ENGLCOM Goals

According to Ray Bradbury, an American fiction writer, "You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you." This quote inspires me for one reason; I know that improving my writing skills will help me reach my long-term goals. Writing will help me become the person I want to be, as long as I hold on to it and make my ability bloom.

For this ENGLCOM class under the writing component, my goals are quite simple: to improve my writing skills and broaden my knowledge about writing. I can never learn enough when it comes to writing. I'm always open to new ideas and concepts that I may be able to add to my stock of knowledge. I'm quite confident that my writing skills are more than simply 'good' but I do want to become better than how I am now. Although I do prefer writing like the way I normally do, which is descriptive and moderately paced, I know that it is important to be able to write in a scholarly fashion. I know that it is also equally important to know the paradigms needed to be able to do so, such as grammar rules, vocabulary rules and such. I'm quite certain that I'll be able to achieve my goals since I do love writing and I do sincerely want to hone my talent for it. Continuously writing in blogs and diaries will  make  me develop ideas in a clearer and cleaner order. This will also help me in criticizing the manner in which I write. The mistakes I commonly make and the logic in the development of my ideas are some of the tings I will keep an eye out for in re-reading my work.  I'll even try to stop procrastinating by giving myself a great motivation to write and improve my writing. 

I want to hone my skills in writing because of three things. Firstly, writing is a part of my life. There isn't a day that passes where I don't write. Be it a simple note or a descriptive essay, I always make sure to write something everyday. Secondly, writing will help me move forward. Compared to the skills of decorated authors and journalists, my skill could very well be ranked as a neophyte. I want to be able to write in a way that captures people's hearts, not by fluffy romance or scandalous conspiracies but by honest  realism with a dash of unique imagination. Lastly, writing is a stepping stone towards my long-term goals. The dreams I long to reach  will require a certain aptitude in writing, which is why I so want to be an exemplary writer.

All in all, writing is a huge part of my life and my lifelong ambitions. Despite everything that I've learned about it, I know that there is more, just waiting somewhere around a corner or on greener pastures. My writing style can definitely become better, as long as I don't waver from my goals.

Simple Goals: Outline

Title: Simple Goals

Thesis Statement: Improving my writing skills will help me reach my long-term goals.

              I.        Introduction

A.   Quotation

B.   Thesis Statement

            II.        Body

A.   My goals

1.    Improve my writing skills

2.    Broaden my knowledge about writing

a)    Define my style of writing

b)    Grammar and vocabulary

B.   How to achieve my goals

1.    Write continuously

2.    Analyze how I write and find ways to improve

3.    Motivate, not procrastinate

C.   Why I want to achieve my goals

1.    Writing as a part of my life

2.    Writing as a means of moving forward

3.    Writing as a stepping stone to my long-term goals

           III.        Conclusion

A.   Summary with emphasis on certain ideas

Your Nose is Giving You Away

I am very picky when it comes to television shows. I don’t watch local television because I think that all the shows, except for the news, are cliché. Telenovelas and the like are not at all my cup of tea. However, when I am faced with foreign television shows, I usually gauge it by the first episode. I think it is so important to make a good first impression since, as a critical viewer, time will be spent watching these shows so there may as well be an interesting storyline, an exciting plot and a worthwhile use of time. So now, I watch shows like the Big Bang Theory, Merlin, House, The Mentalist and Lie to Me.

Now, allow me to share how the television series ‘Lie to Me’ has changed my perspective in life and how I look at people.

‘Lie to Me’ is an American television series released not three years ago. The main protagonist is a doctor named Cal Lightman. I refer to him as the Lie Detector but he is referred to as ‘the world’s leading deception expert’. This means that Dr. Lightman can ‘read’ the lies that people tell through their body language. It’s very interesting stuff, believe me. You wouldn’t believe how many people I’ve caught lying to me. For example, if you’re a sassy young lady like me, you talk to boys. A sure-fire way to tell if a boy is lying is if he scratches his nose or his nape. Men have erectile tissue in the part of their noses that is above the upper lip. As for the nape-scratching, this is called a manipulator. It draws the eye away, even just for a moment, from the person who is telling a lie. It’s the same with brushing hair away from your face or just running your fingers through it. For more tips, I suggest you watch the series. It’s a very gripping show; Cal is called to solve crimes and uncover the truth while dealing with his own problems.

As for me, Cal’s tips and tricks have helped me find out who lies to me. I’m no expert but I think I have the fundamentals covered. One time, I asked my classmate if she sent me the articles I needed for the school paper. She told me she did. Then, just to test out one of Cal’s tricks, I asked her to tell me what else she did that night in chronological order. She told me that she went on Facebook, blogged on Tumblr, had dinner, sent me the files and did her homework before bedtime. After that, I told her to tell me again, but this time, before she went to bed in reverse order. She couldn’t tell me in the same order. So, I concluded that she was lying. Neat trick, right? When asked to do that, liars usually can’t because they actually make it up.

As for what happened after that I prefer to keep it to myself. But I can reveal that it involved raised eyebrows and dramatic exits.

Due to this experience, I have been more observant of people and the idiosyncratic nature of human deception. Just in case you’re wondering if this applies to all people, the answer is yes. Why? Human anatomy. Structurally, humans are composed of the same muscles and bones. The muscles I use to smile are the muscles you use to smile. So, the muscles I use to lie are what you use to lie as well. It’s all very scientific. It’s made me into a better person, I think.

It is with confidence that I can say that no all television shows are bad. Of course, there are some that start out good and become worse with each season but there are shows that are truly good and full of substance that will keep you on your tiptoes. As long as it keeps you interested and gives you something to ponder, the television show is worth watching. I don’t mean pondering about who ends up with who or what will happen to his and her relationship. I mean something you will remember and wonder when you can use it in real life, before our minds all rot.