Creative Writing as It Is An Essential Guide

Most students who take up a creative writing course in college have a pretty fuzzy notion of what they are dealing with. It is clear that after taking it you are supposed to learn how to write fiction, but what exactly will you do in the process? As it turns out – to a considerable chagrin of many – learning creative writing has very little to do with creativity. Creativity is what you are supposed to supply on your own, and nobody is capable of teaching you how to be creative if you don’t have any personal inclinations in this direction. What most creative writing courses are all about is organization, planning and streamlining. Until you’ve mastered these, all the creativity in the world isn’t of much help – so let this guide help you with the basics. Preliminary Work There are probably as many outlooks on the writing procedure as there are writers. Some authors claim that they simply sit down and write down the way it goes, and the text basically creates itself without any preliminary planning. Others, on the contrary, write a very detailed plan of their future work before writing the first word of the text. Still others utilize peculiar techniques of their own invention. However, this goes for professional and well-experienced writers, and you are yet not one of them. Before you understand what works for you personally, you should employ as much planning and preparation as possible – it will help you streamline your work and can always be abandoned later. You need procedure. Here is what we can suggest: Define the main idea of your writing. This can be decided for you by your teacher, which makes a task a little bit easier, but let’s assume you have no such luck. What is the topic of your writing? Can you define it in a single word? A single phrase? What is the main idea you wish to convey? Define the setting of your story. Where and when does it happen? Does the world you describe follow the conventions of reality or have some fantastic elements? What is the general mood of the story? Decide who the characters of your story are. Before you describe them or tell about their actions, you yourself should have a fairly good understanding of who they are. Write some notes on each character, just to make him or her more imaginable. Jot down the main elements of the plot. Don’t try to describe everything in complete detail right now – your task at the moment is to create a frame around which you will construct the story proper. Don’t worry about what you write and don’t try to cover every eventuality – you may be forced to revise and change things later on, but right now you need ground under your feet, and this plan will provide for that. Writers wildly disagree as to the ideal amount of preliminary work and planning. Some write down only the most basic elements of the plot not to forget about them and to check with them from time to time. They allow the main plot to accrete details and additional plotlines as they go along, and manage quite well. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwhOd65gGoY Others, on the contrary, don’t set about writing until they’ve planned for every little thing – their plans are basically complete retellings of the plot without all the additional fluff. And, of course, there are innumerable intermediate variants. It is up to you to decide which works for you – it would be best if you try different methods and see what suits you better. Building up Your Story There are so many stories written by so many people, living in different countries, epochs and cultural backgrounds. Surely there should be a great deal of difference between them? As it turns out, not as much as you would think. Christopher Booker, for example, boils down all the world literature accumulated over thousands of years to seven basic plots: Overcoming a monster; Rags to riches; The quest; Voyage and return; Comedy; Tragedy; Rebirth. He is not the only one – there is a number of works that state that literature operates with a rather limited set of tools. What you need to understand right now is that almost every story is built using the same toolset, and a limited one at that. Although stories may look differently, they are very similar at their core. It is a good exercise for a writer to analyze the fiction he reads to find these commonalities. What concerns you right now is that absolute majority of stories (probably about 80%; closer to 99% if you take all unpublished works into account) are built around one structure: Introduction You get acquainted with the setting, characters, their relationships and general context of the story. This stage’s goal is to interest the readers in the fate of characters. Hook The hook is something that sets the plot into motion. While introduction is usually static, the hook destroys the status quo. Challenge The character or characters encounter a series of obstacles. Low Point The character is almost overcome by the challenge. The aim is to make the readers root for him. Overcoming The character manages to cope with the challenge after all. Enlightenment The challenge and the way it is dealt with leads to characters’ discovering something important about themselves or the world. This is where the moral of the story is present in its most obvious form. Test The newly-found truth is tested yet another time, in other, sometimes more serious situations. Victory The main characters celebrate their victory, we get to know what happens next – this stage is present to make the readers cheer after the moment of tension and uncertainty is over. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP-pyF4ZKHM Of course, it would be a gross oversimplification to say that every story is built along these lines, but when you start analyzing plots of the works of fiction you know, you will find out that a surprising number of them follow this pattern. And those that don’t are often subversions of the same structure and repeat most of these points while negating them. Which leads us to a logical conclusion: it isn’t necessary to mechanically organize your own story along these lines, but right now you are not writing the magnum opus you are going to be remembered for. You are taking a creative writing course, and using this structure as a basis for your first tentative steps in writing is a very good idea. Writing Per Se How exactly you should work is only for you to decide – each writer develops their own procedures. However, there are several principles that you can use to ease yourself into the process. