Blog 9: comparison/contrast
This week you are working on your comparison/contrast paper. Use this blog as a sounding board for any issues/difficulties/snags you are having with the paper. Also, if you have found something that works well in your paper, feel free to share that too. We can use this blog as an additional resource for working through any writing problems that you are having.
posted by cmartin at 3:09 PM
30 Comments:
For me, personally, this paper has turned out to be more difficult to write than what I expected. I find difficulty in the fact that we are comparing the same story in two different forms of media. It's harder to find differences in this way without stating the obvious differences that the two media hold. I also am having trouble writing about a video game without reviewing it since I've gotten into that form of writing recently. Fortunately, I really like my game, movie, and book that I am discussing (yes I am a Harry Potter nerd) so I think that helps the situation. If anyone has any advice on a better way to write this paper, i'd love to hear it.
I love Harry Potter, too. I've read most of the books including the last one which was awesome by the way. But still, I wont admist nerdedom just yet. Anyhow, I just finished writing all 8 pages of this bad boy, I guess I got a little carried away. My suggestion is to really hone in on why the creator of the game made it different or the same as the movie. I find myself reviewing a little bit too, it is hard to keep my bias out of what I believe to be the greatest game ever made. However, I concentrated on thinking about well, if the game included that part from the movie, it would be boring. Or they added that because they knew it would be fun. A lot of times in my game, it is just slightly altered, but if you really understand your material you can probably figure out why. Also if you check some other gaming sites online they can probably give some insight as to why it is different from the movie as well. Ultimately it took me a while to finally find my niche with this paper, but when I got rolling just cruising through the storyline, I really started thinking about WHY things were different, not just pointing them out. If you are a Harry Potter nerd Kate, then I bet you have a good insight into what they were thinking when they made the game.
Well I hope that helps, I just started writing and finally got done at 7:30 in the morning, so if anyone has any questions feel free to ask. I feel like I'm onto something...
Many of us have fond memories of Rug Rats, which the original movie gave us a good taste of. I think for me, personally, the life lessons given by the Rug Rats crew have endeared me to them forever. However, when I had to compare the movie, to the video game and the books, it was a very difficult task. The movie is appealing to many just for it's vivid character, storyline and multiple adventures.. The video games and books have certainly followed suite, but might indeed focus on specific life lessons, like helping a neighbor or going to the doctor. When I went to do the compare/contrast I knew the obvious similarities and contrasts, but had a difficult time finding the underlying ones. Perhaps, it is because these are cartoon characters and storylines that are created especially for youngsters and are meant to jump out at you. There is some bathroom humor dumped in there, but it does appeal to the younger set....under 10. The rug rats have some underlying jokes, but all in all they present topics that are common and obvious to all. I would hope that my paper encourages anyone who has not experienced the Rugrats to enjoy these furry characters and the things they may remind us of being important to living a good life.
Kate has said exactly how I feel. I know the obious differences and comparisons, but to go deeper, especially with cartoon characters meant for young kids, is particularly difficult. I have had alot of fun rewatching the movie, playing the video game and reading a few of the book sequels, but coming up with non obious material is "muy dificil." Hey, I also agree that I may be getting stuck in the review mode also! Oh no, HELP.
I am in the middle of writing this paper and interrupted it to be able to write in our blog, so all the troubles I'm having are fresh in my mind. My main trouble when writing essays and papers is my quirky syntax. This is because I write before I fully think my ideas out, something I must work on. The peer review really helped me in bettering my sentence structure for this paper, thanks Chris. Also, I find myself wanting to compare the game to both the movie and the book, but I must focus on the game and one other medium. I still haven't thought about my concluding analytical statement, so I anticipate more bumps.
I am also having a difficult time writing this paper. I found it hard to mention only two forms of media, when other mediums I'm no discussing have evolved into the the media I am discussing (does that make sense?) Also, are we supposed to write about the history or background of the medium, or just about the particular form of media being discussed. Like, for example, should I talk about the comics and how they relate to the movie, If I am just talking about the movie and the video game. Like if the comic effects the video game and the movie, shouldnt it be included in the comparison of the two? I think I'm just permanatley confused!
