1. Kristyn A. Shannon
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Professional Seminar Summer 2016
Major Concentration: English/Professional Writing
Minor Concentration: Psychology
Graduation Date: August 11, 2016
2. 2 | P a g e
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
As I entered Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, I was positive I knew what I wanted to do
with my life. I wanted to be a marine biologist and train animals in the ocean. It turns out that
wasn’t my intended ending to my life story. Instead, I spent five years of college finding my
voice and the creativity I lost during the first few years. I gained knowledge through the
professional writing program that I never would have figured out without the help of my
professors and friends who urged me to keep going and not give up. I managed to fill my blank
canvas with a love so bright for something so underrated. Writing gives me a sense of purpose
to create something beautiful that others will take something away from. My journey has
proven its worth during every long night finishing papers and stories, three hours writing
classes, and most importantly, through every connection I’ve made. Through my internship at
Mind Equals Blown, I’ve managed to figure out my distinct tone as well as timely writing,
independence, and learning to believe in myself and my writing. The samples I’ve provided
below showcase that perfectly. I’ve adapted to where I’m supposed to be at this time in my life
and I can’t thank Kutztown University or Mind Equals Blown enough for showing that to me. I
am honored to be able to create something so unique that others want to get lost in.
3. 3 | P a g e
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Statement Of Purpose……………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 2
Résumé…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....……….Page 4
Internship Work
Album Review: Pierce The Veil……………………………………………………………………………….Page 6
Editorial: Second Star On The Right: Experiencing “Finding Neverland”…………..…….Page 9
Single Review: Patty Cake: “Send My Love” (Adele Cover)……………………………………Page 13
Interview: Juliet Simms………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 15
Professional Writing Work
Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity Advertisement…………………………………………….Page 20
“Compulsion” Short Story Segments……………………………………………………………………Page 22
Travelogue: Cape Cod………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 27
An Earful Of News……………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 31
5. 5 | P a g e
INTERNSHIP WORK
Summer 2016 gave me one of the best opportunities I could have asked for. Mind Equals
Blown, mindequalsblown.net, is the music blog that I interned at for the entire summer, which
had me writing every chance I got throughout the day. Like Alternative Press Magazine, MEB
showcases many talented writers and photographers based all over the world which cover
everything music related from album reviews to interviewing bands.
The first piece chosen to open my portfolio is an album review I did for a recently released
Pierce The Veil, commonly known as PTV, CD. PTV is a pop-punk band with a few songs that
include screaming. The five piece band released “Misadventures” on May 13, 2016 after a four
year hiatus between albums. Because of this, the band went on a 16 city tour performing the
album in its entirety – which I so happened to obtain a press pass to photograph the concert.
The target audience of the album review is anyone who enjoys their music. There are many
music reviewers out there, but a true fan will look at many to truly see the outlook on the
album. With that, if the writer is confident in what they’re writing about an album, their
intended audience will agree with them. Though, we don’t want to sway listeners, it’s better to
give our true opinion of the album and have them decide for themselves. This album review
was also put out onto the MEB Facebook page to get it seen by the public. This example shows
my ability to write competently about music, including certain lyrics and quotes that I’ve
learned throughout my writing classes in college.
6. 6 | P a g e
ALBUM REVIEWS, REVIEWS
Pierce The Veil: Misadventures
By Kristyn Shannon @kristynalysia · On May 24, 2016
“We put a good couple years of our lives completely obsessed with [making] this record,”
frontman, Vic Fuentes, explained. “It was actually the reason we called it Misadventures—
because it went on so many twists and turns and so many wrong directions and so many weird
places that it brought us.”
Four years have passed since Pierce The Veil’s Collide With The Sky. Though a long time, Vic
Fuentes’s determination to include meaning and emotion into every syllable proves the wait
was well worth it. He paints a picture through his beautifully written words that are destined to
be all over Tumblr and sounds that penetrate your soul. Fuentes’s unique crooning is familiar;
the only difference is how much sharper his voice sounds.
Passion bleeds from the second Misadventures begins, proving that this band knows how to
combine enough aggression to be post-hardcore and still be the edgy punk band their fans
know and love. Originality and raw intensity illuminates through topics of self-worth, an
individual’s ability to shine, and dreams of leaving everything behind for love,
proving Misadventures will leave any fan craving more.
While taking so long to write the album, Vic Fuentes journeyed for around the world to get
away from recording. He said, “I felt like I was at a time in my life when I didn’t have the story I
wanted to tell.” With that, he wrote the songs in so many places to find inspiration and provide
every song with personal meaning.
Misadventures begins with winding, warm guitars and a great piano composition followed by
pained screams with the opener, “Dive In.” In an interview for radio.com, Fuentes explained
7. 7 | P a g e
that “there are people who have clearly lost their love for music and still do it.” With lyrics like
“Now I wanna be the tattoo ink that swims down through the needle in your skin/And I wish I
was poisonous,” the opener is simply an angry song about trying to keep those people away
from the band.
“Texas Is Forever,” with its’ energetic tempo and stellar guitar riff, is the second track off the
album. Fuentes describes this song as “saying goodbye to someone that you love.” His ex-
girlfriend is from Texas, and though they both moved on and happy for each other, the song is
about the last time the two said goodbye to each other.
