Thursday, December 4, 2014

Revision methods used by the Celebrity authors





      Revision methods used by the Celebrity authors 

Because English is my second language I encountered some of the difficulties in writing in this language, In 
terms of vocabulary and ways to use the methods in academic writing. But with time and learn new vocabulary and learn the techniques and practice them, my skills have evolved in writing more than before. First I gather ideas on the subject that I want to write about it. Then type my first draft, and then I start the first revision and correcting mistakes and add more details or decrease it. Then when my second draft is ready, I revised a second time and third and fourth, until I get satisfied with it. At that point I start to type it, and the final draft will be ready for out into the light. In this essay, I looked for some interviews of well-known writers, to find out their methods of revising. What is the style and methods that writers use to review their drafts?

Some of the Authors I researched said that they are consulting about the others taking their work and revise it. Louise Erdrich says , “At every opportunity. Usually, I add chapters that I have written too late to include in the original. Or I try to improve the Ojibwelanguage used in the book. As I learn more or I consult my teachers, I learn how much I don’t know. Ojibwe is something I’ll be a lifelong failure at—it is my windmill. I've changed Love Medicine quite a lot, and I wanted to revise The Blue Jay’s Dance. For one thing I wanted to take out the recipes. Don’t try the lemon-meringue pie, it doesn't work. I've received letters. I can’t wait to change Four Souls. There are some big mistakes in that”.   In my opinion this is a good step for a writer, First for a novice writer, it's good to consult with the writers with experience and benefit from their advice and experience in writing, and Secondly to know Audience Reactions on the book  or essay by submitting it to the people surrounding and close to the writer.

Also, William Gibson said explaining his methods in revising, “Every day, when I sit down with the manuscript, I start at page one and go through the whole thing, revising freely. I do, though that might consist of only a few small changes. I've done that since my earliest attempts at short stories. It would be really frustrating for me not to be able to do that. I would feel as though I were flying blind. The beginnings of my books are rewritten many times. The endings are only a draft or three, and then they’re done. But I can scan the manuscript very quickly, much more quickly than I could ever read anyone else’s prose.” For me I used this method several times in writing. It's good to use for either novice or a professional writer. Every day to conduct a freely revising, starting from the first page and go through the whole thing, to be completely satisfied with his work.


Michael Holroyd, described his methods in revising by saying, “For most of my career, I’ve written with a pen on paper, lengthwise, on unlined A4 paper. I have a wastepaper basket close by, in which to file quite a number of these pages. I go through six or more whole drafts by the end. I wish I could do it more quickly. In the past, I would type it and revise again. Of course, I alter it more after I see my editor. It’s a long process. Now it’s slightly different, I still do the beginnings of pages with a pen on A4 paper, but then I move to the computer screen. The only danger of a screen is that it flatters you, it makes what you’ve done look better than it is.” Writing in the past was consuming large quantities of paper, in editing and revision. But after having computer and ease of typing using it, the way differed, especially in revision, in terms of ease of deleting information and adjusted, Although some authors prefer the traditional way with a pen and paper when writing the first draft, and I prefer the same traditional way of writing.

Do you revise every day? The answer for this question from Samuel R. Delany was “Pretty much so, except the days or the hours I devote to writing a first draft. Eighty-five to ninety-five percent of my work is rewriting and revision. Probably that started as a strategy to deal with the wages of dyslexia. Now its habit, but it was a fortunate habit to acquire.” Revision is an important step in the writing process. The writer should do this step several times until the work is completed successfully. And to be a habit that takes Eighty-five to ninety-five percent of his time in re-writing and revision as Samuel said. I think its  good advice.

What about poems?   How many times the Authors revise it before they get decide that they’re done? Henri Cole, answered that question by saying,” Maybe thirty or forty. I do a revision every day until it’s done. This might go on for months or years. Sometimes I get it on the first day. Those are the poems written by the demon.” Here the issue is different for the poem. The revision process depends on the poetic talent of the writer, and may vary in difficulty. The writer is revising his poem thirty to forty times, or it may take months and perhaps for years to finish one poem. Or be a poem written by demon finished in just one day. Did not I tell you it's only a matter of poetic talent?
As a final result, there is a difference in style and methods from the writer to another, in terms of the number of times of revision. But they agree unanimously on the importance of this step in the writing process. It is one of the basic steps for the success of the written work and reveled in an integrated manner. I have benefited greatly from this research personally. Where had briefed me on the opinions of the celebrities authors to benefit from their expertise. There is no doubt that it will help me a lot in improving and developing my skills in the writing process, especially with respect to the subject of this research (Revision).


