1] Who is/are the characters in your Twitterive?
The characters in my Twitterive are my immediate family. They include my father [Michael], mother [Judy], four brothers [Tim, Jon, Chris and Kyle] and grandmother.

2] What connection/disconnection do you feel to your place?
I have a strong connection to my "home." I was born and raised in Haddon Heights, New Jersey [small town in South Jersey]. My home is where I recollect all of my childhood memories growing up with not only my four older brothers but family as well.

3] When does the story take place?
The story takes place throughout my childhood to current adulthood years. Reflecting on both past memories and how things have changed.

4] Where does the story take place?
The story takes place at my childhood home and surrounding area of Haddon Heights, New Jersey.

5] Why does the story take place?
The reason why this story takes place is how my family and home have shaped me as the individual I am today. Through experiences and adventures, all that I have learned and become.

6] How are you "delivering"/presenting the story?
I will be presenting my Twitterive through the use of narrative, poems, special sayings and pictures.

Reflection
While completing this activity in class, I have gained a more sense and structure of my Twitterive. My classmates offered helpful suggestions and ideas to incorporate within this piece. With allowing time to communicate with my classmates regarding this project it has allowed me to break apart this project and really become confident with this writing piece. Instead of becoming overwhelmed and frustrated, I am now more excited to begin working on this project.

Dear Diary,

Today is going to be one hell of a day! My girl, Liv to Kill, is about to have yet another knock out. No doubt about it. Just because she got into a fight with a bartender and ended up with a broken jaw (no big deal), doesn’t mean she’s a softy. Liv may come off as a ditzy girl who may not be taken seriously by others but you should think again. Don’t ever underestimate her (I know I wouldn’t). She not only has the physical body strength but also the mindset to take down anyone that comes her way. Liv is always up for a challenge. Though she may fight dirty, she’ll do whatever it takes to get the win. It may with a simple punch to the face resulting in a knock out or a little bit more excitement with some clawing to the face while pulling hair. You gotta do what you gotta to to get the job done! I have no concerns that Liv will bring this win home.

All I have to say is, Let’s get ready to rumble!

Killa K

How did changing genres impact your writing and meaning making?

When first attempting the assignment of creating a haiku from one of my previously composed micro fictions, I began to really analyze my work in order to pull out words or phrases that could be essential. At first, I sat on my bedroom floor and began jotting down words not only from my piece but also whatever came to mind. Although the haiku did not necessarily have an entirely new meaning, it did, however, summarize the feeling and atmosphere of that particular setting. At ease I was able to effectively place the pieces together without losing the true meaning and understanding.

As for the found poem, I pretty much did the same thing. I pulled up all my tweets from my Twitter account and began jotting down just a few words or phrases on a loose leaf piece of paper. Completely this assignment free hand allowed me to just cross off and rewrite in a different order quickly. I found myself while creating this piece to cut out more words while writing. At first I thought to myself that none of this was going to make sense. However, I was mistaken. The words seem to fit just fall into place. Though the overall meaning of this found poem was reflecting my life, it was closely similar to my original micro fiction. I had initially written about my family in general but it seemed to be more concise through creating this found poem.

Experiencing different genres has allowed me, as a writer, to approach a writing assignment through multiple perspectives. You do not necessarily have to complete a narrative paper. Be creative! I thought it was a great idea taking a written piece that we had previously composed then transforming it into something new and exciting.

Haiku: Serving in a Distant Land
Sleepless nights and tears
in an old decrepit place
but still proud to serve.

Twitter: Family
Mondays so difficult.
Waking up early.
Hit up the gym
Never a dull moment.
"Meg, there better be hot water!"
So frustrating.
Silence.
Love and miss you.
Can't wait to go home.
Life.

Tweets used in my found poem:
1.] Awkward silence. #twitterive

2.] Broke yet another nail and stuck at work alone with my boss. How exciting! Can't wait to go home. #twitterive

3.] Why can't I sleep?! So frustrating. In a few hours I'll be sure to regret this #twitterive

4.] I love hearing "Meg there better be hot water!" #twitterive

5.] Never take life for granted. #twitterive

6.] Happy Birthday Matt "Spanky" Marziano. U are forever missed but never forgotten. I love n miss u everyday. Keep on smiling above #twitterive

7.] Why are Mondays so difficult? Weekends just go by too fast! #twitterive

8.] Love having Sunday dinner with family - especially when my father told me I should hit up the gym more often! #twitterive

9.] Love waking up early after I just went to bed a few hours ago. Gotta love my brother for telling me to get my lazy ass up #twitterive

10.] I love being home and with my family. Never a dull moment #twitterive #wrt

In the following post, I am writing two 250-word micro fiction pieces. In the first piece, I am incorporating a line from Gloria Anzaldua's poem, Borderlands, to inspire a story. The line I have chosen from Anzaldua's piece is: "I hear the tussling of bodies, grunts, panting." In the second piece, I will base a story off of one of my own tweets from Twitter: "I love being home and with my family. There's never a dull moment."

