For the past several months, my classmates and I have sought to expose our writing process to the digital world and have petitioned others to respond and give their feedback. This idea of collaborative writing was something with which I was not entirely comfortable at first, but I soon found the benefits of utilizing the ideas of those I contacted. I searched on social media sites including Google+, Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter. I did general Google searches looking for anyone interested in and talking about The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I researched conferences through conferencealerts.com that pertained to my interests and research. I looked up blogs. I went on Youtube, Slideshare, Vimeo, and Librivox. I searched Google Scholar.
Each of these sites were helpful in varying degrees. I encountered the most success in contacting people with Google+, Facebook, conferences, blogs, and Google Scholar. I found some people with whom I have kept in contact and with whom I am excited to share my developing ideas. These are the sites and resources that I plan to continue to gain social proof. The most useful resource, however, that I used in reaching out for social proof was good, old-fashioned face-to-face conversation. Being able to talk with people directly to try to articulate and expand my ideas was definitely where I got the most social proof and where others seriously influenced the development of my ideas.
Some of my contacts are listed as follows:
My Homie/enthusiast
Kyla Mercier
She was my roommate Freshman year and in a personal conversation with her, she expressed interest in my research and asked if she could read my blog (Yes!). She has looked at it both because she wants to support me, and also because she loves French studies.
My cohort
Whitney Simons (post and another)
Emily Coleman (post)
These two lovely ladies, and their work on Pride and Prejudice and Gone With the Wind (respectively), have been extremely helpful in my development process. They have helped me do research, and to talk out my ideas. We had an especially good conversation May 23. Emily helped me see some of the weaknesses of my argument and how I can better articulate my ideas. Whitney mentioned a possible visual image to help make sense of the whole thing (which I plan on posting about later today). My ideas would never have gotten half so far without their help.
My professor (see blog posts here and here and here)
Dr. Gideon Burton
On two occasions, my professor has really helped me to expand and develop my ideas. One on May 21, 2012 where he helped me to see how to relate my work more to the digital age. The other, I spent upwards of two hours on May 22, 2012 talking with him about my topic. This was definitely the most useful social contact I have had in developing and concreting my ideas. He helped me to work out a lot of my underdeveloped ideas on The Hunchback, and to connect it with other works. It was so helpful to be able to talk face-to-face and get immediate feedback as I tried to articulate my ideas and to understand his.
An enthusiast/peer
Jessica Nalbandian
I found Jess's Hunchblog through my searches on Google+. She has posted a lot of information regarding The Hunchback of Notre Dame and its different mediums. We have emailed back and forth as enthusiasts and peers. It's been interesting seeing how she got interested in the work and what she has posted on her blog. I also "liked" her Hunchblog page on Facebook.
An enthusiast/expert
Christophe Vacher
He is an animator that has worked on several Disney and Dreamworks productions. He helped with the animated Disney version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. As I have contacted him, through Google+, I have gained insight into the behind-the-scenes process in creating a film adaptation of a work of literature.
An expert (blog post)
Dr. Kathryn M. Grossman
Dr. Grossman is a professor of French Studies at Penn State. I found her through my scholarly research. Her article came up several times as I was searching MLA Bibliography, Project Muse, and Google Scholar. She wrote "From Classic to Pop Icon: Popularizing Hugo" that I used in my research. I have emailed her and am still waiting for a response, but I believe she would be interested in my work because I am discussing many of the same issues she has done.
As I have said, these people and the other sites I have looked at have had a serious influence in the development of my paper. Before their influence, I was planning on going the very traditional, critical analysis of the book route, but with their help, I have been able to see parallels that link The Hunchback of Notre Dame as almost a prediction of the digital age. I'm asking questions like: "What is the primary text?" "Is there a medium canon developing?" It is much more interesting and pertinent to modern research. I am excited about my research, and honestly, how many people can ever say that about a school assignment?
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