Hi Lori,
The biggest take away from this course is that I am a better writer when I’m writing in high volumes. When I signed up for this course I assumed it would follow a more traditional graduate school format where there is a high volume of reader and then a couple of major writing assignments due at the midterm and final. What I have learned is that writing improves more through volume and consistent practice then is does from attempting to perfect a single essay. We as aspiring writers and storytellers should recognize the value of high volume writing.
As my life get more and more busy every day as my wife is approaching delivering our fist child I find my mind consumed by the tasks of everyday, making dinners, going to work, preparing the nursery and going to the doctors. I find this class a respite from the realities of life. I enjoy the readings on the future of story telling, I truly love taking a break from going though the motions and focusing on the ideas behind them. The theory of why we do what we do is much more interesting than merely doing and not thinking. That I what I love about school, it allow a break to think about things that matter, when I feel like all the things that matter in the drudgery of life seem to take over all aspects of my life.
I also really like thinking about story telling and narrative in the digital context. I rarely read books anymore. I cannot say that is a good thing but it’s the reality that we are living in. I consume most of the story telling in the audio and digital formats. Think about how story telling has changed. And one of my biggest take away is that we are living in an age of online collaboration. We are no longer hermit writers like Emily Dickinson most writers now are only writing to be consumed while on the move in bite size pieces.
I look forward to learning more about the future of storytelling and improving my writing for this course.
Best Wishes,
Travis Le