The next song Fuentes explained to radio.com was “Gold Medal Ribbon,” a song dedicated to a
friend that passed away. “She was my first girlfriend, the first person I ever said ‘I love you’ to in
high school; it was a song for her, letting her know I still think about her.” The song title was no
accident either, being a Baskin Robins ice cream flavor, which just so happened to be her
favorite.
The last song Fuentes talked about was “Floral & Fading,” an ‘80s ballad with the regular Pierce
The Veil flair. The song was written about his current girlfriend, who has gone through the
public harassing and threatening her because the two were together. “With [this] song, I was
trying to tell her that. All that matters is that we’re together. We could fake our own deaths and
disappear and none of it would matter. That was me trying to console her,” he said.
Past all the deep thoughts and meaning behind the songs, they still have unique sounds. With
the thumping riffs and “woah” driven tune of “Today I Saw The Whole World,” the song is an
anthem in the making. “Circles” provides more than just a hint of pop, while “Bedless” is a pop-
rock opera with lyrics like “these stars defy love, so I close my eyes/And sleep inside your worn-
in bedline” is a song that needs to be heard to be believed.
The lyrics over everything else make the music amazing. “I think we’re in over our heads” rings
of self-doubt on “Sambuka,” while “I’d put a bullet in my head if I ever lost you now” screams of
love on “Phantom Power and Ludicrous Speed.” Vic’s last words on the epic album closer,
“Song For Isabelle” is a perfect way to end Misadventures: “I’m not a kid anymore, but some
days I sit and wish I was a kid again.”
“Because we’ve never done anything like that, we wanted to start off with a once-in-a-lifetime
performance for our fans,” Vic Fuentes said. The first tour, as Fuentes explains, is its own
special kind of tour. Pierce The Veil will venture out on a 16-city tour where the band will play
the entire Misadventures album from beginning to end.
Read more of the interview from Radio.com here.
8. 8 | P a g e
INTERNSHIP WORK
The next piece I am showing is an editorial on a Broadway show I went to during the summer.
There are certain things, for lack of a better word, that truly inspired someone. Finding
Neverland is that something for me. It was a movie turned play about J.M. Barrie, the author of
Peter Pan, and the way he came up with the story of Peter Pan. The movie itself was brilliant,
but somehow, the play was one hundred percent better. It moved me more than I had
imagined and that’s the reason I wrote about it. Editorials wind up being some of my favorite
pieces I write. They’re personal, but others can understand the love I have for something by
reading my words. Which brings me to the target audience: those who love Broadway shows.
They will understand this piece more than most people who never stepped foot into a theater. I
analyzed the music that was performed throughout the play for days before writing the piece,
constantly listening to it on Spotify in my car or on my laptop. In order to portray this Broadway
show as magical as it was, I had to write this editorial like I was writing a story. This example
shows a sort of storytelling not found in journalistic writing usually. It demonstrates an ability to
keep things lighthearted and keep readers interested in what I’m trying to get across.
9. 9 | P a g e
REVIEWS
Second Star On The Right: Experiencing
“Finding Neverland”
By Kristyn Shannon @kristynalysia · On June 20, 2016
10. 10 | P a g e
“We can fly if we want to; I promise that faith will give you wings. Just take the second star on
the right, straight ahead till morning light.”
The story of Peter Pan is iconic, filled with pirates, mermaids, fairies, and most of all, magic. I
grew up watching the animated Disney version so often that the VHS tape was slowly
deteriorating. Robin Williams soon owned the role of Peter Pan in “Hook”, where kids now
scream “bangarang” in honor of it, followed by a slew of new adaptions, from the big screen to
television to the stage.
For some reason these stories inspired me. Never grow up. All you need is faith, trust, and a
little bit of pixie dust. To die would be an awfully big adventure. Quotes like these are ingrained
in my memory. With all these versions, it was inevitable for some version to hit the stage once
more and I couldn’t be happier that it was “Finding Neverland”.
The New York City skyline came into
view as the bus taking us to the show
turned a corner before entering the
Lincoln Tunnel. I turned my head,
seeing my mom sitting next to me while
my sister and nephew were across the
aisle. I was concerned having a 6 year
old sit for two and a half hours watching
a play on stage, but my sister insisted
he could do it (and I was very shocked
when it ended and he had sat quietly
through the entire stage show). The
Lunt-Fontanne Theater came into view,
the iconic poster of Peter Pan’s outline
with the London skyline and silhouettes
of J.M. Barrie and Sylvia Llewelyn
Davies inside.
11. 11 | P a g e
The show opens with entrance applause as a bright light traveled to
the curtain, obviously representing Tinkerbell. The curtain finally
opens to the Scottish-born J.M. Barrie, a successful playwright
suffering from writer’s block and an unhappy marriage. Then one
day in Kensington Gardens he meets four charming little boys, the
Llewelyn Davies brothers, and excitedly joins in their games of
pretend, later expressing that “the world is so mysterious and
wild/when you start to see it through the eyes of a child.” Sylvia, a
widow mother to those boys with a sickening cough, drifts closer to
Barrie telling him “I think to have faith is to have wings” – which
made my mom and sister stare at me as I have that quote tattooed
on my shoulder.
