I am lucky enough to be able to teach a full-length creative writing course at Wayzata High School. This class, like most others at the school, is worth 2 credits, just like communications 9, AP literature, or any other class in the department. Since the school is on a four by four block schedule, I teach creative writing for 85 minutes per day for every day of the semester.
I roughly have one theme per week while teaching: the first section of the class is broken into the different elements of storytelling, the second into different genres, and the third branches out into different formats, with a bit of mixing and matching throughout.
Each of the two terms of the class includes on writing workshop per student—the first of which they read their own story and the second of which each student leads the workshop of another anonymous student’s work. In addition, there is a larger writing project for each term, too. The first term involves a book project where students work off another writer’s work, and the second is the final portfolio, where they do the most revision of their work.
I start every day with a journal question. This is just to loosen kids up, get them into writing for the day, learning more about them, and getting them acclimated to the week’s theme. Of course throughout every week, I use examples of my own work as well as stories and works by famous (and not so famous) authors and past writing students. Anything I can get my hands out that feels right works.
Attached are all the assignments I’ve been working on to make my class the best I can. There are also a few other materials I’ve put together, like the famous first lines collection, and my 7 rules to a productive workshop. Please feel free to use, tweak, change, copy, or throw away any of this you might want for your own classes.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Three More Assignments for Creative Writing Class
I have three new assignments here...
Really?
You are to create three short shorts for this new assignment. You will be writing memoirs: nonfiction stories from your own life. You should come up with one title for all three stories as one piece, and they should have a theme or motif which strings them together. This can be anything: a person (little brother, mom), place (playground, supermarket), or thing (trains, teddy bear). Make sure you put them all together in a way that makes sense. Be creative. Oh, and the catch: each of the three pieces must be EXACTLY 150 words long. You must number them in a different color of ink above the double-spaced words.Points:
#1 Plot & Character /10
#2 Plot & Character /10
#3 Plot & Character /10
Description /15
Presentation & Order /10
Theme/Motif /10
Usage /5
Total /70
*You will lose 2 points for each word you are over or under 150 words for each of the three pieces. There is also room for up to 15 points of extra credit for creative presentation and formats.
Oh You Think So, Do You?
Hooray for essays! This isn’t your standard five-paragraph essay, though. You are to write a 2-4 page essay on any topic you like. It helps to choose something you actually know a lot about. You can be serious, but you need to show your personality in this one. Many of you will be happy to take the opportunity to be a little silly, though. Humor is a great way to do that. You can rant, you can rave, you can satirize to your heart’s content. Want to argue about cloning? How about an op ed. on a school rule? Do you have thoughts on those people who go to Roswell every year to greet the aliens? Or how about making fun of those crazy people in government? This can basically be any nonfiction piece besides a narrative. This is NOT your fifth grade report on giraffes or the argument you wrote for civics class. This is your voice, your opinion, your thoughts. This should be fun. I want to know what you think about something and see that you can do it in an organized way.
Points:
Clear objective and backing points /15
Personal Voice, Style, Description /20
Organization /10
Usage /5
Total /50
Slam Dunk!
On Friday, you will be presenting your poem to the class (be ready Monday, January 11 if we don’t get to everyone). Your presentation must take at least TWO MINUTES. The sky’s the limit. Make it about anything you want—any topic, any story, any mood, tone, or feeling, whatever. The important part in this assignment is getting a little outside your comfort zone and really putting yourself out there. How you speak and hold yourself is part of the deal. Also, you must turn in a hard copy to me. You are required to do at least three of the following:Pun/play on words
Alliteration
Allusion
Rhyming
Repetition (word or phrase)
Points:
Presentation /10
Min. 3 elements above /15
Two minutes /5
Hard copy /5
Total /35
Really?
