Your Inner Child

Taken from Google Images

This is a writing exercise to get you in touch with your child-self before we start writing your children's books!  Choose one of the prompts below and write it as your child-self (this is going to take some thought)!  What kind of things would you have to say about one of these topics when you were 5 years old?  7 years old?  9 years old?  If you're feeling brave, use your multi-genre sheet!  Make sure that you write in a child's voice - your child voice!

a. What do you want to be when you grow up?  Why?

b. What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you?  Why was it so scary, and how did you get away from it?

c. Talk about a time in which you felt proud of yourself.  What did you do and why did you do it?  Did you receive any awards for this task?

d. What are the differences between boys and girls in how they act?  Why do you think that boys act one way and girls act another?

e. What would you do with a million dollars?  What would buy and why?

Magnificent Magazines!

For the first 10 minutes of class, I want you to read an article in the magazine that you brought.  How is this article different from the newspaper articles you read yesterday?  What techniques do the writers use that go against the rules of the Inverted Pyramid?  Does the genre of magazine determine the types of articles that are written?  What is the importance of audience?  What other techniques do publishing companies use in their magazines that hold reader interest?  I mean, a magazine isn't simply made up of a bunch of articles, right?
For the next genre, we will be exploring elements of magazines and come up with a list of "genres" within a magazine that make up the publication as a whole.  What can you find?  Let's brainstorm and collaborate together!

Taken from Google Images



For the next genre, think about ways in which you could incorporate various elements of a magazine into your multi-genre project (it doesn't have to be an article either, but it can be!).  Here are some things to ponder before you get started:

•  What kind of magazine would relate to your topic?  Womens' interest?  Mens' interest?  Health?  Beauty?  Sports?
• Who is your target audience?  Who is most likely to buy the magazine, and how would you write the article for that specific group of people?
• What kind of photos, headings, and statistics could you use to make your piece more engaging and interesting for your readers?
• How could you incorporate a magazine piece into your final multi-genre project?
  

Journalism and Print Media

Today my friend, you are a journalist.  I want you to think about how you could incorporate a news article into your multi-genre project, and use the Inverted Pyramid in order to write your article:

Remember that the most important information (the who? what? when? where? why? how?) always goes first in a news article.  Immediately, the reader should have a strong idea of what happened, where it happened, and to whom it happened to (etc) in the first sentence or two of the article.  This is the most important part of the article, for it holds the most pertinent information!

The next section of the article will be dedicated to the minor (yet still important) details of the event.  However, this information is not considered "necessary" - it simply adds more insight to the story for the readers who crave to know more.

The last bit of the article is the least important; it could be considered the "fluff" section that is written in order to get a certain amount of words or fill up more space in that section of the newspaper.  The information found in the bottom portion of the Inverted Pyramid is the information the readers could do without, hence why it is the smallest section.

How can you incorporate a news article into your multi-genre piece?  Remember that news articles have dates,  photos with captions, quotes from people related to the subject, catchy headings, and a byline that includes the name of the writer and perhaps his/her title (ie - Monica Richardson: Editor in Chief). 

Take some time to analyze a newspaper and adopt the style for this writing exercise!



Basic Letter Format

Mr./Miss Your Name
Your Street Address/PO Box
Your City, Your State, Your Zip Code

Person Receiving Letter
His/Her Street Address/PO Box
His/Her City, State, & Zip Code

Today’s Date (ie – March 29, 2012)

Dear Receiver,

This is a basic letter in block format.  When writing letters you need to use complete sentences, correct spelling, and proper punctuation. Put one space between each word and do not use enter on the keyboard until you get to the end of the paragraph.

The first paragraph in a letter should explain who you are and why you are writing.  In the second paragraph you will give details as to the content and purpose of the letter.  In the third paragraph you will restate the purpose in the first paragraph, and thank the reader for their time.

Use only proper English in written communication.  Abbreviations, text-language, and emoticons make a poor impression on your letter readers.  Written communication makes a lasting impression on the reader, and letters - although they are a lost art - are a big deal. So follow this simple format when you write a letter for your multi-genre project!