The show was inspirational and dazzling. Lighting by candlelight
showed shadows against the walls, growing and shrinking as Sylvia and Barrie move. Pirates
emerged from the back of the theater, walking towards the front, and before I could blink
netting was rising as they began to climb up and swing viciously to the song “Live By The Hook.”
As Barrie’s play opened, Sylvia could not attend due to her sickness. Instead, the play was
brought to her. As she walked to center stage, fans emerged and Peter Pan slid between them.
Pixie dust started swirling around Sylvia in a beautiful mass of sparkles.
The music varied in genre, ranging from typical Broadway sounds to Irish bagpipes to lullabies
singing the children to sleep. Songs like “Circus Of Your Mind,” “Live By The Hook,” and
“Stronger” were more upbeat, loud, and a little harsh while “What You Mean To Me,”
“Neverland,” and “When Your Feet Don’t Touch The Ground” were sweet and soft.
“Finding Neverland” astounded and created real magic right in front of your eyes. As I turned
my head to look at my nephew as Tink’s light was going out, he began clapping his hands to
bring her back to life. It was inspirational to see him believe so hard in something that I grew up
with. “Finding Neverland is a play worth going to see, though it leaves Broadway on August 21.
Sometimes I wish to find myself in Neverland, but for now, I’ll just keep looking for that second
star on the right.
12. 12 | P a g e
INTERNSHIP WORK
The third piece showcased is a single review of a YouTube video I found. These four YouTube
sensations covered an Adele song; however, it was different by slowing it down immensely and
using the childish game of Patty Cake as the only beat besides their voices. I wrote this for those
who were interested in small YouTube covers and religiously listen to those who post songs
that come out weekly. The reason I included this piece is because it’s irrelevant to well-known
music magazines. They would look over something like this without batting an eyelash. To me,
this stood out for being unique and interesting – they had to practice this beat for weeks before
they managed to get it without messing up. This article has obtained so much organic, i.e.
search engine, traffic; many people have found my review on Google because I wrote it when
this cover was of interest. I didn’t even know it was getting this much love until my internship
supervisor said something to me; I wrote it because I loved the song and it’s a good thing others
did too. This example showcases putting out articles in a timely fashion. The moment I listened
to this song, I wrote a review on it and it went live on the site almost immediately.
13. 13 | P a g e
REVIEWS, SINGLE REVIEWS
Single Review – Patty Cake: “Send My Love”
(Adele Cover)
By Kristyn Shannon @kristynalysia · On June 30, 2016
The scene is set: an elementary school jungle gym. It’s about 12 o’clock in the afternoon and
lunch just ended and recess ensued. Children sit around in a circle, singing songs and clapping
their hands together. I remember from when I was in elementary school back in the day, there
was always one song that was sung with the same repetitious hand claps and snaps: “Pat-a-
cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man, bake me a cake as fast as you can. Pat it, roll it and mark it with
a B; put it in the oven for baby and me.”
YouTube sensations Kurt Hugo Schneider, Sam Tsui, Alex G, and Madilyn Bailey take the Patty
Cake song to a whole new level in the cover of Adele’s “Send My Love.” Performed in a park,
just like in elementary school, these four sit two across from each other with microphones
angled into the center and a camera circling the quartet. A small breakdown in the center of the
song shows a unique form of clapping and trading partners before the singing starts again.
Honestly, this cover might even sound better than the original; sorry Adele. The sounds are
beautifully acapella and softer, more delicate than the original. With lyrics saying “send my love
to your new lover/treat her better,” it seems more of an acoustic song than how the original
sounded with its upbeat, typical Adele songs.
Personally, I can’t stop replaying the song. There are just some days where you need an
acapella song to lighten your mood and though the lyrics are quite sad, this cover seems to lift
my spirits a little. Though, let’s be real, with voices like theirs, I’d listen to anything and
everything they put out on YouTube. Check out the video below, it’s sure to blow your mind!
14. 14 | P a g e
INTERNSHIP WORK
The last piece I’m showcasing is an interview I did with singer Juliet Simms. Formerly the singer
of the band, Automatic Loveletter, the rock singer chose to go solo. Most fans know her now
from her spot on The Voice – which is mentioned slightly in the interview – and her marriage to
Black Veil Brides’ Andy Biersack. Her PR emailed me asking if I’d like to do a very short ten
minute phone interview with her about her new EP coming out called From The Grave, which
was released on July 15, 2016. For me to have this exposure with such an amazingly well-known
singer blew my mind. I knew Juliet Simms from the one song she was featured on with All Time
Low called “Remembering Sunday,” which she was so sweet to talk to me about that
experience as well. This interview was posted on the blog’s Twitter account, which Juliet herself
retweeted, sending the blog spiraling with new likes and follows where more people went on
the site to read what we write. This example shows my ability to talk to famous people, asking
relevant questions and keeping to a conversation rather than a one sided interview. I try to not
ask simple questions or the same questions the singer or band have already answered
previously. This interview showcases my uniqueness.