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeYM8TKGEyc Write in the Right Order It is preferable to write a piece as it is going to be read, but if some scenes are especially vivid in your imagination, feel free to write them down right now. These scattered scenes may be harder to organize later on, but at least you will have them ready when the need arises. Try to Stop Your Inner Perfectionist If there is something that can ruin your chances at creative writing, it is the inability to stop polishing your work. Robert Heinlein in his famous writing tips went as far as to condemn all rewriting as unproductive, and while he probably went a little bit too far, there is a lot of truth in it. When you write the first draft, overcome the urge to reread what you’ve already written every now and then. It is best if you don’t reread the passages you’ve already written altogether – there will be plenty of time for that once you’ve finished, but if you keep coming back and reword what you’ve already written you have all chances of never getting to an end. Trim the Fat Wordiness is another enemy of good writing. It may be a result of many factors: a feeling that your writing is too dry and needs some color, the need to rack up the word count, or just plain inability to express yourself curtly. Navigate between Purple and Beige Purple prose results from an attempt to make writing beautiful by means of using long multi-clause sentences, attaching numerous adjectives to every noun, a liberal use of adverbs, and general preference for polysyllabic words looked up in a thesaurus. As a result, text turns into a confusing and incoherent mess that the reader will be inclined to skim-read (or not read it at all). Beige prose is its direct opposite – it is characterized by brief sentences, short or nonexistent descriptions, a bare minimum of stylistic devices, simple words. Both have their uses. Purple prose can be effectively used for comic effect. Beige prose can be striking and witty when used skilfully – but will strike you as boring and bland if handled poorly. In most cases, you should stay somewhere in the middle. Accept Constructive Criticism With an emphasis on ‘constructive’. Peer reviews are an integral part of most creative writing courses, so you should be ready to meet the critique of your fellow students and your teacher head-on. On the one hand, not all criticism is helpful – don’t feel obliged to change your writing style, plot or its handling just because somebody (even a teacher) doesn’t like it. However, you should carefully analyze everything that is said about your piece and be ready to accept your mistakes if they are, indeed, mistakes. Typical Mistakes Now that you know what you are supposed to do, let’s talk a bit about what you shouldn’t do – it can be no less important. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIVwFRco28Y Not Reading If you want to succeed in creative writing, you have to read creative writing by other people. A lot of it. Concentrate on the type of writing you intend to do yourself, but don’t limit yourself to it – reading pieces from other genres may provide the much-needed insight and inspiration. Not Writing If you take your creative writing seriously, you shouldn’t limit yourself to the tasks given to you by your teacher. Writing is an area that requires constant practice, and no amount of theorizing is going to replace actual words written by you. Plagiarism By plagiarism we mean not only copying other people’s work, but more ingenuous approaches, like rewording other works and passing them for your own. Don’t do it – it gives you nothing but has a real danger of ruining your reputation. Even a witty phrase lifted from somewhere may turn out to be widely recognized as belonging to a particular writer, so don’t be tempted to use it. Imitating Somebody Imitating another writer almost never pays off in the long run – the best you can achieve is to become a second-rate version of this writer, always compared unfavorably to the real thing. Developing your own style is a slow and arduous process, but it is worth it. Using too Many Adverbs and Adjectives Sometimes they are called for. But in most cases adjectives and especially adverbs are used to add a bit of padding to writing because you subconsciously want your text to sound bigger than it is. Some are just overused – the words like â€Å"suddenly†, â€Å"simply†, â€Å"curiously† can be dispensed with in almost any situation without losing anything. Which means that an important part of revision is to pluck out all the words you can do without. Everything that exists just for the sake of occupying place is useless filler. If you can get rid of it, do so. Conclusion Creative writing is, by definition, the least organized and uniform kind of writing. Which means that if you bring a bit of organization into it, at least when you’re learning the ropes, you can only benefit from it. By establishing procedures and creating working habits, you will make your future inroads into this area much easier and more effective – so why not start right now?

For the Love of God, Poe! Essay - 1359 Words

It is not at all surprising that so many of Edgar Allan Poe’s works explore such themes as death, eyes, the power of the dead over the power of the living, retribution, the human conscience, and especially death and murder. From his disturbingly morbid short story â€Å"The Telltale Heart† to the mysteriously supernatural poem â€Å"The Raven†, Poe’s tales are a direct byproduct of the mayhem experienced in his life, as well as his (arguably) psychologically-tormented mind. Though all of this author’s pieces are very rich in elaborate themes, motifs, and especially fantastically blatant irony, one particularly stands out to me -- â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado†. This story recounts how a man called Montresor seeks revenge upon a â€Å"friend† who allegedly†¦show more content†¦The jingling bells, a lovely comic touch from Poe, only add to this wonderfully gruesome humor. The setting of the tale is also dreadfully ironic. It takes place during the carnival season, a time of merrymaking and madness, where the traditional interpretations of social liberation and joy are emphasized (Wood). What’s more, at a masquerade, reality is temporarily adjourned and people can take on an entirely different identity for a while. It is for that reason that the protagonist, Montresor, uses the masquerade to his own advantage -- the pretense of costume enables him to enter the festivity completely unnoticed. The ironic part, though, is that Montresor uses the masquerade to cause harm to Fortunado. Poe actually also wrote a few other stories (like â€Å"William Wilson† and â€Å"The Masque of Red Death†) in which the characters abandon social events and are left susceptible to crime (Merriman). It’s a common theme amongst his works, but it’s incredibly clever. Who would think that any harm would come from a masquerade? Another significant piece of situational irony occurs when Fortunado asks Montresor whether or not he is a Mason (Cummings). According to the narrator, Fortunado makes a grotesque â€Å"gesticulation†. Montresor does not understand, so his friend clarifies: â€Å"Then you are not of the brotherhood.