Thank you for your time,

Your Name

Those of you who are missing class Friday, make sure that you post either your poem, your diary entry, or your letter to your blog by Friday at 4pm.  Polish up your work, and give a brief explanation of how the piece you chose to post could be incorporated into your multi-genre project!  As usual, this assignment will be worth 50 points, and I'm expecting perfection, so take it seriously!  See you all Monday!

The Lost Art of Letter Writing

Taken from Google Images



With email, text messaging, and the capability of calling someone on the phone, writing a letter (and subjecting oneself to "snail mail") has become a lost art, and yet there are many types of letters to write: letters of complaint, letters of recommendation, cover letters, business letters, and love letters (does anyone write love letters anymore?).  I hope they do.

For this genre, you are going to write a letter that goes along with your multi-genre topic.  Depending on the nature of your topic, you will have to determine what kind of letter you need to write and how that letter may fit into your multi-genre puzzle.  Perhaps you will create a character and write a letter from his/her perspective that pertains to your topic.  Perhaps you are the person writing the letter if your topic is personal.  Brainstorm some ways to incorporate some "snail mail" in your multi-genre project!

It's also time to begin thinking about how your multi-genre project will take shape: how you will use repetend, which writing styles you will incorporate in the finished product, what message you want to send to your readers.  So far, you've made an advertisement, written a poem, a diary entry, and now we are focusing on letter-writing.  How can you include these 4 genres in your project? 

Dear Diary...

Anne Frank
Taken from Google Images

"It's an odd idea for someone like me to keep a diary; not only because I have never done so before, but because it seems to me that neither I - nor  for the matter of anyone else - will be interested in the unbosomings of a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl.  Still, what does that matter?  I want to write, but more than that, I want to bring out all kinds of things that lie buried deep in my heart." -Anne Frank

If you haven't already guessed, the genre we will be focusing on today is a diary or journal entry.  What's the point in keeping a diary, you might ask?  A diary entry is one of the most personal forms of writing simply due to the fact that the writer believes that his/her eyes will be the only ones to ever gaze upon the page.  A diary is a place where one can disclose innermost thoughts - the reality, the raw nature, of one's life.

Anne Frank had thought this, but when her diary was discovered, a piece of history and a piece of a human heart were also discovered.  Frank's diary has become one of the most famous pieces of literature in all history, and all because a little girl got a blank book as a gift.  Her diary is history, thoughts, and emotions frozen in time.

For this piece, I want you to think about how you could incorporate a diary entry into your multi-genre project.  Depending on the nature of your topic, you could incorporate a journal entry from your perspective (if your topic is personal to you) or from the perspective of a character that you make up for your project.  An idea for repetend is to create a character and give snippets of a diary entry from that character's perspective in between your various pieces of writing to create unity between your work.

Remember that a diary entry is a raw and personal thing: hold nothing back!

Creating an Ad

Taken from Google Images

For this assignment, I want you to think about the topic you chose for your multi-genre project.  Since our focus this week has been on advertising, I then want you to imagine what an ad would look like that pertains to your topic.  What message could you leave with your readers by using an advertisement in your multi-genre project?   Consider the following questions:

What kind of ad could you come up with for your topic?

What message do you want your advertisement to convey?

Who is the audience in which you are targeting this advertisement? 

What kind of photo or imagery would be most effective?

Which words or text on your advertisement should be bigger than the others?

What colors should you use in your advertisement to set the tone?

What language are you going to use to be catchy and convincing?

Your topics vary greatly, but as we have discovered this week, there is always something to sell, and there will always be ways to sell it - whatever it may be.  So, consider this a starting point: how could you incorporate an advertisement into your multi-genre project? 

Remember that you might actually be able to incorporate this into your final product, so put some time, energy, and effort into it!

After you create your advertisement using the suggested criteria above, I want you to type up an explanation of your choices: why did you construct the ad in the manner you did?  How is your ad effective?  What would you have chosen to do differently if given the opportunity?



