Isabella's Journal

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Introduction to Literary Genres

 

            Critiquing papers kick-started my awesome semester with creative nonfiction, and I absolutely appreciated this chance of talking about important real-life matters. I was not a master of format and structure, but I truly liked how timely issues were discussed in our essays.

Critiquing somebody else’s essay, Francine Abueva’s to be exact, about the Pandemic in the Philippines gave me much insight about her own thoughts about the issue at hand. Her essay opened my mind to more information apart from my own about this topic. Thanks to her optimism, I felt optimistic about the future ahead.

To conclude this reflective essay, I would like to say that reading somebody else’s thoughts about issues is actually refreshing. I would never think of certain things the same way as I did when I only regarded my own understandings of such topics. This world is all about brainstorming our ideas to create a better one.

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Principles, Elements, Techniques, and Devices of Creative Nonfiction

 

            Oyez, Oyez, Oyez! ‘Tis I again, Isabella from the time of the (unfortunately, still happening) Pandemic. I have reflected much about many things while writing my output for this topic. I made an effort in adding humor to my essay as it was one of the things that really cheered me up while being distanced from the world. Moreover, it was best to say that the subjectivity of this activity made me open up about myself more.

            Not only did I try my best to provide further insight on how I coped with stresses and challenges during the pandemic, I also learned many never-before-realized random insights from myself too. With the challenge of giving tips and secrets to my readers about mentally coping during the pandemic, I was set to giving the most honest and quite helpful ways I did to survive a few months of it, so far. My brain was, in all great honesty, in another dimension while making the output. Some little secret, I actually make my works mostly in one go; just a few hours of dead set writing until I am absolutely satisfied. I have this somewhat lightning strike kind of creativity, where a spark just abruptly comes and goes all of a sudden. So, I make good use of the ‘spark’ moment as much as I can. Another piece of information would further explain why my introduction was what it was, and I hope that my readers realized it as well. I began my essay with some kind of a late Middle English style of writing (or in my mind, something to amusingly voice inside of it). For example, I used “oyez, oyez, oyez” as an exclamation or call to grab my readers’ attentions immediately. Then, if one could be observant enough my second paragraph was written in a way that the tone has instantly transitioned to a modern 21^st Century style of writing. I am glad to have the creativity to have these ideas during the time I wrote my essay.

            I have resolved so many things after writing my output for this topic. I have just realized that this semester has been, in fact, a practical one. I am happy to have written and shared much to my output for this topic. I hope to further improve my essays and literary works and grow into a unique and personal style.

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Forms and Types of Creative Nonfiction

 

            Many activities were done in every topic, but to this topic there were two times more than usual. I revisited more memories and welcomed new information regarding testimonies, narratives, literary journalism, and more. I honestly did not have any knowledge about some terms until Teacher Denise introduced them to me. Yes, there were a few to say the least.

            Activities like creating an essay for literary journalism to making a testimony about my school made me more of an open-minded and better person. One of the vague topics I came across was the topic assigned to my group for reporting. I was grateful to have focused on that certain topic as it was the most uncommon one to me.

            Overall, I was grateful and glad to have learned new things; I always have. In all honesty, I think I might have made my testimonio output a diary of my thoughts. I felt the freedom of writing my own mind, and I am happy to have had multiple opportunities to even speak out even in an online setting through reporting and just plain speaking up. One word to sum this all up, thankful.

 

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Reading and Writing Creative Nonfiction

 

            The big finale to all my hardships all throughout my whole senior high life, this amazing topic. We had been tasked to do much reflection again, moreover through the big testimonio with me professing God’s love and through evaluating more works from various classmates, up until the fun autobiography making. I truly have not yet understood how differently every author and writer works, and I am astonished by the thought. I used to think that all authors and writers simply just type in or write down words and create a paragraph and just tell a simple story, but we really have a certain flare to each and every one of us.

            Thanking God for his undying love and presence was like telling the world how truly blessed I am, really. The testimonio essay was the epitome of me being simply grateful for being my own self today. I remember testifying that praying at night comforted and assured me that everything will be alright, and I still truly agree to that statement today. Critiquing came back from the shadows again and I have felt more confident in sharing my thoughts about my classmate’s work and in helping each other in perfecting our works as much as we could as a team. Finally, the autobiography (to me) was a humungous masterpiece made by yours truly to say the least. I have to be confident about that work, because I did put forth my own life story. Might as well hype myself up by telling my readers how tremendously amazing I was (and will be), right? I am glad to have paved my own way and lived my best life as the most awesome person I know in this world, and I believe that is what a strong and empowered woman should do and become.

            This final topic of the whole school year prepared me for the end of another long journey. I have been trained and encouraged to do my best in every writing and speaking activities, and I will surely make good use of all the knowledge that I have acquired from the subject, Creative Nonfiction. Being thankful has somewhat been a main theme throughout my essays, and I am proud to feel that way. I have worked hard, and I have given my best not only in the activities for the final topic of this subject, but for all my subjects and works for many months during these trying times. Finally, I can end this chapter with a big jump of joy and feeling a tad more grateful.

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