† Our protagonist realizes what Fortunado is referring to, and assures him that he is indeed of the brotherhood. When Fortunado asksShow MoreRelatedThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe1076 Words   |  5 Pagesof Amontillado, written by Edgar Allan Poe is a story of terror and betrayal. Like many of Poe’s literary works, the story has a dark undertone with a theme of terror and depression. More than half a century ago, Marshall McLuhan argued that though Poe was fascinated by evil, the evil that he had in mind was not that of Calvinism, but that of the split man and the split civilization. In general, McLuhan was right, but in this instance Calvinism, and its Go d, provided a dark level of meaning to theRead More Beauty and the Divine in Edgar Allen Poes To Helen Essay1346 Words   |  6 PagesDivine in Edgar Allen Poes To Helen To Helen presents beauty as necessary for apprehending the divine. Poe celebrates beauty, specifically the beauty of a women, as represented by two women known for beauty in Greek legend (Helen of Troy and Psyche). Helens beauty escorts him to Hellenistic culture and values, which brings him to Psyche, who illuminates the divine. To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nicean barks of yore, That gently, oer a perfumed sea, TheRead MoreThe Loss Of Love By Edgar Allen Poe1224 Words   |  5 PagesA Dream Within A Dream by Edgar Allen Poe is a poem about the loss of love , the heartbreaking sadness that one faces and the ephemeral nature of time and fleeting of existence. The poem is well known due to Poe s various poetic techniques that have been used to represent the excruciating context that Poe expresses in his poem. The main theme of the poem is the loss or lack of love that one faces. By taking a look at Poe s use of concealed tone and structure, the various poetic techniques usedRead MoreEdgar Allan Poes Annabel Lee1533 Words   |  7 PagesEdgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809. Poe was an American poet and short story writer. His father left his family after Poe was born and his mother died of tuberculosis about three years later. Therefore, Poe never knew his parents and was raised by John and Francis Allan, friends of Poe’s parents. Poe attended the University of Virginia in 1926 . However, his gambling debts caused him to dropout within two semesters. After leaving the university, Poe joined the Southern Literary MessengerRead More`` Alone `` By Edgar Allan Poe1641 Words   |  7 PagesNineteenth-century American author Edgar Allan Poe is best known for his tales of terror and emotional poetry. Poe led a very tormented and isolated life full of rejection and loss of loved ones. His agony is revealed in his poem titled â€Å"Alone†, which was written in 1829 when he was 19 years old. Poe never meant for this poem to be seen by others; yet, in 1875, 26 years after Poe’s passing, the poem was published in Scribner’s Monthly with the added title of â€Å"Alone†. In â€Å"Alone†, Poe reveals he believes his existenceRead MoreComplete Comparisons Of Wheatley And Poe870 Words   |  4 PagesComplete Comparisons of Wheatley and Poe Throughout American literature, two poets emerge as very unlikely candidates for poetic comparisons. Phillis Wheatley and Edgar Alan Poe’s writings in many ways reflect the unique lives that they lived, and having an understanding of the two poets’ backgrounds can assist a reader in dissecting their manuscripts. Comparing works from the two is an easy task to handle if an avid reader decides to pursue it, and even though they lived under adverse conditionsRead More Comparing the Beauty of Poe and Emerson Essay1269 Words   |  6 PagesThe Beauty of Poe and Emerson      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As stated in Edgar Allan Poes The Poetic Principle, a concept of beauty can only be achieved through the use of emotion, an excitement of the soul, a necessary element to any worthwhile poem (Poe 8). Poes fascination with the mystery of death and the afterlife are often clearly rooted in his poems and provide a basis for himself and the reader to truly experience his concept of beauty. Although alsoRead MoreComparing Fall of the House of Usher and The Cask of Amontillado1299 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Compare Contrast Edgar Allan Poe Short Stories Introduction The Fall of the House of Usher and The Cask of Amontillado are two of Edgar Allan Poes most well-known and noteworthy stories. This paper compares and contrasts the two stories and provides and outline as well. The Fall of the House of Usher is based on terror just as The Cask of Amontillado (hereafter called Cask) is based on terror but there are many different components that Poe uses that contrast with the Cask, andRead MoreHow Do I Love Thee and A Dream 968 Words   |  4 PagesEdgar Allan Poe, and How do I love thee, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, are perfect examples of good poetry, they have very different views of the same subject, which give a powerful effect on the reader. The poem, How do I love thee, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, is about how she loves her beloved and tries to list the different ways in which she loves him. Her love seems to be eternal and to exist everywhere, and she intends to continue loving him after her own death, if God lets her. TheRead MoreTheme Of Romanticism In The Cask Of Amontillado760 Words   |  4 Pagesthroughout the story that prove it is Romantic. The time period in which these were written was roughly from 1810 to 1860. They contained an emphasis on imagination, emotion, rebellion, and nature. The story â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† by Edgar Allen Poe was one made in this time period. In the story, Romanticism is shown through an emphasis on emotion, the selfish qualities of the main character, and how the story is opposite of Puritan religious text. An emphasis on emotion was shown by poor decisions