15. 15 | P a g e
INTERVIEWS
Interview: Juliet Simms
By Kristyn Shannon @kristynalysia · On July 6, 2016
I had the amazing opportunity to chat with Juliet Simms for a few minutes over the phone. I
can’t express how genuinely and passionately she talked about her music, that it would make
anyone open up a tab on their internet browser and look her up. Turns out she was also super
impressed that I was an OG fan of hers from when she was featured on an All Time Low song.
Check out our chat about her new EP From The Grave, Harry Potter, and her fantastic
relationship with Black Veil Brides‘ Andy Biersack.
MEB: I tend to start my interviews off the same, so, which is your favorite song off your new
EP, From The Grave?
Juliet: That’s a toughy. It depends on what mood I’m in, honestly. If I want to headbang and
dance around it would have to be “Say Hello”.
I listened to your songs a lot the previous few days and I’ve noticed quite the genre mix going
on. There are a few rock type songs, a pop sounding song, and a few acoustic. How’d you
come to mix them all onto one EP?
Because I can do that. (Laughs) I mean, it’s who I am as an artist. I am definitely, when it comes
to good music, not one style. I think that goes to show, too, that with my earlier writings
with Automatic Loveletter, each record wasn’t fluid, not in a bad way. There were different
styles and tones and textures. It doesn’t hurt that these songs weren’t all written at the same
time or in the same town or with the same people.
16. 16 | P a g e
I know you’ve had some harsh times since you started your music. How has it been trying to
find yourself through these songs and never giving in?
Well, you know, I’d be a liar if I said it wasn’t hard, especially as a female in the rock industry.
You have to toughen yourself up and thicken your skin. It’s been a very hard journey and very
much a roller coaster with many barriers that I have to constantly overcome. I’ve been with my
manager for a long time and we have this thing where we just say, “Are you serious?” to each
other. The easy thing to do would be to just say “f*ck it”, but that’s not who I am. You have to
not take it so seriously and just laugh it off. I won’t be happy if I’m not making music. That’s
what makes me the happiest. I have to journey ahead and so be it.
Why did you choose a phoenix to portray your goal of personal growth and strength?
Because the phoenix is grace, it’s beauty, it’s ugly, it’s fire, it’s passion, it’s life, it’s indicative of
a lot of stuff I’ve been through metaphorically. It’s the perfect example of life and what a lot of
people go through. Life isn’t meant to be easy. It’s not. There’s a verge that is so easy to fall
into, a path and a road, it’s so easy to veer off and we all do it. I wanted something to connect
with my listeners to say I’m just like you, I’m a person. I’ve f*cked up in the past and it doesn’t
mean you can’t pick yourself up and be more beautiful and more strong and grab life by the
reigns and get back on the road.
Weird question, was there any thought to Harry Potter because of Fawkes?
Oh my god, yeah. Are you kidding me! You’re talking to the biggest Harry Potter nerd ever. I’ve
read the books each about six times, literally. I’m not even kidding. The movies are on repeat in
my house. I’m the biggest Harry Potter dork. I used to stand in line from 9 a.m. until the books
came out. We used to camp out. Harry Potter is one of my favorite things that this world has
ever created.
Do you have any upcoming tours lined up?
At the moment, I’m working with my booking agency for one-offs this year. Mostly, before I go
on a real tour, I want to get into the studio and finish a full length. Not that these songs won’t
be played live when I go on tour, but I think it’s about time I put out a full length album. That’s
what’s in the books now.
What was it like touring with the Warped crew, and why aren’t you on the tour this year?
I was on last year. It’s kind of a pattern with Warped. They don’t put bands on two years in a
row. I’ve done it six times already and those people are my family. The first time I was on was
when I snuck on in 2007. That was 9 years ago and most of those people are my best friends; a
lot of them were invited to my wedding, which was a very intimate thing to begin with. I want
to see my tour family every day, sure, but it’s nice to be home for the summer with my new
husband and our animals doing domestic type things. That’s really nice, especially for two
17. 17 | P a g e
people who tour so much. It’s kind of boring, but we take pleasure in the little things like going
to the grocery store.
Being on The Voice must’ve changed your life immensely. Tell me about the overall
experience of being on the show and coming in second.
Wow, there’s so much to say about this. The Voice gave me an amazing platform to open up my
audience and open up my fan base to a bigger scale. They gave me the biggest stage in the
world. All over the world, it was the biggest stage I’ve ever played on. That is something I would
never take back. It was completely mind-blowing. However, there is a misconception with
reality shows, especially competition shows. That it’s very much driven by people behind the
cameras. You’re kept awake sometimes for 24 hours. You’re secluded, with your friends and
family for a long time and the show personally fed me empty promises. Once the mic season
ended, it’s kind of like, “on with the next.” Especially since I was one of the only artists
besides Cassidy Pope and a few others that had pre-existing experience with being on tour and
dealing with that stuff. I was literally chosen, I didn’t audition, they came to me and asked me
to be on the show. I felt a little bit used and that kind of hurt, especially since I love most of the
people there. It was a slap in the face at the end. But, I can’t say thank you enough for the fans
and being on the biggest stage in the world.
