Course Reflection - Dante Silva

Compare my Midterm Story to my Final Story? I will be honest, I cannot do that. My

plan was to revise my Diagnostic story and to improve it — it needs heavy revising to make it

good — however, I fundamentally lacked time and understanding. The revision regiment was

supposed to take place over the course of twenty-seven days, and I was made aware of it with

about thirteen to spare. I also did not understand that the revision regiment was supposed to

produce a final story, so I only did it half-heartedly. Thai may not have been the case if I wasn;t

stressed out about filling my analog notebook, which I used to draft this response. With an

analog journal I am able to spiral and spit-ball and flirt with ideas all I want, but trying to write a

full draft in it was immensely difficult for me; a handwritten draft is time-consuming and

unnatural. However, I could have typed the draft which would have alleviated me of the tedious

task with a much simpler one; then again, all of that time and effort would not have been

apparent in my notebook, which was my main concern at the time. Now, I could attempt to

damage my mental well-being, put off studying for my exams and turn in slop, but I cannot

choose to do that to myself. For all intents and purposes, my Midterm story, “Notice Board,” IS

my final story because in my eyes it is already one of the best works I have written. It is not

perfect, and it has not been revised through the lens of a hawk, but I am still deeply satisfied with

it. This is not the response that was desired, but it is the only response I can give.

What moves did I steal from the stories we read during the semester? To be frank, I

cannot think of a move I took from any reading in particular. I want to be honest, and my honest

conclusion is that not one story stood out in a way that blew my mind or inspired my writing.
Credit for my increased aptitude for the written word goes to my journaling, direct feedback

from my peers and professor, and the weekly storytelling sessions and my game table. So, I am

at a loss as to what to say about the stories — which were great and fun to read — with respect to

how they influenced my storytelling. None of them were geared towards my genre of fiction,

which doesn’t mean I could not have learned something, but it was harder to see a through line.

How do I feel about writing, and how has that changed across the semester? Writing is

something I do to express myself; I do it for the fun and enjoyment of others. At the beginning of

the semester, I used to only write once a week, inviting disaster to my session notes; but now, I

am writing frequently throughout the week and I am learning how I can more effectively pursue

my thoughts to bring ideas to fruition. When words are on the page, I can have them forever,

they are no longer lost to a derailing of thought. I enjoy writing more now than I did before; I see

it more as an outlet, a direct trail from mind to hand to pen to paper.

How and where do I work best on creative projects? Where is alone, ambient music and

sounds flooding out distractive noises, with natural or warm light illuminating the scene. I need

to keep distractions at bay in order to allow my brain to use its processing power to its utmost

ability. I do allow myself breaks, mainly to walk around and reorganize my thoughts or perhaps

let new ones to filter in. My ideal process begins with getting all my ducks in a row; the

necessary supplies must be gathered, all erroneous supplies cast aside, and the setting must be

prepped. Then, in order to formally begin creation, I must note down all relevant questions to the

project at hand — characters, settings, motivations, backstories — and then slowly work my way

down the list, noting any new questions that arise in the process. When my questions are
answered, I like to pose a vague storyboard, see how all the pieces could fit together, and mark

down scenes and important information needed. When enough of the storyboard is laid out, I can

begin my first draft. A new addition to my ideal process that I hope to use more often is several

phases of revision.

How do I think a “good writer” goes about writing? A “good writer” writes in the manner

that they have found to work best for them. Each artist doesn’t go through the same journey to

end up with their next great work, and writing is an artform all the same. I’ve never had to

answer the question before, but I imagine that my answer would be the same before having taken

this class as it is now. Though, while each artist has their own methodology, I can assume there

are several similarities: a regiment of writing/journaling to keep their ideas flowing and minds

sharp; drafting and redrafting, revising and rerevising; asking for outside help and feedback;

reading other stories and articles to research ideas or find inspiration; giving themselves room to

breathe, avoiding suffocation under their work.

What is next for me as a storyteller? I will continue to journal. Keeping a notebook has

ignited a creative fire under my belly, because typing has always felt less natural, too official,

and ineffective when I want to spitball ideas. With a pen and paper I can continue to build my

world and answer questions about it with more freedom and ease of mind. I don’t know if I will

write another full story, but also I don’t know that I won’t. I will definitely use the new revision

tools that I have been given, because I want to soar above my art like a hawk, not paw at it like a

mutt.