Read Dinty Moore's chapter from Crafting the Personal Essay, "Of Conflict" and the example that follows in the next chapter (10).
Your response this week builds off Moore's ideas of conflict in writing. You could try one of the writing exercises and describe that process and what you gained from it. You could look at his example and write about how it could serve as a mentor text, or why it shouldn't. Or bring in your own thread, your own experiences to the conversation about conflict.
Post your response in the comments below. There is no blog post for our discussion texts this week. Come to class prepared to discuss the text you were assigned in class.
Through the entirety of Moore’s “On Conflict” piece she tells us about how important it is to have conflict in our essays. Conflict can range from a couple of different things and is not just limited to a person or event. It is all about what the person experiences at the said event and what connections they make during it. I did all 3 of the exercises in the chapter and they truly helped me discover what conflict is and how to write my thoughts of conflict onto paper. Every good story or essay needs conflict, its what keeps it exciting. It is also a hook for people in the beginning. If someone isnt hooked in the beginning of the…
People I don’t understand would have to be, people who think they can dictate what a woman does to/with their body. Were you taken charge of as a child? Did your family tell you things you could and couldn’t do? Since when did tattoos justify you getting disowned? That is just wild.
Other people I don’t understand… people who take advantage of other people. Someone is doing something out of the kindness of their heart, but yet and still that is not enough. It’s as if you let someone into your house and they take all of your lightbulbs. And these aren’t any old regular lightbulbs they are energy efficient , florescent spiral lightbulbs. But now… they are gone.
One of the sections I really appreciated is the one titled "The Hot Winds That Blow." Although it focuses on conflict, it also focuses on how a natural or common conflict that is widely understood by most audiences can be used as an extended metaphor for a more specific problem or situation within a text. In other words, the character can express their own conflicts while telling the audience about something that is more relatable to them. They can reach more people and express a multitude of "fascinating human stories," as Moore explains.
Conflict in itself is so important to writing. Moore also notes that "essayists don't have all the answers. If they did, there would be no reason to…
Writing exercise: I Just Don't Understand
"I'm so busy." " Yes, I am so tired. " Both of these are phrases I here often. People my age love to talk about how much they are doing, and almost boast when they take on responsibilities that they know will spread themselves too thin. Maybe it is because I am in a generation where a four-year degree is the new high school diploma? I sincerely get so frustrated constantly smelling the stench of people getting high off of there own full calendars. For a while I thought, well maybe they are just sincerely that slammed, but let me tell you Lisa, you aren't doing the most. After further investigation, I reali…
Of Conflict: Dinty Moore
Writing Exercise #1
Write About Someone You Don’t Understand
A type of people who I do not understand are those who are judgmental of others. I especially do not understand when people judge other people who they have never met and are making thoughtless assumptions based on appearance or prejudices. I think that is unfair and you have no idea what another person has been through. I also do not understand people who are extremely negative. I believe there is always an upside to things and there is not reason to constantly complain. I have a hard time understanding people like that.
Writing Exercise #3
Almost Impossible
It is almost impossible to capture the feeling of…