You are to create three short shorts for this new assignment. You will be writing memoirs: nonfiction stories from your own life. You should come up with one title for all three stories as one piece, and they should have a theme or motif which strings them together. This can be anything: a person (little brother, mom), place (playground, supermarket), or thing (trains, teddy bear). Make sure you put them all together in a way that makes sense. Be creative. Oh, and the catch: each of the three pieces must be EXACTLY 150 words long. You must number them in a different color of ink above the double-spaced words.Points:
#1 Plot & Character /10
#2 Plot & Character /10
#3 Plot & Character /10
Description /15
Presentation & Order /10
Theme/Motif /10
Usage /5
Total /70
*You will lose 2 points for each word you are over or under 150 words for each of the three pieces. There is also room for up to 15 points of extra credit for creative presentation and formats.
Oh You Think So, Do You?
Hooray for essays! This isn’t your standard five-paragraph essay, though. You are to write a 2-4 page essay on any topic you like. It helps to choose something you actually know a lot about. You can be serious, but you need to show your personality in this one. Many of you will be happy to take the opportunity to be a little silly, though. Humor is a great way to do that. You can rant, you can rave, you can satirize to your heart’s content. Want to argue about cloning? How about an op ed. on a school rule? Do you have thoughts on those people who go to Roswell every year to greet the aliens? Or how about making fun of those crazy people in government? This can basically be any nonfiction piece besides a narrative. This is NOT your fifth grade report on giraffes or the argument you wrote for civics class. This is your voice, your opinion, your thoughts. This should be fun. I want to know what you think about something and see that you can do it in an organized way.
Points:
Clear objective and backing points /15
Personal Voice, Style, Description /20
Organization /10
Usage /5
Total /50
Slam Dunk!
On Friday, you will be presenting your poem to the class (be ready Monday, January 11 if we don’t get to everyone). Your presentation must take at least TWO MINUTES. The sky’s the limit. Make it about anything you want—any topic, any story, any mood, tone, or feeling, whatever. The important part in this assignment is getting a little outside your comfort zone and really putting yourself out there. How you speak and hold yourself is part of the deal. Also, you must turn in a hard copy to me. You are required to do at least three of the following:Pun/play on words
Alliteration
Allusion
Rhyming
Repetition (word or phrase)
Points:
Presentation /10
Min. 3 elements above /15
Two minutes /5
Hard copy /5
Total /35
Monday, April 19, 2010
Fiction Parts 6-8
Exercise 48
Internal Obsession with an Imagined Simultaneous Event…
If Sasha left a message, it would his fifth over seven calls after six rings each in the last nine minutes. He couldn’t fathom what Angela would be doing which wouldn’t allow her the luxury to pick up her phone. She always had it turned on. Class? Not on Sunday. With friends? They wouldn’t care. Another man? His past girlfriends maybe, but not Angela. They unquestioningly, unabashedly, unequivocally loved one another. Driving? No. She dangerously answered calls swerving through ice-covered highways. Oh god. There had been a snowstorm in Poughkeepsie the night before. Here he was ice fishing with buddies in Vancouver, and she was frozen in a ditch somewhere. Her car was white! No one would find her. No one would know she was missing. No one else would sensibly be on the road. He loved her nonchalance, her devil-may-care attitude, and now it finally caught up with her. She had probably been on her cell. Why did he ever let her pick up the phone behind the wheel?
Exercise 56
What If…
I wrote a story a couple months ago that I really like, but it’s definitely stuck. I’m very happy with the barebones, but it’s very rough, and I can’t decide what to do with it. The basic gist of it so far is that it takes place in a vaguely different time and place from our modern America, and some women are meeting for coffee. They are all pregnant, and their leader is helping everyone decide the specifics of their daughters’ births when we find out that one woman is pregnant with a boy. It goes from there.
What if…
1. the leader wound up having a boy?
2. some of the women stood up for themselves?
3. one of the women killed herself?
4. the woman who was having a boy actually had a girl?
5. one of the husbands intervened?
I’m still not sure. I think this is one of those stories where I just have to let it sit a while longer.
Exercise 66
A Short (short) story of one-syllable words...
Dirk caught the dog at last. It had been two full days since Dot had made haste out the back gate like a croc whose eggs get et. Dirk was none to kind in the way he leashed her neck, tight and with force. They both knew the walk home would be swift, sans stops to sniff and pee at shrubs. What Dot knew, and Dirk did not, though, was the trick clasp on the leash. One jerk just so, and she could be free. But no need. She had missed this Dirk, dumb as a rock, but rich as could be with a home full of food, warmth, and love.
