Topic > The Tools of the Trade: Using the Rules of Photoshop to Understand the Writing Process

The Tools of the Trade A dark gray rectangle overwhelms your entire computer screen, remaining persistent in its constant state of perplexity. Two fingers, the thumb and forefinger, rested anxiously over the control and z. The eyes darting across the screen determine the points of error, the two fingers waver, on the verge of applying pressure on the square keys. So, by breaking the millimeter gap between your fingertips and the keyboard, any trace of an error is erased by technological engineering; the severity of the errors, without weight. The history of each step, cataloged in the "history" tab, any hidden sources of error; Easily accessible, one click away from the fix. The handy map of each step, erased presenting a detailed account of what was. For Photoshop, each tool helps in the joint effort to put together something of artistic value, all with a specific description and purpose; writing confuses its potential tools, forcing one to search for threads of useful information rather than have a unified presentation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Transition to another point in time, where the computer screen holds a verbal document of disorganized ideas, fingers desperately exerting force on the keyboard, compiling sentences for analysis. A book, resting with its spine on my lap, spreads its pages outward, exposing words of literary merit, presenting some thematic argument. My mind, frantic with the approach of a difficult deadline, tries to put together a concrete and the related thematic development; stressed and sloppy with the fabrication of an analysis document. Original perceptions were that the class would follow the format of previous English classes: boring, compact with reading and writing, but easy to achieve. Then, as preconceptions often do, that initial belief crumbled with each new AP English Literature class period. At first the analysis continually eluded me (and I continue to maintain that it continues into the present); that twisted and woven masterpiece of subtleties and themes lacked the pleasure of clear expression. As a frustrated child tends to do with a difficult puzzle, I forced the pieces together, making them fit and reflecting my opinions on how I wanted the theme to progress. Because of this constant aggressiveness, my articles come close to a possible theme, but my judgments about how concrete works distort the author's true craft; my personal impressions of the text, interrupting the true procession of the author's conclusion, forcefully pushing my opinions on the text, combined with professional procrastination, produced an essay of mediocre quality; an article that does not fully embrace the text to reveal its subtleties and reach some conclusions on the topic in the context of the selected concretes. All the divergent threads of an author's message, coming together, slipped through my fingers, my outstretched hand managing to grasp only a small trace. My brain, which still relied on old habits, reverted to bland, methodical writing styles. A simple point overwhelms the essay, my words circulate and simply reiterate everything, without exposing higher levels. And I stayed in this writing system because of the inexperienced analysis method. So as the blank format of Microsoft Word fills with mediocrity, my mind longs for Photoshop to assemble something that makes logistical sense, something tangible. My inclination has shifted to that,.