Nov. 6, 2014

Assignments:

***If you have to prioritize this list, DO FICTION #1 AND #2 NO MATTER WHAT! :)

FICTION

1. FINISH your short story rough draft through to the end. This is due next class period on Nov. 6th. Make this a priority. Remember. This is the rough draft. You will revise and revise after this so don't be so concerned about getting it RIGHT. It won't be right until after several revisions. The important thing is to get a rough draft written so you have something to work with, and written in a timely way so that you have time to work through the revision process. Don't procrastinate!

2. Make 12 (or did we say 15?) copies of your short story, staple them together, and bring them to class. We will hand them out so we can read each other's work and give feedback. This is an IMPORTANT step in writing. DON'T MISS THIS OPORTUNITY!!!

3. Read The Cactus (p. 31), Punch and Cookies Forever (61) and The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Caleveras County (p. 54) from your Writer's Workbook. Look for how the authors were successful in the following:

• Dialogue that feels real, created character voice, and moves the story along
• Successful endings: ties up loose ends, gives reader satisfaction for emotional investment in your story (refer to your notes from our last class about what makes a fabulous ending)

 

POETRY

1. If you haven't done this yet, do it this week for sure: write down a list in your writer's journal of some of your personal, specific poignant experiences you've had, such as: walking in the rain, reaching the summit of a mountain, the death of a loved one, a time you were disappointed or felt heartache, a time when beauty has touched you deeply, a time you felt loved, secure, or affirmed, a time you felt exhausted, were struck with the starkness of a scene, or the grandeur of a scene, or the bleakness of a scene. It could be your expereince with something beautiful, ugly, stinky, stunning, scary, majestic, funny. Get the idea?
2. Choose one of these experiences and write a poem about that experience. Just have fun, playing with the words and trying to create an emotional experience for your reader. This part is so FUN! Find words that use the 5 senses. Play with the literary devices we talked about in class that make great poetry (picture below of our class discussion notes on the dry erase board).
3. Read the following poems from your Writer's Workbook. Take note of the Elements of Good Poetry you see in them (see photo below). Actually take notes and underline right in your workbook on the poems, noting the devices you see the poet used to create a great poem.

• Root Cellar p. 88
• The Hummingbird p.90
• Those Winter Sundays p.89
• The Dream Deferred p.91
• How Could Young Love Know? p.77
• The Summer Day p. 80

Poetic Devices

 

 

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