Internal Obsession with an Imagined Simultaneous Event…
If Sasha left a message, it would his fifth over seven calls after six rings each in the last nine minutes. He couldn’t fathom what Angela would be doing which wouldn’t allow her the luxury to pick up her phone. She always had it turned on. Class? Not on Sunday. With friends? They wouldn’t care. Another man? His past girlfriends maybe, but not Angela. They unquestioningly, unabashedly, unequivocally loved one another. Driving? No. She dangerously answered calls swerving through ice-covered highways. Oh god. There had been a snowstorm in Poughkeepsie the night before. Here he was ice fishing with buddies in Vancouver, and she was frozen in a ditch somewhere. Her car was white! No one would find her. No one would know she was missing. No one else would sensibly be on the road. He loved her nonchalance, her devil-may-care attitude, and now it finally caught up with her. She had probably been on her cell. Why did he ever let her pick up the phone behind the wheel?
Exercise 56
What If…
I wrote a story a couple months ago that I really like, but it’s definitely stuck. I’m very happy with the barebones, but it’s very rough, and I can’t decide what to do with it. The basic gist of it so far is that it takes place in a vaguely different time and place from our modern America, and some women are meeting for coffee. They are all pregnant, and their leader is helping everyone decide the specifics of their daughters’ births when we find out that one woman is pregnant with a boy. It goes from there.
What if…
1. the leader wound up having a boy?
2. some of the women stood up for themselves?
3. one of the women killed herself?
4. the woman who was having a boy actually had a girl?
5. one of the husbands intervened?
I’m still not sure. I think this is one of those stories where I just have to let it sit a while longer.
Exercise 66
A Short (short) story of one-syllable words...
Dirk caught the dog at last. It had been two full days since Dot had made haste out the back gate like a croc whose eggs get et. Dirk was none to kind in the way he leashed her neck, tight and with force. They both knew the walk home would be swift, sans stops to sniff and pee at shrubs. What Dot knew, and Dirk did not, though, was the trick clasp on the leash. One jerk just so, and she could be free. But no need. She had missed this Dirk, dumb as a rock, but rich as could be with a home full of food, warmth, and love.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Fiction Week 2
Exercise 35
Third person to first:
3rd
She wandered in and out of streets, allowing the dog to decide which turns to take, which roads to cross. At one point, we went around the same block three times, but it didn’t matter where, as long as she wasn’t at home. Just as she was ready to head home, the dog squatted in front of an immaculate white house with crimson shutters. She hesitated, brought a plastic bag out of her pocket, and picked it up, searching for the nearest trash can.
1st
Bear wouldn’t mind walking for an hour. She wouldn’t mind walking for days. My left pinky toe, however, might. With every footfall pounding on the uneven sidewalk below, the throb reminded me of that door slam, the attempt to prove my point through childish anger, but I couldn’t go back first. No, he’d have to come looking for me. Bear would walk all night, tugging me from one curb to the next, bravely leading our crusade into unfamiliar territory. Every minute or so, there’d be a tug of my right arm. Cross this road, turn left here, circle this block one more time. All his training undone with one furious escapade. My arm jerked back behind me, Bear squatting in some pristine yard on…49th Ave. We weren’t as far as I’d like, but I’d never been here before. This garish green grass and brushed nickel mailbox with “Stinson” engraved on the side. Once Bear finished, I almost walked away, those damn Stinsons with their perfect crimson shutters and French door balconies. But I couldn’t. I had stuffed some baggies in the pocket of my bath robe while exiting my house.
First person to third:
1st
I needed those shoes. Clarabelle Tucker was going to buy them in rose red she said in school today, but I had to have them in cerulean. They would go pretty well with the shirt I bought last week, but most importantly, if I showed up in them at school tomorrow, Clarabelle wouldn’t know what to do.
