Worded Adventures

My name is Sarah Kosalos. I am a senior at Alverno College that is enrolled in an advanced writing course. Here is a place for me to post my written experiments and musings on what must come together to create good writing.

[wtffanfiction]

Fandom: Donald Trump

“Suddenly the heavy golden doors at the end of his room flew open, accompanied by a large gust of wind and a mighty yell. It was Raul, Trump’s finest cleaning lady and his best friend. She was a strong, red haired woman of Scottish descent. The renowned skill Egyptian cotton polishing had been in her family for generations. She was an avid scientist hunter. They insulted her family. “The skill of Egyptian cotton polishing can not be renowned in any way because the ability to polish cotton does not exist,” they said. “Egyptian cotton did not exist in Scotland until recently,” they said. “Please don’t kill us,” they said. Raul knew better. She knew almost everything. She almost had a Trump-level of understanding all things.

“I am here to save ye,” she bellowed as she sprinted over towards the almost unconscious Trump. She picked him up and cradled him like a baby. “You’ll never have to pee alone,” she whispered. She then entered the bathroom.

Then she tossed Trump onto the toilet. “There ya go,” she chuckled, “Make sure you wash your hands when you’re done.”

[citrus-robot-world]

I can’t wait for Pokémon: Fighting evil by moonlight and Pokémon: Winning love by daylight.

[ten-thousand-leaves]

Murphy’s law, applied to fanfics.

- The fic starts out great, nice style, language, captivating summary. It’s unfinished and has been abandoned since 2013.

- The fic is complete, nice style, language, tons of kudos speak for themselves. It’s about your NOTP.

- The fic is about your OTP,  it’s complete, it’s kinky as hell. The plot is absolutely dumbass.

- The plot sounds great, it’s about your OTP, it’s complete. The characters are horribly OOC.

 - Everything is perfect in this fic, starting from the first letter and ending with the last full stop. It’s exactly 800 words long.

- The fic’s word count is a six-figure number, it’s about your OTP, characters are compliant with your head-canon. It’s dull and boring as seven hells.

- The beginning is enthralling, everything’s great, the plot, the style, it’s long and it’s even about your OTP. It features something that makes you close the tab as soon as you open it, like father/daughter incest or mpreg or some other squicky thing. 

- Everything is perfect in this fic, the length, the characters, the language, the style, you forget you’re reading fanfic, thinking it’s a masterpiece of true literature, you cry tears of joy and write a huge review full of gushing love and then rush to the author’s profile to read every other thing they’ve written. It’s their only work.

[ghibly-deactivated20160217]

[kosalosj]

PR Campaign Self-Assessment

What challenged you?

The most challenging aspect of creating each piece was deciding what was most important. Each piece has only a limited amount of space. For example, the fact sheet is only one page long and within that page I needed to outline the entire initiative. I am still having challenges in this area as I try to find areas to place contact info. There is a balance act that needs to be preformed of visual appeal and information content.

How did you problem solve? What strategies did you use to get to your final product?

I  had to use problem solving when creating my video and fact sheet. There was a lot of information and pictures to get into the proper place. After deciding what was most important I needed to work to fit in everything in a visually pleasing way. I went about this by creating multiple thumbnails to get out my ideas. Even if my initial ideas were not the best, by getting them out the creative juices began to flow. As I continued to create thumbnails I experimented more with form and shape. I looked at existing fact sheets to see what had been done in the past too. These activities led to a stronger visual image. Also, there was problem solving needed to get information on the group. Tracy was very hard to get in contact with so I used largely websites and blogs written about the project as my source of information.

How do you see your final project?

I believe my pieces are visually engaged and they provided a strong "hook." My pieces are versatile and much needed pieces to the group project for this course and the Cameroon Initiative itself.

The most rewarding part of this assignment was seeing the reactions of the class during the presentation. I felt like all of the work I had put into the project was worth it and the feedback I received was very encouraging. Also, being able to see the client in person and hand over the final product was very rewarding.    

What did you learn about this genre of professional writing?

I learned that this genre of professional writing is stronger and farther-reaching than I had original anticipated. Every company and every project could benefit from good public relations. I also was reminded of the power of visual tools not to mention the reality of how fast we skim through written pieces. For example, the press release I created had to be brief and get to the most important points quickly or I would risk the best parts not being read.

[kosalosj]

Press Release

Flash Drives: A Small Device That Can Change Lives

  FOR RELEASE November 6th, 2013

  Media Contact: Sarah Kosalos [email protected]

  Thanks to Alverno College 300 to 400 students have access to functional computers for the first time. The Cameroon Project, a Milwaukee-based organization, is seeking donations of used flash drives in their continued efforts to further the education of the girls of St. Joseph Comprehensive School in Bafut, Cameroon.

This small device is essential for the storage and travel of information of every kind. The need for this technology is felt the strongest within the education field.

  About the Cameroon Project

  Two years ago St. Joseph Comprehensive School in Bafut, Cameroon had only eight "working" computers for over 300 students. Today, they have the most advanced computer lab of any high school in their country with a collection of thirty laptops thanks to the dedication of a small team coordinated by Alverno professor Jill Moore.

The initiative to better the lives of women in Cameroon continues as they aspire to expand the computer lab and foster the education of technology.

  Contact

  To learn more about the Cameroon Project, please contact

Sarah Kosalos, Media Relations

3400 S 43rd St, Milwaukee

Office: [phone]

  [email protected]

###

[kosalosj]

This is a fact sheet I created as part of a PR Campaign assignment for the Cameroon Initiative. I still have several small contact information edits to make, but the overall layout/information is complete.

