Sample Autoethnography Transcripts Sample 1: [Turns on hip hop music on TV][Turns on camera] "Alright, so… I'm going to write my name, my teacher. Name, name, class date. Name, teacher, Mrs. Martinez. ENC 1101. Which section am I in? 112 and the date." [Thinking] "I need to center my paper…Xs Portrait…..of a Writer." [Reads text message on phone] [Coughs] [Looks at Facebook example] "Ugh. What did that person write about? Portrait of my Relationship with Writing. The Portrait? Writing is like a rollercoaster. It has its ups and downs." [Thinks] "Ohh! Writing is like riding a rollercoaster. To me, writing is like riding a rollercoaster. There are going to be many ups and downs and times when I want to throw up. My relationship with writing [pauses] Lets me express. To me, writing is like riding a rollercoaster. Wait. There are going to be many ups and downs and time when the entire writing process are going to make me up throw up. The up's ….are the times I can clearly..clearly.. on paper." [Time of typing, but not speaking] "Personally…The up's are when youre going up for that big drop on a roller coaster. On the other hand, there are many downs and twists. In this case…In my case…the downs are when I have major writings block [backspaces] have extreme writers block." [Types] [Backspace] [Backspace] [Backspace] "Anne Lamott, and educated writer states…."[Long Pause] [Coughs] "Like Anne Lamott, and educated writer states." [Reads text message & replies] Now…how did I establish this relationship? [Rubs chin] "Okay, I feel like this relationship I have with writing did not establish….until I began writing intensive papers starting…starting. Before?" [Backspaces] [Types a lot without speaking aloud]"They were so strict on their writing rules. I would be writing an essay and criticizing every
word I write, to make sure it was perfect….for my teacher." [Looks at rubric teacher gave] "Grammar of the flow of my essays. However, when I entered highschool….this changed. They were so strict on their writing rules. Until, my second semester English composition class…until my second semester English composition class …that helped me find the ups to writing." [Finds mom] "Mom, what was some of the essays I wrote for my composition class? Hmmm,…compare and contrast, cause and effect…and process. Yes, I have more than 500 words. [Goes to reread essay to dad] "Do you think I need to add anything? Okay, good. I'm done, now I just need to type up my transcript."
Sample 2: Alright, I’m going to begin. Ummmmmm , date, ummm date is, look at my phone for the date. November 2, 2011. Ms. Martinez. Portrait of a writer, centered ok. Facebook is still open, just hanging out doing some work. Ummm how should I start? I guess I’ll start with what I did in my first draft in class. Andddd ok umm.. Writing is an amusement park on Labor Day weekend. Oops. No, let me change that. Writing is an amusement park on a busy Saturday. Uh I’ll change that. Writing is like Disney world on a busy Saturday. Evertybody in Disney is the writer. No. How the hell do I word this. Okay enter, let me start over but not delete it. Writing, to me, is, is, is like Disney World on a busy Saturday. Every person in Disney is a writer. Everybody has a different way of writing. Writing, umm this needs to be double spaced first. Writing to me is like Disney world on a busy Saturday. Every person in Disney is a writer and has a different way of writing. (Check the time) 2:45. Every person in Disney does not do the same thing as the person next to them. Look at me, I got a bbm. Oh it’s my brotha. I’m doing work, peace. 43 words so far. Some people like to (pause). Some people like to, like to umm ride rollercoaster’s, others just come for the stores. I am starving. Others just come for the stores. Some people will wait patiently and take their time to get on to the roller coaster. Others will pay money to get the easy pass. Others will pay money to get the easy pass to get on the rollercoaster. (pause) This relates to writing because everybody has their own ways of accomplishing their goal and in this case, the goal is writing. Some people, don’t like to ride. Some people. Some people like to write novels and other people like to write poems. This (pause). This (pause) umm. Ummm. Some people take their time with writing um. Some people take their time when completing a writing task, a writing goal, a writing objective. Some people take their time when comple (I didn’t finish the word). Some people take their time when (pause). Some people take their time when accomplishing a goal and others like to jump right into it and get it over with. (pause). This all ties in to Disney World because. I have a spelling mistake oops. This all ties in to Disney World because, because, because, ways that people (pause). Delete that, keep going with the paragraph. This is like Disney World (pause). All of these examples of writing could be tied into a day at Disney World. Many people do different things and have different ways of doing it. Um I am the person who. When I am at Disney World, I am the person who will buy the easy pass. Wait, it’s a fast pass. Oops. Gotta delete that and change it. When I am at Disney World, I am the person who will buy the fast pass and get it over with. Although I enjoy writing, I don’t like to take a lot of time to finish the task. I got a bbm.
