Essay:Finding A Topic
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This is a foreward just simply talking about the essay and why it was written. So, as with every other English class, my class had to write an essay. It was about a moment in time that happened during the Spring or Summer. So, I could not think of something that I could write about on that topic. However, I eventually got the idea to write about the essay about a moment that happened in Spring or Summer. So, that is what I wrote about and submitted. What ended up happening was that I wrote up the first draft ("I Hate When I Cannot Find A Topic"), people thought that it was too sarcastic (one of the things of my writings is that it is sarcastic). So, I rewrote it ("Finding A Topic"). The rewriten version that was turned in. However, here are both of them for you, the reader, to read. Please tell me on the talk page of this article what you think. I got a 74 on this, the worst grade I have gotten on a paper all year. Here are the comments:
| “ | One should always take calculated risks. Meet with your teacher before a paper is due, if you're unclear about what to write. You demonstrate a clear narrative voice. However, this paper does not meet the requirements. | ” |
I Hate When I Cannot Find A Topic
As many people know, we all love summer and spring. It brings back very fond memories to all of us. The thought of mosquito bites on your arm that itches like never before, the thought of swimming in the ocean where fish do their dirty business, and so on. However, there is one memory that I will probably never forget. Although it lasted for a moment, it was a moment that would change my adolescent life.
Now, you must understand the prologue before we can get to the moment in time that I am referring to. It was late one afternoon, and I was sitting in English class. Mr. (blank) was up teaching, when he suddenly told us to just start writing about a moment that has happened over the spring or summer. So, I sat there, and wrote about going swimming at the beach, or in a pool, or in a puddle (I can’t quite remember which). Then, I realized that the story that I had just written would not fit the two page requirement. So, a few days later, I was putting my laptop into my locker. And that is when this moment occurred.
My locker is one of the most overflowed, messy, wastelands in the whole school. It is worse than New Jersey (which is a toxic waste dump). However, nonetheless, I tried to close my locker. This task was harder to do with my mammoth laptop (it could kill a baby), yet I still tried and tried. What made it even harder to do was the mass collection of overpriced and overweight text books that kept falling out. Eventually, I got everything crammed into the petite oasis that was known as my locker. After attempting to close my locker about 5 times, and actually doing it on the sixth try, I sat at my locker to catch my breath. Although it only lasted for a few seconds, the effects were drastic.
Then, I figured out what I should write my report on. After that brief gasping for air, I quickly got on my feet and went to my next class, gym. Here comes the epilogue. After playing football, I went inside and got dressed again. Then, afterwards, I wrote the essay for English on the topic that I had chosen in that fatal moment. I sat down at the computer, my hands, sweaty (football is hard to play), and wrote about how I chose my topic for the English essay that I am typing right now.
That moment at my locker was in fact a drastic step because I realized that I could write about something that we all had to do. Therefore, everyone could relate to it. Also, everyone has been stuck and not been able to write about a topic that was assigned to them in their English class. Also, on top of that, I could use a very sarcastic, yet truthful overtone to the whole paper. When at my locker, these were the thoughts that buzzed through my head. Then, there was some music in the background, too (I think that it was Aqualung by Jethro Tull). That was all of the motivation that I needed to want to write about the English Essay.
On this English essay, I did really well in the peer review (they thought that it was good, I am assuming). Then, Mr. (blank) thought that it was an all right paper, though it was not my best, he thought that it was defiantly not my worst (again, I am assuming). More importantly, however, I learned something from my experience at my locker. I learned that if I was ever stuck on a topic, I could simply talk about how doing school work (it could fit for almost any essay). Furthermore, I learned that if you write about something that you know, instead of making up swimming in a puddle, you can write a lot more (see, this even goes onto the third page. Take that, puddle). This will, I thought, make the work seem better than it really is.