[kosalosj]

Created using Camtasia as part of a PR Campaign assignment for the Cameroon Initiative. Watch the video to learn more about the project!

[kosalosj]

Reflections on Ad Copy

What challenged you?

I was challenged most by the J Peterson article. Unlike the other ads this was required a story to sell. The audience that this site is targeting is one I am not apart of. Therefore, research was required and I had to put in extra effort to write about what to include for the materials and locations. Also, I found it a challenge to include the lessons I learned in the first assignment. I had to balance being concise while giving the viewer enough details to follow my story.

How did you problem solve? What strategies did you use to get to your final product?

To face the challenge I presented above I started by reading through sentence-by-sentence. By looking at each piece separately the errors within each become more apparent. I also found it helpful to say things aloud. There were a number of mistakes my eyes could glaze over, but when aloud my ears would not miss them.

How do you see your final project?

My final product is a far cry from the original draft. Overall it is a concise piece with a bit of character. I see myself creating better pieces in the future, but see this project as a solid step in the right direction. I have learned a lot from this assignment that I will be able to put forward into following assignments.

What did you learn about this genre of professional writing?

I learned more about what it takes to create ads. It would have been easy to come up with three different audiences on my own for this project. However, often we do not get to pick the target audience and there are constraints on style.

[kosalosj]

"The Hardest Thing" Mykonos Island, Greece. Paradise Beach is everything it claims to be.  The sun is shimmering on rolling, turquoise waves that are framed by flawless white sand. It seems impossible that his attention could be anywhere but on the beautiful scenery. However, it is. Walking up to her is the hardest thing he ever had to do. Her scarlet gaze falls upon him. Mysteriously she smiles in his direction. The subtle grin she gives is just as smooth as the acrylic lenses that veil her eyes. This isn’t the first time it has happened to her; with a refreshing chuckle she only intrigues the stallion further. Her vibrant sunglasses are every bit as vibrant as So stylish, so chic...what could she be thinking of behind those lush lenses? They embrace her features elegantly. Every detail of those rounded lenses so perfectly smooth. Every time he looks into her eyes he is left breathless. She is simply irresistible. "Vibrance" Polarized Sunglasses Item No. 1174 Price: $85 Beach glasses made of durable but flexible plastic resin frame. Width 5 5/8". Irish rose frame with pink lenses. One size fits most. Two different lenses available. Dimensions: Frame Width: 5 5/8", Lens Width: 2 1/8", Lens Depth: 1 3/4", Temple Length: 5 3/4". (188)

(Made as an example, not for the listed companies.)

[kosalosj]

The Importance of Good Writing

    Email and texting increased the need for good writing skills. They brought communication to a global scale. The experts agree. A rise in skill is needed with the rise in demand. I will gather why they say these skills are important, what I find to be good writing, and where my skills are. Why is Good Writing Important?     Katherine Hanson notes in "Writing Skills: More Important Than Ever On the Job," the higher you rise in a field the more writing required. In startling contrast, roughly one third of US workers fail to meet the writing requirement of their position. The demand for these skills is so high that to train everypony would require $3.1 billion annually (Hanson n.d.). Rick Suttle's "Importance of Writing Skills in Business" clearly conveys that these skills are worth investment. The ability to communicate effectively shouldn't underestimated. It saves employees and employers time as fewer mistakes will be made and final outcomes accurate. (Suttle n.d.) What Do I Think Makes Good Writing?     Good writing tells a complete story. Nothing is as annoying as finding a riveting tale only to have a plot hole or a missing ending. This is why I really enjoy the posts on TheBloggess.com. Often her stories contain speech from Victor and herself that could be stopped halfway through or only have one quote or two posted. It would still be funny and carry a decent amount of content. Instead, the author shows an entire conversation and gives a richer view. Another factor in good writing is solid examples. If something is stated to be large, how would I know how large unless an example is added in? Manageyourwriting.com is a prime example. Kenneth Davis writes in a concise style. As I delved into reading his pieces, I understood a block of text was unneeded. When an idea can easily be conveyed in a paragraph, why create an essay? I enjoyed the blog entry Davis made about Hoover's miscommunication on borders. The tale led to an insightful conclusion on clarity: "...watch your borders--not the physical margins of your printed documents, but the much more important and elusive borders between your reader's understanding and misunderstanding." (Davis 2012) The Huffington Post is a successful news blog. What are they doing right? The entries are concise but descriptive. Length doesn't determine quality. Because this blog is selective with wording, engaging works are created in digestible portions. Self Assessment & Goals:     I am a student and fulfill the requirement for the position. However, I am looking to the future. I am not yet at the level needed for the job I am training for. This does not leave me discouraged because I know I have the means to improve. Several of my strengths are stable voice and tone that makes it more compelling for the reader. I can also tend to be too informal. A common pitfall is repetition in ideas and words. Also, I have been striving to improve my grammar and spelling. This skill has always been a weakened one for me. To address these weaknesses I have developed three goals. 1. To use selective wording and avoid needless repetition. 2. To strive for excellent grammar and spelling. 3. To find effective strategies that keep my tone appropriate. Parting Thoughts Advances in technology have brought the world closer. This has increased the demand for communication skills, yet the skill levels of workers have not risen as sharply. Multiple experts have strong arguments to detail the importance of these skills. My findings have led me to a similar understanding. The lack of this important skill makes it even more vital. (607)