I'm having a hard time tying all the comparisons and contrasts together. I have a thesis, but it doesn't really have an arguable claim. I'm doing Spider-man the movie and Spider-man/Venom: Maximum Carnage (from Sega Genesis). I already see that I'm going to have to change the focus of some of my paragraphs just a bit. Also, writing conclusions has always been a great challenge for me. It helped a lot to have written the last video game review on the game I'm doing the comparison/contrast paper on. Hmm...I guess that's it!
--in response to Ashley--
I had the same concern. I was afraid that i would get side-tracked on my paper and end up reviewing instead of comparing and contrasting. I think I managed to stay focused. Hopefully you did also. Just keep your topic in mind as you write, it'll help you.
-- reponse to kate --
You know, I really have to say I did not expect this paper to require so much time and effort. I have had the absolute hardest time with the forming of my thesis. Also, comparing two media that are centered around the same thing, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is very hard because all that comes to mind is the obvious, which should not be the basis of our paper.
I think the only reason I feel confident in writing this paper, despite the damn writing of my thesis, is because I can remember the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles way back in the day. Having an actual interest in what you are writing on makes a world of difference. I am having a hard time figuring out how to conclude such a paper. I know it is a comparison and contrast paper but what do you do? People have told me to end with a summary of the notes you have made throughout the paper but I don’t understand why. What do you all think? I would like some advice to ending this paper in a manner that doesn’t leave the reader thinking the conclusion had no meaning.
For me personally, the problem hasn’t been synthesizing the two mediums, it’s been figuring out how to talk about the similarities and differences without telling a narrative. Since I’ve never written about video games or movies without reviewing them, I’ve been falling back on that format of writing, which probably isn’t the best thing to do. Another difficult part for me has been trying to come up with a thesis that will include all the different aspects that I am describing. I haven’t been able to figure out the best way to blanket my entire paper underneath one sentence. I’m having trouble figuring out when I’m arguing the point and when I’m describing the point.
In response to stephen r.:
I think it would be a good idea to refer to the comic as a backup. I don't think you need to exclude it from your essay completely, I just wouldn't focus on it too much.
--response--
I finished my paper earlier today. I finally got comfortable writing the comparison/contrast paper. I think that I just had to be in the right state of mind or something. Anyways, In response to my original posting, I found the paper to be clearest if I introduced the additional media in the introduction. After introducing the other media I felt more comfortable focusing in on the other two for a very tight comparison. In all I feel confident about my paper, writing my paper and printing it out just to go over it again helped me alot with other mistakes. Good luck everybody!
For me, the easiest way to write the paper was to brainstorm all possible ideas, write them down, then start organizing. I started with an outline. Then with each thought, I just continued to write whatever I was thinking that flowed logically. I find it difficult to form a thesis and then write from there. It's much easier to write, look at what I've written, then form a thesis. The peer reviews were really helpful, providing me with ideas about organization and format. This was the most difficult of any of the papers we've written so far, but I feel like it should have been much easier. For me, it was hard to find points to compare and contrast. Good luck to everyone.
in response to stephen...
i had the same problem deciding whether or not i should introduce all media, and how far in depth i should go in discussing each. i also agree that it's easiest to print it out and look at a hard copy of it. just looking at the screen doesn't do it for me. i like to be able to use a pen to change thoughts, etc. and better organize my paper.
In response to Kate--
Kate, I'm writing on the "Sorcerer's Stone" Potter movie and video game. I'm a Harry Potter fan as well and also having a rough time. I agree with your struggles, along with the fact that I want to review the game as well. As an avid fan, it's hard not to put my opinion in, but I don't want my paper turning into a video game review. When a fan, you also pick up on A LOT of little things, and I find it hard to leave them out, which makes the flow of my paper almost unbearable.AGH!
