STEP 1: Prepare for Collage

Project Builder 1 (PB1): Keep a Writing Log from Tuesday, 1/10 - Monday, 1/16
Requirements:
Keep a notebook for the next week -- it can be a small paper notebook or on your phone or the
computer. A paper notebook or your phone might be the most effective, since you want to be
able to make a note immediately any time you write. In this notebook, keep a log every day for
a week. Every time you use writing for any purpose, write down

● when and where you wrote (time, date, place)

● what you wrote
● what form you wrote in (for example, lists, texts, paragraphs etc)
● what technologies you used to write (for example, phone, pen, computer etc)
● the reason you wrote
● the audience(s) for whom you wrote

Project Builder 2 (PB2): Analyzing Your Writing Log

Due: Wednesday, 1/18 by class time
Requirements:
1) Create a document in your course Google drive called “Writing Log Analysis”
2) Sit down with your complete log and begin to analyze what you have recorded. Make
lists of all the reasons you wrote, all the forms in which you wrote, all of the
technologies you used for writing, and all the kinds of audiences you wrote for.
3) Write down any other observations you have; for example, do you tend to write more in
a particular place or time?
4) Take a look at the kinds of writing you did in your log and ask yourself: What makes
them “good” or “effective?” Write down your thoughts.
5) Freewrite for 10 - 15 minutes in response to these questions: What is writing? How
does writing work? What makes writing “good?” As you write, think about your log
and the notes in your log. Don’t worry about getting the answers to these questions
“right.” Just write freely about what comes to mind.

Date: January 10th, 2023

Time: 20:00 pm
Place: library
Form: Google doc (study notes)
Technology: laptop
Audience: myself
These are the notes I made when I studied Cantonese. I think these notes help me better memorize
new words.

Date: January 10th, 2023

Time: 21:35 pm
Place: dorm
Form: text in my memo
Technology: Phone
Audience: myself

This week I have been watching the TV series "The big white duel." I really like medical-themed TV
dramas, especially this one. Unlike previous Hong Kong dramas, there are no “bad guys” in this series. The
plot is very exciting and everyone's personalities are very distinct. Even though everyone's positions are
opposing, it is all due to different starting points, but the common point is that everyone is working hard to
make Hong Kong's medical system more perfect, thus benefiting all Hong Kong citizens. This play also
made me think about many questions that I had never considered before. For example, what problems
would arise if public hospitals were privatized? If patients are divided into different levels, is the medical
system still fair? How should the government address the problem of excessive medical expenses? Should
doctors adhere to medical ethics or race against time to save patients?

I like to record my impressions after watching a thought-provoking TV show or movie. Many TV

shows involve areas that I was not previously familiar with, so I write down my new understanding of
these areas. I think writing a review can help me better understand the plot and the views the work
wants to express. I also like to read reviews written by others to learn different ideas.

Date: January 11th, 2023

Time: 13:05 pm
Place: dorm
Form: Goodnotes (study notes)
Technology: laptop
Audience: German professor

I wrote an email to inquire about changing section in German 1.

Date: January 11th, 2023

Time: 16:20 pm
Place: on the way to dorm
Form: texting
Technology: Phone
Audience: my best friend

“I wanna share this song with you since it let me think of you. You are my Frenemy. It’s my great honor to
have you by my side all these years. I wouldn’t be myself without you.”
I sent this message to my friend after listening to a song that I really liked. I deeply enjoy music because
I think it can evoke various emotions. Sometimes when I hear music that really touches me, I will share
my feelings with my closest friend, hoping she can also feel the sentiment.

Date: January 11th, 2023

Time: 20:00 pm
Place: library
Form: Google doc (study notes)

Technology: laptop
Audience: myself

Also notes I made when I studied Cantonese. In Cantonese a lot of words evolve from ancient Chinese
words. So I think it’s quite interesting to write down those words so that I can link them together for
better understanding.

Date: January 12th, 2023

Time: 14:00 pm
Place: CHEM 1179
Form: Goodnotes (study notes)
Technology: iPad
Audience: myself
I like using Goodnotes to make study notes. This was the note for the first lecture of MATH 4B.

