REFLECT: The two most beneficial pre-writing activities for me were the bold writing and the "three scenes" sketches. Although neither of them were about the personal essay narrative, they made me think deeper about how I respond to my own text, and what makes a text savory. My writing definitely would not be the same without it.
SELECT: There are so many different moments that could anchor my essay, but I want to juxtapose two instances (hope this is kosher). One is when I saw my mission trainer walking by me in the library, and the other when I saw him for the first time at BYU.
COMMENT/QUOTE: pg. 102 "Things I Can Stop Believing--That if I got in a car crash, the parts of my body covered by my temple garments would not be harmed." There's too many things that I like about this passage for me to write. The snarky debunking of household Church stories. The incredible expansiveness of her compact lists. Her humorous honesty. All of these I want to bring to my personal essay in one way or another.
PLAN: I want my essay to focus on how we all avoid talking to each other when we didn't expect to see each other: walking by in passing, a mutual friend's party, concerts, etc. I want to compare this to how aggressive Church teachings can be about fellow-shipping and ministering, and if there is a middle ground or right and wrong between awkward encounters and glorious reunions. Concerning the form, I hope to draw from the effectiveness of Hoiland's lists, and be less academic, with lots of self-reflection within the essay (I know, so meta).
I also love that passage from Hoiland's book about the temple garments. This seems like an essay that I would love to read because it is something we can all relate to.
ReplyDeleteI think using two instances with the form of lists will add a unique style of reading the text. It may make it easier for the reader to understand what is happening with your relationship with your companion.
ReplyDeleteI think it'll be interesting to juxtapose the two experiences you have with your mission companion. I'm really curious what those experiences look like and how you gained insight from them. I'd love to read this essay!
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