Finding A Topic
Summer can bring back many fond memories, such as going camping and having all of your food get eaten by bears, or, eating hot dogs at that stand that is run by the creepy guy at the beach. However, there is one memory that I will never forget. This moment has changed me to the point of becoming better at things that I do (and will probably do so for a long time). Here was that moment.
First, before being able to understand about that moment, you must first understand the prologue. I was sitting in class and minding my own business when Mr. (blank) told us to take out a piece of paper. Then, he instructed us to write about a moment that happened during the spring or the summer that has affected us. I started writing about my Uncle’s house. I mean, there must have been some moments there that I found good. Unfortunately, there was nothing that I did there that lasted a moment. On top of that, every topic that I tried, regardless of how ridiculous it was (trying to swim in a puddle?) could not fit the two page requirement. Frustrated, I left class feeling rather frustrated.
Although I did have a lot of frustration with thinking of a topic, it was about to get a lot worse. I was heading to my locker to put my laptop away because I had gym (playing football with a laptop is harder than it looks). Also, my locker is the most overflowed messy, wastelands in the whole school. It is worse than New Jersey (and Jersey is a huge landfill). I continued my efforts to stuff my laptop into the overflowing oasis called my locker. What made it even harder to do was the mass collection of overpriced and overweight text books that kept falling out. Eventually, after trying to close it at least five times, and succeeding the sixth time, I started to go to gym. Then, I realized that I did not have my gym clothes. So, I went back to my locker and opened it up. Then, out of the petite, under spaced, crammed locker, the textbooks went flying everywhere. Just then, it hit me. I knew what I would write about. It was at that moment that I had basically every textbook of mine on the floor, that I realized what I would do. This was drastic.
After gym, I went into the computer lab. Here comes the epilogue. I sat down at a computer, tense and excited, scared and happy, my palms were sweaty (football is hard to play). I started typing. I started typing about that brief, yet drastic moment when I would write about when I got the idea for the topic of this essay.
Although this might not seem like so, this was a very drastic step for me. It would work for the peer review because everyone could relate to not having a topic. Also, it would be epic because (I’m speculating) nobody has ever written about the essay that they were typing right at that moment. Also, what was awesome was that I could use a sarcastic, yet sincere overtone to the whole paper. This was because, it fit what the assignment was supposed to be, yet if read by somebody else, sounds to be completely sarcastic (which is where most of my humor is from).
When I was at my locker, there were many thoughts buzzing through my head. One sounded like “What am I going to write this essay on?” Another thought was “Aw, man. Now I have to clean up this mess.” (Also, I think that the song “Aqualung” by Jethro Tull was in the background.) So, in that brief, yet radical moment, those two thoughts merged and created what is known as, my topic.
On this English essay, the people in my peer review group really liked it (this is more to the epilogue). For the commending part, one of them said, “Awesome.” This was cool because I had taken a risk by doing this essay. Then, for the suggestions, they said things like, “Dude, Mr. (blank) is going to give you a zero for this paper.” That made me scared because I did not like zeros on my paper. Furthermore, without Mr. (blank) knowing my legitimate thought process, he might assume that this was all a joke and not really something that I am writing about. The thought that perhaps I would get a zero did begin to seep into by brain (kind of like how molasses seeps out of its bottle, hauntingly slow). I hope he doesn’t give me a zero.
Mr. (blank) did not give me a zero. He instead, complemented me on taking a risk and that it was kind of humorous. However, he said that it was not my greatest work, and that I should’ve gone more in depth with my thought process. So, he gave me an 84 (I am presuming. This is only a spitball estimate (I hope)).
However, this English essay, regardless of grade, gave me a lot of things to work with. First off, I learned that I should write only what I know about. This is because, if I do, then I will be able to write longer and actually fill in the two page requirement (see, third page. Take that, puddle!) Also, I learned that I actually took a risk that nobody in my class had chosen to take. This satisfaction, and the satisfaction that I could do more experimental papers in the future, perhaps, tells me that I can have a thing for writing.
Person Submitting It
This has been submitted by Rocky
