Showing posts with label Research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Research. Show all posts
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Blog 19: Senior Project and ESLRS
1. I feel as if I have mainly excelled mostly in the Effective Communicator category in my senior project.
2. I feel like I've excelled mainly on this ESLR because I have connected with many people in order to gain a better understanding of my topic. For example, I've talked to popular zombie authors such as Steve Hockensmith, Jonathan Maberry, Max Brooks, John Joseph Adams and my mentor Matt Mogk and asked them questions regarding what it takes to write zombie fiction. As part of my 1st independent component as well, I got into contact with Steve Hockensmith and he allowed me to get an article up on the LA Times Hero Complex because of it. I have also contacted radio stations to propose an interview with the ZRS and was able to get Arrianna Nichols from 1069 The Eagle to cooperate.
3. Evidence:
2. I feel like I've excelled mainly on this ESLR because I have connected with many people in order to gain a better understanding of my topic. For example, I've talked to popular zombie authors such as Steve Hockensmith, Jonathan Maberry, Max Brooks, John Joseph Adams and my mentor Matt Mogk and asked them questions regarding what it takes to write zombie fiction. As part of my 1st independent component as well, I got into contact with Steve Hockensmith and he allowed me to get an article up on the LA Times Hero Complex because of it. I have also contacted radio stations to propose an interview with the ZRS and was able to get Arrianna Nichols from 1069 The Eagle to cooperate.
3. Evidence:
Connecting with Steve:
The actual article:
http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/george-romero-walk-of-fame-star-for-zombie-godfather/#/0
Connecting with Arrianna:
Working with my mentor Matt Mogk has also allowed me to work with many other beneficial aids. If I ever need to interview someone again I could just ask him for advice and he'd gladly be willing to help in appointing me in that direction.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Blog 18: 2 Hour Meeting Answer #3
1. What is the most important factor for successful zombie fiction?
2. An important factor for successful zombie fiction would be conflict whether it be between people, people and themselves, people and zombies, or people and their environment.
3. Three examples to help justify this answer would be that conflict helps drive the story. In a typical storyline this appears as: set up, story builds, climax, the final outcome. Michael Crichton's novel Disclosure happens to be a great example of the continuous use of one conflict right after another. In some cases in Crichton's work, one climax follows the other fast and sudden, leaving the reader breathless and wanting to read more.
The Walking Dead series also provides another example of multiple layers of conflict being used well and done so realistically and naturally that we do not notice them. Lori and Shane have a conflict in that Shane is in love with her. Rick and Shane have a conflict in which Shane wants to do anything it takes to survive while Rick wants to do the right thing to have something to live for, even if it risks survival. The best conflicts are between real people who simply want different things.
4. The source that helped me prove that this answer is justified was Craig DiLouie's article: Writing the Zombie Novel.
5. I plan to study the cultural anxieties of our time as of right now in order to come up with the base of a possible zombie story. By studying our cultural anxieties, I could try to figure out some metaphors that I could use to represent them within my story. I could also use the conflict technique that I had stated above to add onto my plan.
2. An important factor for successful zombie fiction would be conflict whether it be between people, people and themselves, people and zombies, or people and their environment.
3. Three examples to help justify this answer would be that conflict helps drive the story. In a typical storyline this appears as: set up, story builds, climax, the final outcome. Michael Crichton's novel Disclosure happens to be a great example of the continuous use of one conflict right after another. In some cases in Crichton's work, one climax follows the other fast and sudden, leaving the reader breathless and wanting to read more.
The Walking Dead series also provides another example of multiple layers of conflict being used well and done so realistically and naturally that we do not notice them. Lori and Shane have a conflict in that Shane is in love with her. Rick and Shane have a conflict in which Shane wants to do anything it takes to survive while Rick wants to do the right thing to have something to live for, even if it risks survival. The best conflicts are between real people who simply want different things.
4. The source that helped me prove that this answer is justified was Craig DiLouie's article: Writing the Zombie Novel.
5. I plan to study the cultural anxieties of our time as of right now in order to come up with the base of a possible zombie story. By studying our cultural anxieties, I could try to figure out some metaphors that I could use to represent them within my story. I could also use the conflict technique that I had stated above to add onto my plan.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Blog 16: 2 Hour Meeting Answer #2
1. What is the most important factor for successful zombie fiction?
2. Another important factor for successful zombie fiction would be its characters.
3. The readers have to relate to at least one character in order to empathize with them and actually become interested in the story. For example, if someone feels the same way as a character does within a story, there is a strong chance that they will enjoy the story since it will make them feel as if they're the ones in trouble. This also helps make the story more realistic. Along with developing a relationship with one of the characters, if the story is driven with conflict happening right after another, it will force the character to go through a change. This would allow the readers to experience a variety of emotions which will help them want to read on further. The characters could also be used to represent something based on their actions and characteristics sort of like the Wizard of Oz.
4. The source(s) that have helped me prove this answer is justified are the articles "Humans in the Foreground: 11 Writers on Writing Zombie Fiction", "Writing the Zombie Novel", and "Zombies can bring your fiction back to life."
5. I plan to continue my study of answer 2 by researching far more on it and taking a class that allows me to practice writing zombie fiction. I also plan on reading the best selling zombie novels to take note of what their characters are like in order to compare them to see what the basic characteristics are for successful zombie fiction.