Caesars Gallic Wars Free Essays

string(117) " Carnutes stormed into the town of Cenabum and killed Roman merchants and a commissariat officer of Caesars as well\." Sanders Walker Dr. Bishop Western Civilization 103-104 11/20/12 Caesars Conquest Caesar is known as one of the greatest military leaders in history. His was General and later, Ruler of Rome during its peak years. We will write a custom essay sample on Caesars Gallic Wars or any similar topic only for you Order Now Caesar is known for his military strategy and conquest of much of ancient Europe. Where Caesar made a name for himself was his conquest of the Gauls. Caesars conquest of Gaul consisted of many campaigns throughout northern Europe; the most notable being the battles of Avaricum, Gergovia, and the final battle in Alesia. Caesar and Vercingetorix, the leader of the Gauls, were both similar in ambition. How does Caesar fair strategically against Vercingetorix and the Gauls at the battles of Avaricum, Gergovia and, Alesia? Caesars conquest of Gaul was indeed his most difficult one. Gaul consisted of dozens of tribes and much of the territory being Northern Europe had never been explored before by the Romans. A great amount of pressure was put on Caesar by himself to conquer Gaul. He was in deep political debt to Rome and its leaders, and he saw the conquest of Gaul to the best way to get out of debt and make a name for himself. Caesar making the first [1]Triumvirate with Crassus and Pompey gained the power of the election and became consul for the year 59 B. C. During this year he was made, â€Å"Governor of Illyricum, or Dalmatia, and of Gaul, that is to say of Gallia Cisalpina† (Pg. 40), this land is really known as a Province that Caesar acquired. Caesar having acquired these lands, but not officially having control, sought to conquer the inhabitants. Caesar is described as, â€Å"In person he was tall and slight, but well-knit; and, if he was as licentious as the mass of his contemporaries, his constitution, fortified by abstemious habits, was capable of sustaining prodigious efforts. His broad dome-like skull ; his calm and penetrating eyes ; his aquiline nose ; his massive yet finely moulded jaw, expressed, like no other human countenance, a rich and harmonious nature, aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬  intellect, passion, will moving in accord. And, if his vices were common, his generosity, his forbearance, his [2]equanimity, his magnanimity were his own. He believed, with an unwavering faith, that above himself there was a power, without whose aid the strongest judgement, the most diligent calculation might fail. That power was Fortune; and Caesar was assured that Fortune was ever on his side† (Pg. 41). Caesar was extremely ambitious and refused to be undermined by his enemies, this is probably why his conquest against overwhelming odds was so successful. As Caesar dealt with his issues in Rome, there was word that newly acquired provinces in Gaul were going to be marched on by the Helvetti. Caesar left Rome as soon as possible, cutting through the Alps to reach the province of Geneva (Cisalpine/Transalpine province). Caesar legions linked up with the legion of that province and destroyed the bridge or Rhine leading to Geneva. Helvetii sent requests to pass through, but Caesar denied them. Caesar waited out the requests as levies were created and simply denied the crossing of the Helvetii. Some tried to force themselves over, but failed miserably in doing so. Caesar crossed back gathering more legions for his command. Caesar dispersed his legions with Lieutenants into different regions of Gual, with his plan being to divide the already disbanded Gallic tribes. Caesar returned to Rome and received great praise for his victory over the Helvetii. Caesar marches back towards northern Europe in 58 B. C where Ariovistus and his massive hordes of Germanic soldiers, had become a threat to Caesars campaign against the Gauls outside the town of Vesontio. The legions lacking rest and supplies and fearing Ariovistus, was taking its toll on Caesars men. A panic amongst the legionnaires ensued; Caesar immediately puts to work his persona. Giving a riveting speech to the legions, he regained the confidence overwhelmingly. There only several miles separating Caesar and Ariovistus, but many Cavalry skirmishes took place as Caesar tried time and again to force the Germanics to fight. Ariovistus requested several meetings with Caesar, the first resulting in failure due to lack of compromises, and the second because Caesar never attended. Ariovistus refused to fight before the New Moon, Caesar finding this out attacked early forcing the Germans to fight. Caesar having command of the right wing of the legions, had planned on attacking the opposing Germans left wing which was supposedly their weak point. Ariovistus and the German horde fell upon the Roman legions quickly leaving huge gaps between the legions. This prevented the Roman javelins to be thrown. The Germans formed a, â€Å"[3]phalanxes† (Pg. 66), which was a wall of men inclosing themselves in a shielded wall. The Romans made quick dismemberment of this wall of shields as the Romans, â€Å"Dug their swords down into them† (Pg. 66), leading to the German left wing falling back. The left wing of the Roman legion however was beginning to give up ground. In command of the Caesars cavalry was Publius Crassus, the son of the famed triumvir Marcus Licinius Crassus. Publius Crassus led the 3rd line of the cavalry in and quickly rerouted the German onslaught on the Roman left wing. This led to the victory over Ariovistus and the Germanic army. With later victorious campaigns over Aquitani, Usipetes, Tencteri and Atuatuca from 56-54 B. C. Caesar believes Gaul is won and return to Rome to gain political power. While Caesar believed Gaul to be, â€Å"tranquillized† (Pg. 29), or rather under control as Caesar had planned to make all of Gaul a Roman province. The Gallic chieftains discussed in great detail of what was to become of Gaul if something was not done. A rumor