Writer’s Fortnight – Chetan Bhagat

I had originally thought that Mr. Chetan Bhagat would just talk about being an author and what it means to be one. I kind of expected him to have just a mundane talk about ways to write and things like that.
However, after the talk wrapped it was actually much different than I had anticipated, which was a pleasant surprise. After the talk, I had to rethink my mindset that all authors can do is just write, write, write.As it actually turns out, they could have a huge power. They can influence and change the opinions of their audience with their very own literature. This ties in with what Mr. Bhagat said during his talk, “Literature is communication through the written word” With enough readers following the ideas of the book, you are more than an author, you are an influencer. With Bhagat’s huge audience in India, he is able to gain the attention of politic officials, this is a perfect example of using your platform for a positive cause and not just for earning money. What Chetan Bhagat is doing is very admirable and I think it is clever of him to use his platform to influence Indians rather than do it all for fame or money.

Writer’s Fortnight – Steve Dawson

Steve Dawson’s talk was very interesting, it was all about good interview techniques to make sure there could be a productive and worth-while conversation between interviewer and interviewee.It made me question how to make better connections with my learning by asking open-ended questions for better responses in such situations like an oral speaking exam or interviewing fellow peers in an activity. The talk actually taught me there is so much more to journalism and interviewing than just mindlessly asking questions. What I am still unsure about in terms of interviewing, does body language significantly affect the course of the interview? If the interviewer is slouching, does that make the conversation more boring?

Article Reflection

This lesson helped me understand that there are more than just one type of article, I had always thought all the articles were written in the same way. This lesson has got me wondering whether there are even more types of articles besides hard news, feature articles and opinion-editorials. I have actually been inspired to look into a journalism career, now that I have learnt that it is much more than just writing a bunch of articles. One thing I am still unsure of though is the difference between a feature article and an opinion-editorial.

Theft’s Dilemma

I could feel beads of sweat roll down my forehead, thank goodness I was wearing black today, otherwise, my shirt would be obviously adorned with sweat stains. I am so nervous, what if the shopkeeper notices that we are stealing? would I own up or would I run? So lost in my thoughts, I did not notice Marcus frantically whispering my name, “Eddie, Eddie!” he whispered, eyes wide with panic. I snapped out of my daze and hesitantly grabbed the cigarette pack he had just stolen from his hand. I cannot believe he did it, I am officially a shoplifter. Yes, it is wrong, but I would do anything so dad stops hurting my mum, even if it means having t steal cigarettes for the cruel man. I held the pack in my two hands, clenching so hard I was surprised it did not break open. “Hey! have you paid for those?” a gruff voice asked yelled, putting a screeching halt to the dilemma in my head. I looked up, heart pounding as I came to the realisation that we have practically been caught. I stared at Marcus, eyes silently pleading for help. He caught my gaze and pointed his fingers to the door, signalling for me to get out. “I’ll deal with it” he mouthed. I nodded, I was just desperate to leave I quickly sped to the door, leaving the shopowner’s question unanswered I slammed the door shut.

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