Saturday, August 2, 2014

Wedding Tradition in Eritrea


 Eritrea is located in the Horn of Africa region in the north-east of the continent of Africa, bordering Eritrea to the north and west the Republic of South Sudan and Ethiopia and Djibouti to the southeast.


      Marriage in Eritrea in the past among the tribes was in order to forge alliances and long-term interests, including the tribe Tigri; where they were moving away from their environment and are looking for strong tribe, have influence and money, or have a large center, or have the power, by getting intermarriage with them; they get benefits in many objectives, such as benefiting from the influence either they protect them, or sheltering them when needed and distress and destitution in seasons of drought, but now with the modern state had ended these reasons and the intermarriage between them continues.



          In the present day, weddings have become take the character of civilization, especially in the cities, where it became a courtship party  small and concise between family members and friends, in spite of offering the same traditional food and drinks, and dancing to songs from the recorder or DJ, and weddings are becoming held in wedding halls and for only one day, and nobody can enter without the invitation card, and they are dressed according to the fashion, formal suit and evening dresses, but some villages still retain and sticking to the customs and traditions in weddings, where the courtship and marriage ceremony is held  in the groom's house or in the very popular yard , and attended by a large number of people, even if they are not invitees, usually wear traditional clothing, and singing wedding songs themselves, where they choose, including individuals who are fluent in their sing and beautiful voice.







     Marriage ceremony in villages pass two stages, courtship phase; which may last a year or two by the ability of the groom material, and then the wedding; which often last for a week .

     Courtship ceremony begins by the elders groom's family go the bride's house to agree on arrangement for courtship and marriage, then they pay some of the money the mother of the bride; which is five cows or five camels, and the estimated amount of about 500 Nakfa worth $ 200, so as to equip the bride and her accessories, and then the groom put the engagement ring in his bride's finger; which is usually in the right hand, after that the groom’s family receiving a large piece of white cloth from a bride's family, they are distributed to the guests and the poor people in the neighborhood, the celebration starts on this occasion, where a procession of women singing famous songs, especially with such events, walking the procession from the groom's house to the house of the bride's family carry with them some foodstuffs such as coffee, sugar, flour, oil, perfume, amid an atmosphere of happiness and joy, marking the arrival of the newlyweds on the road of life wedlock, continue the party throughout the night dancing men and women folk dances such as Shalila; they dancing where the men have a  sword in his left hand and a long stick in his right hand, which was used by knights in old days, and the women in this dance shaking her long hair to the left and right movements regularly with music , and served food such as Zegni which it is a type of meat stew spicy  and drinks such as hibiscus juice .


       Usually in marriage ceremonies, the groom wearing clothes consist of a white circular hat and a long white robe; and brown or blue jacket, and there is a long white shawl wrapping around his shoulders and waist in a certain way, the bride's clothes are a traditional long white or black dress depending on the taste of the bride, she cover her head with scarf of the color of the dress, and wrapping around her waist long white sheet, full of bridal accessories and costume jewelry.




          Usually a date of wedding is set by agreement between the bride's' parents; and  It is often in on Thursday and Friday, when the day before the wedding day or a few days before, the groom's procession goes to the bride's family, using camels, especially in rural areas, and arrive in the evening of the day before the wedding, at sunrise the next day, then one of the sisters of the bride or one of her relatives start to put henna on the bride's hands and legs, usually with beautiful carvings and forms, after that everyone sits in the form of a circular ring exchanging gifts and donations, and the newlyweds have the largest share, where the gifts from groom to the bride of beasts
such as camels or cows and beautiful clothes; makeup and perfumes , And she get gifts from her family and the people of the groom also, then they do the marriage contract and change the rings from right finger to the lift; because of the belief that attachment to the left side of the hand and its proximity to the heart by the Eritrean traditions, after being granted the couple is no guarantee for them a happy life after the marriage contract, the groom's procession heading back to their homes as they sang and danced folk dances of different, marking the beginning of the wedding days and joy, on the evening of the same day, procession of the bride start to walk; going to her husband's house, often the bride leave on the back of a camel on the howdah it to the groom's house, and upon arrival they received by the people of the groom with songs and dances, at that point, carried by one of the men of her relatives to the entrance door of the house of her husband .




      Despite most of the people leaving customs and traditions; in everything not only in marriage ceremonies, because of urbanization, especially residents of large cities, but it is noticeable that some of people return for such traditions in public events such as holidays or special events such as weddings, to show they belong to a tribe or area or a certain class of people to signify their pride and their glory for this distinction.