Today, work on completing your final portfolio.
You should be familiar and able to define the following literary terms:
Poetry: denotation, connotation, allusion, symbol, metaphor, simile, allegory, line breaks in poetry, consonants, vowels, white space, euphony, cacophony, alliteration, onomatopoeia, consonance, assonance, pentameter, trimeter, octameter, couplet, closed form, open form, iambic, prosody, caesura, enjambment, rhythm, lyric poem, cliché, free verse, negative capability, inversion, persona, diction, sestina form, haiku, villanelle, confessional poetry, pastoral, ode, elegy, sonnet, etc.
fiction: protagonist, antagonist, regional writer, characterization, crisis, denouement, exposition, foil, flat character, plot, interior, exterior, climax, locale, major/minor characters, 3rd person - omniscient, 3rd person - limited, 2nd person, 1st person, plot structure, anti-hero, dynamic character, inciting incident, drama, conflict and its types, farce, parody, black comedy, satire, various types of comedy
plays/film: beat, scene, act, stage directions, act, creating a dramatic situation, the unities, major dramatic question, actors, basic film shots, mise-en-scene, diegesis, high key/low key lighting
Authors: Woody Allen, Margaret Atwood, Tennessee Williams, Ray Bradbury, Alfred Uhry, Marsha Norman, Ernest Hemingway, Robert Frost, Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Anton Chekhov, H.P. Lovecraft, Allen Ginsberg, T.S. Eliot
You should be able to explain in detail the writing process and various techniques to craft your fiction, poetry, and play/scripts.
Final exam Thursday. All missing work must be in by then for this marking period.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Final Portfolio Instructions
Craft of Writing – Final Portfolio Project (part of 25% of your final grade)
Your portfolio should include a collection of CRAFTED writing (including first drafts), that are collected with a reflective essay.
Rubric:
Reflective creative essay (see below)
Poem (crafted)
Poem drafts
Short story (Fiction) (crafted)
Short story drafts
Play/Script (crafted)
Play/Script (draft)
Journalism article (crafted)
Journalism article drafts
Proofreading/Grammar, punctuation, "readability"
Portfolio turned in on time
Reflective piece: 3-4 pages, double-spaced. Write about how you’ve grown as a writer this year, what has been easy/hard for you, what areas do you need more work in; reflect on your progress as a writer and as a student. Write about each piece you have chosen to include in your portfolio: why did you include it in your portfolio? How does it show your growth and development as a writer in this particular genre? Discuss the crafting process you used to make the work better, what you learned about the form or genre of the work as you wrote and revised it, etc.
Poetry: Choose 1 poem that you wrote and crafted this year. This poem should show off your talent as a writer and suggest that you have learned a lot about the craft of poetry.
Fiction: choose 1 short story you wrote this year. Like the poem it should show your talent and understanding of the craft of fiction.
Play/Script: 1 script (film or stage play) you wrote this year. Like the poem and story, it should show your understanding of the craft of script writing.
Journalism: choose 1 journalism article you wrote this year. This article should show your skill at non-fiction.
What does CRAFTED mean?
• A crafted piece is NOT a first draft. It should take into account all the skills and techniques we covered in class to RE-see or re-vision the piece. A rewrite should take into account workshop suggestions (for example from peer advice or teacher comments, from the forum, or from individual conferences, or by other means.) It should NOT look exactly like your original draft. I encourage you to change form, structure, develop plot, character, setting, theme; increase conflict appropriately, change POV, create effective syntax and sentence construction, etc. In other words, use the LITERARY TECHNIQUES we covered this year to show off and explain your process.
For the reflective essay, you should be able to discuss how you craft your writing, what sort of advice you found helpful in working with the piece, perhaps which authors or models you used to help shape the work, what motivated you to come up with the idea, and how you went about composing, revising, and editing the piece.
Final portfolio due: before or on June 15 (Monday).
Your portfolio should include a collection of CRAFTED writing (including first drafts), that are collected with a reflective essay.
Rubric:
Reflective creative essay (see below)
Poem (crafted)
Poem drafts
Short story (Fiction) (crafted)
Short story drafts
Play/Script (crafted)
Play/Script (draft)
Journalism article (crafted)
Journalism article drafts
Proofreading/Grammar, punctuation, "readability"
Portfolio turned in on time
Reflective piece: 3-4 pages, double-spaced. Write about how you’ve grown as a writer this year, what has been easy/hard for you, what areas do you need more work in; reflect on your progress as a writer and as a student. Write about each piece you have chosen to include in your portfolio: why did you include it in your portfolio? How does it show your growth and development as a writer in this particular genre? Discuss the crafting process you used to make the work better, what you learned about the form or genre of the work as you wrote and revised it, etc.
Poetry: Choose 1 poem that you wrote and crafted this year. This poem should show off your talent as a writer and suggest that you have learned a lot about the craft of poetry.
