Vocab Quiz; Examining Tone, Diction, POV, Voice in Fiction

EQ: Have you learned the literary vocabulary we have covered so far in class? What are the components of "songs"? How does an author use tone, diction, POV, and voice effectively in a story? Prepare for our workshop on Thursday.

After our quiz, please read "Gerald's Song" (pg. 186-189) silently as other students finish. Be prepared to discuss how diction, POV, and tone work effectively in the story. Consider the title and the characteristics of songs:

• A composition for voice performed by singing
• A song may use only one voice (solo), or more than one performer (a chorus, for example)
• Songs are usually short and emotive pieces
• Songs often use repetition or a refrain

After reading the story, think about how the structure and voice of the piece function. Consider diction, POV, and tone as mentioned above. Compare your observations with the person to your left.

LAB: 

• We will hold a workshop on Thursday. Please write and prepare your writing for a workshop by completing anything you need to or have been working on. 
• Download Google Crome!
• Sign up for a Google account if you do not already have one!
• Use Google Drive to store your files so that others can access your drafts!
• Write a "song" in prose (or a traditional song in verse). Use "Gerald's Song" or one of your favorite songs as a model.
• Complete the stories in Sudden Fiction.

HOMEWORK: Please complete the story collection: Sudden Fiction. As you read the next few stories, consider how the authors use diction, tone, voice, and POV effectively. Be prepared to review the collection as a whole.

Diction, Tone, Voice in Poetry; Portfolio - week 3

After our poetry exercise, please note the following:

• Diction: word choice. (see notes below)
• Tone: the overall effect of the diction in a piece of writing, including the choice of subject, imagery, and design or structure (humorous, pedantic, suspenseful, mysterious, melancholy, pleasant, happy, etc.)
• Voice: the agent speaking in the poem or story
• Persona: the voice or speaker of a poem
• Connotation: the attached or assumed meaning of a word, apart from its dictionary or literal meaning 
• Denotation: the literal meaning of a word 
• Negative Capability: a poet should be open with or empathetic to his/her subject.
• Lyric poem: a short, emotive poem (60 lines or fewer)
• Narrative poem: a poem that tells a story (may have fictional/narrative qualities, such as dialogue, chapter headings, etc.)
• Long poem: lengthy poems that have a central idea, digressions, and multiple perspective (longer than 60 lines)
• Prose poem: often blocky or written as a paragraph or two, this is a short, short story that has poetic language and careful word choice (diction) to create an effect
• Poetic diction: tired, stale language often found in bad poetry (ex. rhyming unnecessarily, using elision, cliché, or inversion, etc.) 
• The cliche: Overused or common idioms used instead of creative writing
• Inversion: Reversing word order in a line of poetry (ex. Yoda speak: "A poem you are reading; Inversion it is.")
• Formal or informational language: overly technical language unsuitable to poetry; usually has a cold, dispassionate, or distant tone
• Syntax: word order in a sentence. May also refer to grammar and punctuation use. In English word order is usually NOUN + VERB + DIRECT OBJECT.

In the lab:

• Type up your poem draft.
• Continue your "Class Notes" story or "Things I Did" draft (see post below for details!)
• Continue writing work you have not yet completed.

At the end of class today, please print ALL new pages you wrote since last week. Check your portfolios if you are not sure what you have already printed out!

Portfolios are due at the end of class today!

HOMEWORK: Read the next few stories in Sudden Fiction: pg. 164-185. Read the handout from Mary Oliver on "Diction, Tone, and Voice"

Wait Until Dark

We are attending a field trip to Geva to see Wait Until Dark. If you have been left behind, please use the time to catch up on your creative writing classes. See previous posts for the writing assignment.

HOMEWORK: None.

Class Notes; POV & Voice

When we write stories there are some questions that an author should answer before sitting down to write. Apart from using various techniques to brainstorm or come up with an idea to write about, we must decide:

• Which POV am I going to use?
• Which genre am I going to use to write my story?
• Who is my protagonist? What does my protagonist want?

Let's look at POV today.

Choosing a POV for your character: It helps to know basic ideas for your character before choosing a POV:
We want to answer this Major Question: Who is the story about?

--Someone who is most interesting
--Someone who is involved in the action of the story
--Someone who has the most to gain or lose from the event

1st Person POV: Main character is the narrator (good subjectivity, but lacks objectivity, limited to one character’s mind). This is the best choice when you have a single protagonist who is involved in telling the story from his/her own POV.