Date: January 12th, 2023

Time: 23:45 pm
Place: dorm
Form: text in my memo
Technology: Phone
Audience: myself

I thought that distance and time could make me forget about missing someone, but there are still many
moments when I feel that if I hadn't met you, I wouldn't be who I am now. Because of you, I always want
to try physics which I am not good at, just to be closer to your world; because of you, when I am lost about
the future, I remember to stay true to my original intention, and when I encounter difficulties, I think of
you, and I seem to have the motivation to persist. They say that memories are carried by people, and it is
also because of you that I have so many memorable moments in my six years at NFLS. The summer
playground, the evening supplementary classes in winter, the Daxinggong in the third year of junior high
school, and the Beijing East Road in senior year…

This is a paragraph I wrote in my memo during a period of emotional breakdown. I miss someone very
much. He was middle school classmate and also my first love. We haven't talked to each other for a long
time after graduation, and I don't know how he is doing now. But even though we are separated by
7,000 kilometers, I still miss him very much. I know we will be on different paths in the future, but he
will forever exist in my memories. However, I can never tell him these thoughts, so all these feelings are
just recorded in my diary.

Date: January 13th, 2023

Time: 14:00 pm
Place: dorm
Form: song list
Technology: Phone
Audience: friends

This was a song list I made to recommend my favorite songs to me friends. I like writing song lists in
my memo so that I can find them easily.

Date: January 14th, 2023

Time: 19:30 pm
Place: library
Form: notebook
Technology: pen
Audience: myself
Homework for German 🙂
Date: January 14th, 2023
Time: 17:30 pm
Place: library
Form: Google doc
Technology: laptop
Audience: college admission committee

Within the calm blue walls, a young boy lay, the morphine drip spiraling into his arm from an IV. He
was not long for the world—leukemia would soon take his life. But while he lived, the Children’s
Palliative Therapy Wing embraced him, gave him a world of calm and comfort. I watched as a doctor
knelt with his parents, contemplating his last days. I was a volunteer here, but I felt like a part of the
family. We got to know the kids well, engaging them in lessons and designing games to excite them. While
their diseases raged internally, we distracted them externally with baking lessons and painting sessions.

Some days however, a cloud still hung over my head. It was not just volunteers this unit needed, but
funding. You could see the way the carpet was frayed, the way the paint chipped off the walls. So, I spread
the word of the center’s financial struggles among my network, talking to anyone I could find about the
ways this place was special. Spreading posters and videos, we made quite a racket.
……

This was part of my college essay. I’m planning on transferring so I started writing transfer essay.
Date: January 15th, 2023
Time: 15:24 pm
Place: library
Form: post on social media
Technology: Phone
Audience: friends on social media

It always reminds me of hot summers, lush wutong trees, the rush of farewells after the college entrance
exam, and those days when all my friends were still by my side.

I posted this paragraph on my social media. When flipping through the album, I saw my favorite cafe
from my hometown. At that moment I just missed my home.

Date: January 15th, 2023

Time: 20:00 pm
Place: library
Form: Goodnotes (study notes)
Technology: iPad
Audience: myself
Draft for solving differential equations.

Date: January 16th, 2023

Time: 9:00 am
Place: library
Form: Google doc
Technology: laptop
Audience: Professor Warwick

I’m writing this writing log analysis now :)

how it is connected to today’s reading?

Write down any other observations you have; for example, do you tend to write more in a
particular place or time?

Place: I find that the places where I do most of my writings are dorms and libraries. Maybe it's because I
usually spend more time in these two places. Generally, the writing done in the library is related to
study, such as writing math homework, writing transfer essays, and so on. The writing in the
dormitory will be more casual and emotional. Such as diaries and after-views. I also do some random
writing such as texting my friend or commenting on the Internet when I’m walking.

Time: I also write more in the afternoon and in the evening. In the morning I seldom write since I have
a lot of other things to do, such as getting ready for classes or having brunch. In the afternoon I’ll start
the writing of the day. In the afternoon the writings consists mostly of study notes, emails, etc; while
writings in the evening or at night will be more related to my thoughts and emotions (perhaps it is
because people get more emotional at night lol).

