Please continue to read The Martian Chronicles. We will be moving to a new author and collection approximately next week.
In lab:
1. Please continue to post comments and questions about the book or stories on the forum. Each serious post is worth participation credit.
2. Please continue to workshop and provide valuable feedback to the writing submitted by your workshop fellows. Each serious post is worth participation credit.
3. Complete your "1st draft" of the story based on Damon Knight's chapter on Hearing/Seeing/Fred, taking into consideration his advice about short fiction. This draft should be completed today (or by Wednesday at the latest). Please attach brainstorming homework to your completed or expanded 1st draft.
4. If you need to, read Martian Chronicles during class.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The End of the Hallway - Bradbury and Knight Writing Advice
According to Ray Bradbury in his non-fiction writing guide: Zen in the Art of Writing, Bradbury mentions a technique he uses to come up with ideas. He says that he imagines a hallway with a door at the end. When he begins a story, he imagines himself walking down the hallway, turning the doorknob, and entering this "room" or "space" behind the door. Then he starts writing what comes to mind. Try this exercise as often as you need to complete your stories/poems/plays, etc.
Some good advice from Damon Knight (from the chapters handed out to you in class):
1. "You can't write about a general character in a general setting--[to keep a story going] you need a paricular person in a particular place, feeling a particular way, in a particular situation."
2. "Each time you answer a question [about character, setting, situation, feeling] you will be closer to finding out what happens in the story."
3. "Editors are often reluctant to publish any short story that ends with the death of a sympathetic viewpoint character."
4. "After writing a 1st draft, go back over your story and: criticize your own story. By asking questions [about craft] now, you will save yourself the embarrassment of having others ask them later."
5. Remember to draw on your own experiences if you need to, but also rely on research to flesh out an idea.
6. Constraints (like prompts) can help limit your imagination and give you a good place to start writing.
7. "In a story we expect a quality of completion, of roundedness, which sets it apart from a sketch, an incident, or an anecdote."
8. "There is an implied contract between the author and the reader that goes something like this: Give me your time and pay your money, and I'll let you experience what it's like to be...a trapper in the woods, an explorer in the Martian desert, a young woman in love with an older man, a dying cancer patient...etc. You must look hard at the offer you are making: would you accept it, if you were the reader?"
9. "A story has a shape; you can't see it all at once, but it's there. A good story has a pleasing shape, like a vase or a violin; a bad one has a meaningless, haphazard shape, like a pile of junk."
10. "Every story is a machine designed to evoke an organized series of responses in the reader. When the writer is clumsy, the mechanism shows. In a good story it is concealed and we are not aware of it, but it is there just the same, and every part of it has its function."
Using your homework prompt from Damon Knight, flesh out your story. Add details. Add characterization. Add dialogue and description. Add literary devices. Correct grammar and punctuation. Develop plot and theme. Shape your work (use the above advice to help!)
Some good advice from Damon Knight (from the chapters handed out to you in class):
1. "You can't write about a general character in a general setting--[to keep a story going] you need a paricular person in a particular place, feeling a particular way, in a particular situation."
2. "Each time you answer a question [about character, setting, situation, feeling] you will be closer to finding out what happens in the story."
3. "Editors are often reluctant to publish any short story that ends with the death of a sympathetic viewpoint character."
4. "After writing a 1st draft, go back over your story and: criticize your own story. By asking questions [about craft] now, you will save yourself the embarrassment of having others ask them later."
5. Remember to draw on your own experiences if you need to, but also rely on research to flesh out an idea.
6. Constraints (like prompts) can help limit your imagination and give you a good place to start writing.
7. "In a story we expect a quality of completion, of roundedness, which sets it apart from a sketch, an incident, or an anecdote."
8. "There is an implied contract between the author and the reader that goes something like this: Give me your time and pay your money, and I'll let you experience what it's like to be...a trapper in the woods, an explorer in the Martian desert, a young woman in love with an older man, a dying cancer patient...etc. You must look hard at the offer you are making: would you accept it, if you were the reader?"
9. "A story has a shape; you can't see it all at once, but it's there. A good story has a pleasing shape, like a vase or a violin; a bad one has a meaningless, haphazard shape, like a pile of junk."
10. "Every story is a machine designed to evoke an organized series of responses in the reader. When the writer is clumsy, the mechanism shows. In a good story it is concealed and we are not aware of it, but it is there just the same, and every part of it has its function."
Using your homework prompt from Damon Knight, flesh out your story. Add details. Add characterization. Add dialogue and description. Add literary devices. Correct grammar and punctuation. Develop plot and theme. Shape your work (use the above advice to help!)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Ray Bradbury: The Martian Chronicles
Pick up the book The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury from our library. In class we will begin to read and discuss Bradbury's writing. After today, continue to read at your own pace, but realize that we will be picking up a new book in a week or two.
Please visit Bradbury's website, listed under the links. Again, find out information about him, his other books (particularly if you are or have read F451 in English class), and his advice to young writers like yourself. Like Margaret Atwood, please post comments and questions to the Bradbury forum on our forum page.
