The Writing Process for Second Language Learners/Foreign Language Learners

Hello everybody!

We have been talking about the writing process and how it is in English, but going beyond that this article addresses how the writing process is for ESL students or students learning other languages. Being a foreign language learner and an enthusiastic polyglot this article caught my attention. I aspire to be able to write eloquently in other languages and not sound the way I would if I was writing a speech in that language. I hope you all enjoy~

The Writing Process for Second Language Learners/Foreign Language Learners

Author Pep Talks

Hey everyone! Here's the link to the Nanowrimo pep talk archive: Pep talks. Lemony Snicket's talk is towards the bottom. I encourage everyone to read it, as well as a few other author pep talks, and then you should post your comments about your favorites! Are they good pep talks? Do you find them encouraging? I think Lemony Snicket's is fantastic because it is both entertaining and encouraging.

Here are also a few blogs that I follow on Tumblr that I think you guys might enjoy:

http://fuckyourwritinghabits.tumblr.com/ (This blog includes encouragement and writing tips. I think some of the better stuff that this blog has posted is a bit further back in its archive.)

http://warmtea-blankpages.tumblr.com/ (Mostly encouragement for writers and sometimes advice.)

http://www.theyuniversity.net/  (This blog occasionally posts some helpful grammar tips!)

Setting and its Suitability to a Genre

So far this semester we've read several stories set in New Mexico--an action/adventure in Butterfly Kisses and a mystery in A Box of Pandoras. I'm not sure about Melinda Snodgrass's Box Office Poison, but I've begun reading her novel The Edge of Reason for next week, and it's turning out to be a magic-based fantasy (epic?) set in Albuquerque. From the time I realized this I've been stuck on one thought: Really? In Albuquerque?

How much do you think a setting like Albuquerque is suited to a genre like fantasy? How would a story of that genre have to differ from one set in New York or London or New Delhi? Personally, the thought of a magical battle for the fate of humanity being set in Albuquerque has been jarring--it just isn't as natural for me to imagine it here as it might elsewhere. Could you imagine this city being host to an alien invasion or home to a super hero? On the contrary, I thought Santa Fe made an interesting and suitable setting for A Box of Pandoras because the juxtaposition of rural and high societies in that context added to the story's complexity.

What genres do you think suit or don't suit Albuquerque, if any? Or is it just a matter of how the story is told, regardless of genre?

Creative Process -- Where You Go For Advice

I wanted to post this in part because we'll be bringing in articles about the creative process for tomorrow's class, and partly because I always want to know where artists get help from. I'm talking about writing mostly, but if anyone participates in other artistic forms, I'd be curious to hear about that as well.

For the past year or so, I've gone to Chuck Wendig's rather irreverent but very poignant blog for advice on everything from world-building to editing (trigger warning for language). Many of us have probably read Stephen King's "On Writing," or have other books collected over the few years that include prompts, breakdowns of story structure, and ways to create more dramatic conflict. I also get great advice from the kind of fiction I want to read. For writing action or suspense, I turn to Preston & Child's "Pendergast" series, but for flowery language, I often end up rereading Neil Gaiman.

So where do you guys get your advice and inspiration? If you need to write a suspenseful or romantic scene, what helps you get it right? Maybe post links to your articles from class?

Banned books

In case you didn't know, next week, September 22 - 28, is Banned book week. Banned books are an interesting and relevant topic to our course, so I thought I would get your opinions.

There are actually two distinct groups of censored books. There are “banned books” and “challenged books”. According to the American Library Association’s webpage about banned books: 

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group.  A banning is the removal of those materials.  Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.  Due to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens, most challenges are unsuccessful and most materials are retained in the school curriculum or library collection.

Although it still occurs, book banning is less common nowadays then it was in the past, but books are still constantly being challenged in schools and libraries across our nation. In my opinion, banning or challenging a book because it is says something you don’t want it to is ridiculous. Some of the greatest books I have ever read were once “banned books”. This includes:

• The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
• The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
• To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
• The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
• Ulysses, by James Joyce
• Beloved, by Toni Morrison
• The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
• 1984, by George Orwel 

There are many, many others as well. You can check out the American Library Association’s webpage about banned books to get an idea about just how many books are challenged each year and to explore the controversy.

I want to know what you guys think. Are there situations where you think a book should be banned? Or is it never ok? How many books that you have read are on the banned books list? Do you think they should have been banned?

I also wanted to let you guys know that the UNM Bookstore always does events during banned book week. This year they are having two speakers. Both are authors of banned/challenged books.

Nasario García
Author of Grandma's Santo on Its Head.
Wed, Sept. 25^th, 3:00pm

Gene Lessard

Author of Grandfather'sTale

Thu, Sept. 26th , 12:00pm

Both authors will be talking about their books and then doing a book signing. The events will be held in the general books department in the main campus bookstore.

I assume that these events would count for our lecture, please correct me if I am wrong professor Donovan.

Hillerman's edits

Take a closer look at any 3-6 pages of your choice from any first or second edition of any of Tony Hillerman's works as found on the Tony Hillerman Portal we saw at CSWR yesterday. Look closely at the edits made on the pages you choose and write a post about what those edits suggest to you about Hillerman's creative or editorial process.

Zimmerman Library = A Hidden Treasure

I was wondering what the class thought of having gone to visit Zimmerman library as a class yesterday! As for me, it was incredibly informative and really stunning to know that the rooms we were shown yesterday contain more hands-on material and information than I could imagine. It was a great chance to not only get to know the library, but to see truly how much it has to offer students, and how much information we can all get for our research on our papers. I also enjoyed the presentations by the three women, and getting to see each of them in their element, talking to us of all the opportunities the library and research present to us, as well as actual material from different authors was great.

So my question to everyone is what were your impressions? Was there anything you would've liked to see? Did anything disappoint you? What were your impressions on the presenters? Will you use the materials they presented in the future?