Journal 5 - Desiree DeMarco

After completing project 1, I think I’m starting to realize how different, yet similar writing and composing truly are. To me, writing consists of words, sentences, structure, thoughts, and grammar. Composing, on the other hand, can refer to anything you make (music, art, fashion, poetry). I think Amy Devitt’s definition of genre nicely sums up how I would define composing: “every genre is a whole pattern made up of smaller parts.” Composing is a process. It requires imagination, creativity, focus, and a vision. Writing enables you to plan and convey ideas articulately while composing allows you to create abstract thoughts while making connections in a broader sense.

I’d like to think I’m fairly experienced with both writing and composing. I worked as the editor of my high school paper and interned at both a magazine and newspaper in the past, so writing is something I’m comfortable with. Dealing with composing, I was the producer for my high school news show and was also in yearbook where I created two page spreads and layouts (that’s where I learned how to use Photoshop and InDesign). I always knew that both were tasks that commanded organization and an understanding of the basics so I think that was a good foundation to have, especially for this course.

When approaching a project there are a few terms I typically think with:

1.     Research – A project is only as good as it’s content. I like to know about what I’m working on so I can effectively create a piece that conveys what I want to convey.

2.     Design – How do I want it to look?

3.     Audience – Who am I gearing my project towards? Does my project reflect this?

4.     Effect – What is it I want my audience to take away from my project? What should they feel after looking at it?

5.     Original – Is this something that will surprise and intrigue people?

6.     Follow Instructions? – Have I covered everything that needed to be covered?