Thinker As a thinker I have not so much changed in my way of thinking, more so as my limit to how in depth I will go on a subject has increased. I still think in the following way: What is this, how does it work, why does it work this way, can it make sense any other way? These four questions in order is typically how I think about a lot of things. I've been told it is a well planned and almost scientific way of analyze data i.e. whatever seemingly ridiculous thing pops into my mind. The change this year is most definitely my depth. Instead of asking those four questions in order, now on occasion I will ask, Can it make sense any other way? in the middle of my thinking process. This helps me see flaws earlier on but it also consumes more time because my train of thought will change directions and I am not always able to get it back on track. Another affect is that now, as I search for ideas for my writing, I will entertain an idea for longer, even if it seems ludicrous. I simply think it out as much as I can and fill in the flaws as I go. If I don't like the end result I move on to another idea. Hopefully, by the time I graduate I will be able to fill in the holes of my varies ideas without losing track of those I put on "pause".
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Writer As a writer I have changed extremely, but also very gradually. It used to be that my free, unassigned writing was focused on the mystic and entertained wild conclusions of my imagination that made sense to very few people. Now, though it will still have a majority assigned to the fantasy genre, it seems easier for those who don't see the world the same way I do to understand. No, I have not lost my edge for the left field fantasy I had grown accustomed to, but now I have a better grasp on the detail I should resign to exposition of the plot instead of putting it around the story and vice-versa. I didn't notice it at first but as I tried explaining the plot of my stories to my brother and parents several times, I noticed that their grasp on the information was becoming clearer. Even though they are not as into the fantasy genre as I am they seem to understand. That feeling of mutual understanding made me grateful for being able to progress so far, relatively quickly. Hopefully, by the time I graduate, I will be able to fully detail and plan out the plot of a novel, play, or show, without leaving behind my love of the fanatical world of the fantasy genre.
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Reader As a reader I think that my changes have been similar to my changes as a thinker. It is all about depth. As you may or may not have seen in my Dear Reader Letter one of my dreams is to become a screen writer. I have been told by my many teachers at the Virginia Beach Technical and Career Education Center, that being able to visualize the scene is an important skill to have anywhere in the film industry. Whether as a writer or as something else. Regardless, over the year my ability to visualize what I read as a reality has increased dramatically. I read about a cave and I can hear the bats. I read about the warmth of a hug and I feel those arms around me. Lately, reading is almost just as emotionally driving as those actions happening to me if not more. Though I do have a concern. Being so in depth to a story causes an unintentional problem. After so long the world around me seems to collapse and become nonexistent. Meanwhile, I'm being thrust into a world that before was just ink on a page. Hopefully, by the end of the year, I will be able to control this. Going just as in depth as I need, rather than losing myself in the pages unintentionally.
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