Wednesday, November 28, 2012

The Fiction Portfolio & Assignments

This marking period we have been working on the craft of fiction. Specifically, we have covered a variety of topics including: character, characterization, POV, setting, description, and will follow all this up with plot.

Today, please write. Your portfolio should include a variety of fiction (both first drafts and some second drafts). I will be grading you on your ability and crafting, as opposed to "is everything there." Your work in your portfolio should reflect the hard work and effort you put into the marking period. If you have little writing (only one or two stories that are not well written), you have not met the requirements of this course for this marking period. The portfolio should show me what you have done in the last six weeks.

Missing Assignments: On your grade report, any score of a "1" indicates that you have not turned in or completed this assignment. You are more than welcome to make up any score of a "1" for more credit, but realize that late and missing work will affect your overall grade. What are you missing? If you cannot tell, then you are either: A). not reading the blog posts each class and noting what assignments are due as HOMEWORK (posted each day at the end of a blog entry) or B). not paying attention (I remind the class verbally each day what homework was due), or C). unable to understand directions. If this is the case, please ask questions about the assignment.

LAB WORK: Please use the time today in the lab to write. If all the homework and story drafts have been completed at this point, please begin working on creating second drafts of your earlier drafts (include what you have been learning in class, and show that you understand this material by including it in your second or third drafts). Keep track of draft numbers, as always.

Finished and there's still time?
Go on to work on one of these setting exercises. This is BRAINSTORMING and should be treated as such. Don't label these exercises yet as a draft ONE. You may complete as many of these exercises as you wish. Change anything you feel you need to as this is just BRAINSTORMING - the first step in the writing process. When you have written one or more of these things, you may use what you've written to start a new draft of a story, or add details to your previous drafts.

HOMEWORK: Select one story from your collection and examine the story for the author's use of SETTING. Write down your observations on an index card and turn in next class. Please also read the handout on Setting and Description.

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About this course!

This course stresses understanding the characteristics & techniques in the literary genres of fiction, poetry, and dramatic writing. This course will continue to build on students’ reading and writing skills begun in previous creative writing classes. Readings and discussions of works by major writers in the field will be examined as inspiration and models of fine writing. This educational blog is designed for the use of the students at the School of the Arts in Rochester, NY.