Elisa Benitez

Multimedia Writing and Rhetoric

Dr. McLaughlin
September 12, 14
Reflection on Audio Narrative
Finding something to write about was probably the hardest element in the
whole process. I initially thought I was going to end up writing something inspired
by my artifact, which was my class ring. Not only did I lose my class ring last week; I
ended up writing about my 8th and 9th grade English class. I am not a big fan of
writing, especially descriptive writing, but it was an interesting experience
narrating an experience I had with writing itself. Also, the fact that it was my story
made it easier for me to write it down. I did not have to make anything up or look
for evidence elsewhere.

The other narratives we read also helped tremendously. The fact that
students wrote them made them more relatable and inspiring. Not only did it make
it easier to share a personal experience, but it also created a sense of comfort
knowing that other students had done the same exercise and had done it so well.

For the multimedia part, it was a learning experience. I had no previous

experience with Garage Band, but I am glad I learned the basics. I consider myself
illiterate when it comes to most multimedia software so I was surprised that I was
able to figure it out on my own. I did not add any sound effects or anything, but
getting the recording done was a big accomplishment on its own. I do not
experiment a lot with multimedia, which I find weird for a teenager in this era. But I

understand it is important for me as a student and later as someone looking for a job
to learn these skills and these new approaches to communication. And although I
did not entirely enjoy the process of recording my voice and hearing it play back to
me, I understand the projects value.

Writing in general places authors in a vulnerable state, but adding the

multimedia factor to it, adds a layer of self, making it more personal. Not only am I
sharing a personal experience through words of my choosing, I am telling the story
with my own voice. When the theme of the work has anything to do with identity or
personal experience or opinion, I think it is a duty of the author to represent
themselves as best as they can. It gives the audience insight into why things
happened the way they did. Going back to our class discussion on rhetoric, I think
the audio aspect helps the author justify his/her story. The way one tells a story
influences the way the audience interprets the story.

As a whole the project was a new experience including writing about writing,
recording a narrative and using Garage Band. An overall good experience, it has
now become another part of my training in the never-ending battle.