Practical Experience

It is important. Don't let anyone tell you it's not. Examples: I watched an ungodly amount of Food Network when I still had cable. It was fun to watch and I thought very educational. Then I decided to start cooking more than reheated Chinese food and found out no, it wasn't. Burning a few (or maybe 10) omlettes, making charcoal chicken and bricks that should have been crumb cake were educational. I've gone from following recipes to the letter to experimenting while listening to the ever present I-Pod and reading while also playing with the cats and dog.

Another example? Writing. I've been in college forever and before that was an overdose of highschool where dissecting stories (and less fun things like frogs and cats) was required normacy. College even more so. "Identify the devices used, name the internal and external conflicts, blah blah blah". Then along comes a couple of back to back short story ideas while I am in the downsloap of my novel (still titled Wrimo 08) and I figured 'what the heck, might be a nice break and I can come back in to the end of my book with a clear head and fresh ideas'. Then came the actual writing part and I had more questions than tools to use.

"When should the conflict be introduce?"

"What's the lest annoying way to start a ss?"

"Characterization, how much and when is it too much?"

"Expo or dialog? What would be more effective?"

I'm having a lazy Thursday so that's all I'm typing but you get the picture. I can pull apart someone's ss with half a brain but man writing one is a bit tricky. BTW college should have taught this. English majors usually want to be writers, editors or teachers. But where is the practical Experience?

.....Then again I have a habit of sleeping and or not even showing up to most of my classes since I was about 16 so I take part of the blame. :)

Moral of the story is? I should get back to writing and research and stop goofing off on my blog. Well that's a lie, I'm actually immersed in a new anime "Natsume Yuujinchou" right now. But still, eventually there will be practical experience!