Draft Two: Flashback
1. After you complete the basic story. Write a second draft including the following:
a. Find moments in the story for your character to think about his/her past. Select these moments and for each one, develop the inner dialogue of your protagonist.
b. This “flashback” should reveal personal opinions, reflect on the situation, and/or connect ideas and people with your character’s past. Your character’s past should be detailed with much verisimilitude.
c. You may cover years or many days or a great length of time for your flashbacks. You may also change scenery or setting.
2. Separate your flashbacks by italicizing them.
Complete your draft #2 today in the lab.
Also, please prepare and send in your Penfield poetry contest submission if you have not already done so.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Ernest Hemingway - Fiction project - Draft #1
Short Story Project (Hemingway style)
1. Most of Hemingway’s stories have simple plots revolving around the theme of death or alienation. Two characters usually do not have the same world view (or opinion) and their conversation or relationship is strained by miscommunication (or the fact that a character cannot explain him/herself to another human being.)
2. In your journal, brainstorm a series of situations that you might write about. These situations should be simple and able to be described in one or two sentences. Ex: A man dying of gangrene remembers his youth while trying to convince his wife that he really is dying. Or: Two waiters watch an old drunk man one evening. One of the waiters sees himself reflected in the old man.
3. Pick one of your best situations or one you would like to work with.
4. Tell only this story for the first draft. Your first draft doesn’t have to be an epic length story. It should simply record the events and dialogue. Keep your action within one day or a short amount of time (an hour, a minute, etc.)I'd suggest trying to write 2-3 pages at most.
Draft #1 is due next class: Thursday, April 16.
1. Most of Hemingway’s stories have simple plots revolving around the theme of death or alienation. Two characters usually do not have the same world view (or opinion) and their conversation or relationship is strained by miscommunication (or the fact that a character cannot explain him/herself to another human being.)
2. In your journal, brainstorm a series of situations that you might write about. These situations should be simple and able to be described in one or two sentences. Ex: A man dying of gangrene remembers his youth while trying to convince his wife that he really is dying. Or: Two waiters watch an old drunk man one evening. One of the waiters sees himself reflected in the old man.
3. Pick one of your best situations or one you would like to work with.
4. Tell only this story for the first draft. Your first draft doesn’t have to be an epic length story. It should simply record the events and dialogue. Keep your action within one day or a short amount of time (an hour, a minute, etc.)I'd suggest trying to write 2-3 pages at most.
Draft #1 is due next class: Thursday, April 16.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
A Note
We have completed Martian Chronicles. If you are still reading this book, please try to finish over the Easter/Passover break.
What's due?
--You had a short story draft due a week ago. This is a major assignment and should be completed.
--You should have made at least 3 posts to the forum regarding Martian Chronicles.
--You should turn in your Penfield Poetry draft #1 by the end of today's class.
--You may begin reading Hemingway's collection of short stories. We will cover more of this next week. You should aim to finish this book by the end of Spring Break. Pace yourself.
Have a safe and happy holiday!
What's due?
--You had a short story draft due a week ago. This is a major assignment and should be completed.
--You should have made at least 3 posts to the forum regarding Martian Chronicles.
--You should turn in your Penfield Poetry draft #1 by the end of today's class.
--You may begin reading Hemingway's collection of short stories. We will cover more of this next week. You should aim to finish this book by the end of Spring Break. Pace yourself.
Have a safe and happy holiday!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Poetry Exercises For Penfield Poetry Contest
Use as many of these prompts to create poems. Write poems today. Try to write as many as possible. Call these "First Drafts".
1. Leaf through one of the many poems we have in class. Or use the internet and view poetry 180. (see link). Pick a poem that you like, read it. Follow any of the steps below:
A. Write an answer to the poem--a mirror image poem, shaped as much like the one you have read as you can make it, made up of the thoughts you have in response to the original poem.
B. Cannibalize it. Pull out 10 or 12 words or short phrases from the poem. Choose those that really appeal to you because they are unusual sounding, visually evocative, or strange. Work them into a poem of your own.
C. Take a line from the poem and use it as the first line for a poem of your own, one that need not resemble the original poem at all.
2. Dramatic Monologue Poem:
Write a poem from the perspective of a fictional/historical character (not you). Your monologue should be written as a poem, in poetic structure (line breaks, etc.) Remember that monologues help us understand the inner personality of a character through narrative and voice.
