Please complete draft 3 of your Hemingway stories.
Draft Three: Stream of Consciousness
1. Examine your flashbacks. Find moments where your character can include digressions, get stuck on topics, trail off, etc. You are trying to replicate or reproduce how the character’s mind works. See The Gambler, The Nun, & the Radio (end paragraph on opium) and A Clean Well Lighted Place (the ending paragraph on Nada or "nothing")
2. Write these flashbacks using stream of consciousness.
3. When this draft is completed, please spell check and proofread your work. Try to cut down your long complex sentences to short declarative sentences (like Hemingway does).
4. Title your drafts and send the 3rd draft to the workshop folder with your name on the file.
Here's a few holiday themed television episodes to distract you from doing your work.
Charlie Brown Christmas
Prep and Landing
South Park
Please complete Hemingway (if you haven't already) during the break. Otherwise, please return the books to the library.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Snows of Kilimanjaro
Please complete the book by reading the last two stories: "Fifty Grand" and "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber". Hemingway believed that "The Short Happy Life..." was one of his finest stories. Within it, he felt, he covered as much ground as a novel, but did it in about 34 pages.
Taken together many of the short stories in this collection respond to each other by way of contrasting characters, outlooks, and point of view while retaining the comparison of theme: that of death and/or transition.
Some motifs found in the collection include:
paralysis or stasis (many of the characters are stuck (often in the hospital) in a sort of purgatory. They can neither go forward with their lives or backward.)
Relationships (The relationships between husband and wife or males and females seems a little one sided; alternatively, the relationship between men (particularly between fathers and their sons) reflects the relationship between the sexes because at its core there is often a challenge or conflict; each side struggling to "win" a goal.)
Gambling (many of the characters gamble or get into trouble because they gamble; gambling is risk taking...something that Hemingway had an interest in.)
Boxing (quite literally the struggle between two people--in this case made into a sport or game)
Hunting (along with boxing, hunting is the struggle between human and animal made into recreation or simple pastime. It involves risk (like gambling) and shows how men (particularly) are at odds with their environment.)
Taken together many of the short stories in this collection respond to each other by way of contrasting characters, outlooks, and point of view while retaining the comparison of theme: that of death and/or transition.
Some motifs found in the collection include:
paralysis or stasis (many of the characters are stuck (often in the hospital) in a sort of purgatory. They can neither go forward with their lives or backward.)
Relationships (The relationships between husband and wife or males and females seems a little one sided; alternatively, the relationship between men (particularly between fathers and their sons) reflects the relationship between the sexes because at its core there is often a challenge or conflict; each side struggling to "win" a goal.)
Gambling (many of the characters gamble or get into trouble because they gamble; gambling is risk taking...something that Hemingway had an interest in.)
Boxing (quite literally the struggle between two people--in this case made into a sport or game)
Hunting (along with boxing, hunting is the struggle between human and animal made into recreation or simple pastime. It involves risk (like gambling) and shows how men (particularly) are at odds with their environment.)
Hemingway - Part II, Part II (& Part III)
Today in class, after our quiz, please continue to complete the second draft of your Hemingway Project. See below for details.
If you are ready to move on to the next draft, please see the instructions below:
Draft Three: Stream of Consciousness
1. Examine your flashbacks. Find moments where your character can include digressions, get stuck on topics, trail off, etc. You are trying to replicate or reproduce how the character’s mind works. See The Gambler, The Nun, & the Radio (end paragraph on opium) and A Clean Well Lighted Place (the ending paragraph on Nada or "nothing")
2. Write these flashbacks using stream of consciousness.
If you are ready to move on to the next draft, please see the instructions below:
Draft Three: Stream of Consciousness
1. Examine your flashbacks. Find moments where your character can include digressions, get stuck on topics, trail off, etc. You are trying to replicate or reproduce how the character’s mind works. See The Gambler, The Nun, & the Radio (end paragraph on opium) and A Clean Well Lighted Place (the ending paragraph on Nada or "nothing")
2. Write these flashbacks using stream of consciousness.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Hemingway - Part II
Draft Two: Flashback
1. After you complete the basic story (draft #1). 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 or separating them with white space.
Complete your draft #2 today in the lab.
HOMEWORK: Please read "In Another Country", "The Killers", & "A Way You'll Never Be"
1. After you complete the basic story (draft #1). 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 or separating them with white space.
Complete your draft #2 today in the lab.
HOMEWORK: Please read "In Another Country", "The Killers", & "A Way You'll Never Be"
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Snows of Kilimanjaro - Hemingway
Stories are divided into scenes. One scene written after another creates a sequence of events (plot). The best scenes connect, one causing action to further complicate or move the story along.
In early drafts (particularly the first draft) learn to write quickly. Include images, poetic phrases, descriptions of characters in action, describe and detail setting. To create a scene you need characters in a setting DOING something. This never changes in writing. Usually characters in stories come to an epiphany or enlightenment or understanding of their condition. When that "light bulb" lights above your protagonist's head, you know you are close to the end of the story arc. (unless the character is completely wrong). Keep this in mind when writing the following:
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.
HOMEWORK: Please complete "The Gambler, The Nun, and the Radio" & "Fathers and Sons" (pg. 37-64)
In early drafts (particularly the first draft) learn to write quickly. Include images, poetic phrases, descriptions of characters in action, describe and detail setting. To create a scene you need characters in a setting DOING something. This never changes in writing. Usually characters in stories come to an epiphany or enlightenment or understanding of their condition. When that "light bulb" lights above your protagonist's head, you know you are close to the end of the story arc. (unless the character is completely wrong). Keep this in mind when writing the following:
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.
HOMEWORK: Please complete "The Gambler, The Nun, and the Radio" & "Fathers and Sons" (pg. 37-64)
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Workshop & Revision
Complete your workshop requirements (see Nov. 30 post below). When you have completed this, please look through the comments posted and REVISE your draft. Try to address all serious concerns regarding your story. Write and revise, then label this new draft with a new draft #. For example: draft 1 becomes draft 2, draft 2 becomes draft 3, etc. Save these drafts for your portfolio.
Finished?
Complete your reading of the handout on SCENE given to you last class. Choose ANOTHER scene exercise and brainstorm.
Please study for your Martian Chronicles & PLOT quiz on Friday. What should you know? You should know the plots of the stories found in Martian Chronicles, note the title of each story, the characters, description and setting. Examine how the author opens or hooks the reader in each story and how the story ends. Examine the connection between one story on another. Look for plot elements such as cause and effect, exposition, rising action, complication, crisis/turning point, climax, denouement or resolution.
Finished?
Complete your reading of the handout on SCENE given to you last class. Choose ANOTHER scene exercise and brainstorm.
Please study for your Martian Chronicles & PLOT quiz on Friday. What should you know? You should know the plots of the stories found in Martian Chronicles, note the title of each story, the characters, description and setting. Examine how the author opens or hooks the reader in each story and how the story ends. Examine the connection between one story on another. Look for plot elements such as cause and effect, exposition, rising action, complication, crisis/turning point, climax, denouement or resolution.
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