quickly spread through Gaul in 52 B. C that Clodius had been murdered and violent riots broke out all over Gaul. The Gallic chieftains of Carnute made quick use of time while Caesar was still in R ome; a small group of Carnutes stormed into the town of Cenabum and killed Roman merchants and a commissariat officer of Caesars as well. You read "Caesars Gallic Wars" in category "Essay examples" In the Gallic town of Gergovia, a young Gallic noble came to power. His name was Vercingetorix and he quickly assumed dominance throughout Gaul. Vercingetorix was very impressionable and ambitious, much like Caesar. He soon united all Gaul sparking a massive rebellion in 52 B. C. Caesar observed Vercingetorix and saw that he was vastly becoming a huge threat. Roman provinces in peril began to fall due to lack of supplies, But Caesar moved swiftly from Rome to rescue the provinces. Caesar stopped the invasion of Narbo. Caesar still needed to regroup with his legions in the north. Caesars being the brilliant military leader he was, planned to march north through mountains of [4]Cevennes into the land of Vercingetorix, where the land Agedincum was. The journey was rough for Caesars men under the harsh conditions of winter, but to Caesars advantage, Vercingetorix did not realize where the Romans were or where they were going. As Romans came through the mountains, â€Å"Caesar’s horsemen swept over the country in small parties, carrying fire and sword† (Pg. 135), Caesar anticipated that Vercingetorix would come to Agedincums relieve, and he did so reluctantly while Caesar proceeded north to regroup with his legions. Once Caesar had gathered his legions he awaited Vercingetorix next move. Vercingetorix recovered from the Romans strategic maneuvering, decided to go south, opposite of Caesars position and siege Gorgobina an allies of Caesars provinces. Vercingetorix figured this, â€Å"To strike at Caesar’s allies would be equivalent to striking at Caesar himself† (Pg. 136). This indeed was true it was imperative that Caesar could not lose the trust of his allies, but Caesar also knew that pursuing hundreds of miles south without enough supplies would put his legions at risk of starvation. Caesar contemplated this and decided to relieve Gorgobina. Caesar instead of taking the same route he took to come north he went around in attempt for revenge for the massacre of Roman citizens. Caesar went about it, â€Å"More-over, by ravaging the lands of Carnutes and Bituriges, he might count on forcing Vercingetorix to relax his hold on Gorgobina† (Pg. 137). Caesar captured Vellaunodunum and approached Cenabum with rage as Romans set [5]Cenabum ablaze as supplies were given up to the legions while Caesar marched onwards to Avaricum. Vercingetorix believed the only way to weaken Caesars onslaught through his land was to burn and destroy any resources ahead of Caesar. The Gauls did not receive the news very optimistically. Burning down towns and crops was a harsh method of slowing down the Romans, but Vercingetorix got the Gauls to agree, with this speech he made, â€Å"They must make up their minds to sacrifice their own interest for the national weal. Every hamlet, every barn where the enemy could find provender must be burned to the ground. Even the towns must be destroyed, save those which were impregnable, lest they should tempt men who ought to be in the field to go to them for shelter, and lest the Romans plunder their stores† (Pg. 139). The Gauls still however thought to defend Avaricum rather than burn it to the ground. Avaricum was surrounded by walls and marshes and moats. Caesar made his encampment south of Avaricum several hundred yards out. Caesar realized the only way to siege Avaricum was to build siege towers and terraces. The marshes could not serve as proper platforms so, â€Å"in order to provide a secure foundation, the ground was cleared of obstructions and leveled as far as possible by men working inside stout huts† (Pg. 140). Wooden shields protected men relaying material through, â€Å"lines of sheds† (Pg. 40), as it was said to have taken several weeks to construct the towers. The effects of Vercingetorix burning of Gallic resources began to take its toll on Caesars legions. The Romans supplies began to dwindle and as Caesar sent men out to gather supplies and resources, Vercingetorix had patrols keep track of Caesars movements. Caesar was surrounded and while they waited to attack Av aricum, his men killed the cattle for food. Caesar did all he could to keep his legions spirits up, he would tell them, â€Å"He would abandon the siege† (Pg. 141), but the legionnaires were stubbornly loyal. A small attack was made on the towers, but only set the construction a day behind. The following day Caesar conducted his siege of Avaricum. The siege took no time at all with the Romans climbing the walls, they realized it was pointless to go down into the city, but rather, â€Å"They lined the wall round; and not a man of them would come down. Throwing away their weapons, the Gauls ran for their lives through the town to its furthest extremity; and there many jostling one another in the narrow gateways, were slaughtered, while others, who shouldered their way out were cut down by the cavalry† (Pg. 146). This was indeed a massacre by the Romans; no one was spared not man women or child. The Romans found a multitude of resources such as corn and other supplies. The Gauls were outraged by this massacre at [6]Avaricum. Caesar had hoped to break the Gallic pride with this victory, but it did quite the opposite. Vercingetorix following the massacre made a speech and a promise to Gaul. This speech gave Gaul a new found enragement and confidence. Caesar marched south to Gergovia, Vercingetorix homeland. Once Vercingetorix got word of Caesars movement he quickly destroyed all bridges along the river leaving only the bottom intact. As the Gauls caught up with Caesar, the Romans found it impossible to repair the bridges with the Gauls watching. Caesar was forced to come up with another diversion; under the cover of darkness he moved opposite of one of the bridges, and in the morning, â€Å"he took forty out of the sixty cohorts, composing his force; arrayed them in six divisions, so that seen from a distance, they would look like the six legions† (Pg. 149). With Caesar outwitting Vercingetorix, he moved south toward the mountain of Gergovia. As Caesar approached Gergovia a cavalry skirmish ensues, but the Gallic cavalry of Vercingetorix