3rd
“I’m getting those shoes. I think the cerulean will match the new top I bought last week,” said Delila on her way into Mason’s Department store, Franny trailing behind by a few paces.
“Didn’t Clarabelle Tucker say she was buying those in rose red today during algebra?” Franny asked.
“That’s exactly why I’ve got to buy them today. Rose red it is.”
Exercise 38
“Wanna play Slap Jack?” I ask Jimmy, not sure if this is a real game, or if I made it up.
“Okay,” he responds, sure that he will win some of my candy this year. He won’t. I take the chair at the end of the dining room table, where Grandpa gets to sit for Thanksgiving, and Jimmy kneels on the chair next to me, at a regular seat. He shuffles better than I do even though he’s three and a half years younger, because I hate card games. At the age of six, Jimmy can probably count cards like my dad, and he can certainly multiply them faster than I can, but when it comes to Snickers and Reese’s, I just want it more. I deal the cards until the stack is gone and we alternate putting the cards down. With each Jack that shows up, my hand is under his every time.
My bowl fills as his empties, my mouth and his eyes watering. It’s only a matter of time before Mom catches on, but I hoard what I can.
Exercise 41
“Well, I don’t think the neighbor’s got a goddamn thing to say ‘bout how late I mow the lawn.”
“Let’s split a pie over at Deluca’s on the boardwalk tonight. We’re only a few blocks from the shore out there, and I hear the skinny dipping’s fine.”
“Sisters aren’t supposed to fight, so gimme back my earrings right now, Tilda. Bobby Sheldon thinks you’re ugly anyway.”
“How much do you care about the environment? Could I interest you in a pamphlet on the dangers of global warming this sunny summer day?”
“Mrs. O’Reardon’s ready to tan your hide. You’re lucky teachers aren’t allowed to hit anymore.”
Exercise 44
“You’re doing that wrong.”
“It’s fine, Mom. The dishwasher will get the rest. Otherwise, what’s the point of that thing?” Joey points to the used Maytag, still working well despite a loose hinge and the drab olive exterior.
“I just want to see you doing things right. I know you can.” Mrs. Daniels leans against the refrigerator, shuffling through mail. “They waste so much paper these days. I thought it was the digital age.”
“Yeah, and you have to wash dishes before you wash dishes, too.”
“You didn’t tell me it was report card time already.”
“Not that you’d know,” Joey says, staring into the suds. He makes sure not to make eye contact, to concentrate on the frying pan.
“You said you were doing better in math.”
“I am.”
“A D-minus?”
“It’s better than an F, isn’t it?”
“How are you supposed to get into college with that?” Mrs. Daniels takes the plate from Joey’s hand as he’s about to place it in the dishwasher. She scrubs relentless circles at imaginary egg yolk or spaghetti sauce. “Like this. Can’t you do anything the way I showed you? Your father was never even this bad.”
“You want bad?” Joey takes the plate back and smashes it on the floor. Then another. He turns to the shelf above the coffee maker, takes the teapot of his mother’s—her mother’s—china set and sends it to the floor. They stare at one another. Joey bolts barefooted, a red dab on the linoleum leading out the front door, every place his right foot touched the ground.
Third person to first:
3rd
She wandered in and out of streets, allowing the dog to decide which turns to take, which roads to cross. At one point, we went around the same block three times, but it didn’t matter where, as long as she wasn’t at home. Just as she was ready to head home, the dog squatted in front of an immaculate white house with crimson shutters. She hesitated, brought a plastic bag out of her pocket, and picked it up, searching for the nearest trash can.
1st
Bear wouldn’t mind walking for an hour. She wouldn’t mind walking for days. My left pinky toe, however, might. With every footfall pounding on the uneven sidewalk below, the throb reminded me of that door slam, the attempt to prove my point through childish anger, but I couldn’t go back first. No, he’d have to come looking for me. Bear would walk all night, tugging me from one curb to the next, bravely leading our crusade into unfamiliar territory. Every minute or so, there’d be a tug of my right arm. Cross this road, turn left here, circle this block one more time. All his training undone with one furious escapade. My arm jerked back behind me, Bear squatting in some pristine yard on…49th Ave. We weren’t as far as I’d like, but I’d never been here before. This garish green grass and brushed nickel mailbox with “Stinson” engraved on the side. Once Bear finished, I almost walked away, those damn Stinsons with their perfect crimson shutters and French door balconies. But I couldn’t. I had stuffed some baggies in the pocket of my bath robe while exiting my house.