I don’t like taking a lot of time to finish the task. I am writer.. I don’t know what the hell to write anymore. Stephen King, is that the guy in the tv show? Let me find this quote on Ms. Martinez’ page. Is that it? Nope, next slide. Ok I’m reading a portrait of a writer. Maybe this isn’t the slide. Where is that Stephen King quote? Looks like I got to go into the book, GREAT. I hate this book. This is weird talking to myself but I guess it’s pretty cool. An experience that I’ll never do again. Stephen King states, “Do we see the same thing?” It’s a good talent that I can type without looking at the keyboard. (pause) Okay I’m not using this quote this quote is stupid. Okay I’ll just start talking about my writing. Writing has not always come naturally to me. Writing is a very complex process that requires a lot of vocabulary and structure. (pause) Writing has not always come naturally to me. Writing is a very complex process that requires a lot of vocabulary and structure. The idea of an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion, never made sense to me. I understood why. I understand the why. I understand the reasoning behind this structure but I don’t understand why. Why do teachers make us write in this format and if we don’t, it is not correct. This is the question that I always wanted to ask a teacher but never had the courage to do so. (Facebook). In the sixth grade, I was a below average writer. Since then, I have succeeded and went beyond my expectations of my ability. Beyond my expectations and ability to write in an English Class. (yawn) I’m starving I didn’t eat anything all day. Although I enjoy writing and do not like to take a lot of time to finish the task. When I was in middle school, up to the beginning of high school, I hated English class and I hated writing assignments because they were pointless and we had to write about a topic that had nothing to do with my life, my life or anything that I care about. On the other hand, writing tasks were pretty simple and straightforward. Today, writing tasks are more complex but I can relate them to my life and experiences. To me, that is the most effective way of writing because many people can relate to me and how my writing, and how my writing relates to them. (Facebook) umm. The writing process for me to complete an assignment is very simple. I do it, I do it as quick as I can, and I get it done with. I get it over with and done in a decent amount of time. In a constructive, in a.. I get it over with and done but I make sure it is a very good writing assignment and that all grammar and punctuation. Wait, grammar and spelling is correct. Sweeeetttt goodbye.
Sample 3:
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Transcript This portion of the paper is due November 8, 2011 I am in ENC 101 class with Ms. Martinez Title of paper my perception of writing or I will put auto ethnography paper Alright Ready to begin Who am I as a writer? How you see yourself as a writer? Is self-‐perception helping you be the best writer I can be? How does writing rules change your relationship with writing? Explain how I can improve my writing? random noise well…. when I was a little kid or the first thing I can say about myself is that I do not like to write I’m just going to give a little background information in the introduction and then start to elaborate more on my body paragraphs uhmmm I remember when I was a kid my parents since they were Asian Jeff: laughing always spent money on education first rather than toys so…. so my parents kept insisting or let me change it forcing me to participate with this program called phonix how do you spell phonix Jeff: do you mean hooked on phonix yea hooked on phonix P-‐H-‐O-‐N-‐I-‐X Thanks Jeff *Quiet* I think this is when I started to hate writing because as I saw kids playing outside, my parents would force me everyday for 2 hours focus on this writing program maybe that that is why I suck at English well I don’t necessarily suck at English but that is why I suck at vocabulary and get low grades on FCATs and SATs but… I guess this carried this carried out for the rest of my ed-‐-‐ education career so far the reason why I hated phonix because it want even fun all I would do is watch stupid I don’t want to say stupid all I would watch is boring videos on this worm talking and since I was like 7 I didn’t really care about it
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It all I focused on was toys care… *quiet* How do I see myself as a writer? I see my self as a writer.. my position in writing is that I’m not the best but I can at least write a decent college essay I see myself as a writer who knows how to construct one but it seems like it is hard for me to make it interesting. What I mean y this is as I read my essays I fell like its boring and monotone, but as I read articles or books I noticed that most things they write come together and there not.. and the authors sentence structure makes sense and not boring spell check I see self-‐perception be the best writer you can be? How words were yours.. like a thousand Jeff: close to that, it was like near 750, like a page in a half not double spaced My position in writing