2nd Person POV: Main character is the “reader”, used through an objective and omniscient “I” narrator (difficult to maintain for a long time, reader must be willing to play the part, difficult to reach into reader’s mind). This is the best choice for experimentation.

3rd Person POV: Omniscient or Limited
Omniscient narrators can tell the story of many characters, but this can be confusing. The reader may not know who the story is about or whose conflict is important.
A limited POV allows the writer to focus on one particular character. The story told is the story of that character. Consistent POV gives a story coherence. Inconsistent POV confuses the reader.

Reliable narrators versus unreliable narrators: if a narrator is telling the truth or has good reason to tell the truth, we can trust the narrator at face-value. If the narrator is lying to us, or is a shady-kind of person, then we can't always believe what he/she says is true. As you write, consider whether or not the voice you are writing in can be trusted!

Vocabulary: PLEASE STUDY THESE TERMS!

Diction: word choice. Select words in your poem carefully to carry the most meaning. All words have a denotative meaning and a connotative meaning. Understatement, euphemism, and other rhetorical strategies may be used to affect a poem's diction. Speaking to your elderly grandparents uses a different diction than speaking to your "homies".

Voice: The agent or "speaker" speaking through the poem or story. Also called the "persona" or "narrator".

Tone: Often the attitude of your speaker or the voice. Identified in a poem or fiction by diction.

• Tone can be formal or informal depending on the diction a poet uses.
• Tone can be ironic, sarcastic, serious, pedantic, or hyperbolic depending on the voice a poet selects.
• Tone can be positive or negative or neutral. Selecting one of these tones can or should affect your diction.

LAB: After reading "Class Notes" & "Things I Did to Make it Possible", please select one of the following prompts to work on in the lab for your weekly writing submission.

A. Write "class notes" for the people in one of your classes (this one or another one). Where will each of your classmates be in the next thirty years? PLEASE change the name of your peers so that you make this FICTION and not just mean-spirited.
Alternatively, you may create a "family newsletter" like those given out during the holidays for a fictional family or even for your own family.  

B. Like "Things I Did..." make a list of ways in which your narrator accomplished something important to his or her life. You may change the tone and write something so insignificant to make a parody of this exercise as well.  

C. Alternatively, you may write a poem or a short scene instead of a fiction piece, if you'd prefer.

HOMEWORK: Please read the stories in the collection between pg. 133-163. Please prepare for our field trip to Geva to see Wait Until Dark by reading the materials I have provided for you. Please dress appropriately, bring a bagged lunch, and come to the Commons on Wednesday right after 2nd period. 

Fiction Discussion; Lab & Week Two Submissions

Please gather in groups and discuss the short stories in the book: (pg. 88-105).
Complete the ? sheet and turn in for participation credit.

Your homework was to read the stories and identify the setting, summarize the plot in one-two sentences, and identify the major/important character(s) in each story.

After your discussion, please return to the lab to continue to write your "questionnaire" or "hit man" stories (see post below for details!)

HOMEWORK: Please read the stories between pg. 106-121. As you read, consider how the authors write interesting or effective short stories.

A Note About Grading, the Lab, & Portfolios

I will be using a simple rubric for the writing pieces you complete in the lab. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the rubric so that you can submit work of the best quality.

Each week (except for workshop weeks) you will be able to submit the writing you are working on (whether it is completed, revised, or incomplete). From these submissions you will be asked to workshop and craft certain pieces throughout the marking period. These pieces may be revised, polished, "crafted", and turned in at the end of the marking period to comprise part of your quarter grade.

5 = Exemplary4 = Accomplished3.5 = Developing3 = Beginning

Exemplary: Thoroughly developed and thought provoking characters, plot, structure, conflict, theme, and setting. Title and structure is thoughtful revealing important themes or symbolic ideas. Opening of story hooks and interests reader. Author uses vivid and artistically appropriate description, voice, POV, imagery, and compelling dialogue that reveals characterization or moves plot (if appropriate). Work has no errors in format. Has few errors in spelling punctuation, syntax, and usage. Work includes evidence of several revised drafts. A good example of strong writing or work is evident of a skilled writer. Uses lab and class time to full extent to complete writing projects.

Accomplished: Well developed characters, plot, conflict, theme, and setting. Title and structure is appropriate for the story. Opening of story is appropriate to hook the reader. Author uses good description and dialogue, voice, POV, imagery, etc. Format may have a few minor errors. Has some errors in spelling, punctuation, and usage but nothing that gets in the way of the reader’s ability to discern meaning. Work includes evidence of some revision. A good example of crafted writing at the student's grade level. Usually uses lab and class time but may occasionally be off-task.