Personally I know you from the song “Remembering Sunday”. I gotta ask and I know this was
from a long time ago, but what was it like working with All Time Low?
I love those dudes. It was great. We’re total buds. I didn’t really know who they were when I
was asked to sing on their records and before they became a world wide band. I had already
recorded with Matt, who was helping them out, and went to Maryland where I met Alex and
the guys and they were all sweet and pumped and incredibly talented. It was fun. Next thing I
knew I was hopping in their van to go on a mini acoustic tour with them. Now it’s been ten
years since we’ve known each other. We’re buds. Great band, great people.
Have you ever performed that song live with them?
Oh yeah, I sang it live a bunch with them. The most memorable was on their live DVD that was
taped in New York.
You’ve recently married Andy Biersack of Black Veil Brides and can I just say how astounding
you looked. I absolutely loved the tiara you wore. What’s it like to have that support from
somebody who knows exactly what you’re going through and has been there before?
Oh my god, it’s life-saving. It’s stabilizing. It’s reassuring. It’s comforting. It doesn’t hurt that he
is one of the most brilliant men in the music industry. He’s so smart when it comes to all this
music stuff. The fact that I can turn to him and get that from him, I mean, it’s literally the ideal
scenario I’ve always wanted my entire life. It was something that I always wanted. I always put
that there. And then it just happened and it’s f*cking awesome, dude.
18. 18 | P a g e
Is there anything else you’d like the readers of Mind Equals Blown to know about?
Just if you don’t know who I am, check out my records. Check out my band, Automatic
Loveletter. For the people who have heard of me and still to this day continue to support me,
thank you so much and I love you. I get to keep going because of you. Thanks for always staying
by my side.
Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to chat with me, Juliet. You’re the
sweetest.
Awe, thanks babe. I hope to chat with you again soon!
19. 19 | P a g e
PROFESSIONAL WRITING WORK
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania has provided many skills that I’ve honed to create my own
personal style of writing. The following pieces are those I’m the most proud of in which I’ve
spent much time, patience, and creative ability on during my time as a professional writing
major at KU.
The first piece of writing I’m showing is an advertisement I made for my service fraternity,
Alpha Phi Omega. In fall 2015, I took WRI 213WI: Copy and Line Editing, which required me to
analyze works of writing and not just my own. One of the assignments was to create an
advertisement for anything we wanted. While we had the assignment, I was going through rush
with my fraternity, which got me to think that I could pull two of my favorite things – writing
and Alpha Phi Omega – and put them into one. The intended audience I aimed for was potential
new members. This ad would be showcased on our trifold that we set up in the McFarland
Student Union Building for students to walk past. The point of it was to pull in new people by
condensing everything that we did as a fraternity into three easily readable paragraphs. Most of
the revisions I had were style oriented – font styles, photo size, and paragraph length to make
them all even. Within the writing, I had to cut some filler words that could condense the
sentence and make it cohesive and thicken up choppy sentences, especially at the end where I
included meeting times. This example shows my ability to take direction and fix what needed to
be fixed as well as designing an advertisement to make it ideal to look at.
20. 20 | P a g e
STAND OUT, BUT NEVER STAND ALONE
RUSH ALPHA PHI OMEGA SERVICE FRATERNITY
Alpha Phi Omega is a co-ed fraternity
based on the principles of leadership,
friendship, and service.
APO is family. The fraternity is the one where
venting about horrible days are acceptable, as well
as wanted. They will always find a way to make
anyone smile on a bad day and still be there to
listen. They go beyond the ideals of friendship and
become a second family. They are a home away
from home.
APO is service. Alpha Phi Omega prides itself on
the notion of service. The original chapter was founded on this aspect in 1925, creating an
everlasting love of helping the people around them or the community itself. There are service
projects every week for the Kutztown chapter, Omicron Alpha, whether it is to make Post-it
notes for inspiration or cleaning up the streets. Weekends are dedicated to service outside of
town, going to animal shelters or organizing churches among others.
APO is leadership. People within the fraternity are transformed from followers to leaders,
sometimes without even being aware of it. It’s not so much gaining the ability to be a leader, it’s
about the development in becoming one. The fraternity watches brothers grow and change into
someone more beautiful than when they started. Come out and say hello to the brothers at our
rush event in Old Main concourse this Wednesday, September 30 at 7 p.m. to learn more about
the requirements.
21. 21 | P a g e
PROFESSIONAL WRITING WORK
The second piece I am showcasing is a short story I wrote for WRI 311WI: Creative Writing:
Short Story. I wrote a fiction story about a murder by poison in the murderer’s perspective in
the form of diary entries to have it come off a little more personal. Unfortunately, the full story
is 25 pages long. For class, we each had to read a small portion of one story we wrote that
semester to the class. For that, I took four diary entries – the first one, two middle ones, and
the last one – and tried to make it as easily understandable with the short amount of
information I gave, which is what I’ve included. The intended audience is those who love fiction
stories and mine is kind of out there. I tried to write something unique to the genre I’m writing.