First person to third:
1st
I needed those shoes. Clarabelle Tucker was going to buy them in rose red she said in school today, but I had to have them in cerulean. They would go pretty well with the shirt I bought last week, but most importantly, if I showed up in them at school tomorrow, Clarabelle wouldn’t know what to do.
3rd
“I’m getting those shoes. I think the cerulean will match the new top I bought last week,” said Delila on her way into Mason’s Department store, Franny trailing behind by a few paces.
“Didn’t Clarabelle Tucker say she was buying those in rose red today during algebra?” Franny asked.
“That’s exactly why I’ve got to buy them today. Rose red it is.”
Exercise 38
“Wanna play Slap Jack?” I ask Jimmy, not sure if this is a real game, or if I made it up.
“Okay,” he responds, sure that he will win some of my candy this year. He won’t. I take the chair at the end of the dining room table, where Grandpa gets to sit for Thanksgiving, and Jimmy kneels on the chair next to me, at a regular seat. He shuffles better than I do even though he’s three and a half years younger, because I hate card games. At the age of six, Jimmy can probably count cards like my dad, and he can certainly multiply them faster than I can, but when it comes to Snickers and Reese’s, I just want it more. I deal the cards until the stack is gone and we alternate putting the cards down. With each Jack that shows up, my hand is under his every time.
My bowl fills as his empties, my mouth and his eyes watering. It’s only a matter of time before Mom catches on, but I hoard what I can.
Exercise 41
“Well, I don’t think the neighbor’s got a goddamn thing to say ‘bout how late I mow the lawn.”
“Let’s split a pie over at Deluca’s on the boardwalk tonight. We’re only a few blocks from the shore out there, and I hear the skinny dipping’s fine.”
“Sisters aren’t supposed to fight, so gimme back my earrings right now, Tilda. Bobby Sheldon thinks you’re ugly anyway.”
“How much do you care about the environment? Could I interest you in a pamphlet on the dangers of global warming this sunny summer day?”
“Mrs. O’Reardon’s ready to tan your hide. You’re lucky teachers aren’t allowed to hit anymore.”
Exercise 44
“You’re doing that wrong.”
“It’s fine, Mom. The dishwasher will get the rest. Otherwise, what’s the point of that thing?” Joey points to the used Maytag, still working well despite a loose hinge and the drab olive exterior.
“I just want to see you doing things right. I know you can.” Mrs. Daniels leans against the refrigerator, shuffling through mail. “They waste so much paper these days. I thought it was the digital age.”
“Yeah, and you have to wash dishes before you wash dishes, too.”
“You didn’t tell me it was report card time already.”
“Not that you’d know,” Joey says, staring into the suds. He makes sure not to make eye contact, to concentrate on the frying pan.
“You said you were doing better in math.”
“I am.”
“A D-minus?”
“It’s better than an F, isn’t it?”
“How are you supposed to get into college with that?” Mrs. Daniels takes the plate from Joey’s hand as he’s about to place it in the dishwasher. She scrubs relentless circles at imaginary egg yolk or spaghetti sauce. “Like this. Can’t you do anything the way I showed you? Your father was never even this bad.”
“You want bad?” Joey takes the plate back and smashes it on the floor. Then another. He turns to the shelf above the coffee maker, takes the teapot of his mother’s—her mother’s—china set and sends it to the floor. They stare at one another. Joey bolts barefooted, a red dab on the linoleum leading out the front door, every place his right foot touched the ground.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Fiction Week 1
Part 1
Exercise 1
10 opening lines:
1. Ellie wished she’d never bought that silk chiffon dress with real Swarovski crystal detail.
2. It was unacceptable, completely unacceptable, that he should be sitting in my chair.
3. The gloaming of an August evening struck panic in one Timothy McDeller, who sprinted to his mother’s kitchen calendar to count the days until September 4.
