Essay on the word Sharp for class - any tips?

Mental Swiss Cheese

Short of having a medical condition it is rare to find a person that does not have an affinity to at least one type of cheese or another.  Even then many would rather suffer the wrath than go without.  As I contemplate all the delightful methods of preparation and various combinations that can be created with ease and the complete lack of professional training, I am overwhelmed not only with options but with ecstasy as I mentally taste them all.  I may be a snob in my choices and taste in types of cheese but I am unapologetic and take great pride in the sophistication of my palette.

There are very few varieties that I truly dislike but Swiss tops the list by far.  This actually sort of upsets me because I love most things Swiss.  There is very little at which they don’t excel.  In fact adding Swiss chocolate to other cheeses is surprisingly delicious.  It may be childish but for me it all starts with the holes.  In my mind it looks and feels incomplete, like I’m missing out on something.  That first hurdle is huge for me but then comes the taste that seems to have an odd sharp quality that I can’t quite place and borders on being spoiled.

Once I get over the visual and dodge the sat out on the counter a little too long taste, I inexplicably picture scans of Alzheimer’s patients brains.  That may speak more about the state of my mind than that of the cheese but in an odd way it strikes me as a caution to what can happen to our minds physiologically.  As much as I dislike Swiss cheese maybe I can find an appreciation for it in the ways it figuratively speaks to me rather than how it physically tastes.

There are plenty of sharp cheeses that I love so I believe I can separate that factor out of my dislike for the Swiss variety and take mental heed from the holes and take measures to keep my mind sharp.  Hopefully mental awareness and a conscious effort will give me an advantage in keeping my grey matter intact and preventing it from turning into Swiss cheese.

Will University Writing Classes Melt Your Creative Brain?

I don't know.  I am currently a creative writing major and I am loving class and the teachers but the text books?  Why so much flippin' structure?!  I love to just write without thinking about whether I supported a good thesis statement with a quality question that will entice readers.   Yes that is important, but my brain works on a much different level and the only question I would ask myself is "would I like to read this and do I find it interesting?"  I understand there has to be structure to writing but who's to say mine is better or worse than yours?  Isn't all that matters in the end that people will read it and enjoy it?  I fear I am going to have to walk a fine line of doing the work and not getting worked over.  Let me know what you think.  I am curious to hear from people who have taken classes and people who just write.

An Eye for an Eye(with a bullet)-The Osama bin Laden Saga

I've gotta vent a little here and blow off some steam.  I'm not going to use this blog as a vehicle for my political views but I have to say that I am disappointed in the reaction from my peers all across the country to the news about Bin Laden.  He needed to be taken out for certain, our president and especially our troops carried out this mission to perfection and I am extremely proud today.  I am saddened to see young adults dancing in the streets with the flag and drinking and just being overzealous.  We should be happy today and proud of our troops but we should be remembering and celebrating the lives that he ended.  The families and friends of those lost on 9/11 should feel a small measure of peace but if we dance in the streets we are no better than the enemy.  Never forget who we are or who we can become and never give up.  If we can do that darkness will never prevail and it has no power over us.

Social Affliction

I like to ask paradoxical open-ended questions that I don't expect an answer to, just ask my wife, it drives her crazy!  A few questions I've been thinking about lately have to do with the creative process and the psyche of a creative person.  Do you have to be a tortured soul to create great art or tell a great story?  Do you have to be socially awkward to drive yourself to create your own world?  My favorite question though has to be "is it possible to know you have issues and a possible disorder and still be creative or is it ignorance to those issues that makes you that tortured soul and an artist?"  I don't think any of us want to think that we are as weird or out there as some of the people that we know but in all honesty we aren't a whole lot different.  I think creative people tend to drop the facade and put away their masks and let their story show but the great thing is there is no one right answer.  Some might say the great writers are just very good liars.  Really all it takes is something to prick your heart or mind in some way that makes you scratch an itch until that art or story starts to surface.  For me it was a song I heard that cemented a story that had been rolling around in my mind and then it just started pecking itself out on my keyboard.  I have found a big stumbling block to my writing to be social media.  I have spent a lot more time than I should have on twitter, facebook, and blogging.  Since I am practically perfect in every way, I am putting all my eggs in one basket and betting on the disorder that makes me a great writer to be a social media disorder.  I believe it's called Bi-Tweet-a-Blogosis.

The Twitter Effect

I was once told that it's important to have an ego boost and that I should submit articles to newspapers and work to get good grades so that I feel like I'm accomplishing something.  I haven't submitted any articles but I have worked hard to get good grades and I think that statement really is true.  So is twitter and ego boost or false inflation?  I have not used twitter until a couple weeks ago and I started following as many writers, editors, and publishers that I could find.  Just by following a lot of people I have gotten over 700 followers in that 10 days.  At first I was feeling really good about myself but then I started to wonder how much stock I should put into twitter.  I think it's good to take both to heart and not lean too much either way.  Having a lot of people follow you is not just an ego boost but it's very important for networking especially for self publishing online writers.  But we shouldn't let it boost us up too much to where we think that we are better or more talented than we actually are.

Your Exposed!

One of my favorite movies is Intolerable Cruelty with George Clooney and Katherine Zeta-Jones.  The witty dialogue and clever writing really keeps you hooked even when the ideas or big picture seems a little out there.  A running comment is "your exposed".  That line seems to come up in my head all the time whether seriously or as a punch line but there is only one time that it's both and that's when I put my writing out there for someone to read.  If your eyes are the window to your soul then your writing has to be the french doors that are open wide to your whole heart, mind, and soul.  I know that not all writers feel that way but I'm sure there are more than a few that do so I hope that this blog can be what you need it to be.  Whether that's a place to hide yourself or a forum to enjoy being exposed is up to you.

The Up's and Down's of Writing

So I've decided to write a book.  I have always enjoyed writing and found it to be a great way to download what's in my brain.  I feel like there is a story that's been festering in my head and it's just begging to get out.  It took a while for me to realize that it wasn't just an idea in my head but rather a story that needed to be written down and shared with anyone that could find it.  Writing with this purpose stops just short of addiction.  I have found myself waking up at night with new ideas and ways to improve what I have written and pestering family and friends with my ideas.  When I don't get the chance to write or brainstorm for a couple of days I get to jonesing for it, withdrawals if you will.  I decided to start this blog to supplement my fix when I only have a few minutes to write.  I have to believe that I'm not the only one.  So anyone that wants to share in my literary reverie may either comment or guest post.  I've always heard that you have to write a lot and you'll suck for a long time until you've hit that magical word total.  I am of the opinion that it's a mythical word total, if you can write you can write, I don't believe in garbage writing.  I have not written anything that has been published but I haven't submitted anything either.  As I wrote on Joe Konrath's blog, I am calling a Babe Ruth on this book.  This story is so good that I am the only one standing in it's way.  Join me on my journey and let's all share in this roller coaster of a process we all love.