Developing: Fairly well developed characters, plot and setting, conflict and theme is present but not compelling as "accomplished or exemplary writers", but piece may have gaps. title and structure is okay, but does not necessarily reveal insight. Uses some description or dialogue, but with uneven success. Format has several errors. Has errors in spelling punctuation and usage that distracts the reader. Work may be accomplished, but story was late. Work includes some evidence of revision (drafts), but revision is largely in grammar and syntax, rather than restructuring. A fair example of on-grade level ability and writing skill. Uses lab and class time sometimes, but often is off topic or surfing the internet for unrelated materials.

Beginning: Development of character, plot and setting, conflict, theme, etc. is on a very basic level, although these elements are present. Story is untitled or structure lacks creativity or insight. Uses limited description and dialogue. Format is incorrect or difficult to follow. Author has careless errors in spelling, punctuation, and usage. Work includes little or no evidence of revision. Story may be developing, but work was turned in late. Story is largely incomplete or undeveloped. An example of a struggling student or work that is not up to 10th grade writing standards. Student does not use lab or class time effectively, often off task or disruptive.

Hit Man Story in Chapters

Bell work: on your index card, define the following literary terms:

• Character
• Plot
• Characterization
• Setting
• White space

After sharing your definitions, let's read a story or two to set up our next writing assignment for the lab.

This afternoon, please read the short story: "The Hit Man" by T.C. Boyle and "A Questionnaire for Rudolph Gordon" by Jack Matthews.

In the lab, choose either option A or B (or both) and write a short story draft for your portfolio.

A. Write a short story in at least 5-10 mini-chapters. Give each chapter a heading or title. Separate your chapters, as T.C. Boyle does in his story with a line break (white space) between chapter headings. Each scene should include enough information to develop your story and provide your reader with a plot (your story should have a climax), character definition (characterization), and appropriate, clearly understood setting.
B. Write a story using only questions, or a survey format as Matthews does in his short story. Try to write a story with at least 10 or more questions. Your questions should also attempt to develop your character, the situation or plot, and indicate a clearly understood setting.

Option: You may also try option A, as a script (play or film) or try option B as a poem.

Terms Defined:

• White Space (and why to use it!)
• Plot
• Character
• Characterization
• Setting

If you finish one draft, you may select another format for a second or third story--or combine forms and see what happens. Write, write, write!

HOMEWORK: Please read the next couple of short stories in the book: (pg. 88-105). For each short story in the collection, please identify the setting, summarize the plot in one-two sentences, and identify the major/important character(s) in the story. Put this information in your journal. We will discuss these stories next class.

Popular Mechanics; eLearning; Lab time

After reading and discussing Raymond Carver's short story "Popular Mechanics", please go to the lab and continue to write. At the end of class (last 5 minutes or so), please print out any work you have completed this week and put it in your portfolio. I will collect your portfolio as your exit ticket today from class. In the future we will be using eLearning to do this sort of thing, but right now the system is having a few hiccups and difficulties.

Submit any writing drafts that you have completed this past week (poems, short stories, scenes, etc.), print the draft(s) out and turn in for participation credit.

HOMEWORK: None. If you have not yet read up to page: 78 in Sudden Fiction, please catch up with us. Please bring your books with you to our next class for a writing assignment.

Langston Hughes; Writing Time

This afternoon please read the short story "Thank You, M'am" and learn a little about Langston Hughes. 

Langston Hughes: "As I Grew Older"

It was a long time ago.
I have almost forgotten my dream.
But it was there then,
In front of me,
Bright like a sun—
My dream.
And then the wall rose,
Rose slowly,
Slowly,
Between me and my dream.
Rose until it touched the sky—
The wall.
Shadow.
I am black.
I lie down in the shadow.
No longer the light of my dream before me,
Above me.
Only the thick wall.
Only the shadow.
My hands! 
My dark hands! 
Break through the wall! 
Find my dream! 
Help me to shatter this darkness,
To smash this night,
To break this shadow
Into a thousand lights of sun,
Into a thousand whirling dreams
Of sun! 

"Suicide's Note"  

The calm, 
Cool face of the river
Asked me for a kiss.

"Life is Fine"

I went down to the river, 
I set down on the bank. 
I tried to think but couldn't, 
So I jumped in and sank. 