What tactics do these companies use to get you to buy their products?
Taken from Google Images



Evil Advertising

Sex Sells.  Pamela Anderson (in a bikini)
urges you to "go Vegetarian" - will you?
Taken from Google Images



The first genre we are going to explore in the multi-genre unit is something you are exposed to on a daily basis: advertisements!  Before I show you a film clip regarding advertising, I want you to ponder these questions:

What is advertisement?
What purpose does it serve?

What tactics do companies use to get people to buy products?

Have you ever bought something just because the ad was cool?

How do ads target specific groups of people?

How could advertising be considered "evil"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSXDCMSlv_I

I want you to flip through the pages of a magazine and take a deeper look at the ads you see.  What message is each of the ads trying to convey?  What audience is the ad targeting?  What tactics are being used in order to sell products?  How are the ads you see essentially "evil"?

Now I want you to take an ad (or several) and come up with one of your own that exposes the dark truth behind what advertising agencies want people to see.  There are two sides to advertising: the flawless and glitzy images shown, but the reality behind what is being sold.  You are now an agent with one mission: expose the menacing side of the ads you see...go!

*Think about how you could incorporate an ad into your multi-genre project - the ideas are endless for there is always something to sell!

Baraka and Multi-Genre Writing

Taken from Google Images



Baraka: a blessing; the thread that weaves life together.

When you create your multi-genre project, you will piece various writing styles together tell a story that maintains a theme/topic of your choosing.  I showed you the film "Baraka" to serve as a metaphor for your future multi-genre project - the piecing together of unlikely elements in order to evoke emotion in readers.

The images in the film were fragmented, and watching each piece as it stood alone could have been inspiring, comical, intriguing, or horrifying to you.  However, these images (much like the various styles in a multi-genre piece) were pasted together in a particular fashion to evoke emotion in viewers.  A message was sent, but what message was that?  The beauty of this film is that each person who watches it sees it through their own eyes, gaining something completely different from the images than the person sitting beside them.  My hope is that your multi-genre piece will do exactly what this film does: piece together the unlikely, and yet emotionally move your readers.

For your blog this week, I want you to think about the message this film sent to you.  Use one of the genres on the handout I have given you to come up with an original and interesting way to explain (through writing) what you gained by watching this film.  There are no right and wrong viewpoints here, and I look forward to reading about what you thought of "Baraka" and the message it gifted to you. 

This is your last grade for the quarter, so please take it seriously!  Rather than being due next Monday, this post will be due this Friday (March 16th) at 4 pm!

The Power of Theme!

Taken from Google Images

 

 

Today, you have your choice between two prompts, but you must use one of the following themes to use in your story:

Obsession, Hope, Despair, or Race

The first prompt is called "Spoiled Rotten" and asks you to list six disgusting things you've found in your refrigerator (or have heard others describe in theirs).  Your task is to use all 6 in your story, and begin with "Whenever he mentions Paris..."  This is going to be tough - you are going to have to get creative!  Remember that you can use the items to describe smells, sights, feelings, or use them as metaphors!

The second prompt is called "Knot Now" and asks you to simply begin your story with "She adjusted his bow tie..."  Remember though: you MUST use one of the themes listed above!

 

Taken from Google Images

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Taken from Google Images

So, this week we are talking about theme: universal ideas that anyone (well, aside from sociopaths) can understand.  Since it is the day of the year dedicated to LOVE, you are going to base your prompt around this theme.  There are many forms of love - not just romantic love.  Also, love isn't always sunshine and gum drops and rainbows.  Love can be hard; love can be tough.  Make sure that as you write this prompt, you consider the following:

1. Creating Scene/Setting

2. Believable Characters that DO something!

3. Effective Dialogue

4. Maintaining Theme

There is a catch for this prompt, however!  Using Day 44's prompt from The Write-Brain Workbook, you must make up a sentence that begins your story with words containing the following letters: T, S, L, M, A, B.  An example the book gives: "Tracy Stone loved marbles and baubles" or "The sprite leprechaun missed a beat".  See what crazy sentence you can create for the first line of your short story dedicated to that four letter word we just LOVE!

