Hello! My name is Brandon Krause and I'm currently an undergraduate student at California State University, Northridge. I am an English-Creative Writing major who enjoys the occasional burst of loud music in the car and a sweetened iced coffee in the afternoon. I love writing because it's something no one else can remove from you. I will always be able to just pick up a pen and tear off a piece of a napkin and jot down whatever is running through my head. I love the potential in that. People can appreciate a good book or a well-crafted article, but the best feeling is in the completion of something you really care about. It's my mess of a brain realized on paper, and that's fantastic.
I am California grown, love a good crunchy dill spear with my grilled cheese sandwich, and one of my guilty pleasures is revisiting any of my favorite Chuck Palahniuk novels -- as perverse and disturbing as they may be at times. I have little understanding of the major critical theories in writing, so I hope to learn a great deal in this course. I would love to be able to critique works and see the different tones in theory stand out. I've been told any good writer never stops improving on their ability. The learning and revision never truly ends if one wants to continue giving the best they can. As I move into higher levels of coursework, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't at all intimidating along the way. However, I know it will pay off to keep pushing forward in reaching those goals as a writer. If my education leads me to a career in writing, I can feel secure and comfortable knowing I have the tools and lenses necessary to advance in the field. But even if my career doesn't focus on writing, I know that I'll always have this to aid me in all other areas of life. Through these experiences, I hope to not only be stronger in written word but better in communication skills -- making myself heard and understood. If I only do this and nothing more, then it was all worthwhile.
