Horry F.

Bull 7th Period ELA 10/23/11 Professor Clayton and the Adventure of the Love Letter I took whatever last drops were in the water jug through my parched lips before tossing it into the sea of sand. Perfect, Id like to say I was thinking right then, but has really been in on my mind since I entered this endless desert, Im either going to disappear from existence or freeze from the sudden drop in temperature if I dont find salvation by nightfall. I figure I should start saying my prayers now and being thankful for having a superior intelligence, although maybe not so superior since I came into this desert knowing Ill likely die only because my sweet wife Mrs. Clayton needed something here. Oh what does it matter? If I said, No, to her, the result would be the same anyway if not bloodier. If I came back home now without that valuable spice, melange, the chances of my survival will be as slim as my neighbors dog after it did its business on my wifes car. Goodness, Im not even sure such a spice exists since it sounds ripped out of some fictional story. Such whimsical thoughts make me think that Im going insane, but at least Im sane enough to understand the many ways I can die right now. Whether the heat was taking over my mind or there really is a sandstorm rushing towards me, they both still meant that death was near. Blasted by the sand, I couldnt see and even breathing was deadly. It didnt take long before I finally was knocked unconscious and hit the ground. It seemed the sun didnt show any sign of exhaust from constantly shining its rays onto me, because I felt the warmth even after regaining consciousness. Oh, so Im alive, I thought, slightly disappointed that I still have to complete my task. I expected to have been buried in sand by now, but I felt no weight on top of me. Realizing I mustve been moved from where I collapsed, I finally got up and looked around for my savior. Heh. I hope whoever saved me doesnt ask for money, I mumbled, just a little thankful I have more time in this world to share my humor. Ah ha ha ha ha! Sorry, mwhite-skinned pal, but I tried that already, and it aint enough tcapture a girls heart, said someone behind me. I turned swiftly to meet a much darker man about my height with quite a muscular body build. It looked like his shirt and shorts were from ancient generations because there were holes everywhere there wasnt some sort of sown-in clothing. With no other civilization for miles, it was easy to figure he was the guy who carried me out of that storm; therefore, I skipped right past validating if he was the guy who saved me or not and asked, So, oh-savior-of-mine, what can I do to repay you and also lead me out of here? Ey, pal, dont assume Im the type oguy who demands somethin for every kind act, he said in defense. Sides, not like Ive ever been out ohere, but I know just about everythin in this here desert, he continued. So is it safe to assume youre familiar with a spice called melange? I asked. Ah, so thats why youre here! he laughed loud and heartedly. Yeah, I got plenty of em on me, but these things actually require payment. I understood that getting it wouldnt be too easy, but it sure beats blindly searchingat least now I know I can get one for sure. You just gotta help mwith somethin simple, Mr? he continued, but stopped to wait for me to fill in my name.

Roy J. Clayton, I answered, Im a professor at Quail Valley University. How can I help you, Mister? I imitated him, which most would think I did to mock, but he took it with a smile. Terry A. Bull, he said, Im a fool in love with a girl I met long ago. And, well, Ive been desperate twrite a love letter ther since. Now, I know I cant ask you for one, but showin me how its mades enough, eh? Sounds innocent enough, I thought while analyzing the situation, I just dont know how to write a good love letter. Maybe thats why Im having problems with my wife. Since he doesnt know either, I could just guess how it goes without him suspecting. As I nodded, his already-big and foolish grin grew while he said, Aright! It took years tmake these babies work. At that moment, he took out poor excuses of paper and pencils that would make even the worst ones sold at a dollar store ashamed to exist. I would suggest using the ones I brought with me instead, but he seemed extremely proud to have worked so hard to create them. Thesere all I need for a love letter, right? Well, if a love letter is anything like the essays I assign, then hell need internet, I thought before pulling out my laptop and saying, Oh, yes, well, well need to do some research beforehand, of course! R-Research, eh? Terry seemed pretty surprised, but the continuous shine in his eyes showed he was more than just determined to write his best love letter he could. It almost made me feel bad, but I cant leave without the spice. Night was falling soon, so I can only give him about as much advice as a middle school English teacher right now. Aha! Of course we need to do research for a love letter! Everyone knows that! I lied. Lets see here, my mind had said, since we dont know much about the topic of love, a blog or wiki should be a good starting point. Well, according to Wikipedias definition of love, its an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. Oh, so I guess its just a stronger version of liking somebody. Mr. Clayton, I kinda already know what it means tlove, yknow, Terry said seeming uneasy that I look like I dont know what it means. Well, if he is uneasy for that reason, hes right to do so. O-Oh, is that so? I said nervously, afraid hell give up on me, I was just checking, you know! The importance of searching a topic up is to, uh, get background information and, er, find a more specific topic. I just dont recommend it for serious information, because theres an infinite supply of weirdos out there who can just put whatever lovey-dovey stuff they can on the internet. I tried pulling out the context of a love letter and just thought about it as general as possible. The burden seemed easier as I forgot about it being a love letter at all. Hm, that so! Guess I cant argue wit a professor, he said seeming more relieved. So, whats this about gettin a specific topic? he continued inquiring. Well, you always got to figure out what to narrow your topic down to and focus on; otherwise, your writing would just be jumping around irrelevant things and whoevers reading it would be confused as to what youre trying to convey. It all depends on what you want to say. Guess so, he said while in deep thought as to what hes trying to profess. I want twrite bout my love. More specifically! I demanded. I didnt just show you some good background information on the subject for something you couldve pulled out of your head anytime! He took another hard look at the Wikipedia article and said, Well, how she an I are perfect and belong together. So, what now? I need proof on how mlove for her aint nothin

