with the sirens on he starts to think to his self now I know that I can’t even trust anybody because I don’t even know if they have my back. Dirty is worried because this is his first time going to jail. When he arrives at the Jail he is automatically sent to the court room. The one and only Judge Judy is in charge of his case. She says “young boy I will like for you to explain to me what have you done.” Dirty says “well ma’am I have been supporting myself the best way that I know how to and that is hustling on the streets. I have no where else to go because I have made some other bad decisions before I have came here and I have got kicked out of the homeless shelter because of my bad behavior.” As he keeps talking he has realized that one of the owners is right. One of the owners told him that “if you keep doing whatever you are doing then people are going to start telling that you grew up a screw up” Judge Judy is still listening to him talk and all she can say is “well I know that they can be some of the reason why you are acting that way but you also have a choice and you have made your life the way it is now. So the only thing I can say is that you grew up a screw up.” Hearing her say that to Dirty has really broken his heart. Dirty is sentenced to three and a half years plus community hours. As the guards are escorting him to his cell the only thing he can say Is they are right, I really did grow up a screw up. Laying down in his small and very cramped cell crying about how much he had messed up his life. Dirty wants another chance but he doesn’t want to take the time and learn. Like he said “the only thing I know is the streets and I ain’t about to change for nobody. I was born a hustler on the streets and that is how I am going to die. It’s too late for me to change now. I’m locked up and now I have to deal with the consequences but as soon as I get back out I’m going to be right back on the streets hustling. Once a screw up always a screw up.”
As many of us know, the new brick Food-Lion near the Southeast community opened recently. Many residents, especially those of Forrest Oaks, sighed with relief when the grocery store doors opened. People living in the area needed a closer store to go shopping at, and their wishes came true. The new Food-Lion is great. I believe it meets the standards for a "neighborhood grocery store". Whenever I walk in, I always see someone i know, and people working there are always eager to help. On top of that, the produce and food there is always fresh. They also have a nice selection of foods to choose from. The Food-Lion store has become a great addition to the community. For years to come, I'm sure the store will be open and at its best. Hiring won't be a problem, because the store will always have a supply of eager high school students wanting a job. I'm also sure that we as the community will support the store. If residents continue to buy from our own grocery store, I'm positive Food-Lion will stay in business. The new store is a great, for us, and the community. If you haven't stopped by yet, be sure to check it out! :) By: Katherine Harrell
MARCH 13: Movie Ideas Due MARCH 15: Group Movie Proposals due MARCH 19: ALL Magazine Sumission FINAL DRAFTS due MARCH 23: Magazine layout due MARCH 24: Last day to turn in work from 3rd 9 weeks MARCH 25: Group Movie Scripts and storyboards due MARCH 27: End of 3rd 9 weeks APRIL 1: Creative Writing Magazine-Joke Issue- Goes on sale! APRIL 7: Group Movie Due APRIL 9: Open Mic/Poetry Slam APRIL 22: Style Projects Due MAY 15: 3 magazine submissions-FINAL DRAFTS-due MAY 22: Writing Portfolio Due
Having Writers Block?
There comes a point in every writer, good or bad, young or old, professional or amateur's life when you catch the vicious disease of Writers Block. If you ever find yourself coming down with a case of Writers Block, go to this link for some prompt ideas. http://www.writersdigest.com/
Twilight: The Saga of Our Youth
ReplyDeleteFor the past year or so everywhere I look I see Bella Swan. On slow days I’ll come across Edward Cullen, but that’s only when all the posters of Kristin Stewart are sold out. It amazes me that a single book has become so popular with an entire nation. Not only are stores covered in Bella and Edward merchandise, but the actual novel is being sold like a piece of clothing. Everyone who is anybody has to have this book, and to have read it. I seriously can’t tell you how often I’ll hear two girls review Jacob’s behavior in the last chapter, the Edward-Bella-Jacob love triangle, or arguing the point that Breaking Dawn was an awful conclusion. I've even been known to hear boys converse over their interest of Alice and Rosalie. (Though I must admit I’m not oblivious to such statements escaping my lips, but they always seem to kick my gag reflex up a notch.)
The entire story is elementary, not to mention far too cliché. But how did we come to this? A generation that was raised on an orphaned wizard is now resorting to a horrible version of Romeo and Juliette. What happened for Twilight that put it in the position it currently sits in?
