Blog Post #1

If I were to define writing in my own words, I would describe it as a form of non-verbal communication that an author produces which is usually subjective to different audiences. Writing may consist of an author's opinions, disagreements, agreements, conflicts, random thoughts, pointless remarks, or intellectual information. The topic being written about truly depends who the writer is and what he or she feels like expressing through his or her words.

Before our class discussion, to be honest, the only thought that came to mind when I heard the word 'remix' was music. Having a greater understanding of what a 'remix' is in general, I would describe it as something that has been taken from it's initial form, different than an 'original' form, and manipulated to have the new inventor's spin on it. For example, the iPhone 5 was taken from the initial iPhone 4 (or whichever iPhone you choose to think of) and it was manipulated to have new and more innovative qualities. In essence, a remix of the iPhone was made and now it is the iPhone 5.

I certainly think there is a connection between writing and remixes because in my opinion every writing tends to be a remix. Each piece of writing I have ever heard or read has had something in it's content that I have heard before. For instance, even academic reviews on research that may seem like information no one has ever heard before, have information that someone has heard. Writing is a remix. All writing is a remix of thoughts, characters, styles, words, and information that has already been stated once before, and if not, it has derived from something that has been said before. As it was mentioned in the video, essentially "we're all building from the same materials".

My biggest expectation for this course is to be taught to appreciate, utilize, and conduct research. As I enter my second year of college I am beginning to recognize that research, especially at this university, is something that is highly valued. I haven't found a real interest in research, although I like writing about what other people have researched. I am hoping that this course teaches me enough about research to peak my interest and someday I can create my own.

I hope to gain a better understanding of different styles of writing through this course, and I also hope to improve my own personal grammar and sentence structure. I am prone to writing long sentences, which sounds silly, but I know I do it and it's hard for me to recognize unless I have someone read my writing to me. I hope to learn how to notice sentences that aren't structured well, and I want my writing to sound sophisticated, but not repetitive and over done.