is forced back in the stronghold of Gergovia. Gergovia was going to prove to be another difficult siege due to its geography, â€Å"The town stood on an oblong plateau, which formed the summit, extending about seven furlongs from east to west, and six hundred yards wide† (Pg. 150). The town also had an outer wall as well, but the weak point appeared to be the southern wall. There were two large encampments in Gergovia, the smallest was on the southern wall, while the main encampment was on the steepest part of Gergovian wall. Caesar under the cover of night had several divsions move up the southern wall having Vercingetorix think that was where the main attack would be. Caesars full-scale attack actually occurred on the eastern or steepest side with Vercingetorix largest encampment was. The Gauls were caught off guard, â€Å"but the Romans deceived by their armour, took them for enemies: the Gauls were closing in up them on every side† (Pg. 158). As the Romans became overwhelmed they came back down the southern hillside, the Gauls followed blindly, as the Gauls were struck by left and right flanks of Caesars [7]10th legion. The battle on the hill was devastating on sides, 46 centurions and approximately 700 legionnaire’s dead and thousands wounded. Caesar disbanded the siege and tried to return to Rome to regroup and gather supplies and men. After the Gergovia the people of Gaul still had their faith in Vercingetorix, he was re-elected Commander and Chief. Caesar is further planning his campaign decided to enlist a large number of German cavalry to his assortment. During the entire Gallic Wars, Caesar has been outnumbered almost 3 to 1 and sometimes 4 to 1 odds, but Caesars strategy is what has been proving key in battles; the quality of men over numbers. As Caesar marches toward the provinces, Vercingetorix in a sudden ignorant act of boldness ascends his infantry and small cavalry head on attacking Caesars Roman legions. Caesar staying calm, â€Å"He sent his cavalry, in three divisions, to repel the triple attack† (Pg. 168). The Gauls retreated to Alesia with Caesars legions following close behind night and day. As the Romans reach Alesia Caesar informs his men that this battle will be a, â€Å"toilsome effort† (Pg. 170). Caesar realized that Alesia could only be taken by what he called, â€Å"a line of investment, fully nine miles in length, along which a ring of camps was constructed† (Pg. 70), this was a series of circumvallations: trenches, ramparts, entrenchments, and barriers built around Alesia with cavalry on low ground and legion infantry on high slopes. The Romans being few in number did not have enough men or cavalry to guard the surrounding blockade of Alesia. Vercingetorix realizing that he was bei ng closed in with four Roman legions linking up with Caesars six legions, Vercingetorix had to get help somehow. Under the cover of darkness Vercingetorix sent out Gauls to every region and, â€Å"bring back with them every man who could wield a sword† (Pg. 171). He also reminded them not to abandon the Gallic cause. Caesar had been given news of Vercingetorix call for relief armies, by group of deserters. Caesar understood that he too was surrounded by all of Gaul, but it was still uncertain whether the relief armies would show up for Vercingetorix. Unlike the Romans who had proven loyalty and precision in battle, the Gauls even though united, were still undisciplined and lacked the skill of a Roman legionnaire. Caesar seeing the potential threat from the surrounding mountains proceeded to build entrenchments and barriers to his rear and on the western slope of Alesia where an open meadow was located. Caesars men made haste with the construction of barriers and traps like, â€Å"five rows of strong boughs were fixed in each, with one end protruding above ground, sharpened and with the branches projecting so as to form a kind of [8]abatis† (Pg. 139/Part I). Caesar also had traps under the ground surface, â€Å"In front of them and rising a few inches above the ground, but purposely concealed by brushwood, were sharp pointed logs embedded in small pits† (Pg. 139/Part I), as there were also barbed spikes lying under the turf. Caesar moved quickly to gather as much corn and resources as he could, knowing that this battle may very well be the last. Meanwhile inside the wall of Alesia Vercingetorix had the grain thrown into a single stock; as the grain would be dispersed among the soldiers rather than the citizens. A council of Gallic Chieftains gathered at an assembly to discuss Vercingetorix situation in Alesia and how he had requested a, â€Å"universal levy† (Pg. 173), or a mass of armies combined. It was heavily debated because many tribes were at conflict with Germanic tribes or resolving domestic problems; some simply refused to send any army. In all about 43 tribes joined in with a massive cavalry as well. Four generals were given command of the 250,000 Gauls as it was said there was, â€Å"No one leader of sufficient eminence to command universal respect† (Pg. 174), this would be proven decisively. As the relief army of Gaul marched towards Alesia, days away, the city was going into famine. The chieftains proposed the method of cannibalism as said, â€Å"That their fathers, when driven into the fastnesses by the Cimbri and Teutoni, had sustained life by feeding upon the flesh of those who were useless for warfare† (Pg. 175). It was rather decided that the weak, young, and old were citizens of the town, were to be exiled. The hopeless looking women and children, and elderly came down to the Roman blockade. Caesars blockade forbid no-one to pass through; the exiled inhabitants were not taken in, instead Caesar had them sent back or stay between the lines of the wall and blockade to perish. The relief army soon arrives passing through the mountain valley, they could be seen from miles away as a mass of cavalry and infantry. Commius leading the Gallic mass launched a cavalry assault on Caesars rear defenses as Vercingetorix attacked from the inner defenses from [9]Alesia. The Roman legions held strong repelling the Gallic cavalry with Caesars brilliant defensive military strategy. The Romans formed a compact body of infantry and split the Gallic cavalry’s onslaught into disarray. The one major advantage the Caesar had over all the Gauls it was the reliable communication he had with his commanders of his legions. The Romans were on point and deadly, as the first day was won by Caesar. A 24 