Is outlining bad?

Yes and no. You must be asking, "What kind of answer is that??" Well, to be honest, it depends on the situation. When it comes to academic writing (such as an on-demand paper or research paper), outlining can be a valuable asset. Time constraints, at least in my case, make me very tense. I go through a writers' block, conveniently enough, for the large majority of the time. After I started outlining for occasions such as this, I found a new confidence in my writing. I did not have as much trouble putting my thoughts on paper because I knew how to structure each paragraph and what to discuss. This helped me to write faster and more effectively; my words had meaning now. 

On the other hand, I think outlining is an awful idea when you are writing a creative piece. Creative writing is supposed to be very free. If an author tries to plan it out, then he/she is losing many opportunities to make something crazy happen. It’s almost as if our brains are wired to follow an outline if it is written. As a result, many authors follow the outline even if the story could flow better with another plot twist. I agree with the author of the article (http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/21/outlining-in-reverse/?ref=opinion) when she says that it is better to outline after the writing is done. That will help consolidate the writing, yet allow the creativity and whim to affect the plot. 

The Next Chapter

Although I found the end of the book to be very deep and satisfying, I would have enjoyed an epilogue. Here's one of the many possible endings I thought of -

The boy goes back to the veteran's hideout and learns many trades and skills. He grows up to become a jack of all trades, which is perfect for the conditions. He must make use of everything he gets his hands on and must not let anything go to waste. As he grows older and more independent, he leaves the family that helped nurture his growth and heads south towards the location where his father had originally wanted to go. There, he finds the rise of a new civilization. It is almost as if everyone is rewriting history. There is order and peace in this civilization and the boy learns the ways of this new society. From here, the boy helps rebuild the human race and lives happily ever after. This ending was like a  fairy tale.

My other alternative endings dealt with death and despair. One of my ideas was similar to Mrs. Wells' idea about farming the boy, except I thought the boy would be shot immediately, not farmed. Another idea was that some of the blood cults would arrive at the hideout and kill the entire family. These possible endings were so depressing because it played along with the tone of the rest of the book. A happy-go-lucky ending would seem out of the blue and very contrived.

In summation, I think Cormac McCarthy left the book at a very good point. A lot of speculation can be made about what happens to the boy, which is what I love about the text. My endings were on opposite sides of the spectrum - either really happy or really sad. If only McCarthy wrote an epilogue ...

Best of 2012 (because I don't know what else to write about)

10. NCAA Men's Basketball Championship - I don't think I can even elaborate on this one. Go Cats!

9. Snowboarding - It is a family tradition to visit Snowshoe every winter. Although I had hoped to hit the slopes in Colorado or Utah this winter, my procrastination of completing college applications kept me from doing so.

8. Youtube videos - Something new came out every day. From "Gangnam Style" to "A Dramatic Surprise on a Quiet Square", Youtube provided me with hours of entertainment. Call me cheesy, but I can't stop laughing after watching this one.

7. Movies - Django Unchained, Ted, The Avengers, Skyfall, The Dark Night Rises, and The Hunger Games. There are so many more great movies, but these were just a few of my favorites. 2012 was a good year for movies and 2013 is supposed to be even better. I can't wait.

6. FCPS Facebook Page - The trolls are funny, but the moderator beats them all. Nothing like a little sass.


5. Summer at Vanderbilt - I met amazing people from all over the world. I learned something new every day and I had fun too! This camp made me realize how much I can't wait to go to college. There is so much freedom and I won't be locked down and be forced to follow a strict schedule.

4. Completing my 360 hour research project - It's very nerdy, but this was basically the culmination of my MSTC career. After countless hours of frustration and hard work, I finally made a breakthrough that helped me solve my project's question. Phew, I am so relieved.

3. The Olympics - Very few sporting events capture my attention like the Olympics. I think I might have accidentally glued my eyes to the TV. Perhaps the most exciting events were Track and Field (I swear Usain Bolt is superhuman) and Fencing (Yes, I woke up at 5 in the morning to watch Lee Kiefer). Oh, and I also learned that Ryan Lochte is the WORST interviewer on the planet.


2. SEEING GREEN TRIANGLES. I felt like having a party after seeing each one (for a grand total of 15). College is the beginning of life on my own and I can't help but to feel excited to start the adventure.

1. Writing essays for college!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just kidding, that was possibly the worst part of the year.

The (real) best part of 2012 was *drumroll*...........

1. English class *wink wink* (Do I get bonus points?)

The Road Reflection

Like I said in class, I both dislike and like The Road. The book is possibly one of the slowest I have read. Although it may be the author's intent to make the book slow-moving, I do not have that long of an attention span. The only reasons this book is worthwhile to read (in my opinion) are the imagery and the touching relationship between the father and son. Cormac McCarthy is able to convey all of this in brief sentences. These short sentences are atypical, but McCarthy is able to utilize it in a way that even demonstrates his prose. 

Although I do not like the pace of the book, I do think that the story line raises good questions. Fore example, is suicide always a bad thing? After having read this book, I would answer with no. The boy's mother committed suicide so that she could survive in a world with no hope. Honestly, I don't understand why the father doesn't do the same to himself and his son. It would put them both out of their misery. 

The unique writing style makes up for the one negative aspect of this book. I think that The Road is one of the better books I have recently, though, because it has raised thought-provoking questions that are making me experience many revelations. I just hope more exciting events take place in the plot soon.