Form and technology: I happen to find that personally I prefer to write using a laptop or my phone. I
think typing is a more effective way to write things. I also like writing on Goodnotes for study notes. I
seldom use paper and notebooks since sometimes they are hard to find while phones are much more
convenient since you can record things immediately.
Audience: Except when communicating with others, most of my writing is for myself. I like to record
my moods and thoughts.

Take a look at the kinds of writing you did in your log and ask yourself: What makes them
“good” or “effective?” Write down your thoughts.

Writing is about communicating. Through writing, we can convey a message to the intended audience.
In traditional concepts, a good writing is built on clarity and coherence, it should include
well-organized structure, elaborate word choice. It should also be in an appropriate tone. Good writers
also employ diverse rhetorics to make the words more vivid and engaging.

But in most cases, we just write casually. No matter the form or technology we use, writing is just using
words to record things or express our feelings. When I write down notes, I can better memorize the
course materials; when I write to do lists, I can be more organized about my daily life. I happen to
think that “good writing” doesn’t need fancy words (despite cases which need creative writings). It is
about expression. As long as it can adequately convey the message, it should be considered “a good
writing”.

Also, writing is effective since it is a timely record of our thoughts. People’s minds can easily change
Writing is a good way to keep track of our thoughts at each moment. That’s why people keep editing
their writings – they might think in one way in the afternoon, and in another way in the evening. So
regular editing can make their writings more comprehensive.

In today’s lecture, we mentioned that “Good” writing is contextual. I think that’s exactly what I’m
thinking about. Although in schools we are always required to follow the criteria given by the teacher,
writing can indeed be in any style based on the situation and audience. When writing the log, I found
that in most cases I wrote down words without thinking that much. I just wrote down whatever I
thought of, disregarding whether the information is valuable or not. But when writing academic essays
or college essays, I would intentionally pay more attention to the word choice and the main idea of my
essay. But I think both of them are good writings, since they are just expressing my real thoughts.

Also, we talked about “identity and past experiences” in writing. I think most of my writing style is
shaped by the culture in which I grew up. English is not my mother tongue, and I find it hard to
express a lot of feelings in this language.

Freewrite for 10 - 15 minutes in response to these questions: What is writing? How does
writing work? What makes writing “good?” As you write, think about your log and the notes
in your log. Don’t worry about getting the answers to these questions “right.” Just write freely
about what comes to mind.

In my opinion, there are mainly three types of writing. One is purely recording, such as writing
shopping lists, song lists, today's to-do list, etc. The second type is notes, such as study notes, drafts for
math problems, etc. Both of these two types of writing get things done and manage our daily lives. The
third is "writing" in the true sense, which is a way for us to express our feelings and opinions through
words. There are also many different kinds of writing in this category, such as writing diary, academic
writing (papers), creative writing, etc.

Writing is a process through which we use words and sentences to convey ideas and communicate with
others. For example, when we write academic essays, we describe new discoveries we make and share
new information with the public; for writers who write fictions and novels, they come up with
intricate plots and convey their ideas and philosophy with readers. Writing is about communicating
through words. But for myself, in most cases my writing do not have a specific audience. I write for
myself and consider writing as a way to express my emotions. I like writing comments after listening to
a new song; I love writing down my reviews after watching a thought-provoking TV drama; I also
enjoy writing random stuff in my diary to keep track of my emotions and feelings. These writings have
no audience, they are just the record of my random thoughts. They are timely recordings, so that they
can represent the genuine feeling at that moment.

So what makes writing good? It can be logic and precision, but it can also be randomness and
timeliness. When we are academic writers, we write logically to explain new ideas to our respected
audiences; but when we are just writing for ourselves, we disregard all those rules or disciplines, just
follow our heart and write down our inner thoughts. Sometimes writing doesn’t need a specific
purpose. I write down some words, maybe because the sun is shining, the clouds are particularly
beautiful, or maybe just because I suddenly think of a person far away, and I think it is worth recording
the mood at this moment.