Let me start off by saying that I hate, hate, hate my paper. Really, I do. I know that I can write, I know that everyone in this class can write. So WHY are we all having such a rough time writing this darn thing???
I'm treating this paper like a Florida Writes paper. Remember the pre-FCAT writing test we all had to take and were graded a 1-6 on? I felt the pressure for that test, so I thought...I'm putting even more pressure on myself for this one. I'm thinking it's because we have to add that whole sythesis part to the mix. I know I could write a summary, video game review, or even answer a history question in a snap. But give me a comparison/contrast assignment and I just fall apart. Maybe it's because I am not citing scholarly sources...we have to find examples ourselves rather than just having them spelled out for us on the page.
I'm putting off revising my paper. I might not even finish it until the hour befor it's due. I dread this paper, and I hate that because I have been enthusiastic about everything else assoiciated with the class.
I'm having a hard time finding enough words to merit a true comparison/contrast of the examples I want to use, but if I add more than one to each catergory my paper becomes disorganized and all over the place...
I'm struggling!
I am having the most trouble with my ornagization of ideas. The way I am doing my paper is first talking about the description of a particular area in the book and video game, and then after that, analyzing the differences and why it is so. When going over my paper I keep feeling that it doesn't have a veyr good flow and most of all having trouble with transitioning form one idea to the another.
On another note, it did help to look at reviews online for my game. Since I wasn't able to get very far on my own, I could find a lot of helpful things to use in my essay through reviews I found online.
in response to Cesar-
I think you should end your essay by expanding your one sentence thesis. Then basically summerize all of your synthesises (is that a word?). Er, then again you probably shouldn't be taking advice from a girl who's mkaing up words left and right.
ive pretty much done this paper in chronological order, because the game and movie are so similar in the way they follow the story. I got sort of longwinded and didn't seem to have as much focus, does anyone have any ideas?
I think I am having the most trouble writing my thesis statement. It was easy to point out the similarities and the differences, and analysis also came quite naturally for me; however, I can’t seem to come up with a focused thesis statement. I feel like all of my points are just random similarities and differences, but I don’t have a major argument to form my thesis statement around. As of right now, my thesis statement just focuses on one of my points. It’s meant to be my main point, as in the biggest difference, but it doesn’t really set up the rest of my paper. I know Ms. Martin said to change your thesis not your paper, but at this point I feel like maybe I don’t have a choice.
--in response to josh w--
I went about my analysis in the same way that you did. I thought to myself, how would the game be had the creators included this part of the movie? Or, how would the game be if they had not added this to the story line. For the most part, in my game, things were added to the story. I found that these things were added to vary the game some more. They serve as an extra challenge for the player and switch things up a bit.
Im pretty sure it is past 12:00 a.m. already, but i am having some trouble revising and writing this paper of mine. While i am doing the topic i enjoy a lot, it might have bit me on my behind. I know so much about Street Fighter, that i do not know which information to stick in and what to leave out. Just ask Ms. Martin, i know what im talking about, but i don't know how to organize it. It dosen't help that im also taking a Mass Media class, which emphasizes writing really short sentances. writing papers in two different formats is not the best thing in the world. Good luck to all w/ your papers.
Even though it is past midnight, please keep posting away. Talking through your issues helps. Feel free to continue responding too -- you have had some great suggestions for your fellow classmates. And, as we start the countdown to the due time (12 hours and 20 mintes), may you all have a happy ending like Stephen.
I expected this paper to be more difficult than your reviews, which is why we did a week of rough drafts (aren't you glad you aren't writing all five pages tonight). However, I didn't expect this much stress and gnashing of teeth. My guess is that most of you are just stressed because of the change from the reviews, but that your papers are fine. Trust yourselves as writers.
But, I do want to address a few concerns.
