English 99 JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT (150 points possible)

To write better, one must write often--there is no other way. Therefore, dedicating yourself to this assignment can do more to help your writing than anything I or the textbook can do. With this in mind, let us embrace the following assignment:

SPECIFICS

· Fifteen minutes minimum per day—at least five days a week—beginning this week.

· Keep all pages together in a notebook—I will ask you to show me the completed

notebook at various times throughout the quarter.

· Write without too much concern for spelling or punctuation: the goal is to produce a large quantity of words. Stopping often to check spelling and punctuation blocks the flow of ideas onto the page.

· Write about anything you want. Write about events, ideas, people who are important to you. Write about that which really affects you emotionally. No one but you will read the actual sentences you write—only the quantity you write will be checked.

· At first, expect to sit with pen in hand waiting for the ideas to come. If you are patient, in time your mind will begin to generate content that your pen can record. A fifteen-minute writing session can yield from half a page to several pages of writing depending upon your mood and perseverance.

· Above all, be kind to yourself, be positive, and be patient.