If you could write a book that you became famous for, what would it be about?(Make sure to get down the abstraction ladder—be as specific as you can.)
And I changed my mind: I want you two write me three paragraphs (or two really long paragraphs) and post them as a comment here on the blog (don't worry about printing, unless you're writing about a private topic—like we discussed in class).
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Assignment 1
ReplyDeleteThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a powerful impact on my life. If I were to write a book, I would write about the Church. I would want to write about the gospel of Jesus Christ, but more specifically I would want to write about the plan of salvation. The aspects of the plan of salvation I would want to write about would be death and what happens after. I want to write about the plan of salvation because my testimony has increased through experiences in my life. I have grown to love the principles of the plan of salvation. I have experienced the death of loved ones many times in my life that has helped me better understand the plan of salvation.
One experience I had was when my Grandpa Case passed away. Before this time I had not experienced the death of someone I loved. At the time I knew that I would see my grandpa again, but I did not fully understand how. People that came to his funeral were happy because they knew that my grandpa would no longer suffer. I realized that if I did not have the gospel in my life the death of my grandpa would be more difficult to bear. Having someone pass away is sad, but without the knowledge of seeing him again I know it would be harder to find happiness. Through this experience of losing my grandfather I gained a greater appreciation for the plan of salvation. About nine months after my grandfather’s death my Grandma Case passed away. Her death was harder for me to handle then my grandpa’s. For a while all I could think about was how much I was going to miss her. At times I forgot that I would see her again. I realized I should not only know the basics of the plan of salvation, I should understand them. During this time my testimony of the plan of salvation was strengthened, and my relationship with my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ grew. Through this experience I gained knowledge about what the plan of salvation is truly about.
I have experienced the death of other loved ones, which has helped me appreciate the plan of salvation more. The book I would write, about the plan of salvation, would not have a sad tone; it would have a happy and hopeful tone. I would hope that through sharing my experiences of losing loved ones I could show people that the plan of salvation is a message of happiness and love. I want others to have the same happiness I have by gaining a deeper understanding of the principles of the plan of salvation.
If I had the chance to publish a book that made me famous, I would choose to write about experiences I have had with my family that have brought us closer together. I have memories of sitting around the dinner table, talking about old times and laughing uncontrollably. I remember family vacations to Disneyland and my grandpa’s house. These memories include both members my immediate family and other relatives that I am close to. It is great to remember these happy experiences I have shared with my family, but the things I have remembered and valued the most have dealt with a problem, big or small, that one person or the family as a group overcame because of support shown to one another.
ReplyDeleteOne particular experience I will always remember was moving from Utah to Arizona about seven years ago. Each member of the family struggled with different things. We were in a new place with new jobs for my parents, new schools for the kids, and a vastly different environment than Utah. Because of these circumstances, our family became closer without really realizing it. While that move was difficult and seemed to be anything but beneficial at the time, the experiences we had strengthened our family. Some of my most treasured memories of my family came from facing this challenge and others like it. What may have seemed like burdens with the potential to divide my family turned out to reinforce the relationships we had with one another.
If I could write a book that I'd become famous for, I’d write a book entitled T9 Talk: The Lost Art of Texting. What with smart phones and autocorrect, Americans have transitioned from classic phrases like “ttyl” (talk to you later) and “bfftte” (best friends forever till the end), to spelling out every. single. word. How cumbersome! Not only has this caused 7th graders worldwide to sigh in submission, it now takes the average person 10+ texts to communicate wished topic.
ReplyDeleteThis book will compel readers to go back to the old days – when lol could mean laugh out loud, little old ladies, or look like a man drowning. When numbers and letters (gr8 and g2g) could mingle like old friends. And when the goodnight sign-off dltbbb (don’t let the bed bugs bite) wasn’t mistaken for dancing llamas taking baby baboons boating. We cannot afford to have these revered abbreviations fall deaf to future generations! This book will be heard – page upon page with be filled with abbreviations from A-Z, along with their proper use in a social context. So instead of our wit growing dull and our thumbs growing stiff, we can preserve this fragile language and one day tell our grandchildren, “We savD T9 4ever.”
Tim Hansen
ReplyDeleteWriting 150
2:00
If I could have a book published and have people stop playing their Xbox or texting on their phones long enough to read my book that would be pretty sweet if I do say so myself. Immediately books like Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings come to mind for famous books. Pondering this further I realized although fantasy’s are enjoyable to read taking you to far off places, I would rather be known for a book that inspires people, a book that touches people hearts and encourages them to hold on to overcome adversity and to be the very best self that they can be. Having the knowledge that I helped and inspired someone in their time of need or to be a better person would be the best feeling.
I have always been interested and fascinated by the pioneers. Their faith and determination to overcome trials is truly inspirational to me and I think becoming famous for writing a wicked awesome pioneer book would be amazing.