When my classmates read this story the first time, I didn’t have it in diary form. I tried to write
it in third person and it wasn’t clicking as well as a murder story should. Their feedback is the
reason I completely rewrote this story to hand in as a final copy. This example shows that I
know how to take criticism and know when to deny it. I managed to change my own writing to
make it better thanks to editors. Words that I’ve overlooked will be caught by others reading it
and that helps me greatly to improve upon my work.
22. 22 | P a g e
October 17th
Dear Diary,
I saw him today.
I stared out the window in Dodson Hall instead of paying attention to my professor. The
room was boiling, even for an hour. Considering that it’s mid-autumn, I should not be sweating
this much in a classroom. I’m pretty sure the heat was turned on in this building instead of the
air conditioning.
“It’s been five minutes of class,” my professor said. “None of you are focusing. So, we’re
going outside for the rest of our time.”
Immediately, I stood up and grabbed my bag. The class congregated near the door,
waiting for Professor Martin to lead the way to where we would eventually sit on the grass. The
blades began to tickle my feet as I sat down and the wind blew my hair into my face annoyingly.
I breathed in the strong scent of autumn: decaying leaves and wood burning.
I’ll be real for a second. I still wasn’t paying attention to Professor Martin. The
surroundings caught my eyes. Leaves were changing to a bright, beautiful red that glistened in
the sunlight and rustled in the wind.
That’s when I saw him. His strides were long as if taking too small of steps would cause
him to be late. He stopped at a tree, craning his neck to see the branches.
“Does anyone else hear a cat?” Some guy said – sorry I don’t remember your name.
That’s when I heard the faint meowing in the distance. Professor Martin stopped her lecturing
for a moment, turning her head uncomfortably to place the area the noise came from.
My eyes were trained on this boy in the distance as he began to climb the tree, one long
leg climbing up the rather far apart branches after another. He was lost in the leaves as he
climbed higher. A few minutes later, he hopped down, landing on his feet in the grass.
I noticed something in the crook of his arm. As I squinted to see a little better, the faint
image of a cat came into view. The first thing I thought of was how I wanted to watch that cat
writhe in pain.
February 12th
Dear Diary,
Today was movie night with Sam. Every week since we started living together, we
always put aside one day a week, at least, to spend together.
23. 23 | P a g e
As Sam put the popcorn into the microwave, she said, “Do I finally get to meet this
boyfriend of yours?”
It’s not that she hasn’t met him yet; she has class with him. What she hasn’t met yet was
him as my boyfriend. As much as I’ve talked about him, he hasn’t really come over to the
apartment. I tried to keep him all to myself for as long as possible.
“Funny you mentioned that,” I said. “He’s coming over tonight for movie night.”
Just as I said that, the doorbell rang. Sam looked at me with her eyebrows raised,
walking over to open the door. He stood, leaning against the wall next to our apartment.
“Hi, Josh,” she said, moving to let him in.
“Hey, Sam. Did you do that homework for Abram yet?” He asked.
She shook her head and closed the door. The microwave beeped, indicating the popcorn
was ready to be taken out. I sat on the couch that took up an entire wall. Across from me was
the TV that hung on the other wall with an Xbox and Wii plugged into outlets taking residence
on a small wooden table below.
“How did it go?” Josh asked me, plopping himself down and immediately sinking into
the cushions. I mentioned earlier that I was finally having my check-up at the hospital. Not that
I wore the brace anyway, but maybe my wrist got healed. Josh looked over at me before
leaning in and pecking my lips.
“Well, my wrist got twisted in weird ways and some beeping happened,” I said, grabbing
the comforter that resided permanently on the couch. As soon as I cocooned myself into it, I
nuzzled into Josh’s side. He lifted his arm and put it around me as Sam picked a movie on
Netflix. Deciding on “She’s The Man,” Sam placed a bowl filled with popcorn in front of Josh and
me. She sat in the single person chair next to the couch with her own popcorn bowl as the
movie started.
April 10th
Dear Diary,
I took Josh to see my garden today. It didn’t go well at all.
I pulled up to an overly bright, Victorian style house. It was painted like an Easter egg
and I one hundred percent despised being here. No wonder why I’m so much different than my
mom and sister.
24. 24 | P a g e
“I’m sorry about how strange my house looks,” I said. I placed my hand in his as I lead
him through the fence into the backyard.
“Don’t be sorry. It’s unique,” he said. “Oh my god, what is that smell?”
“I’m not sure. That’s strange.” I knew what that smell was. The animals in my backyard
ate the wolfsbane and hemlock that hid in the corner.
We walked around, hand in hand, and I told him all about the different plants and
flowers. We started at the herbs, where we saw a squirrel eating a few strawberries off the
stalk. Turning the corner, that’s when we saw it, the cause of the rotting flesh smell. Small
animals were spread out around these plants, their eyes and mouth open and frozen in time
with fear. I stared and laughed.
“What happened to those animals?” he asked.
I glanced sideways at him. “They ate the wrong plants.”
It’s been a few hours since we got home. He wanted to leave after seeing those animals
and I couldn’t exactly stop him. It was a sight you had to get used to. So, we left. I dropped him
off at his own apartment and I haven’t received a text since. I think I upset him.