2. Another important factor for successful zombie fiction would be its characters.
3. The readers have to relate to at least one character in order to empathize with them and actually become interested in the story. For example, if someone feels the same way as a character does within a story, there is a strong chance that they will enjoy the story since it will make them feel as if they're the ones in trouble. This also helps make the story more realistic. Along with developing a relationship with one of the characters, if the story is driven with conflict happening right after another, it will force the character to go through a change. This would allow the readers to experience a variety of emotions which will help them want to read on further. The characters could also be used to represent something based on their actions and characteristics sort of like the Wizard of Oz.
4. The source(s) that have helped me prove this answer is justified are the articles "Humans in the Foreground: 11 Writers on Writing Zombie Fiction", "Writing the Zombie Novel", and "Zombies can bring your fiction back to life."
5. I plan to continue my study of answer 2 by researching far more on it and taking a class that allows me to practice writing zombie fiction. I also plan on reading the best selling zombie novels to take note of what their characters are like in order to compare them to see what the basic characteristics are for successful zombie fiction.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Senior Project Update
1. I worked on getting George A. Romero the recognition that he deserves. The Zombie Research Society and I had launched a campaign to get Romero a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I contacted various celebrities, authors, and fans who shared the same interest in zombies as I. (Quentin Tarantino, Simon Pegg, Steve Hockensmith, Max Brooks, Jonathan Maberry..) However, the project was unfortunately shut down by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce due to the fact that we were advertising that the star costs so much money. Before the project was shut down I did however get to put together an article within the Hero Complex of the LA Times with the help of Steve Hockensmith and Gina McIntyre.
2. An article that I have reviewed that helped me determine what I should do next with my senior project was the article "Can the Walking Dead Revive the Zombie Genre?" Reading this article taught me that there are and can be various central messages behind the movies, shows and books within the zombie genre.
3. The Hero Complex article:
http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2012/10/24/george-romero-walk-of-fame-star-for-zombie-godfather/#/0
2. An article that I have reviewed that helped me determine what I should do next with my senior project was the article "Can the Walking Dead Revive the Zombie Genre?" Reading this article taught me that there are and can be various central messages behind the movies, shows and books within the zombie genre.
3. The Hero Complex article:
http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2012/10/24/george-romero-walk-of-fame-star-for-zombie-godfather/#/0
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Blog 9 Working EQ and Possible Answers
1) What main aspect makes zombie culture so popular in today's society?
2) I am not going to revise my EQ at this time.
3) David Barr Kirtley, author of “The Skull-Faced Boy” says that there are two reasons we find zombies appealing: (One) There’s an enormous segment of our brain that’s evolved for running away from packs of predators, and zombie stories give us a rare opportunity to take this primal part of our psyches out for a spin. (Two) Zombies are a great metaphor. The great mass of humanity often comes across to us as unreasoningly hostile and driven to consumption, and the image of the zombie captures this perfectly.
2) I am not going to revise my EQ at this time.
3) David Barr Kirtley, author of “The Skull-Faced Boy” says that there are two reasons we find zombies appealing: (One) There’s an enormous segment of our brain that’s evolved for running away from packs of predators, and zombie stories give us a rare opportunity to take this primal part of our psyches out for a spin. (Two) Zombies are a great metaphor. The great mass of humanity often comes across to us as unreasoningly hostile and driven to consumption, and the image of the zombie captures this perfectly.
Author Nancy Kilpatrick thinks that zombies have ascended in popularity because they reflect society’s fear of something over taking us, making us less-than-human, or the victim of that less-than-human. It’s especially traumatizing when less-than-human is family, friends and neighbors or strangers. It’s what all sane people fear, being confronted by something/someone that has your destruction at heart and which/who can’t be stopped.
Matt Mogk, head of the Zombie Research Society believes there are three main reasons why zombies are popular:
1) We live in uncertain times. Weʼre faced with economic peril, climate change, terrorism, and the constant threat of natural and manmade disasters. Zombies are synonymous with the end of the world. One zombie leads to ten zombies leads to ten million zombies. The events we see play out in the news every day look a little like a zombie outbreak.
2) We live in the age of microbiology. The average person walking down the street may not be able to tell you who their Congressman is, but they have a better understanding of infectious diseases than the leading scientists eighty years ago. Zombieism is a blood borne illness, so any blood or fluid contact and youʼre toast. It makes sense from a common sense perspective.
3) Zombies are the only club that accepts everyone. They donʼt care what you look like. They donʼt care how old you are. They donʼt care what you ate last night or if youʼre cheating on your partner. They donʼt care if you just got fired or just got a promotion. Zombies want you just as much as they want the next guy. And you see that played out in the rise of grass roots events like zombie walks across the planet.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Blog 2: Zombie Survival
A. My senior topic is Zombie Survival. I chose this topic because I believe that survival is an important thing we all should learn about and also because I am a huge fan of zombies. I thought it'd be interesting to make my senior project about survival and incorporating zombies, which could be used as an attention-grabber for my audience. With this topic I could also have a reason to study neuroscience and anything that has to do with diseases that are close to zombieism.
B. I hope to accomplish these things:
B. I hope to accomplish these things:
- As an effective learner, I plan to teach my fellow peers what I know about the diseases that closely relate to becoming "zombie-like" and how to overcome it or prepare for such a global disaster in which an infection has become extremely contagious.
- As an effective user of technology, I plan to pick up skills in using certain gadgets that experts in the neuroscience field use that will come in handy in future studies.
- As an iPoly Citizen, I plan to spread the teachings of survival to other students and teach why it is important to prepare for a disaster due to the possible outcomes of it.
- As an effective communicator, I plan to connect with experts in the fields that fit well with my senior topic so that I could get a better experience and understanding in what is required in order to survive a Zombie apocalypse. I also plan to give my mentors all of my attention to show them that I am truly interested in learning about their profession and to take note of what is important to know.
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