First, you are welcome to mention and discuss the third medium. You don't have to pretend it isn't there. You just need to focus on two because of the short length of the paper. Plus, the organization would have been more complicated if you were juggling three media instead of two. But, I will get more feedback from you to see if this is true or not from your opinion.
Second, don't overly worry about NOT reviewing the video game. You are in a sense reviewing it when you compare it with another media storyline and make a claim about the game and then back it up with evidence. Probably what you feel like is a review is actually your analysis portion. Go back and see if this is true for your paper.
Third, as for the thesis, review the thesis help page that is linked from the assignment. When we say that a thesis has to be arguable, that only means that it is not fact, that it is an opinion, a claim, a debatable stance that you can back up with evidence from your sources and from your analysis, but that someone could possibly dispute. Remember Julia's thesis that I read in class as an example? It was a debatable thesis even though she was probably right, and convinced me her thesis was correct by providing support to back it up. Also, a thesis can be one or two sentences.
Fourth, as for the conclusion, you have done a great job on your review conclusions. Think back to those. Even though this is a more formal English paper, you can still use your descriptive, colorful writing.
That is all for now. Keep plugging away. And, as always, feel free to email me anytime or send emails to the listserv if you want a specific response.
Re: Natalie's struggle
Hey, don't worry so much about it. :) If you keep stressing about it, you won't be able to embrace it. Take a deep breath, and just look at it as a normal paper, not a dreaded comp/contrast paper. The synthesis part of it is not so bad; don't let the title intimidate you. It's just stating why the differences between the two media are existant. No biggie. Good luck to everone! (PS I didn't realize we had to do a response for this blog the same week we wrote the entry, sorry it's late!)
Fortunately, this was just one of many compare and contrast papers that I have been assigned throughout my education. Because of this, organization did not seem to be a problem and was almost second nature, yet because I am an extremely picky writer, this did not make the time spent any shorter.
With Final Fantasy as my subject, a series without continuity where each episode features a new story and cast of characters, it served interesting for comparison. If any difficulty arose, it was in differentiating why differences occurred in the movie that would not already occur within the traditional structuring of the series.
Thankfully, I am well familiar with the franchise and have read numerous articles and depictions of it to supply myself with a pre-existing library of information.
---In response to Bianca---
No problem on the help. Your paper wasn't bad at all and I enjoyed reading it. Thanks to you too for helping to point out some mistakes. I really went back and looked at them and figured ways to clarify and correct my paper. Anyways, next time you need help writing, you can always feel free asking me for help.
---in response to Josh---
Analyzing Harry Potter just isn't my thing. I love it for the story and the writing in the books. THe differences in the game dissapointed me, just as the differences in the movies make me dislike them. I didn't have a hard time writing the paper bc I did enjoy playing the game and it was very similar to the book. If i had been comparing it all to the movie though, I would have ripped it apart. I honestly can't stand the movies, and the most recent one is the worst. They should at least keep order of events the same. I dunno, it just ruins it for me. I'm gonna stop before this turns into too much of a tirade...oh wait, too late.
---In Response to everyone---
Phew! Glad that we have put the comparison/contrast paper behind us!
I'm sorry for my rant on my paper in my previous post, I wrote it while trying to write the darn thing and my frustration obviously came through on that. I don't think my problems were any worse than what anyone else experienced--I guess I was just more vocal than everyone else. Looking back on it now, I suppose it wasn't too bad (I say this before knowing my grade though). Unlike Kate, I enjoy the Harry Potter movies, but I just really have no interest in video games. I've yet to find any game that interests me really, so I think that may have been why I had a hard time writing the paper. I think I would have enjoyed comparing the book and movie much more.
As Natalie said, it feels a lot better turning in that paper and feeling accomplishment. I don't think any one of us wants to compare and contrast anything on paper for a while. The funny thing about it was that i think most of us chose a topic that we know a lot about, which in the end came back to bite us on the backside. Knowing so much about any topic along with a page limit can change how you want to write a paper.
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