StoryLab Week 14

                                                                     (Grammar Tips)

StoryLab

How to use a semicolon:

The first video I enjoyed was the one on how to use a semicolon. I normally struggle to know when to use semicolons so that is why I wanted to watch this video. I usually write run-on sentences and I know semicolons can help eliminate this problem. I did learn that it can clarify ideas in a sentence that already has a lot of commas. Also, linking two independent clauses is a helpful way to use a semicolon. Two main rules I picked up on were: unless semicolons are use in a list, then they should only connect sentences that are related, and you'll never find a semicolon before two coordinating conjunctions. 

How languages evolved:

- Early on similar groups that spoke the same language; would split into smaller groups and become isolated, creating a similar but not the same language.

- This would continue as populations grew and new places were discovered.

- Grammar and syntax are key for determining a language tree. Whether that be pronouns, numbers or kinship.

- The answer to "how many languages are there?" can be 3,000-8,000. 

- The further back we go studying languages, the less and less we can find out.

Week 12, StoryLab

Type Writer

Advice to Writers

For this story lab, I chose to focus on Jon Winokur's advice to writers. 

    Starting off, I like how as soon as you click on the website it gives you a daily quote. You can also, go back and look at the past day's quotes. These quotes can offer inspiration, advice, and/or criticism. This can give writers the boost they may need for a day.
    The interview section I believe is really helpful because it brings in authors who are well acclaimed and goes in-depth with basically how their writing process works. They get to give advice on how to deal with writer's block and it even goes into where the best place to write is for some authors. The interviews are recent too, so these are writers who are active and may have new and improved techniques.
    Another good resource on the website is the writing books tab. This gives you a page full of books that could help you in the writing process. It is a really good feature and if someone does not know where to start when writing then one of these books seems like a great resource to have. 
    The resources tab is also a great dropdown menu that has 10+ resources listing everything from Twitter to Nobel lectures. Overall, this website gives writers, new and old, great advice and can be a great resource for everybody. 

Bibliography

https://advicetowriters.com/advice

Week 6, StoryLab

 StoryLab

I chose the TedTalk videos for this week's story lab. 

2 Videos

Living Well Aware

    These two videos are about creating this false narrative about people on your head before you really even meet a people group or that specific person. The "Danger of a Single Story" TedTalk touches on creating these stereotypes about people groups that you have never even interacted with. The woman that is giving the TedTalk is from Africa, and when she came to the United States no one thought that she had even been around modern technology. They had created this single story that they had heard since they were young and did not just educate themselves on the topic. And this happens with people all over the United States, even if they are not foreigners. They could be underprivileged or even just a different race and people will still treat them as if they know them. 
    That gets into the second TedTalk. Jennifer Barnes likes to reference fictional characters all throughout her speech. The more and more we watch these shows, the more we think we really get to know these people on these shows. But in reality, we have no clue what they are really like because they are not real and we will never meet them. We create these connections to false characters and treat them as if they are super close to them in real life. And this creates a falsehood that they would not even feel upset if something happened to someone they had never met in real life. The delusion of treating fictional characters above real people is a danger in society today. But, reading fiction can increase your emotional awareness and help you relate to someone else. The danger between fiction and reality is still being researched though, and if people can start to link the two then I think society will be in a better place.