I came up once and hollered! 
I came up twice and cried! 
If that water hadn't a-been so cold 
I might've sunk and died. 

But it was Cold in that water! It was cold! 

I took the elevator 
Sixteen floors above the ground. 
I thought about my baby 
And thought I would jump down. 

I stood there and I hollered! 
I stood there and I cried! 
If it hadn't a-been so high 
I might've jumped and died. 

But it was High up there! It was high! 

So since I'm still here livin', 
I guess I will live on. 
I could've died for love-- 
But for livin' I was born 

Though you may hear me holler, 
And you may see me cry-- 
I'll be dogged, sweet baby, 
If you gonna see me die. 

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!

"Mother to Son"

Well, son, I’ll tell you:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I’se been a-climbin’ on,

And reachin’ landin’s,

And turnin’ corners,

And sometimes goin’ in the dark

Where there ain’t been no light.

So boy, don’t you turn back.

Don’t you set down on the steps

’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

Don’t you fall now—

For I’se still goin’, honey,

I’se still climbin’,

And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

Themes: the most common themes in literature are:
1. Life
2. Love
3. Nature
4. Death
Use them.
  In the lab: use your time in the lab this afternoon to write. Write any creative responses you may have written in your journal/notebook on Mary Oliver's poetry (from Thursday and Monday) or inspired from the short stories you read in Sudden Fiction.

Today's task is easy. Write. Use your time to write. Remember the enemies of the artistic process and keep these guys from ruining your writing time! You may write about anything. You may write a poem, or several poems, or a short story. You may write. You will write. Go write!

HOMEWORK: Please pages 70-78 in your Sudden Fiction books for next class. Catch up with this reading if you are currently behind. Any draft you are writing in the lab can be continued or completed as a draft for homework. Go home and read and write!

Sudden Fiction Discussion; Enemies Letter

This afternoon, let's start class today reading John Updike's Pygmalion. After discussing the story as a class, we'll move into small groups to discuss the first 32 pages of stories in our collection (this was homework, as you may remember). Please take 10 minutes to discuss these stories with your partners. If you DID NOT complete your homework, use this time to read silently. You will get participation credit for joining a group and discussing the work you should have done for homework.

After discussing the stories, please pay attention to the Enemies of the Artistic Process notes in the post below. After learning about these enemies, go to the lab to complete your letter, start working on your baseline writing draft, and/or read pages 36-63 in your Sudden Fiction books.

HOMEWORK: Complete the stories in Sudden Fiction between pages 36-63. For each story, write a 1-sentence premise or summary of the short story. What is the story about? Keep these summaries in your journal/notebook.

The Basics of the Writing Process & Enemies of the Artistic Process

All writers go through a similar writing process. The five basic steps are examined below:

 1. Prewriting or coming up with an idea: Generating raw material, freewriting, journal exercises, reading, life experience, choosing the gem among the rocks, (expanding and exploring the idea), getting stuck and moving on.

• Every time we get stuck in a piece of writing, it is helpful to go back to this step 

2. Writing the first draft: Composing and structuring, experiment with technique, decide on a genre, decide on the best structure to tell the story. write.

3. Revising: developing meaning, rereading your work to look for a deeper meaning, sharing your work in a readers’ circle/workshop, getting feedback and response, revision: transforming, rearranging, expanding, cutting.

• Often writers will revise as they write their first draft. It is a good idea at some point to focus ONLY on revision. Professional writers often revise a draft upwards of 10-20 times, if not more.

4. Editing: Fine cutting (cutting unnecessary words and paragraphs), line by line editing, reviewing word choice, proofreading for errors.

• Again, writers often edit while composing. Editing is making strong decisions as to what to include and what to cut. The craft of writing, grammar skills, and writing skills are helpful during this process.

5. Publication: Preparing the manuscript for public perusal, sending your manuscript out to publishers, The rejection letter/the acceptance letter, working with an editor/agent/publisher, publication.

• Writers hope to reach this stage, but realize that not all pieces may find their way to publication. Until then, they circle the revising/editing/drafting/brainstorming stage. 

Please note and learn this process. We will be discussing it all year and for the rest of your life.

Enemies of the Artistic Process

Writing is difficult. But knowing who or what is keeping you from completing your writing can be helpful. Read about the various types of "enemies of the artistic process" and then complete the writing exercise below in the lab. By the end of class, please print out your letter and turn it in for participation credit. Please write your letter in standard letter format. If you don't know what that is, please check this link for a model.

