Monday, February 10, 2014

Poetry/Fiction & Hemingway drafts

In David Surette's poetry, he often focuses on people he knows (usually relatives) and describes them in a character sketch. He uses common sayings that the person said, illustrating various character traits (both physical and personality), and ending with a turn (volta) or surprise.

Whether we are writing stories or poetry, our process is the same. A writer should:
1. Pick a character or subject to write about
2. Consider form/structure or genre
3. Write
4. In your poem/story consider crafting the inciting incident (the first line), the rising action, the crisis or volta (turning point) and the ending. Both poetry and fiction should leave the reader with a striking image.
5. Give your piece a title that suggests theme, tone, subject, or setting

Write a narrative piece focusing on a relative. Pick a relative. Jot down your image of this person. Think about what this person says. Think about who this person is. What words do you associate with this person. Use David Surette's poetry as models for your writing.

Please work on the poem (story) prompt for our warm up today. If you have not yet completed the assignment from last class: write a scene where you start off with dialogue (see post below for details), please complete that during 7th period.

During 8th period, we will discuss the two stories: "A Day's Wait" and "A Clean, Well Lighted Place" by Ernest Hemingway.

HOMEWORK: Please read the stories: "The Gambler, The Nun,  and the Radio" and "Fathers and Sons"

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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.