To begin with, I suppose I should mention the fact that I’ve read Twilight, and much to my dismay, finished the entire series. I will not attempt to defend my hypocrisy in an elaborate manner; I just felt I had to read them. Upon discussing with a friend of mine, I found many people read this book before it became main stream. Like me, they simply enjoyed a good story, and therefore read just for the simple reason that it’s a hobby. We’re nerds.
I read Twilight two years ago, having checked it out of a library not big enough to have George Orwell’s 1984. After reading this novel, I came to two conclusions. (Surprisingly without the help of the media or the oh-so-gorgeous Robert Pattinson to influence my review.) Number one, it had a good story. Despite the fact that star-crossed lovers have been done over three million times, and at least a million different ways, I had to admit; vampire falls in love with human, vampire wants to kill human, human falls in love with vampire, was a bit original. My second conclusion lacked benevolence. Stephanie Meyer, the author, writes like a high school girl wishing she could have Prince Charming. Throughout the book I pictured this woman as a whiney, brat who couldn’t have her way; thus becoming the premise of Bella Swan.
Bella is an awkward but, beautiful junior (we can’t leave out the detail where every boy in the school wants to take her to prom) who moves to Forks, Seattle. I don’t care how much I’d like to; Bella is too much of a perfect girl to be seen as otherwise. This leads me to her “soul mate”, Edward Cullen. Not only is this character not flawed in anyway, he’s gorgeous, charming and graciously opulent. Where in the world did Stephanie get this? Teenagers crave Prince Charmings, yes, but Prince Charming has to be deep, and somewhat imperfect. How else can he be believable? I refuse to accept the fact that either of these people could ever exist except in the minds of an eighth grader.
Maybe it’s simply the cynic in me who hates this couple, but it’s also the jerk that refuses to conform. After reading the 2,000+ page series I couldn’t help but wonder why it was so popular. It was the book in everyone’s hands, the book everyone was talking about, and the book that had everything; why? What does this book have that hundreds of thousands before it don’t?
Maybe it’s not as special as everyone thinks it is. Maybe it’s simply a book; a book about two people who can’t be together, suffering mellow-dramatic problems, and fighting the same people book after book. I can’t help but attempt to make it more. There’s nothing overly unique about this story. It doesn’t have the wit of Harry Potter, the realistic love triangle of Gone with the Wind, or even a hint of meaning like the Life of Pi. Perhaps it’s only a passing phase taking a sojourn in the hands of our youth. Then again, maybe that’s our answer. There’s actually a book in the hands of today’s youth. A book we all seem to want to talk about, regardless of our opinions toward the lump of paper. For some it has become a bible, and for others far more pessimistic, it is only a book. A book I’d much rather use as a prop to keep the table in my kitchen from throwing our dinner plates to the floor. Or perhaps I could hit someone with it? They’re awfully thick you know…
On Unoriginality in Modern Movies
ReplyDeleteBy: Brandon Wells
I don’t know about you, but I’m not too excited about the new Friday the 13th movie everyone keeps raving about. Neither was I eagerly awaiting the release of the new Halloween remake about a year or so ago. That might be because I don’t enjoy paying for something I have already seen. Or maybe I’m also just tired of crappy sequels. Or it might be that I would just like to see something new, and good, period. It just seems that these days filmmakers aren’t even trying to come up with new, original ideas, and just try to make up for it by wowing audiences with special effects.
I think that one problem is filmmakers are just a little too nostalgic for their own good. For example, I imagine Steven Spielberg had a conversation with George Lucas that sounded something like this: “Hey, remember when we made Indiana Jones? Those were some good times. Lets make an unnecessary sequel to it!”. By the way, the lack of originality was not the only thing wrong with The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (aliens do not belong in an Indiana Jones film). The other problem might just be that people today are pretty easily amused and will pay for anything. Filmmakers like to take advantage of that to make an easy buck.
If filmmakers want their work to have the quality that old movies had, then they should consider “getting in touch with their muse”. To go back, watch their old movies, remember what inspired them to make those films might be able to conjure new ideas that would be just as good as their old work.
On the other hand, I guess I can understand why filmmakers would be so cheap in making their movies these days, if just to make easy money. After all, why spend a lot of effort on making something that people are going to buy anyway? But if these filmmakers want to save their work from a death by mediocrity, then to learn of their own muse might be able to help. That way, we wouldn’t have to deal with Quentin Tarantino making a remake, or unneeded sequel, to Pulp Fiction (which I really hope never happens).
