Invent your own writing technology assignment
One of the important themes/assumptions of this class is that there is a significant relationship between the technology we use to write and what it is we write. This is sometimes tricky for us to think about nowadays since the basic technologies of writing– pencils, pens, paper, computers, etc.– have become so transparent. The goal of this project is to attempt to make this aspect of writing, what is usually invisible to us, visible.
This short project has two parts. First, write a 20 or so word “text” of any type and on any subject, using only writing tools and technologies invented by you, found in nature, around the house, etc. Second, write a brief page on your wordpress.com blog– 600-1000 words– that explains how you created the first part of this project and what the first part of the writing project exposed (or didn’t) for you about the relationship between the technological tools you use to write and what sort of text you end up producing. See if you can make connections in your essay to the readings assigned for “Week 2: Writing as Technology.”
Here are some things to think about:
- For the first part of this project, you cannot use any of the modern conveniences of writing for any part of the process whatsoever. This includes any sort of purchased paper, inks, pens, pencils, crayons, typewriters, chalk, paints, brushes, or electronic devices.You also shouldn’t use materials you find around the house that are more or less obvious extensions of common writing technologies. For example, I would encourage you to not to complete your project with writing materials like paint, nail polish, white out, etc. This also means that you cannot use any of these technologies during any of the steps in your writing process. In other words, while I have no way to really to enforce this, it seems to me that it would more or less be “cheating” to write out a draft of your 20 or so words and then use the “natural” and/or “created” materials to write the final draft of the project. However, you are certainly allowed to make your own writing utensils and materials (it is surprisingly easy to make both simple papers and inks out of “natural” materials, for example).
- All projects must involve the most basic technology of writing, an alphabet. More specifically, you need to write your project in English (as opposed to some other language or form of representation like pictographs.)
- Besides following the rule of making projects from materials found in nature, around the house, and/or created by you, you should strive to make projects that have some balance of permanence, portability, and success of the text itself. “Permanence” simply refers to how long the text you will create can be expected to last and “portability” refers to how practically mobile your project is. And of course the “success of the text itself” is something we’ll discuss online when we see everyone’s results.
- To show your writing invention, take a picture of it and include it with your brief essay on your wordpress.com site.
- Do not use or create writing utensils or materials that have serious potential for being dangerously flammable, poisonous, toxic, unsafe, or unpleasant (e.g., a variety of bodily fluids). Also, do not create writing projects that cause some sort of permanent damage to property. This is supposed to be a fun writing project, not a hazardous one.
- Be mindful of the fact that this is one of several SHORT writing projects in this class. Spend your time accordingly and be realistic about your project goals. Remember that the reason we’re doing this is to consciously explore the the technologies and materials we use to create texts; the goal is not to make great artistic masterpieces or to work yourself to death. It might be pretty cool to chisel your text into a piece of marble, but it seems to me the cost of the materials and the time it would take to “write” the text are too much for this project. Further, you should spend at least as much time (if not more) writing your brief explanation of how you went about creating your writing project as you spend creating the 20 or so word writing project itself.
“Do not use or create writing utensils or materials that have serious potential for being dangerously flammable, poisonous, toxic, unsafe, or unpleasant (e.g., a variety of bodily fluids).”
Well, there go all my good ideas
pivotal words, Brian, are “dangerously” (as it describes flammable) and “unpleasant” – certainly. I’m intrigued with the “balance of permanence, portability, and success of the text itself.” How fun! Yet, Dr. Krause… (I’ll call you Steve, if and when you say so) does it need to have any portability at all?
I guess if it has to be permanent, writing in all this snow isn’t going to work…
Well, permanent is one of the things that is often desirable in writing, but not always (e.g., a chalkboard), and, with the example of snow or sand or what-have-you, not always possible.
I was thinking that it ruled out my writing with popcorn idea too…definitely not durable! But it was so handy since I was eating it anyway. Oh well, I found something else that worked.
I have an idea of what I’m going to do, let’s just hope it meets the requirements. It’s permanent enough to last at least a few weeks and it is fairly portable. Weird, but portable. As for the success of the text, well, I’m not sure about that. May have to go back to the drawing board, although it seems kind of fun to make this one. I doubt anyone else will have this either. Hmmm…
The Amazon.com description of /A Better Pencil: Readers, Writers, and the Digital Revolution/ (one of the books we can review) reminds us that “both pencils and computers were created for tasks that had nothing to do with writing.” Writers co-opted them! That’s sort of what this project is asking us to do: co-opt tools meant to do other tasks and re-imagine them: very cool, I think! I’m just worried about balancing the creative and the functional. And I also really just wanted to write in the snow…
Your pencil/computer example is a great one, Carrie. That is so true!
And believe me, this example will make even more sense after you do the Baron reading for next week.
Writing with falling water!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HeUixe_Lpg
That’s pretty cool– probably more work for this project than it’s worth though….
Well, I have no idea what I will be doing as of yet, but this sounds like it could be fun. I like when the first assignment for a class asks us to be creative and is not quite as “serious” (maybe that’s not the right word, but you get what I mean). Nice to ease into the class with something like this rather than a ten page research project. I’ll be very interested to see what everyone comes up with (myself included!).
Agreed on all counts! And your gravatar is just dashing, Dave!
Ummmmm! I like the creative part of this project and thinking an edible project would serve two purposes, a grade and food. Just kidding. This is a nice way to start out.
I have a couple ideas at this point, but each would be rather tedious with the need to produce a “20 or so word text.” I guess I might have to keep thinking or tweek them to be easier to “write” with. It is assignments like this that make me understand the reason why we came to pencils, pens, paper, and computers/other technologies to produce writing! I guess they were the easiest after their earlier brothers of waxen tablets and such. And, indeed, Dave, I am glad for creative assignments. It is nice to get away from the norm sometimes.
Two things to think about here, Ashlee:
* “About 20 words” should be a goal, but if it turns out that you can’t get that many, that’s okay. I’ve seen successful and interesting versions of this assignment done with as little as one letter.
* The kind of thing you’re talking about in terms of the tediousness of writing without various tools is not a minor observation. This also is something to contemplate with your technology and something we’ll be talking about next week too.
ok- I got my picture up and I will write the text later this afternoon.
check it out: http://billbarrwriting.wordpress.com/invent-my-own-writing-technology/
Cool! Bill is early on this (this isn’t due until Wednesday of next week), but he’s got the right idea here.
mmmm…… chipotle-flavored text.
Lucky kitty! Very cool, Bill.
My “invented” writing technology. Explication coming soon.
http://clluke.wordpress.com/writing-technology/
What about things like material?
Here’s what I have so far. My explanation is still to come but just wanted to share.
http://angielaginess.wordpress.com/
http://angielaginess.wordpress.com/files/2010/01/000_0001.jpg
Here’s my invented writing tech. Explanation to follow soon.
http://giventofly99.wordpress.com/my-writing-technology-invention-2/
Here it is! http://brodrigue2.wordpress.com/create-a-writing-technology/
Here is mine. As I post this my kids are cleaning up the rocks so they can play with them again later…fun, fun, fun!!
http://cbobee.wordpress.com/