Campfire Stories!

Taken from Google Images

Create a few characters that are sitting around a campfire, and feel free to use characters you've already created.  Maybe one of the gossipers from yesterday's prompt meets up with the character you created last week based off of the photo.  What would that interaction be like? 

What is it that draws people to the outdoors?  (maybe one of your characters doesn't even want to be there; maybe this isn't even a camping trip...).  Maybe your characters are on the run.  Maybe they are trying to have a romantic getaway.  Maybe they are stranded.  What kind of things do people talk about while camping or stuck outside?  What can they discover about one another while alone in the woods?  Create some realistic dialogue for your characters!

Remember to keep your focus on:

1. Scene/Setting

2. Believable Characters

3. Realistic Dialogue

When you post your blogs over the weekend, be sure to show me that you understand the importance of these three aspects of short-story writing and have taken measures to use each element effectively in your writing!

Gossip Time.

Taken from Google Images

Time for some high school drama - gossip!  High school can be brutal, especially when people talk behind your back or spread nasty rumors; it can get ugly.  Create a scene with two or three characters who are discussing - you guessed it - you.  What would they say when they talked behind your back?  Would the rumors get more ridiculous as their conversation went on?  Make sure you give vivid descriptions to illustrate your scene (where are they?  What are they doing?), the gossipers, and their dialogue! (If you don't want them to be discussing you per se, you may make up another character)!

What's there to Say Post Break-Up?

Create a character who has just broken his/her girl/boyfriend's heart.  He/she calls and wants to get together to talk some things out.  You have three tasks for this journal prompt:

1. Create a scene - give your readers a back story, use description to illustrate setting, and remember to think small - we are not covering large time frames in these prompts!

2. Create believable characters.  Who is she?  Who is he?  Who are they as a couple?  What has happened between them?  How long have they been together?  Does one feel differently than the other?  Illustrate this.

3. Write realistic dialogue. What do your characters have to say to one another after the broken heart?  Does the meeting end cordially or is there a full-blown fight?

Make sure that you use dialogue to illustrate who your characters are.  As Anne Lamott suggests - spend some time with each of them to figure out who they are - what they like, what they dislike.  And it's okay to be unsure of your direction when you first start writing; put the two of them in a room together and see what happens. 

The only way to become better writers is to write crummy first drafts!





Taken from Google Images



Road Trip!

Taken from Google Images

Now that you've mastered creating at least one character (flaws, motives, and all!), I want you to create one or two more.  For this last character writing prompt, I want you to imagine that your character is going on a road trip with one or two other people. 

Who are these people?  What do they look like?  What do they smell like?  Who drives?  Who sits in the back?  Why are they all in a vehicle together?  Where are they going?  What do they want?  What do they see along the way (create a scene! remember your details!), and how might they interact with one another?  Do their personality types mesh or are there socially awkward moments?  Rather than trying to take on the perspective of an omniscient narrator (one who knows all, sees all), I want your narrator to be subjective - only able to enter the mind of one of your characters.  Show us the other passengers through his/her eyes! 

And remember - always SHOW your reader!  Avoid TELLING them! (ie - "Jean was nervous" can be transformed into "Jean picked at the loose plastic around the passenger's side window.  Her eyes darted across the hideous maroon interior at her travel mates; she took a deep breath.  She was finally leaving her hometown and feared the idea of the vast unknown that existed at the end of the journey" ).

People who travel together learn a lot about one another.  They get to know their quirks, their habits, and their flaws.  What do your characters discover about each other on their road trip?



Characters...with Motive.

Have your character take action!  Like Mighty Mouse!
Taken from Google Images



Hopefully you all have created a three-dimensional character - one that is full of faults and flaws, but likable to your reader.  The next step in creating a three-dimensional character is giving them a motive.  What does your character want, and how is he/she going to get it?  Motive is important - if your character doesn't do anything, your readers will probably want to put down what you've written, never to look at it again.