I would start my book by giving an overview of the pioneer experience and reason for their trek westward. I would then move my focus to two handcart companies who seemed to suffer more than any others, the Willie and Martin companies and talk about their experience. I would finish with a story from my heritage. My ancestors converted from Denmark leaving everything to come to America where they started in the Willie Company but stopped in Omaha because of sickness. They worked to earn enough money to buy a wagon and continued on their trek. One of their baby daughters got dysentery and was declared died and told by the company leader they couldn’t bury it because of the Indian situation but had to wrap it in a blanket and put it under a bush. They did, but something didn’t sit right with Marn, the mother, so she snuck out in the middle of the night and returned with the baby, alive. That baby was Annie Christina Peterson Wilcox who became my great great great grandma.
I would want to be famous for a book giving people hope and inspiration portraying the absolute faith all the pioneers had and their ability to overcome trials by trusting in the Lord. Also a book like that could apply to future generations as well so it could withstand the ages. ☺
Mariah McKinnon
ReplyDeleteWriting 150
Assignment 1
If I were to write a book that would make me famous, it would have to be about how to be truly happy. A lot of people in this world struggle to find happiness. They look for it in all the wrong places. I would tell them that it starts with realizing who we are and why we are here on this earth. We are sons and daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves us. We are here to prove ourselves worthy to live with Him again. I would explain that this is what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints teaches, as well as many other principles that bring true happiness, such as prayer, faith, repentance, scripture study, and service.
In the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ, it says that we, as sons and daughters of God need to pray to our Father in Heaven. Moroni, a prophet that lived around 421 A.D. told us that we are supposed to pray with real intent, a sincere heart, believing we will receive an answer and waiting patiently for it. We need to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to remember that he atoned for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane. He bled from every poor because he felt everything all of us have ever felt, now feel, and will ever feel. We need to repent. We need to feel sorry for what we have done, apologize and ask forgiveness of those we have hurt or offended, and do our very best to not repeat the sin we repented of. We need to read our scriptures every day. However, we cannot simply read them; we must study them. We need to apply them to our lives by finding ways they teach us to be a better person, and doing what it says. We need to serve others- especially our enemies. It could be as simply as smiling at someone. It could be raking leaves for an elderly neighbor. Whenever you make someone else feel good without seeking to gain something from it, it counts as service.
By doing any or all of these things, you can and will feel true happiness. If everyone were to sincerely read my book and try these things, having faith that they would work, they would find true and infinite happiness.
In truth, I have already written a book. Granted, just a meager children's book and I have not had it published (though I'm working on it). It's about a land where all the citizens tend to do things in excess. The Baker adds a little too much flour, the Tailor cuts off a little too much material, etc. They grow tired of messing up, move away to a wonderful land they name Just Enough, yet in the end they all start to like it a little too much. Yeah, slightly cheesy and childish, but that's kind of the point. When thinking about this assignment I sort of put that story aside since I wrote it in sixth grade, and I wasn't sure if it fit what this assignment asked for. But after truly considering it, I think that book is what I'd want to be famous for.
ReplyDeleteI have always loved the simplicity and creativity that one can find in a children's story. Some of my favorites include "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" by Judi Barrett and "A Bad Case of Stripes" by David Shannon. I believe that I like these stories, and that I patterned my own after that style, because when a child reads, they don't put the book down and think, "Well, that was interesting. It's a shame it's fiction." No, they see the world described and experience the character's personalities. I think that I would like to be famous for my simple sixth grade children's story because I would like children to be able to see the world that I created and want to create one of their own. In my opinion, neither a book nor an author is successful unless a reader is inspired to do something for themselves. And seeing as that feeling tends to be rationalized away in most adults, writing a children's book seems to be just about perfect.
All I can say is that all of these books sound pretty boring, except the T9 and pioneer one
ReplyDeleteWhen thinking about books, there are a few specific books that come to mind. For most people, one of the first will undoubtedly be Harry Potter. Amongst the first will also be books like the Bible (or the Book of Mormon), The Hunger Games, A Tale of Two Cities, and – for some people who have lost all reason – Twilight. These are all great books, and many more exist that are just as famous as these. If I were to write a book that could become as famous as these, I would write a book about science and religion.
ReplyDeleteWithin the field of science, I would write about the creation. This is such a controversial topic, but only because so many people don’t understand how the universe was formed. In my book, I would present a new way of approaching how the universe was formed and what has happened between the time of formation and now.
While explaining the processes and events that have led to us being upon this Earth, I would connect these processes and events involved in the creation to scripture that we have. Too many people think that science and religion are two opposing forces that cannot work together. However, the opposite is in fact true. Science does not diminish the grand nature of God’s works, but it allows us a greater understanding, and therefore a deeper level to marvel upon.
Books are a vital part to the development and progression of human life. After all, the educational system is centered upon one's ability to read and comprehend the material and instruction from novels and textbooks. While temporal learning is important and many would suggest that it is mandatory for success in this life, spiritual progression is vital to the salvation of an individual. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has more than influenced my life, it has provided me with a path to return to my heavenly father. In my book, I would explain to young women the importance of knowledge of individual worth and focus on how the media's perception of beauty is inaccurate when compared to what our heavenly father desires.