The Procrastinator• Don’t put off tomorrow what can be accomplished today. If you always push away your impulse to create or write, you'll never be inspired. Soon, this becomes crippling. 

The Procrastinator says:
• “You can just write tomorrow or the day after or the day after….”
• “You should write after you get all your other work done.”
• “You have too much to do right now to write.”
• “Write after your life gets back to ‘normal’.”
• “Hey, what’s that over there…coffee!” 

The Victim• Bottom line: stop making your lack of a creative life the fault of someone or something else other than yourself. You are in the driver's seat. If you want to write, you will (and you'll be good at it!) 

The Victim says:
• “My family doesn’t understand or appreciate me.”
• “My teachers are too demanding and fill my life with stress.”
• “My friends demand all my time and attention.”
• “I’m going through a tough time and can’t think to write.” 

The Talker• Don’t talk excessively about your idea/writing until it’s done. Writing is, by nature, a lonely and introspective art. Writing is not speaking. Talking is not writing. 

The talker says:
• “Hey, I’ve got a great idea for a story—want to hear it?” 

The Critic• Every artist (even a successful one) has to deal with this guy sooner or later. He is an emotional vampire that sucks all the joy of creating away. Don't be too critical on yourself. Art is expressive but it is also junky and rambling sometimes, and that's okay. 

The critic says:
• “That’s a stupid idea.”
• “This is going nowhere.”
• “This sucks!”
• “You can’t write!” 

The Judge• For everything there is a season. Being too harsh with yourself is not productive. Thinking that writing is a waste of your time is also not productive. 

The Judge says:
• “You should be doing something more meaningful with your time.”
• “How dare you sit there and write when there’s stuff to be done!”
• “Your family and friends need you more than your art!” 

The Perfectionist• Nothing in this world is perfect. & "to err is human." We all make mistakes. A draft of our writing may not be what we want it to be, just like our children or parents--but it does no good to expect perfection all the time in anything. With practice comes skill. With skill comes art. Crafting is all about making new choices, but nothing is ever perfect--especially art. 

The perfectionist says:
• “It’s not good enough.”
• “I’ll never be a writer!”
• “No one will like my story/poem!”
• “I can’t show this to anyone or they’ll think I’m stupid.”

ASSIGNMENT (complete in class today): When you write, which enemy of the artistic process would you say is your biggest enemy? Choose the enemy you feel causes you the most problems. In your journal, write a "hate" letter to your chosen "enemy". Go ahead and "blast" them, tell your enemy that you are not going to take their "crap" anymore. Be ruthless! Tell it like it is! Be creative! Write a letter (use the proper letter format for full credit!)

Then believe your letter. Don't let your enemy win!

Don't waste time! Make a date with writing, keep it, and it will meet you!

Classwork: After writing your letter, you may begin writing anything you wish (poem, script, short fiction, journalism article, etc.) or spend your time reading and completing the homework below.

HOMEWORK: Please read pages 3-32 in your Sudden Fiction books. In your journal/notebook write a 1-sentence summary of each story you read. Be prepared to discuss, compare/contrast these stories next class.

Welcome, class of 2017

Welcome back, class of 2017!

Glad to see you! I hope all of you had a productive, safe, and enjoyable summer. Well, gosh, let's get back to work!

First a few housekeeping things. We are following the standard school rules, just like every other class. Please familiarize yourself with these rules so you don't get into academic trouble. Remember: you're here as creative writing majors to learn the art and CRAFT of WRITING.

Luckily, this is exactly that course! If you try and participate, do your best, and keep an open mind, I'm sure you will do fabulously!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please check this blog each class period for agendas, deadlines, educational information, advice, and a whole lot of links to enhance your education. All you have to do is read and click and read some more. The more you take advantage of this tool, the easier it will be to help you improve and craft your writing. There's good advice here, you just have to pay attention. Messages cannot be delivered effectively if you refuse to heed them.

If you're absent or missed something in class, please check the blog to get caught up. As stated above, each new class period includes a new post. If you have a question about an assignment and are too embarrassed to speak to me in public (or you have a question that you think you will forget to ask), feel free to use the comment section.

New to you this year will be our E-Learning Craft of Writing course. You will be expected to use the site to submit your writing, take quizzes, and move through the course on your own pace. More about this will be discussed next week.

Today, after updating our passwords, logging in, and going over the finer points of the course criteria, we will get started writing. We'll start by reading Mary Oliver's advice to writers. Then, it's over to the lab and let's get writing!