Your task for today's writing exercise is to take the character that you created yesterday and give them a motive - something they want - something for them to strive for; and of course, put them into motion as to how they might get it.  Your character may want  the tiniest thing like getting crispy french fries from the McDonald's drive-thru, and when they don't get these fresh, golden grease sticks, it sends them into a fury!  They start a riot, shouting "NO MORE SOGGY FRIES!" from their vehicle.  On the other hand, your character may strive for something big - world peace, for instance.  World peace is a rather daunting thing to strive for, but perhaps your character is passionate about it and wants to take real steps to attain it.  Give your character a motive - and then run away with it.

To elaborate on the examples I gave you yesterday, perhaps the character who had been embezzling money from his company feels remorse and admits to stealing - or maybe he doesn't and needs to plan a getaway because someone in the office is on to him.  Perhaps the woman living in fear in rural Montana decides to do something about her ex that haunts her - what decision does she make in getting rid of him?  Perhaps the character who got an education he didn't want decides to go back to college for a degree he is actually interested in; what is his relationship with his parents like after he makes this decision?  Perhaps that "sweet little old man" who has been cheating on his wife for the entirety of their marriage comes clean - what do you suppose her reaction is? Maybe she knew about it the whole time!  Maybe she divorces him at 85!  Perhaps the teenager suffering from a mental illness can't take hiding her true self any longer and decides to speak out about it in her school - and suddenly she is shunned by her peers.  How does she deal?  These are your characters!  You've given them faults - now give them a motive - make them do something!

If you didn't feel a connection between you and your character yesterday, you may create a new one, but I would like you to at least try to use what you've already created - what you've already familiarized yourself with - in order to elaborate on your character.  You've noted their faults, now it is time to show us what they want and what they are made of!

1-Dimensional vs. 3-Dimensional Characters

What stories could you make up about this gentleman?
Taken from Google Images

You should all have the "Facebook" page that you made for the person in the photo you got yesterday, including things like name, occupation, location, hometown, education, interests, relationship status, age, employer, political views, sex, and interests.  This is all good information, but it is one-dimensional - boring - and won't work for your characters in future short stories.

For your first writing exercise about character this week, I want you to take the one-dimensional traits that you came up with yesterday, but add twists to them - real-life twists.  Remember that we should not protect our characters, for what truly makes a short story great is honest details about their lives. 

Perhaps your character is successful in his/her career but has been embezzling money from the company for years. 
Perhaps she currently lives in rural Montana because she had to get a restraining order from an ex who still haunts her in dreams. 
Perhaps your character has gotten an incredible education but realized upon graduation that he followed his parents' dreams and not his own. 
Perhaps Riley's sweet little old man in the photo has been married to his wife for 60 years but has been cheating on her for 59 of them. 
Perhaps on the outside, your character seems like a normal teenager; however, on the inside she is struggling with a severe mental illness.

This may sound horrible, but twists like these are what make short stories (and characters!) interesting and three-dimensional.  And you guys said it best yesterday: no one wants to read about someone who is perfect.  As readers, we crave flaws.  Think about Jane in "The Yellow Wallpaper" - I mean, that poor lady had issues, but she was interesting!  So...create a character...make up a flaw...and run away with it.  No first-person in this exercise; I want the perspective in omniscient - sees all, knows all!  Give us all those good details and descriptions to create a 3D character!

The Last Place I Want to Be...

Writing Prompt 3



Poor little guy.
Taken from Google Images



This week you have created scenes for an unknown place (the one in the photo) and you have created a scene for a more familiar place - your bedroom.  For your last journal prompt this week that focuses on scene, I want you to think of the worst place you can imagine - the very last place you would like to be.  How would you describe this horrendous place?

Perhaps it’s a prison after being convicted of a crime you didn't commit.  Perhaps it’s stuck under an avalanche on Mt. Hood.  Perhaps you’re a bug who just fell into a glass of water.  Perhaps you are a caged animal and are being sent off to the zoo.  Perhaps you’re in hell.  Perhaps…

  Create a realistic sense of setting that describes this horrible place.  Remember to show your readers rather than tell them!  Take your readers there, and make us feel your pain!