Fiction: choose 1 short story you wrote this year. Like the poem it should show your talent and understanding of the craft of fiction.
Play/Script: 1 script (film or stage play) you wrote this year. Like the poem and story, it should show your understanding of the craft of script writing.
Journalism: choose 1 journalism article you wrote this year. This article should show your skill at non-fiction.
What does CRAFTED mean?
• A crafted piece is NOT a first draft. It should take into account all the skills and techniques we covered in class to RE-see or re-vision the piece. A rewrite should take into account workshop suggestions (for example from peer advice or teacher comments, from the forum, or from individual conferences, or by other means.) It should NOT look exactly like your original draft. I encourage you to change form, structure, develop plot, character, setting, theme; increase conflict appropriately, change POV, create effective syntax and sentence construction, etc. In other words, use the LITERARY TECHNIQUES we covered this year to show off and explain your process.
For the reflective essay, you should be able to discuss how you craft your writing, what sort of advice you found helpful in working with the piece, perhaps which authors or models you used to help shape the work, what motivated you to come up with the idea, and how you went about composing, revising, and editing the piece.
Final portfolio due: before or on June 15 (Monday).
The Play's The Thing...
Yes. Finish it today, tomorrow, this weekend, Monday, because Tuesday it's due.
Plays should be dramatic (in that they are the representation of conflict on stage). Decisions about character's goals, motivation, setting, plot, and the other Aristotelean components should combine together to make a smashing play script. Again, consider the importance of style (realistic or formalistic) in relation to your main topic. Follow the unities or break them, but whatever you write should have purpose. You should think about your actor/director/producer as well as your story, plot, characters, setting, etc.
Have fun. Due 6/9
By the way, the first student to tell me what the title of this post alludes to, wins an extra credit point.
Plays should be dramatic (in that they are the representation of conflict on stage). Decisions about character's goals, motivation, setting, plot, and the other Aristotelean components should combine together to make a smashing play script. Again, consider the importance of style (realistic or formalistic) in relation to your main topic. Follow the unities or break them, but whatever you write should have purpose. You should think about your actor/director/producer as well as your story, plot, characters, setting, etc.
Have fun. Due 6/9
By the way, the first student to tell me what the title of this post alludes to, wins an extra credit point.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Short Play Draft
Using your list of characters, list of places, list of actions, list of themes/ideas, create a situation for a short play and write one. Remember that if you decide not to follow the unities of time, place, action, that you should make sure that your staging techniques make sense and would be performable by a troupe of actors. Remember that actors like to have lines and interesting parts to show off how skilled and talented they are. You need to have a large ego to be an actor, generally.
How long? Yes.
When is this due? Next tuesday (June 9).
How long? Yes.
When is this due? Next tuesday (June 9).
Monday, June 1, 2009
Driving Ms. Daisy - Alfred Uhry
Please read Driving Ms. Daisy for June 3. There will be a quiz on the play when you arrive on Wednesday.
Plays are representational. They represent real life, they are NOT real life. Actors are representations of their characters. Set pieces are representations of real locations, etc. How symbolic or metaphorical the representation will be is completely up to the playwright (and sometimes the director).
As playwrights, you should be aware that you want to match your action/plot/characters to the style you are attempting to create. A realistic play should "look" real. It should be realistically delivered, often in a realistic setting. Anything that brings attention to itself as being "unrealistic" harms the "realism" of a play/act/scene or beat (moment) on stage. Most common is switching sets or having actors do something that they wouldn't "realistically" do. Realism, however, works on a continuum. The more "unrealstic", the more the play relies on metaphor or formalistic elements. Pay attention to those moments when a story gets "weird" -- usually the writer has a reason for this to occur.
In Driving Ms. Daisy ask yourself:
--What actions or events occur that are realistic?
--What actions or events occur that we see as REPRESENTATIVE?
--How does the playwright create a suggested set? How is the set's flexibility used to keep the action of the play going and continuous from scene to scene?
--How is this play different from others you have read? (Streetcar Named Desire or Night Mother? for example)
--What is the play's major dramatic question?
Plays are representational. They represent real life, they are NOT real life. Actors are representations of their characters. Set pieces are representations of real locations, etc. How symbolic or metaphorical the representation will be is completely up to the playwright (and sometimes the director).
As playwrights, you should be aware that you want to match your action/plot/characters to the style you are attempting to create. A realistic play should "look" real. It should be realistically delivered, often in a realistic setting. Anything that brings attention to itself as being "unrealistic" harms the "realism" of a play/act/scene or beat (moment) on stage. Most common is switching sets or having actors do something that they wouldn't "realistically" do. Realism, however, works on a continuum. The more "unrealstic", the more the play relies on metaphor or formalistic elements. Pay attention to those moments when a story gets "weird" -- usually the writer has a reason for this to occur.
In Driving Ms. Daisy ask yourself:
--What actions or events occur that are realistic?
--What actions or events occur that we see as REPRESENTATIVE?