Please visit Bradbury's website, listed under the links. Again, find out information about him, his other books (particularly if you are or have read F451 in English class), and his advice to young writers like yourself. Like Margaret Atwood, please post comments and questions to the Bradbury forum on our forum page.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Workshop/Wilderness Tips comment
Please continue to workshop and write during lab. Please make a comment on the forum (see links) about Wilderness Tips. Discuss this book with your peers by posting comments and writing about comments others make about the book.
Finally, for Friday, please read John Gardner's chapter 3 from his book: The Craft of Fiction on "interest and truth." Note questions or observations as you read. We will discuss this during class on Friday.
Finally, for Friday, please read John Gardner's chapter 3 from his book: The Craft of Fiction on "interest and truth." Note questions or observations as you read. We will discuss this during class on Friday.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Workshop Tips
The purpose of a workshop is to give a writer valuable feedback.
A workshop is most valuable when:
--The author is interested in getting feedback
--The participants are willing to be honest about the writer's work
--The author brings questions and concerns to the group about the work
--The participants try to help the author strengthen his/her work by suggesting craft elements: plot, character, pov, setting, alternate beginnings/endings, techniques of fiction, etc.
How to Conduct a Workshop in the 21st Century:
1. Choose a submitted text from "shortcut to Craddock" Craft of Writing, workshop folder to read and view.
2. After reading the story, the workshop members should note specific words or phrases or lines, characters, scenes, dialogue, etc. that he/she liked. Jot down what this was (underline or bold in the text, for example). Remember to let the writer know you liked these scenes, characters, plot elements, lines, etc.
3. If you have a question or are confused by what you read, italicize or bold this section so that you can let the writer know you had a question. (I didn't understand..., for example)
4. If you have a comment about the story (this reminds me of..., for example) you can write this on the forum (see below).
5. Consider the basic questions and techniques of fiction. (plot, character, POV, setting, theme, mood, voice, poetry, imagery, dialogue, characterization, conflict, suspense, etc.) Give the writer a WRITTEN critique of their story based on these questions. Write your comments on the forum.
6. When finished reading, post comments on the forum. Sign your name so you get credit. Try to answer the writer's specific questions. Writers should help this along by asking questions that they want to know about their stories. For example: Did you understand the point of my story? Are the characters clear and well defined or developed? Does the setting of my story distract you as a reader? Etc.
7. After commenting on the forum, if there is more work in your group's folder, please continue this process.
8. If you have finished your workshop, it is time for you to write. Work on your own stories. Keep writing. When you are ready to share, put your work in the shared file, craft of writing - workshop folder.
9. Repeat as often as possible.
You will get credit for each forum post you make and for each story you post.
A workshop is most valuable when:
--The author is interested in getting feedback
--The participants are willing to be honest about the writer's work
--The author brings questions and concerns to the group about the work
--The participants try to help the author strengthen his/her work by suggesting craft elements: plot, character, pov, setting, alternate beginnings/endings, techniques of fiction, etc.
How to Conduct a Workshop in the 21st Century:
1. Choose a submitted text from "shortcut to Craddock" Craft of Writing, workshop folder to read and view.
2. After reading the story, the workshop members should note specific words or phrases or lines, characters, scenes, dialogue, etc. that he/she liked. Jot down what this was (underline or bold in the text, for example). Remember to let the writer know you liked these scenes, characters, plot elements, lines, etc.
3. If you have a question or are confused by what you read, italicize or bold this section so that you can let the writer know you had a question. (I didn't understand..., for example)
4. If you have a comment about the story (this reminds me of..., for example) you can write this on the forum (see below).
5. Consider the basic questions and techniques of fiction. (plot, character, POV, setting, theme, mood, voice, poetry, imagery, dialogue, characterization, conflict, suspense, etc.) Give the writer a WRITTEN critique of their story based on these questions. Write your comments on the forum.
6. When finished reading, post comments on the forum. Sign your name so you get credit. Try to answer the writer's specific questions. Writers should help this along by asking questions that they want to know about their stories. For example: Did you understand the point of my story? Are the characters clear and well defined or developed? Does the setting of my story distract you as a reader? Etc.
7. After commenting on the forum, if there is more work in your group's folder, please continue this process.
8. If you have finished your workshop, it is time for you to write. Work on your own stories. Keep writing. When you are ready to share, put your work in the shared file, craft of writing - workshop folder.
9. Repeat as often as possible.
You will get credit for each forum post you make and for each story you post.
Margaret Atwood
Please read the collection of short stories by Margaret Atwood. You will discuss some of these stories with your workshop group during the next few classes.
Please check out Margaret Atwood's website and learn a little about who she is and what makes her tick.
On Atwood's website, she gives advice to young writers. Please read this section and post a question or comment about "being a successful writer." Do you think this advice is helpful?
Finally, please post a comment below about your reading so far. If you have questions for me about Margaret Atwood's writing, or want to make a comment about a story or Atwood's website, please include that also.
Posting a comment is worth class credit. Please do not forget to do so.
Please check out Margaret Atwood's website and learn a little about who she is and what makes her tick.
On Atwood's website, she gives advice to young writers. Please read this section and post a question or comment about "being a successful writer." Do you think this advice is helpful?
Finally, please post a comment below about your reading so far. If you have questions for me about Margaret Atwood's writing, or want to make a comment about a story or Atwood's website, please include that also.
Posting a comment is worth class credit. Please do not forget to do so.
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