Grew up a screw up
ReplyDeleteBy: Andrea King
In an old broke down shack in California is a young boy name Barron who goes by Dirty. Dirty is living by his self because his parents have abandoned him when he was a little boy. The only thing that Dirty knows is the streets because that’s all he grew up around. One scary night Dirty has decided that he is tired of the streets and wants to go to a homeless shelter. He gets there and feels out the paper thinking that this is going to be the best life ever or at least better than before. Dirty realizes that everything is going good but he misses his friends Tiny and Slim. The only problem with that is the last time he saw them they were getting chased by the cops. As a few more boring strange days goes bye he just thinks of what life would be like if he had a real family. The bright and sunny Sunday morning Dirty has stole food and robbed a store. The owners of the Homeless Shelter didn’t want to have anything to do with somebody who would do something like that. Finally the owners have come up with a decision and that is to kick him out. In some way Dirty was happy because he missed the streets. Now every time he has the best opportunity he always turns it down or messes it up. Ever since that day, Dirty has been making bad decisions like smoking selling weed and etc.
Tiny and Slim have just reached their last day in Jail and wants to meet up with Dirty. They are so happy to see each other and starts to make their own business out on the streets. A guy on the streets come up late at night around one o’ clock in the morning saying “are you holding or what” Dirty replies “what you want and how much you need?” Tiny and Slim give Dirty the merchandise to sale to the very tall strange looking guy. As he gets it he pulls out his badge and it is the cops. Tiny and Slim are running as fast as they can while Dirty is caught because the police officer has his hands handcuffs. Dirty’s eyes starts to wonder around and he notices that he homeboys didn’t have his back. As he is having a long ride in the car with the sirens on he starts to think to his self now I know that I can’t even trust anybody because I don’t even know if they have my back.
Dirty is worried because this is his first time going to jail. When he arrives at the Jail he is automatically sent to the court room. The one and only Judge Judy is in charge of his case. She says “young boy I will like for you to explain to me what have you done.” Dirty says “well ma’am I have been supporting myself the best way that I know how to and that is hustling on the streets. I have no where else to go because I have made some other bad decisions before I have came here and I have got kicked out of the homeless shelter because of my bad behavior.” As he keeps talking he has realized that one of the owners is right. One of the owners told him that “if you keep doing whatever you are doing then people are going to start telling that you grew up a screw up” Judge Judy is still listening to him talk and all she can say is “well I know that they can be some of the reason why you are acting that way but you also have a choice and you have made your life the way it is now. So the only thing I can say is that you grew up a screw up.” Hearing her say that to Dirty has really broken his heart. Dirty is sentenced to three and a half years plus community hours.
As the guards are escorting him to his cell the only thing he can say Is they are right, I really did grow up a screw up. Laying down in his small and very cramped cell crying about how much he had messed up his life. Dirty wants another chance but he doesn’t want to take the time and learn. Like he said “the only thing I know is the streets and I ain’t about to change for nobody. I was born a hustler on the streets and that is how I am going to die. It’s too late for me to change now. I’m locked up and now I have to deal with the consequences but as soon as I get back out I’m going to be right back on the streets hustling. Once a screw up always a screw up.”
"The New Food-Lion Store"
ReplyDeleteBy: Katherine Harrell
As many of us know, the new brick Food-Lion near the Southeast community opened recently. Many residents, especially those of Forrest Oaks, sighed with relief when the grocery store doors opened. People living in the area needed a closer store to go shopping at, and their wishes came true.
The new Food-Lion is great. I believe it meets the standards for a "neighborhood grocery store". Whenever I walk in, I always see someone i know, and people working there are always eager to help. On top of that, the produce and food there is always fresh. They also have a nice selection of foods to choose from. The Food-Lion store has become a great addition to the community.
For years to come, I'm sure the store will be open and at its best. Hiring won't be a problem, because the store will always have a supply of eager high school students wanting a job. I'm also sure that we as the community will support the store. If residents continue to buy from our own grocery store, I'm positive Food-Lion will stay in business.
The new store is a great, for us, and the community. If you haven't stopped by yet, be sure to check it out! :) By: Katherine Harrell