tlaugh at? Honestly, I thought just his English was quite the laugh itself, but hes starting to wear me down. Yeah, I said trying to pick up the pace as I see the sun looming racing towards the horizon, now is the stage of researching where you need to find evidence concerning the topic. Ysay that like I know how, Terry said. Only way I know s typing up Love on this here search engine. That statement made me start believing that before I came along he had less knowledge about civilization than a baby, but I dont know what to expect from a guy who has spent more than half of his life breathing in this sand. Youre too darn simple, Terry! I exclaimed sounding impatient so that he would speed up along with me. Actually, I thought as I said that, Im impressed how quickly he learned to use a search engine only from when I used it to look for some background information. If hes going to write sufficiently, though, I have to teach him how to do proper information-gathering. Ey! he said. Only things I was taught re how thunt, tsleep, tspeak, twrite, an now tGoogle somethin! Pity me, would you? I wanted to make a remark about how thats more than most 13-year-olds these days, but we were losing daylight quickly. I wont say you cant use search engines, I said in defense, because thats the reason they were programmed. For more serious research, though, databases are like grown-up versions of internet search engines. On the search engines side, theres a truck-ton more results to shove down your throat than databases; however, some of them are as credible as a hobos words, while others may not have any information on the subject and just have a keyword someplace. Guessin that means them databases re the opposite? he figured since Im contrasting the two. Yeah, I nodded and continued my explanation, for the most part. Database-users are usually looking for real and reliable information, and so internet search engines would take too long to filter through for the same info. Good databases like Gale or netTrekker would have filtered through the sources for credibility, have content from a vast variety of subjects like literature or history, and search specifically for different forms of info like a journal or article, certain readability levels like simple or comprehensive/difficult, or tags related to whatever you searched. The problem is that databases dont have all the information in the world, so sometimes you dont get many resources if any at all. Databases are like a small, low-calorie cupcake compared to a giant, fattening internet search engine cake. Ysaid it yourself, pal, Im a simple guy, he said seeming greatly confused. Databases sound like complicated stuff, so I figure stickin to a search engine right now aint a bad idea. I hid the unpleasant face I was making as much as I could while I said, O-Oh, I see. Well, if youre just that eager to use it, then youll need to get a good slap of how to evaluate those results. I really wanted to end it at slap, but this hostility wont get me anywhere. He was a pure man and all, but its as if hes trying too hard with his accent. Aright, then! he said eagerly while unsuspecting of my true feelings towards him. Slap me! With pleasure, I responded, almost actually doing so. If you dont check what information out there is reliable or not, youre going to end up a terribly gullible man. As well, just taking in any data out there into your writing and having others check the reliability only to find it is not credible would make you look like a fool. Checking before using the information is the safest route. The task itself sound simple enough, because youre mostly just looking for if the data is recent enough since humans learn new things every day and seeing if the author or authors have the actual credentials to be believed. You wont get anywhere with information

about dinosaurs extinction from 10 years ago from a Spanish teacher because what scientists believed then is different from what they do now as well as the field of Spanish not having to do with the extinction at all. That so? he said. Suppose that info aint goin tbe a simple find, eh? It looked like he was trying his hardest to comprehend all this at once, which is admirable, but I sure do wish he had some kind of education beforehand. Not all websites are the same, so it depends on the guy who created it. Generally, if you dont find the copyright year somewhere on that page or the contact information somewhere like an About Us page, it isnt worth the risk of losing credibility yourself. After vigorously trying to follow my advice on his own using my laptop, Terry said pathetically, Mr. Clayton, I dont see why I need this research thing in the first place. Cant I just, yknow, state mopinions an get it over with? Er, I thought in a panic, its a love letter, which should be about feelings, right? If I take back everything I said before, though, Ill lose the spice! Determined, I pressed on and said, You need data to back up and support whatever point youre trying to make so that people will think youre likely right. If you dont have any kind of solid reasoning behind your opinions, nobody will be convinced that you understand what youre talking about. Are you one to believe someone who just says the sky is pink and doesnt even explain why they think it is? Sure, even I can be persuaded theyre right if they have sufficient and credible evidence. Even though slightly convinced, he refused to stop with his questioning and asked, Oh yeah, pal? An how do I go bout doin that? Sounds simple nough tjust take one othese comprehensive database articles an just usin it for the entire thing. He was trying pretty hard to refute against researching effectively, but I guess my will to survive both the desert and my wife made me push forward. Bwa ha ha ha! I chortled trying to make Terrys argument sound ridiculous. So what, youre just going to believe that one single person is right or that everyone else has the same viewpoints and evidence? With only one source of information, rather than convincing them of your point, youll convince them that you have a way limited understanding of the topic. With many credible sources, youll be able to understand multiple views on it, know how to argue against opposing opinions, and your own points seem more credible since others share the same idea. My explanation mustve been convincing and taken long, because Terry had already done some adequate research. It was almost enough to make me think he has potential as a great writer, but his accent distracts me from visualizing that. Can I start the actual writin part of it? he said, tired of all the researching. Yes, I answered truthfully, but youll have to be even more careful during your writing. Your words have the power to discredit you forever or change someones life into believing your point. Therefore, the first thing you need to consider is the thesis of whatever youre writing. Without it, your paper would jump around topics more than a bunny during hunting season. State whatever your topic and opinion on it firm and specific, so the guys reading it wont have too hard of a time figuring out what youre yabbing on about. So, I love you, is just too broad? he asked. Yeah, I said, you have to be direct while avoiding being general unless youre writing really will be that general, which it shouldnt. Something along the lines of, You and I will have successful relationship if you agree to become my girlfriend, sounds better. Its hard to eliminate the personal tone in there, though, if youre writing about yourself.