hour period of cease fire took place, and this time under the cover of darkness the Gauls launched a surprise attack on the Roman blockade using loud shouts to alert the rest of the Gallic army. The Gauls attempted to siege the blockade walls with grappling-hooks and ladders they attempted to overpower the blockades. In between the defensive lines the Gauls were dismembered by the wooden spikes and traps placed along the lines. Two sections of the Gallic army failed to cooperate with the rest of the mass due to poor [10]communication during the night. Roman artillery took apart the Gauls in between the defenses as casualties mounted because of poor effectiveness during the night raid. The Gauls retreated before dawn, fearing a flank from the right. Vercingetorix and Caesar refused to give into each other with casualties piling up on both parties, neither side budged. The soldiers of both sides were describes as they fought, â€Å"Every man fought like a hero; for they knew that from the heights around friends and enemies alike were anxiously watching† (Pg. 176). Vercingetorix and the Gauls planned for a final assault on the Romans. Vercingetorix discovered a weak spot in the Roman blockade where Caesars men were unable to build a barrier. The Gauls with no delay assaulted the weak point with 60,000 Gallic warriors against only two legions. The Romans became heavily overwhelmed and in disarray with 60,000 Gauls attacking from the rear and Vercingetorix army attacking from the inner walls. The Romans in panic and disorganization were described as, â€Å"painfully distracted by the roar of battle in their rear; for both on the inner and the outer line men felt, as they fought, that they would perish if their comrades behind suffered the enemy to break through† (Pg. 178). It was difficult for the Roman legions to mass together due to the overwhelming Gallic numbers. Vercassivellaunus, commanding the 60,000 Gauls from the rear; continually sent fresh infantry in. The Gallic infantry was disposable due the sheer numbers. Caesar seeing the disarray of the Romans and his cavalry sent Labienus with six cohorts to hold their ground till they were forced to fight in open ground. In astonishing fashion Caesar mounting horseback went down the Roman line as it was depicted, â€Å"riding down between the lines on to the plain, he harangued his weary soldiers and adjured them not to give in† (Pg. 179), continuing he said, â€Å"Just one short hour, and the prize was won† (Pg. 179). It was not until Caesar himself on horseback galloped steadfast, leading the last head on assault. A new found zealous came over the Roman legions as they followed behind Caesar, they disbanded the Gauls in a mass, scattering across the land. The Gauls to appease the Romans would have Vercingetorix give himself up and die. Vercingetorix gave himself up willingly out of respect for Caesar, being an admirer of his military brilliance. It was said that Vercingetorix, â€Å"took off his armour, laid down his sword, and bowed himself at Caesar’s feet† (Pg. 180). Caesar had no admiration for Vercingetorix as it came with a great cost. Caesar had him imprisoned in a dungeon, and then executed six ears later. The conquering of Gaul propelled Caesars political power tremendously. In 49 B. C he was elected dictator or emperor of Rome and soon after Civil war broke out eventually leading to Caesars killing. Caesar outwitted the ambitious and powerful, yet inexperienced Vercingetorix profoundly in the battles of Avaricum, Gergovia, and Alesia. Caesar conquered Gaul in such extra ordinary fashion, that it still leaves some historians in amazement. Caesar outmaneuvered a quarter million Gauls and strategically dismantling them. Caesars reasoning for this long and grueling conquest of Gaul was to dig himself and Rome out of the debt that had amounted. His conquest of Gaul was also an attempt, a successful one at that, to further his political career and bolster his power. His victory in Rome, as said before, put Caesar on a pedestal surpassing Pompey and Crassus and making him the favorite amongst Roman people. Works Cited Holmes, Thomas. Caesar’s conquest of Gaul. 1899. Print. . Julius, Caesar, W. A. McDevitte , and W. S. Bohn. The Gallic Wars . 1st. Print. . Julius, Caesar, W. A. McDevitte , and W. S. Bohn. The Gallic Wars . 3rd. Print. . Julius, Caesar, W. A. McDevitte , and W. S. Bohn. The Gallic Wars . 4th. Print. . Julius, Caesar, W. A. McDevitte , and W. S. Bohn. The Gallic Wars . 8th. Print. . Holmes, Thomas. Caesar’s Conquest of Gaul:An Historical Narrative (being Part I of the Larger Work on the Same Subject). Part 1. Macmillan, ———————– [1] The First Triumvirate was between the Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey. An alliance to help bolster power for Caesar in particular. [2] Equanimity†¦one of Caesars great attributes being that he was very calm and poised in battle. 3] Phalanxes was a battle formation with consisted of shields and spears. The Romans used it very effectively against all. [pic] [4] The Cevennes Mountains are in south-central France. It is known as Hidden France by some. [5] Cenabum’s massacre was Caesars attempt at revenge as the town was pillaged. [6] The massacres of Cenabum and Avaricum spec ifically, was because of the difficulty Caesar had sieging the towns, thus frustration led to the killings. [7] The Roman 10th Legion was known as the Legio X Equestris and was one of Caesar more famous legions. 8] Abatis were used as barriers; they had long sharpened pointed logs. [9] â€Å"According to Napolean I (Precis des guerres de Cesar, 1836, p. 110), more than fifty days must have elapsed between the departure of Vercingetorix’s cavalry and the arrival of the relieving army† (Pg. 175) [10] Gaul having 4 commanding armies that totaled in a quarter million men made it Qy ‘ »LiAOUaaaA ? â„ ¢  ¶ ? n w ? o? UO? UAU »Ã‚ ±Ã‚ §? â€Å"†°Ã¢â‚¬Å"oA|o_oRoRERhw? h42aCJ^JaJhw? h. â€Å"CJ^JaJjhyg? 0Jhw? h ®w†ºCJ^JaJhw? ho  CJ^extremely difficult for Vercingetorix to communicate successfully outside the walls. How to cite Caesars Gallic Wars, Essay examples

Current Factors and Risks Affecting Wallis Drilling Services