--How does the playwright create a suggested set? How is the set's flexibility used to keep the action of the play going and continuous from scene to scene?
--How is this play different from others you have read? (Streetcar Named Desire or Night Mother? for example)
--What is the play's major dramatic question?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
'Night Mother by Marsha Norman
Please read Marsha Norman's 'Night Mother for Monday, June 1. There will be a test on this play when you arrive to 7th period.
As you read, consider Aristotle's requirements for a play. How is this play a plot driven by its characters? Do you feel Marsha Norman is successful in creating an interesting or socially relevant play? Take special note about how with only two characters and a single set, the story unfolds. Pay attention to character development and conflict.
A note about the seriousness of this play's theme:
Suicide is a potentially preventable public health problem. It accounts for more than 1% of all deaths in the U.S. each year. In 2001, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S.
Among young people aged 15 to 24, suicide is the third most common cause of death. Four times as many men die by suicide as women. And 73% of all suicide deaths are white males.
Risk factors for thoughts of suicide can vary with age, gender, sexual orientation, and ethnic group. And risk factors often occur in combinations.
Over 90% of people who die by suicide have clinical depression or another diagnosable mental disorder. Many times, people who die by suicide have a substance abuse problem. Often they have that problem in combination with other mental disorders.
Adverse or traumatic life events in combination with other risk factors, such as clinical depression, may lead to suicide. But suicide and suicidal behavior are never normal responses to stress.
Other risk factors for suicide include:
One or more prior suicide attempts
Family history of mental disorder or substance abuse
Family history of suicide
Family violence
Physical or sexual abuse
Keeping firearms in the home
Incarceration
Exposure to the suicidal behavior of others
Are there warning signs of suicide?
Warning signs that someone may be thinking about or planning to commit suicide include:
Always talking or thinking about death
Clinical depression -- deep sadness, loss of interest, trouble sleeping and eating -- that gets worse
Having a "death wish," tempting fate by taking risks that could lead to death such as driving fast or running red lights
Losing interest in things one used to care about
Making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless
Putting affairs in order, tying up loose ends, changing a will
Saying things like "it would be better if I wasn't here" or "I want out"
Sudden, unexpected switch from being very sad to being very calm or appearing to be happy
Talking about suicide or killing one's self
Visiting or calling people to say goodbye
Be especially concerned if a person is exhibiting any of these warning signs and has attempted suicide in the past. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, between 20% and 50% of people who commit suicide have had a previous attempt.
As you read, consider Aristotle's requirements for a play. How is this play a plot driven by its characters? Do you feel Marsha Norman is successful in creating an interesting or socially relevant play? Take special note about how with only two characters and a single set, the story unfolds. Pay attention to character development and conflict.
A note about the seriousness of this play's theme:
Suicide is a potentially preventable public health problem. It accounts for more than 1% of all deaths in the U.S. each year. In 2001, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S.
Among young people aged 15 to 24, suicide is the third most common cause of death. Four times as many men die by suicide as women. And 73% of all suicide deaths are white males.
Risk factors for thoughts of suicide can vary with age, gender, sexual orientation, and ethnic group. And risk factors often occur in combinations.
Over 90% of people who die by suicide have clinical depression or another diagnosable mental disorder. Many times, people who die by suicide have a substance abuse problem. Often they have that problem in combination with other mental disorders.
Adverse or traumatic life events in combination with other risk factors, such as clinical depression, may lead to suicide. But suicide and suicidal behavior are never normal responses to stress.
Other risk factors for suicide include:
One or more prior suicide attempts
Family history of mental disorder or substance abuse
Family history of suicide
Family violence
Physical or sexual abuse
Keeping firearms in the home
Incarceration
Exposure to the suicidal behavior of others
Are there warning signs of suicide?
Warning signs that someone may be thinking about or planning to commit suicide include:
Always talking or thinking about death
Clinical depression -- deep sadness, loss of interest, trouble sleeping and eating -- that gets worse
Having a "death wish," tempting fate by taking risks that could lead to death such as driving fast or running red lights
Losing interest in things one used to care about
Making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless
Putting affairs in order, tying up loose ends, changing a will
Saying things like "it would be better if I wasn't here" or "I want out"
Sudden, unexpected switch from being very sad to being very calm or appearing to be happy
Talking about suicide or killing one's self
Visiting or calling people to say goodbye
Be especially concerned if a person is exhibiting any of these warning signs and has attempted suicide in the past. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, between 20% and 50% of people who commit suicide have had a previous attempt.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Back to Plays - The basics - Part 1
For homework, please continue to scratch about for an idea for play scripts. These should include characters in a place doing something (character + place + action). Complicate your situation by adding a "Whoops", "Uh Oh!" "When...", "Oh, no!" or "But..."
This is an effective way to get yourself out of writing ruts as well.
When stuck, use a complication.
This is an effective way to get yourself out of writing ruts as well.
When stuck, use a complication.
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