What Does Your Bedroom Say About You?

- Share your photograph scene writing exercises!  I can't wait to see what you came up with!

Taken from Google Images

1. Sketch a drawing of your bedroom in your journal.  This doesn't have to be fantastic art - it's just to get your mind a-goin'!

2. Write about your living space from an objective viewer's perspective (a house guest who is staying in your room, a fly on the wall, a plant on the window sill, a smelly sock that lies beneath the bed - you get the picture).  Describe your personal space in as much detail as possible, noting things like if the bed is made, if there are posters on the wall, if your clothes are color-coded while hanging in your closet or if they are rumpled on the floor.  All of these components help create scene! 

Tiny details like this help make up a scene and give readers insight as to who lives in this space.  What hints would your room give about you to an objective outsider?  If your bed is unmade, what could this tell us about you?  If your curtains are closed, what does this tell us about you?  If your room is immaculately clean, what would this tell us about you?  Remember to be descriptive and to use the five senses - this will enrich your writing!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Chinese New Year
Thanks to MSNBC.com

Your first writing exercise deals with creating an effective scene.  Think about how Bierce created scene from his use of descriptions and details in "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge".  After you are given this photograph, each of you will write a scene based on what you see in the photo - based on how that photo makes you feel or think.  As you write, think about...

• How will you show your readers rather than tell them? (Description, description, description!)
• Think about the POV in your writing exercise.  Will you be a subjective narrator?  An objective narrator?  An omniscient narrator? 
• Use the five senses in this exercise; what sounds do you hear, what things do you see, what smells are in the air, what can you taste, what do you feel?
• Think about how to create an effective scene by using different literary devices like similes, personification, and metaphors. 
• Remember to "think small" - the more description you use, the better your piece will be!

Happy Monday!

Taken from Google Images

Today:

- Hand in "My Critic vs. My Creator" assignment! (25 points)

- The Elements of a Short Story (take notes - you will be quizzed tomorrow!)

- Read Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"

- Answer the questions on the board; be prepared for discussion tomorrow!

My Critic versus My Creator

We will be working on an assignment that personifies your inner Critic and your inner Creator.  We each have a Creator within us, that person who allows us to be free in the Arts with no judgment - that person who allows us to write, to create, to express ourselves.  On the other hand, we all have a critic as well - that person who tells us "You're not quite good enough" or "Everything you write, everything you create, everything you do - is lame".  Your task for this assignment is to describe both your Creator and your Critic. 

What do your Creator and Critic look like?   Are they men or women?  What kind of clothes do they wear?  What are their names?  What do they do for fun?  Do they have hobbies?  What do they say to you?  Create a character for both your inner Creator and inner Critic.  How do they contrast one another?  Have fun with this assignment!




This is my Creator
Taken from Google Images

 


This is my Critic
Taken from Google Images



In this class, we are going to boot your Critic in the butt and focus on your Creator!  Remember what poor Sylvia Plath said: "The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt." 

Never doubt your mad writing skills - because you do have them.

Welcome to Creative Writing!

Photo taken from Google Images



Welcome!  First of all - I am SO excited for this class, and I hope you guys are too!  I've heard that some people take this class because it's "soooo easy", but I warn you now - it's not going to be a simple walk through the park; I expect greatness out of each and every one of you because I know you all possess something creative within you.  Your goal should be to leave this class a much better writer than you were when you walked through the door on January 17th, so take my class seriously.  I will not tolerate slackers! 

I expect you to write (every. single. day). 
I expect you to share your work with your peers and teacher during class (don't be afraid to put yourself out there - we all look or sound foolish from time to time - I know I do!). 
I expect you to walk into my room with an open mind (try to think in ways you've never thought before!)
I expect that each of you respect your fellow classmates and provide constructive, honest feedback concerning their work (negative comments will not be tolerated). 
I expect each of you to take that constructive feedback into account while revising your work (you never get better if you refuse another's advice). 

But most of all - I expect us to have fun as we write!