Question: Discuss about the Current Factors and Risks Affecting Wallis Drilling Services. Answer: Introduction Wallis Drilling Company is among the top companies in the world that have been providing drilling services for mining of minerals. Wallis Drilling has been operating for 52 years. Wallis Drilling is a private company that has the most efficient and advanced machines that can work on any terrain in Australia and other international countries (Wallis Company 2015, par. 1). With a sufficient number of competent employees, the services offered are world class. Even though returns are promising, there are some risks that are associated with Wallis Drilling that is significant for the survival of the company. Wallis Drilling company is affected by some international risks; the risks include; commercial risk, cross-cultural risk, country risk and the currency risk. Application of the theory to Wallis Drilling Commercial risk revolves around operational problems that are the issues that are associated with the day to day activities of the company. The operational problems may be the lack of liquid cash or the inability to settle the creditors. The other issue associated with commercial risk is the aspect of timing. A business may enter into an international trade at a time that the economic conditions are straining and thus little profits are earned at the end. In addition, the competition may be very stiff from the already progressed competitors thus making it extremely hard for the company that has not adopted some specific procedures (Burgess-Limerick 2010, p. 53).Lastly, a company may have adopted a strategy that is imperative for its for survival, but poor implementation of the strategy due to factors such as an incapable management can pose a great threat to companies such as Wallis Drilling. Currency risk is another problem that affects Drilling Company. The fact that most of such companies operate internationally is a major factor. Companies need to import or export machinery and equipment for their operations (Tenfelde 2016, p. 5). The prices of the drilling rigs are affected by the currency exchange rate in the international market. There are times that a company may fetch more or less in the same market. The fluctuation in prices of the commodities leads to losses. Currency risks are uncontrollable for they are influenced by externalities or economic conditions. Losses are the greatest worry for Wallis Drilling because of the instances of inflation and international taxation. Country risk majorly revolves around the current situations in the operating country. Companies that are operating internationally face the problems of unstable countries. When there is war in a country, there is no way that a company can be able to carry out its activities normally. The employees will fear for their lives, and thus the operations must be ceased until peace is restored (Tenfelde 2016, p. 7). Economic conditions in a country are also a factor of concern. A country that the company has got a contract in is influenced by factors such as inflation and the ability of the company to honor the terms of the contract like payment of the fee required. Country risk affects some profits and the efficiency of operations. Lastly, a cross-cultural risk is depicted by the factors that are associated with interacting with new people. Most of the time, they interact with individuals that have different approaches to their way of living and decision making. The cultural differences greatly affect the rate at which employees are operating internationally get to adapt to the environment that they are operating in. Negotiation styles may also be different, and thus it may take some time before a contract is fully settled. Conversely, the disparities in the ethical standards may be a factor of concern. If the ethical standards are different, then disagreements may be experienced, and this could reduce the number of contracts attained. Justification of the risks affecting Wallis Drilling Wallis Drilling is a victim of the risks that are associated with international trade. To begin with, Wallis Company employees have experienced difficulties in mingling with different cultures, sometimes the employees have been received with hostility or failed to blend their culture with that of the host country (Boomhower 2014, p.12). It becomes difficult to work in a condition that you are not conversant with. Most of the employees have left the company because of the unconducive working environment. Losing skilled employees to the rival company creates a very stiff competition that most of the time puts a strain on the limited resources available in the company. Also, Wallis Drilling Company has experienced losses due to the low prices of iron in the market. Since the decline of the iron prices due to economic conditions, the operation costs have not been compensated by the expected profits. When the prices for the minerals reduce, most of the mining sites have to be closed by the managing companies. Wallis Drilling has to wait until the prices of the minerals appreciate. Operating internationally has called for sensitiveness when it comes to the foreign exchange rates. For Wallis drilling, they have the threat of experiencing losses when they export or import their drilling rigs (Burgess-Limerick 2010, p. 51).The prices of the equipment are affected by the international economic factors that are beyond the control of the company. Lastly, the inability to pay its creditors the amount they owe them when time elapses. It is certain that Wallis Company being a large company it has various needs that must be allocated to enough resources. To fund its activities, most of the time, the company has to borrow from lenders. In the case that a mine is closed down because of reasons such as low prices in the international market, it becomes tough to honor the promises that were made to the creditors. Wallis Drilling Company thus has the risk of being bankrupt or liquidated by the creditors in case it is unable to honor its creditors (Boomhower 2014, p.78). References Boomhower, J 2014, Drilling like there's no tomorrow: Bankruptcy, insurance, and Environmental risk. EI@ Haas Working Paper, 254. Burgess-Limerick, R, Krupenia, V, Zupanc, C, Wallis, G Steiner, L 2010. Reducing Control selection errors associated with underground bolting equipment, Applied Ergonomics, vol. 41, no.3 pp.549-555. Tenfelde, AM., Esquivel, AO, Cracchiolo, AM, and Lemos, SE, 2016,Temperature change when drilling near the distal femoral physis in a skeletally immature ovine model, Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, vol. 36, no.7, pp.762-767. Wallis Drilling. A Deeper Understanding, viewed 16 March 2017, https://www.wallisdrilling.com.au/