May 3rd
Dear Diary,
I sat in Sam’s room. The moonlight shined through the window, casting shadows on my
face from the window shade. It was the early morning, probably around 3 a.m. and Sam was
still asleep.
Sam woke up, sensing the presence of someone else. She rubbed her tired eyes and
looked in the corner to where I sat.
“What’s wrong, Annabelle?” she asked.
“Sam,” I began. “I really fucked up this time.”
Sam climbed off her bed after swinging her legs off the side. She walked gracefully over
to where I sat, placing her hand gently on my shoulder to calm my nerves.
“What did you do?” she asked.
“I poisoned them. It took a few hours for the symptoms to start, but it was so satisfying
to watch the nausea and seizures happening. They didn’t have control over their bodies and I
25. 25 | P a g e
just thought that it was payback for me not having control over my body while I was drugged. I
watched the light leave their eyes, Sam. And I just laughed. I felt their pulse slow down as I felt
for it. I made sure I was the last thing Josh ever saw.”
Sam wrapped both her arms around me, hugging me, and I let go of the tension I held in
my body. I leaned against her as he stroked my hair.
“Everything will be alright, I promise,” she said. “We’ll figure something out.”
“I trust you.”
We stayed like that for what seemed like hours before I walked back into my room to
write this. But, I’m so tired. My eyelids are falling as I’m finishing up. I need to go to sleep.
26. 26 | P a g e
PROFESSIONAL WRITING WORK
The next piece is a travelogue I wrote for WRI 325: Travel Writing I took in Spring 2016. A
travelogue is a first person experience on a trip in which the person reading is made to want to
go there or pretend they are there with you as they read. I chose to write mine on Cape Cod,
which I’ve been to quite a number of times as a summer vacation. The particular point of
interest that reminded me on why I loved that place was Provincetown – a city where gay
people and drag queens roam the blocks free of accusations and hate. Besides the wineries and
constantly being near a beach, Cape Cod has so much historical aspects that are the reason
visitors go to this place. The intended audience was not specified, unfortunately. The only
guidance we had towards this piece was that it could be in a magazine or a newspaper. There
weren’t many revisions to be made with this piece, just to make the opening page more acute
to senses and to elaborate on memories I’ve had. This example shows that I can be creative in
my expository writing as well as ignite sensory situations that make a person want to be in the
place that I’m writing about.
27. 27 | P a g e
I placed my hand on the cold glass of the aquarium tank and watched the harbor seals
swim back and forth. It was close to their feeding time, which I was pumped for seeing. I wished
so much that I could be the one diving down to clean the tank and swim with fish. As I walked
up the stairs, my mom looked over at me.
“Maybe we can talk to them after to see how they started here,” she said. I was a
marine biology major that just wanted to work with mammals in the ocean to study their
behavior. I nodded to her as we stepped up the last stair.
We sat on an uncomfortable bench where one worker began talking about the seals
themselves, about things I already knew. I felt at ease knowing I could do this eventually. As
soon as she stopped speaking, I went to the edge of the viewing area to get a better look. I
watched as the biologist took a fish from a bucket, showing it to the harbor seal. The seal
gingerly took it from the grip of her feeder. It was a moment I wish I could do myself, but I was
content and happy just watching. For now, anyway.
The Woods Hole Science Aquarium in West Dennis featured 140 marine species, seal
feeding, and touch tanks; this was definitely the way a marine scientist wanted to spend her
day. I soon learned about their main mission of conservation: to rehabilitate and release both
turtles and harbor seals back into the wild.
Cape Cod was the average travel destination for a summer vacation before children
went back off to school, which was exactly the reason I was there. Packing the RV, my family –
my mom, dad, and sister – tacked my baby 1998 Saturn onto the back and began our journey.
Five hours later, we arrived at the campsite where my dad began to stabilize the RV to not
move while we sleep.
While we only stayed in the campsite the first night to get settled, my dad took me out
on the bikes we strapped to the back. Directly out of the complex, we rode up and down hills –
which I was very out of shape for – to finally arrive at a beach.
“Dad,” I began, bending over my knees and panting. “I don’t think I can go back riding
that bike.”
“I mean, you were pushing your bike up the hills to begin with.” He laughed. I ignored
him and decided to take my sandals off. Once my feet landed on the cold and squishy sand, I
felt like I was at home. I imagined myself to be a mermaid swimming through the ocean, always
having this adventure and getting lost.
The moon was up, which meant there were no lifeguards on duty. As a joke because I
am a lifeguard, I stood on their elevated stand pretending to be the official one for the beach.
As my dad helped me down, we began walking the length of the beach to find the perfect shell.
After an hour and a half of finding nothing, we decided to call it quits and ride back home.
Unfortunately, on the last hill going down, we had a quick turn into the campsite through two
28. 28 | P a g e
tightly spaced wooden poles. I didn’t make it; instead, I slammed right into the wood, having
my dad help me up only to tell my mom the story, who laughed hysterically at my pain, right
when we got inside.
