WT #41 (8/26/21):

- Summary of Podcast:
o The key takeaway from this podcast is that writers should turn procrastination into
something useful, be it writing or brainstorming. The podcast host uses multiple
analogies to prove his point.
- Quote:
o N/A. I have a horrible short-term memory. I will write the quotes while listening
to the podcast in the future to prevent my brain from making room for calculus by
pushing the quote out.
- Primary Summary/Thoughts:
o Procrastination is the single biggest issue that most students in the American
school system face. It is the drive of unfinished homework, cramming for tests
and leaving huge projects to the last minute. But why do students procrastinate?
The answer is found in the brain, where chemical/hormonal drivers influence the
mentally-developing student population into pushing off their responsibilities and
sometimes even jeopardizing their futures. Only with experience and time can
students and even adults can learn to overcome procrastination and in our case as
Seniors, the time to start working is now.

WT #50 (8/27/21):

- Summary of Podcast:
o The host says that there are certain tools that writers use to write and that writing
is a creation, not an assignment. He also gives us a five-step regimen for
completing a written work/essay. Finally, he encourages us to dig deep and collect
ideas, selecting the best ones. These three things are the key takeaways.
- Quote:
o “As I remember, his words were ‘idea, support, focus, draft, revise’.”
- Primary Summary/Thoughts:
o Using tools for writing is certainly important, but I prefer writing with only my
brain as my guide first. That way, my writing seems more authentic. Then, I will
do proofs and replace words/phrases with better ones. For example, I would
initially write the phrase “I blew him up” as written, but in the revision, I would
add some detail while retaining the primary focus. I am currently using this
strategy while writing this very paragraph. Overall, even though regimens and
collecting your thoughts before writing something, it is still important to remain
as authentic as possible, in my opinion.
WT #55 (9/2/21):

- Summary:
o The author says that significant events such as 9/11 can impact writing in various
ways. He proves this point by comparing our political reactions (heightened
xenophobia, hatred of certain religious group) to our written ones.
- Quote:
o “Bin Laden is dead, an American bullet through his eye. He will not create a
worldwide caliphate enforcing Islamic law. But he may have achieved an
important goal. He may have made us less like us—and more like him. To defeat
him, we choose to send into battle our darker angels.” (Clark, 511).
- Thoughts:
o Events such as 9/11 have certainly impacted how Americans feel on a physical
and political scale. Anti-Islam sentiment is still justly (in the case of Sharia/Jihad)
and unjustly (in the case of Afghan refugees) practiced today. However, these
events can certainly impact how somebody writes as well. My mother once told
me that writing in general became much darker and more materialistic after 9/11.
This goes to show how events such as that can impact even something as diverse
and distinct as writing books.

WT #48 (9/3/21):

- Summary:
o The host says that we should not be hard on ourselves while doing a draft. He
says that since drafts can always be corrected, we should not fret. To prove and
solidify his argument, he cites a favorite author of his.
- Thoughts:
o I like what the author said about writing in esoteric forms as to lower expectations
solely to relieve pressure. It does seem like a good idea to some, but I genuinely
like writing about my weird genres. It makes me feel invigorated and not bored.
Other than that, I am a very self-critical person, so there is nothing else I can do.
- Activity:
o I’m not really good at this.
o I cannot write whilst tired.
WT #43 (9/3/21):

- Summary:
o The host emphasizes on the question of “what am I building?” when I read/write.
He says that a reader should read not only for content, it is also important to read
for form/technique.
- Quote:
o “When you feel like you could put a story down, you should put it down.”
- Thoughts:
o This is certainly one of the more important aspects of writing. Whenever I write
for fun, I can write for anywhere between five minutes to two hours. This is
directly proportional to how much effort I am putting into writing. As an example,
I will only write for a few minutes if I’m tired, but if I’m awake and well, I could
write for awhile.
- Counter-Productive Group Summary:
 Eric said it helped him formulate ideas.
 Anthony was doing something related to softball.
 Mitchell said that recurring themes help him focus.
o My group and I tended to disagree about form/technique (I tend to use other
books as reference), but we agreed on almost everything else.
- Activity:
o I’m an OK writer.

WT #10 (9/8/21):

- Summary:
o The author tells us to not become too infatuated in our own words. This can lead
to writing too much. I tend to have this problem.
- Quote:
o “Prune the big limbs, then shake out the dead leaves.”
- Thoughts:
o I agree with almost everything in this passage. Although wordy sentences
sometimes do have their purpose (to add detail, etc), most of the time, less is
more. I struggle with this a lot and I tend to go off on tangents with my writing.
Not only do I write to much, I write to much on the same thing. Overall, I agree
with the overall message of this Writing Tool and I must work harder to
implement it.

WT #46 (9/9/21):

- Summary:
o The author says that writing is a social activity. He also tells us to not let
stereotypes overcome our interests and to basically do whatever makes us happy.
- Quote:
o “In fact, you will never reach your potential as a writer unless you take an interest
in all of the associated literary crafts.”
 - Thoughts:
o I sort of disagree with this one. I do all of my writing alone, as other people are
merely a distraction for me. I believe that the “moody writer” stereotype is
grounded in some sort of truth. However, I do agree with the “write whatever you
feel” schtick.
- Weakness:
o I go off on tangents a lot.

WT #42 (9/10/21):

- Summary:
o Basically, the author tells us to do research in advance. He tells us to model after
those in sports journalism, who not only have to “do their research”, but they also
are under immense deadlines. He also speaks of David von Draylie (I think that’s
his name), a legendary prose writer.
- Quote:
o “All writers can learn from sports journalists”.
- Thoughts:
o I definitely agree with this one. Even while writing fiction, one must research in
advance. From simply looking up the definition of a new word to researching a
topic, you can prepare yourself for expected and unexpected things ahead,
whether it be in the grading process or sending it to an editor.

WT #45 (9/10/21):

- Summary:
o The author stresses the importance of dividing stories into small parts. This is to
make it more digestible. This, in turn, is important to make it finisheable.
- Quote:
o “If they spent an hour to write a single page of their thesis each day, they would
have it done in less than a year.”
- Thoughts:
o I agree with this one. Except for the school papers I wrote for Hauptmann, Cozzie
and Miritello, my work that I do in my free time always follows some sort of
structure, usually in chapter/part form. This podcast may inspire me to practice
more complex levels of organization such as chapter/episode/part form.
WT #38 (9/16/21):

- Summary: The author tells us to put out of context things near other devices. This is to
help the reader understand context and set a setting.
- Quote: v
- Thoughts:

WT #22 (9/16/21):

- Summary:
- Quote:
- Thoughts: