Blog #2: Good Writing is Good Writing(?)

James Glen Stovall says that "good writing is good writing," which I am somewhat inclined to agree with. After all, there is a certain indefinable quality about the very greatest of written works which calls out to all who read them, and whether they enjoy the author or not, they can all agree that the writing is "good," that it has a sort of magical power about it.
Television commercials lend evidence to this aphorism. For all the legions of poorly-written commercials on television, there are a few which stand out and come alive in our minds, such as Capitol One's "what's in your wallet" slogan, or the "Aflac" duck.
I, for one, have always felt that my writing is not "good," but that I have improved immensely. When I was a kid, I detested writing in any degree (I cringe when I remember an essay in the fourth grade on coral reefs which somehow involved evil aliens taking over the world. Don't ask.) I was fascinated by science and math, quantifiable constants of the universe with which I could identify with; concepts that were real and understandable. As I grew older, however, I found that I could no longer identify with the world as a black-and-white sort of place; I needed shades of gray, I needed to express feelings rather than numbers. Gradually my math grade dwindled to a C-, whilst my English improved as I became more literate (aside from comic books, that is). My point is, I suppose, that writing in itself represents a great deal to many people, and the measure of its quality, however subjective it may seem, has an objectiveness that seems to defy all logic.

Academic Background, Future Plans, How This Course Fits Into Those Things

My background entails mainly English, both in literature and in writing. I've taken several classes with Profs. Perret, Smith, and other English teachers, as well as a Poetry workshop, a Narrative Writing workshop, and English I, II, IIIA, and (currently) V. I'm also currently taking an intermediate Japanese language course, something I have been studying since the beginning of Sophomore year. My minor is Philosophy.
For the future, I would ideally prefer to become a Science-Fiction writer, perhaps a novelist or something similar. Truthfully, I am unsure of what precisely my post-college years will entail, finding myself with a distinct inability to do anything useful outside of writing and dogs (I work part-time at a boarding kennel in Harrison). I might want to use my radio show as a starting point; I write, act in, and produce a radio sci-fi drama series on WMVL called Manhattanville Radio Theatre.
This course is a continuation of the Journalism I class I took last semester; media writing has proven itself to be useful, and I believe it shall continue to do so. My Mom has worked in broadcast journalism (CBS News) for many, many years, and I suppose, even unconsciously, that I admire her work and perserverence, especially her "nosy" nature, which perhaps is the ultimate reason why I'm taking jounalism courses in the first place.