The line I have chosen from Gloria Anzaldua's poem is: "I hear the tussling of bodies, grunts, panting."

I hear the tussling of bodies, grunts, panting restlessly throughout the barracks. The sleepless nights, the sounds of tears, and the endless wait to return home. Desperately wanting to be with loved ones but at the same time knowing this is part of my duties in the United States military. Imagine yourself surrounded by creepy crawlers hiding in your boots, your locker, and even in your bed! At night sleeping in dirty, sandy bunks and not having the luxury to bathe everyday. Imagine the places that sand ends up. A decent meal is often out of the question. Just boiled chicken and rice for the next six months. Thinking to yourself, but I’m starving and I just got here. Looks like no quick runs to McDonald’s for a double cheeseburger and fries. Hot summer days wearing thick camouflage uniforms and heavy boots. Packs on your back containing all your necessary equipment and weapons. Sweat beating down your face and not being able to breathe from the intense heat. Hearing the shrill sounds of sirens indicating there has been an attack near your base. Even the sound of explosions when trying to sleep, with the walls shaking all around you in this old decrepit building that’s falling to shambles. Knowing that everyone you see around you can easily vanish and leave no trace behind. One by one. Having lunch with a few guys one day and the next they are gone. The unfortunate realization that everything can change with a blink of an eye

The tweet I have chosen from my Twitter account is: "I love being home and with my family. There's never a dull moment."

Whoever thought that having four older brothers would be such a bad thing. But to be truthful it definitely wasn’t. I wouldn’t change it for the world. At first, I was the center of attention because I was the only girl but eventually that didn’t matter. There was never a dull moment while growing up. From throwing the baseball around, going on bike rides throughout the park, to even visits to the emergency room. What child would bother a dog that was sleeping? That would have been me! I ended up with over a hundred stitches on my nose. It was always fun and exciting. Don’t you agree? Don’t get my wrong I did do girly things with my mom or girlfriends. Such as, playing tea party or teaching to my stuffed animals all the lessons I had learned in school that day. But who would have thought that a girl who could be a ‘prissy princess’ (according to my father) could also be just as tough as one of the boys. Always talking back and standing up for myself. I made sure no one took advantage of me. I was known as the loud mouth! Though I may have found it necessary to state my opinion about everything, it didn’t mean I didn’t flak in return. I do have to admit that I love being home and with my family. There’s never a dull moment. At the dinner table you can hear my brothers and I bickering back and forth about everything and anything. I couldn’t ask for a better family.

Dubliners by James Joyce
Even though the setting of the story takes place many years ago, similarities among today’s youth still hold true. In James Joyce’s story, “An Encounter,” three young boys decide to play “hooky” from school. They were filled with anticipation of their impeding journey. When one of the boys is a ‘no show,’ the other two continue with their plan. As their day continues, they encounter many sights and sounds, which adds life to the story. An unexpected visitor brings a sense of tension and apprehension into the story. In today’s world, children are still playing “hooky” from school and people with perversions are still seeking out innocent children. Despite where you are in this world or how much time has passed, many things remain the same as the year’s progress. Joyce’s use of adjectives throughout the story brought it to life in my mind’s eye since every sentence could be visualized.   

The Anthology of Really Short Stories by Jerome Stern
I’ve found that Jerome Stern’s short stories to be very entertaining. They were short, concise and to the point. Within each story the reader is able to gain a true understanding of the main character. Whether it’s a feeling of humor in the misinterpretation in “Wrong Channel” or the depressing feelings of the substitute teacher in the story “Waiting” the author creates realism in the story. As the reader, you can empathize with each characters situation. In life we all tried to run away from our problems, have been involved with a person who turns out to be a jerk, hated a job but found the need to stay and found ourselves guilt of miscommunication. It’s all part of life, but hopefully it allows us to grow.