is that…whispering.. I see myself as a writer by… by knowing how to construct *Thinking* My perception of writing is that I know I’m not the best but at the same time I know I’m not the worst my perception does effect my writing.. my perception does effect how I write because I know that, no that doesn’t make sense self perception help me be the best writer I can be because since I know that I suck at writing I always strive hard so it can be good an example would be umm, so far in English class we wrote 2 papers each paper I didn’t get the grade I wanted, so ….. So I worked hard and try to revise my papers so that I so that when I turn to my professor I worked so hard and try to revise my papers so that when I turn it in to my professor hopefully It can be better than the originally if this doesn’t work then I wonk stop because because I believe that the only way to write better papers is to see the mistakes I’ve done so that I can improve it and make it better until I get the results I want *quiet* How is writing rules the writing rules I was taught when I was young was to basically to have 5 paragraphs. A introduction, 3 body and uhmmm, conclusion paragraph with only 5 sentence in each paragraph but as I grew and…
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as I grew and I transitioned from middle school to high school I later found out that this rule no longer applies now I learned in high school, I learned that we need a thesis, with hooks, and grammar…and grammar with need hook , thesis, hooks also need transitions and proper punctuation So basically I high school I learned how to write what I just started…we are suppose to use the 5 paragraph structure but now we just elaborate in more on the introduction , body, and conclusion paragraphs and then came college!! this was a huge transition in writing because I needed Jeff how did you do this, this is boring Jeff;: Yup then came college, this was a huge transition in writing because I knew that I needed to build my vocabulary; however, I was wrong. I was wrong because you have more freedom Jeff: understatement You get more freedom to write your papers an example is my discourse community paper I never used heading before.. I’ve never used heading before in my papers. it was always enter, tab or enter indent to start a new thing but in my discourse community paper we did was that we used heading or sections in this paper… oh hold on I am going to stop Iv never used heading before usually I just start a new paragraph also I never also my professors don’t care how long it should be or don’t care. my professors don’t care as much about the length of the paper, so far from my class now all it seems like it seems like now the focus more on understanding…. understanding the material and knowing how to translate them on a essay and length isn’t a priority, it’s the quality new paragraph it was because of this freedom that I.. that I know that my relationship with writing at least improved because I am now comfortable and confident about writing new paragraph remember to record yourself…. explain how I can improve my writing What I can improve on in my writing is lets see I can improve on my writing is I can What I can improve on my writing is that the improvements I need for my writing for my writing is the improvements I need for my writing is how to make.. how to make better sentences that flow together because sometimes when I write I like to go off topic yawn *quiet*
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Also uhmm uhmm uhmm uhmm jeff is playing xbox while I am writing my papers so I am easily distracted right now Jeff: you blame me for everything Jeff: did you tell her that I was writing my paper while you were laughing at me But I wasn’t.. was that distracting? Jeff: yea it was I wasn’t laughing the whole time and playing the whole time Jeff: well so I worked on it early so that I can play..a assault rifle finally something I can use. I need my writing is learning how to make things better that flow together because I like to go off topic I think I should use higher level vocab so I can build up.what is that word…credibility I think that is enough conclusion paragraph Overall I know I’m not scratching head My attitude towards writing is that I hate, I honestly don’t hate it I dislike it and I think it is boring I think it is boring but I cant let that I cant let that influences me I cant let that effect my writing because because I’m just going to use this as my excuse if I fail at it I know that I need improvement on my writing because I cant spell improvement improvement I know I need improvements on my writing though but the one thing I like about myself is that I never give up, I always…I revise, I make sure they make sense and if I don’t like the grade. I don’t like the grade that I receive Jeff: Damn I will look at the comments form my professor and improve my writing so that for next time I can write a better paper because I know the mistakes I do and hopefully avoid them ohhh I revise….whispering that make sense….718 words and if I don’t like that grade I receive from my professor. I improve my writing so that the next time I write.. DONE!!!