In a strained effort, Terry completed his first paragraph which included his thesis and nearly fell in exhaust. Wearily, he said, N-Now what do I do with all this researchin material? This guy needs some serious motivation if I want him to complete this whole thing before sunset, I thought. Yeah! Youre doing so tremendously that Im nearly jealous, Terry! The pain you went through with research wasnt in vain, though. In fact, you should be proud to have done so much. The next step is easy enough, because youre just writing everything you learned how you would say it. Youre aiming for simplicity here, and thats your specialty, isnt it? Just putting whatever text you found during research into what you wrote may be too difficult for the audience who hasnt spent so much in-depth time looking into the topic. Not only would it look like you yourself dont know what it means enough to say it in your own words, the guys you took the words from might be just a little upset you plagiarized them. If you alter the words a little, like rearranging the syntax, grouping alike elements, and trying not to use a few of the exact same words as they originally appeared, then you can pull off the art of paraphrasing. So what bout this line: 70% of couples that start their relationship in their 20s, 30s, or 40s stay strong until death.? he asked eager to find out how paraphrasing would work. The paraphrased version would be: Death is the only way most middle-aged couples are separated. I answered. Yknow, Mr. Clayton, Terry suddenly said out-of-the-blue, I think theres some catch here like in the other ones youve said. If I used this info, wouldnt that still be that plagiarizing thing? I nodded and said, Quite. This part isnt too difficult, either, but its extremely crucial to show your own credibility. In general, you need citations to give credit to the guy who had the information first. In all formats of citation, youll need the authors names, the title of their work, and the year it was published. Not only will full citations have to be somewhere on the page such as the bottom, but in-text citations will aid you as well. Whichever statements you didnt originally know but did after researching, youll need to write right after it the author and year of publication in parenthesis. Even if there isnt an author named, the title of the work would replace the authors spot. Terry handed me what he had written in his poorly-crafted pencil so far on his poorlycrafted paper to validate if he did it correctly. It was a bit difficult to read, but I could make out: Death is the only way most middle-aged couples are separated (bin Laden, 2011). This supports that if we were to marry, we would live a long relationship until one of us dies. What a familiar name, I said to myself. Anyway, thats how its done. The readers would think you did some very extensive research and have serious understanding of the topic as well as the ability for them to look at your sources and use them in their own research. All the while, you avoided the nasty claws of plagiarism. Terry continued on while listening to my words, scribbling words on there and looking at his researched information every so often. I waited until he finally said the joyous and longawaited words, Complete! Goodness, I feel like ve gone through a months-worth oschool or somethin. When I thought about it, I suppose thats right. Yeah, you have to figure out your topic using blogs and wikis so that you know what your thesis is and what to research. Finding a topic and thesis controls your paper so that it focuses on one thing. Still though, databases are reliable and have the information readily-available, while anything outside of that, such as things found through internet search engines, require evaluation before use. When you actually do the researching, theres the need to do strong research with multiple authors, cite all of them, and

paraphrase them so that you sound as if you understand what youre saying and your point is valid or at least likely. The sun was already setting, so I had to urgently leave. With no parting words, Terry gave me the melange. I raced forward into whichever direction I happened to be facing then, hoping that I would find civilization soon. The temperature was drooping as the sun was, but the sight of a car coming gave me the slightest hope I could have had then. I hitch-hiked onto it and finally felt relieved as I went home. It took a few hours to return back to my house, but my wife had suddenly filed for a divorce, claiming Im not a good husband and she has already found a better one. It turns out I left my laptop with Terry, and he had sent his love letter to my wife because she was the girl he met long ago. It makes sense since she had to have gotten the melange sometime before to know where it was. She said the letter was so perfect in every sense of writing that she thinks hes a better writer than me. Terry probably couldnt hear it from where he was, but I was screaming loud enough for the whole city to awaken, TERRY BULL!!!