3. Variation on the Dramatic Monologue (Internal dialogue):
A. Invent a character/choose a historical character as above. Begin your poem with a provocative or interesting/thought provoking statement. For example: Ghandi: I'm not sure now that when I sat down in protest to the British Government, I wasn't squatting on the Indian people.
B. Think of some replies to this fictional quote from Ghandi. For example: ME: Ghandi, Do you have any idea how many people have followed your lead around the world?
C. Then allow your character to respond to your question or comment. For example: Ghandi: If a blind man leads, perhaps we all are destined for the cliff's edge. Let me tell you how it really was....
D. Go on from there. After writing the first draft, it may be necessary to trim the poem down to under 20 lines. Keep only the most interesting part of the conversation. Feel free to reshape the poem structure as much as you'd like.
4. The Dinner Party: Meals are an occasion of ritual and revelation--even meals taken alone. Think of some memorable occasion(s) ocurring at the table. Thanksgiving is obvious, so don't use it. Think of one such occasion. Write about it, including descriptions of who was there, what was said, what the room looked like, how the table was set, what the weather outside was like, what you ate, what was NOT said. After describing the event, choose the best parts and work this into a poem of fewer than 30 lines.
5. Myth: People of all cultures have created myths to explain their world. Choose something in your culture that is mysterious or profound. How might you explain such things? Write a contemporary myth to explain this "magical" phenomenon. Then use the best parts to form a poem.
6. Culture: Write about your culture through the eyes of a relative. Narrow the culture by describing a specific unique aspect of your history/familial lineage, etc. Leave yourself out of it. This poem is about a relative (fictional or real). See their work, music, traditions, etc. from their perspective. Write a poem that incorporates such things.
Complete drafts and then turn in when they are done. With time remaining, try another and another poem. Send to your workshop group for feedback AFTER you have completed the first draft, if you want to.
1. Leaf through one of the many poems we have in class. Or use the internet and view poetry 180. (see link). Pick a poem that you like, read it. Follow any of the steps below:
A. Write an answer to the poem--a mirror image poem, shaped as much like the one you have read as you can make it, made up of the thoughts you have in response to the original poem.
B. Cannibalize it. Pull out 10 or 12 words or short phrases from the poem. Choose those that really appeal to you because they are unusual sounding, visually evocative, or strange. Work them into a poem of your own.
C. Take a line from the poem and use it as the first line for a poem of your own, one that need not resemble the original poem at all.
2. Dramatic Monologue Poem:
Write a poem from the perspective of a fictional/historical character (not you). Your monologue should be written as a poem, in poetic structure (line breaks, etc.) Remember that monologues help us understand the inner personality of a character through narrative and voice.
3. Variation on the Dramatic Monologue (Internal dialogue):
A. Invent a character/choose a historical character as above. Begin your poem with a provocative or interesting/thought provoking statement. For example: Ghandi: I'm not sure now that when I sat down in protest to the British Government, I wasn't squatting on the Indian people.
B. Think of some replies to this fictional quote from Ghandi. For example: ME: Ghandi, Do you have any idea how many people have followed your lead around the world?
C. Then allow your character to respond to your question or comment. For example: Ghandi: If a blind man leads, perhaps we all are destined for the cliff's edge. Let me tell you how it really was....
D. Go on from there. After writing the first draft, it may be necessary to trim the poem down to under 20 lines. Keep only the most interesting part of the conversation. Feel free to reshape the poem structure as much as you'd like.
4. The Dinner Party: Meals are an occasion of ritual and revelation--even meals taken alone. Think of some memorable occasion(s) ocurring at the table. Thanksgiving is obvious, so don't use it. Think of one such occasion. Write about it, including descriptions of who was there, what was said, what the room looked like, how the table was set, what the weather outside was like, what you ate, what was NOT said. After describing the event, choose the best parts and work this into a poem of fewer than 30 lines.
5. Myth: People of all cultures have created myths to explain their world. Choose something in your culture that is mysterious or profound. How might you explain such things? Write a contemporary myth to explain this "magical" phenomenon. Then use the best parts to form a poem.
6. Culture: Write about your culture through the eyes of a relative. Narrow the culture by describing a specific unique aspect of your history/familial lineage, etc. Leave yourself out of it. This poem is about a relative (fictional or real). See their work, music, traditions, etc. from their perspective. Write a poem that incorporates such things.
Complete drafts and then turn in when they are done. With time remaining, try another and another poem. Send to your workshop group for feedback AFTER you have completed the first draft, if you want to.
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