ReplyDeleteIn my book I would explain how I gained my own knowledge of self-respect and how this knowledge has blessed and helped me as I have grown up. The book would be centered upon the idea that a testimony on individual worth can help make the influences of the media and shallow worldviews become insignificant. Growing up with a crowd where being pretty, tan, and immoral was considered "cool," I was often questioned on why I refused to participate in the spiritually devastating actions of my piers. I would just shrug off the questions with a simple, "It's against my religion" and continue the conversation with meaningless jabber about the latest gossip. While my answer seemed to satisfy the questioner at the time, upon further thought I realized that my response could have been more spiritually satisfying. This book would not only be my full response to how the pier pressure of my youth was avoided but also a guide to help young women of the church center their lives on Christ and their testimonies when the evil forces of the world can have such a strong impact on the youth of today.
If I was to be famous for writing a book, I would want it to be on something I consider important to not only me but to the future generations as well. The actions during one's youth can have a profound impact on the rest of their life. Through writing my book I would like to help the youth of tomorrow gain knowledge of their own individual worth and help them to center their lives on Christ.
Elyse Christensen
ReplyDeleteWriting Assignment #1
If I were to become famous for writing a book, I would want that book to express my personal religious beliefs. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not very well known throughout the world. Many of those who have heard of it only know of crazy superstitions and fabricated evidence that condemn it. For example, much of the world believes that Latter-day Saints still practice polygamy and do not believe in Christ. Many get the LDS church mixed up with the FLDS or RLDS churches. Others call the “Mormons” a cult. If these people would only read a book explaining our beliefs, most of the superstitions would be stopped. I would love to be the one who wrote the book that made the true church known to the world.
In my world-renowned book, I would explain all of the basic doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; including the first vision, the creation and fall, modern day revelation, temple work, the power of prayer, and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I would explain all of these doctrines in a way that dispelled all rumors concerning our beliefs. My book would also have a section that clarified all of the falsehoods about Mormons that seem to circulate the globe, some of the most far-fetched being that we are not allowed to wear the color orange and that we don’t believe in technology.
Most importantly, my book would contain a great emphasis on our beliefs in Jesus Christ. Though Christ’s birth and ministry are also vitally important, my book would devote a very significant portion to the atonement. The atonement occurred when Christ suffered for the sins of each and every individual in the universe. Because he has suffered for them, we don’t have to. The fact that we have the chance to repent of our sins is something that I want the whole world to know. This is what I would want to be famous for. Sharing the knowledge of the amazing power of the atonement to the whole world!
Writing 150
ReplyDeleteAssignment 1
If I were to write a book, I would want it to be an adventure novel for teenagers. My story would be listed as fiction, but it would secretly just be a book based off of my own experiences (or experiences I'm planning on having someday soon, or experiences I imagine myself having... or experiences I imagine myself to have had). Except I assume I would have to include a bit more drama to spice things up; my life really isn't very dramatic.
My main character would be a girl. I think I would probably put her at about age seventeen, and I might name her Charly. Or maybe Sam. She would be either the youngest, or middle child in a large family oppressed under the tyrannical rule of an ex-military father. My main character will have just graduated from high school, endured way too many years of living with her controlling dad, and under the threat of being kicked out of her house, she will run away. So when Charly/Sam runs away, she will not exactly be a legal adult, but she will believe she basically already has the sanction of her parents, (her dad was going to kick her out anyway, right?) and therefore, she is not breaking any major laws or being super unethical. Of course I don't want to mislead readers with unethical behavior! However, I think I will place my story before the time of incredible technology, just in case her father decides to try and track her down anyway. I think it will be sometime in the 1980's, maybe. Anyway, Charly/Sam runs away, hops on a plane, and finds herself on the southern coast of Portugal, in a city called Faro. She will have very little money with her, and so she will have to use her wit, bravery, and sense of adventure to make her way across the entire European continent. Really this whole story is just for fun. Charly/Sam wants to see the world! She will walk, bike, hitchhike, stay in hostels and with strangers she does not know, eat foreign foods, take on random jobs to earn money along the way, and she will learn wisdom beyond her years. Just for the sake of being semi-realistic, she will have to be in Europe for at least... a year, I think, so she has time to make her way through every country and sight-see along the way. Also for the sake of being semi-realistic, she already knows Spanish, Portuguese, and a little bit of Italian, so her communication endeavors aren't a complete disaster (some very kind souls are going to have to help her with her French and German). My novel will be thrilling, while still attempting to be realistic, and it will be a wonderful insight into the many different cultures of Europe. She will probably have situations where she needs to disguise herself, and she will probably have others where she lets others see her a little bit too honestly. I think I would also make Charly/Sam have a good time flirting with a couple Italian boys. I think my novel would be awesome.