Entomotura is a portmanteau of entomo, meaning of an insect, and literatura,
the Latin word for literature (to be fancy). Thus, the theme of this virtual
chapbook is bugs! Despite being averse to bugs in real life, I find them quite
fascinating. Their odd movements and otherworldly appearances have proven
to be an endless source of artistic inspiration. Within writing, they can be used
in a range of ways from metaphors to fables, and I can apply the patterns in
their behavior and appearances to other aspects of my life. At the moment, all
my time goes toward school and art. I chose this theme so I could learn more
about insects as well as explore them conceptually.
Like my speaking, my writing usually changes based on what I am reading at
the time. This year, I have read Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Atwood’s Oryx and Crake,
and Findley’s Not Wanted on the Voyage. After reading Hamlet, I was more inclined
to use metaphors in my writing. I also had the desire to switch around words, for
instance: I have → have I (and not necessarily to create a question, more so stylistically).
For Oryx and Crake, I found I let myself be more wordy. I’ve always tried to be concise
with writing, but regarding creative work, it sometimes helps to be more colloquial. I
also tried to describe things in more dramatic yet common ways. Not Wanted on the
Voyage hopefully gave me nothing, I hated the writing in that book—maybe em dashes.
In recent years, I have unfortunately felt that English is evaporating from my mind; I
find it increasingly difficult to write well. However, this year, I have tried not to let that
hold me back. A combination of procrastination, senioritis, and the grace of this course
has given me a more relaxed approach to writing. Rather than ruminating over word
choice and sentence structure, I have focused on getting my thoughts down in
understandable language. This could be interpreted as giving up, but to me it is a
step away from unproductive perfectionism. This new approach has alleviated some
stress and has helped me generate clearer ideas. Moreover, I have tackled less complex
topics, focusing instead on what is well known. My old writing is bewildering because
I was constantly trying to invent new modes of thought, steering as far away from
common sense as possible. If one’s sole goal is to be subversive, one will fail to be
understood. How ironic for writing as a mode of communication. Overall, practicing
writing in this course and reading novels in English has given me a more lighthearted
approach to writing that will continue to improve my coherence and willpower.
Although it is currently a work in progress, my favourite piece of writing from this
course is my short story. So far, I feel it best captures my voice; unserious and passive
aggressive (but like, in a not cringe way). As much as I love poetry, I especially enjoy
the control narrating a short story brings. This format combines the straightforward
style of storytelling with the rhetorical devices of poetry in a way that carefully shapes
the reader's perception of any given situation. It is a common and digestible form of
literature that still has the potential to be thought provoking and emotionally impactful.
This short story was particularly enjoyable to write because it is about a friend of mine.
Thus, not only was it easier to imagine the character, but it hit harder when I made fun
of him, which, I think, added authenticity to the writing. Additionally, it is a more exciting
piece to share with my peers as the subject is well known. I hope to complete it soon, so I
can add it to my collection of works about this person.
Altogether, this summative was really fun and satisfying to complete. Not only did I get to
write in a bunch of different styles, but I also got to experiment more with pixel art and
html. My favourite pages are the blog, photo you love prompt, and sonnet. I am especially
proud of the blog as it is the most detailed and informative. At first, I had no idea what
I was going to write the blog about. I later decided on art as I have experience writing
gallery reviews for my major class. It turned out to be quite fun, especially for the second
piece because I think about it often. I got to learn more about insects in this section, and
it was exciting to combine my existing knowledge with my research. It also has the best
visual aids as there were many opportunities for that. The photo prompt and sonnet are
also fun works to read, and I like the silliness they capture. I look forward to creating
more bug characters in future artistic pursuits. I believe my site is, for the most part,
well written and put together. However, I did run into some challenges fabrication and
time management wise. Therefore, for my final grade, I would give myself a 95 🤷!