In the morning, we packed the car for a day of wine tasting at the Truro vineyards about
half an hour away from where we stayed. The moment we drove up, we saw grape vines
growing for miles, oversized wooden barrels that held nothing in them but people still took
pictures with, and a huge circular wooden bucket, one that was used in the old days to crush
the grapes by foot. The vineyard was run by a single family that passed it down through
generations. With that came a lot of interesting information thrown at visitors that walked the
tour.
As the tour ended, my mom and sister wanted to do the multiple wine tastings that
were placed around the vineyard property. Outside on a patio stood many tables with a surface
that looked like lace. Small wine glasses were placed at each table where the workers would
come around with different wines to pour into the glass. Between each new wine, they placed a
small cracker in their mouths in order to rid their senses of the last flavor.
“Too bad you’re underage,” my sister said, chuckling.
“Yeah, shut up,” I said, turning on my heel to examine the wooden barrels I assumed
held some wine that was fermenting that were inside. As my family came back inside for the
second tasting, I stood by the long bar next to my mom, who luckily took pity on me and let me
try some. She eventually picked six wines to pack away in the backseat of my car for later
drinking purposes.
As the sun went down and the stars began to shine, Provincetown came alive. The
second I stepped foot onto the sidewalk, I got catcalled. Not by some straight pig of a guy, no;
instead by a drag queen. At first, I didn’t get a good view of her to know she was in drag. All I
saw was the highest heels tapping on the concrete to loud EDM music in the club they tried to
advertise, big and wildly decorated hair and overdone make-up.
“That’s a man,” my sister whispered to me as we passed.
“No way,” I said, trying to get a better look at the woman behind me. My sister
entwined her arm with mine to guide me forward still. I heard the catcall again.
“Aye mommy,” the drag queen said. “Girl, you look good.”
I turned around with a smile and watched her wink. That’s when I noticed her masculine
features: strong jawline that was attempted to be softer with contouring, large biceps, and
hairy legs shoved into fishnets. Yep, she was definitely a man and that was alright.
Provincetown was that type of place where being gay was the norm and being straight was a
29. 29 | P a g e
foreign language. The small city-esque town is embraced for its uniqueness and acceptance.
That’s the reason I adore going back to Provincetown.
That’s when I realized I was truly welcomed into Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where
people spend their days lounging on the beach and their nights shopping for anything from
beachy items like shells to erotic sex toys – and yes, my sister dragged me into that store too
where I watched old couples in their late 60s picking up boxes of edible lingerie. That was a
sight I could’ve lived without.
The last day I spent in Cape Cod, my family booked a whale watching boat trip. My mom
surprised me by simply driving up to the marina, waiting to board the ship. Prepared with my
camera, I sat on the large boat as it left the dock, riding well past the tip of land indicating the
travel into unfamiliar to me waters.
“You don’t look so good,” my mom said, sitting on the white bench with me. I stared off
into the distance as the wind blew my hair back and my eyesight got blurry.
“I think I’m getting motion sickness,” I said. It usually doesn’t happen while I’m outside
with the wind able to be blowing on me. It only happens in enclosed spaces. I don’t understand
what was wrong with me. I leaned my head against my dad, who began stroking my hair. My
mom came over with some food for me to eat.
The moment the boat stopped, I waited until the uneasy feeling in my stomach and the
pounding in my head went away. I stood up, walking over to the edge of the boat and grasped
the railings as I looked over the side with a huge smile on my face. What a rush it was to see
these humpback whales up close and personal. Their tails were so beautiful and big as they just
missed hitting the boat. I was in awe at the beauty of the marine life I dedicated my school
years to.
To end the day, we went on a sunset dune tour. Being hauled into a caravan with other
families was not what I expected to be a fun time, but it was. The tires of this car eased over the
dunes like they were nothing. My eyes were so focused on the sunset disappearing behind the
ocean’s horizon that I barely heard anything our tour guide said. I realized something then. I
want to forever live in a place where I can always see sights that astound me just like this single
sunset did. It was such a simple way to end the night, but completely worth it.
After days of adventuring, my dad destabilized the RV, hooked the car back up to the car
hitch, and we began our decent back to civilization. My small escape from reality was coming to
an end and I didn’t want to think about it. The saddest moment was saying goodbye to a place I
wanted to stay forever. I know I’ll be back and I can’t wait for that moment my feet reunite
with the beach.
30. 30 | P a g e
PROFESSIONAL WRITING WORK
The final piece I’ve included is a full Disney newspaper I wrote for ENG 230WICT: Advanced
Composition. The assignment was to write something that showcased our writing; something
like a portfolio or something you would show to potential employers. My idea was to create a
full six page newspaper that would be sold on Main Street in Walt Disney World talking about
news in the parks, entertainment shows, spotlights on cast members, and thank you letters to
Disney which could be sent in by others. I worked on InDesign trying to perfect the spacing,
photo alignment, page layout, and writing the entire paper myself. The following piece is only
the first page of the newspaper, but the first page was the most worked on with the headlines.
The intended audience is a high up Imagineer or CEO of the Disney Company to one day let me
write for them – preferably write this newspaper for them weekly. The revisions I was asked to
make were mostly based on layout issues with InDesign. I was new to the program, so I took
any help I could when it came to that. This example shows that I can work with a foreign design
application and make something beautiful with knowing little of it.
