THINGS I LEARNED, THINGS I READ, THINGS I DIDN'T NECESSARILY KNOW by WTGP Class of June 18-22 2018

I learned how to write nanoisms. -- Samantha Singh

Write as freely and rapidly as possible, and throw the whole thing down on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is down.-John Steinbeck (Shared by Ahan Devgun)

Through the numerous writing classes I've taken instructed by you I've learned how to storyboard, create authentic dialogue, and write nano-isms. I've also learned how to draft and re-draft. -- Arjun Taneja

This week I learned how to interview someone, storyboard, and write news articles. -- David Xu

This week I've learned about flash fiction -- Evan Ji

Through this class I have learned how publisher's think in the publishing process, and I learned the elements of writing a believable fantasy world. -- Joseph Mariani

I learned how to revise my writing and get it published. -Sophia Bodor

I learned how to write my poetry better, and that rhymes aren't always the best. -- Nicholas Song

Fear by Arjun Taneja

What is fear? Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Everyone has felt fear from one point to another, at the top of a humongous water slide, right before you get a shot, or even going to a new school. But how can you overcome fear? How can you conquer the beast that is haunting you?

The first step is understanding your fear. Ask critical questions like why am I scared? What will happen if my fear strikes me? Analyze it as if it was your chemistry final. Do research and look up possible solutions and causes to your fear. Try and perform dry runs. For example, if your scared of an animal of any kind, try and visualize that animal in front of you. See it as if it was real and picture yourself holding your head high and taking deep breaths. As Bo Bennett says “visualization is daydreaming with a purpose”.

The second step is believing. I know it sounds cliche and unimaginative but there are very few pieces of advice better. If you say and think you can do something you have a far better chance of accomplishing that task than if you already have given up. Name one extremely successful person that doesn’t have the ultimate belief in themselves. You can’t. Michael Jordan, Mark Cuban, Steve Jobs, and Lebron James are a few examples of people who always kept a strong belief in themselves. Did they face challenges? Absolutely. Steve Jobs was fired from the company he had a large part in creating. Lebron James grew up in the streets. Michael Jordan got cut from his high school basketball team, now he’s arguably the best basketball player that ever lived. Believing is often the piece of the puzzle most people overlook.

The third and final step is to attack your fear. Be relentless, all you should think about is conquering and destroying your fear. Kyrie Irving says “fear is not real”. I live by this quote, I recite it when I’m at the top of a ski slope, ready to free fall on a huge water slide, at the doctor's office when I’m about to get a shot (got more than a few odd glances for that one). My point is to be absolutely cold hearted when attacking your fear, like it’s some dangerous bug threatening your existence. Squish that thing with vengeance. Feel free to let out a satisfactory yell when you conquer your fear (done that one too).

In conclusion, I broke down conquering your fears in three easy steps. Understanding your fear, believing, and attacking. Fear makes you want to cry, have a nervous breakdown, give up hope. But only if you let it.

Zebras Are The New King Of The Jungle by Arjun Taneja

The zebras are the new king of the jungle after dethroning the lions in a fierce battle in the middle of the desert. The other animals bowed down in front of the zebras and their beautiful striped colors. The zebras beat the lions in a “who can fit the most grass in their mouth contest”.

No word on why this contest was chosen.

Shark Appears On Top Of A Surfboard by Arjun Taneja

A great white shark was seen on a surfboard in the Pacific Ocean. The shark was flopping on top of the surfboard and doing multiple 360s with backflips. He was later joined by some of his fellow sharks as they watched him put on a surfing exhibition.

There is no word about who the surfboard belongs to.

Spiders Attack Local Restaurant by Arjun Taneja

Millions of spiders attacked the San Diego restaurant La Belize. The spiders swarmed through the front door after it was opened by a customer and then proceeded to take over the restaurant. There were multiple victims and the restaurant owner was seen taken hostage in a spider web.

The number of spiders was estimated at about 500,000.

Cat Attempts To Steal Pizza by Arjun Taneja

A cat attempted to sneak a slice of pizza from a box, the cats name was Thor. Thor manages to pry the pizza out of the box but then is caught in the act by his owner, so he bounds away leaving the pizza uneaten.

The owner scolded Thor for not eating his cat food.

Trees by Arjun Taneja and David Xu

Big and wide, small and compact

Every tree is unique

The lines on the bark

Or the color of the leaves

Even the roots scaling up the tree

Every tree is different

The wonderful colors

The interesting textures

And the deep fresh smells

Trees are beautiful and special