4. Why didn’t anyone else seem to notice that the cat’s ear twitched every time a bird flew near?
5. “If I ever see you with a cigarette, Donnie,” she croaked between puffs, “I’ll whoop yer ass all the way to Plainsview and back.”
6. As Sarah stared at the piano keys, each of the eighty-eight stubbornly refusing to do anything on its own, she wondered how long she could pretend that she didn’t know how to play.
7. Mrs. Torini offered me cookies as though I might have already forgotten about my lost mail, and no, I would not be calling her Edna.
8. “I most certainly did see a blue station wagon parked outside of the house on Tuesday.”
9. God damned robots.
10. Jonas and Gabriel were just about to sled down that hill for the third time when my father roared, “Where in the hell is that noise coming from?”
Exercise 9
Ann Landers: look at the top of the page for my inspiration.
I would retell this story from the viewpoint of one of the children—the youngest daughter of this couple. Sylvia is now 41 years old, unmarried with three children of her own. She works at a fabric store. Sylvia know she was raised with all advantages, but she chose to study home economics in college. She wanted to be the next Martha Stewart, but instead she teaches quilting classes at the store. She lovingly takes care of her children, who don’t have the privileges she had, but she takes them to the library and the park, and other free places. Sylvia knows her brother and sister have a difficult time with her parents, but she holds them no ill will. She never got along with them, but she never didn’t, either.
The story begins when Sylvia finds out at her job that her father has just died and her mother is not doing well in the hospital. She decides to take some time off and, as it is summer, her children go, too. She does not yet know if her sister and brother will be joining her in her parents’ hometown, just twenty minutes from where she lives. Her mother dies days after her arrival.
Throughout the story, we will find out about the bitterness of Sylvia’s siblings when they find out their parents left all their money to random good Samaritans they read about in the newspaper. Sylvia, however, thinks this is kind of them, and has always believed in people making their own way in the world. She doesn’t see her life getting worse, anyway. Her siblings decide to contest the will, and, when this doesn’t work, harass the people her parents left money to. Sylvia decides she would simply like to meet them.
Part 2
Exercise 14
We shall call her Tammy, although her real first name continued to haunt me with others who shared it— someone named Tammy would always date the boys I liked, get the job I wanted, or have the beauty, talent, or grace I coveted. But this Tammy was my “best friend” from the ages of four through six, while I lived in Marlboro, New Jersey. Yes, like the cigarettes.
She bossed me around constantly, and I always did what she said. When we were at her house she used that to declare that she would get to choose what to do, and when she was at my house—which she rarely was—she would state that “guests should get to decide what to do,” and my mother agreed. Tammy threw tantrums and her parents sent me home whenever she decided I did something wrong. Her parents: she never had a chance. She was an only child who lived with two working parents and a grandmother. They spoiled her with all things material. Tammy was pudgy, but by no means fat. Her mother made her drink diet soda and regularly put her on diets. I was always naturally better than her at everything by just a little bit, but she went to school and I didn’t, so she knew all about a world in which I was clueless.
Today, I picture Tammy to be blissfully unhappy, constantly trying to prove to the world how perfect her life is. I’m sure she went to a name brand college that’s mildly difficult to get into. She’s got some sort of office job where she dresses well and makes enough money part-time, so she can be home to pick up her children from elementary school. I’m sure there are two—a boy in first grade and a girl in kindergarten, because that’s how it works out for couples like this. She wears a giant rock on her finger, and her husband works on Wall Street. He hand washes his car in his driveway every Saturday morning, just like her father did. It’s so cliché, and that’s the tragedy of it all. In 10 years she’ll be just like the parents I dread meeting during conferences: defending every mistake her children make because she has worked so hard to be their friend instead of their mother. And they won’t respect her.
Exercise 18
EVENT: The first time I tried a cigarette
I REMEMBER: It was outside down the street from my house in Freehold, New Jersey. It was broad daylight, and I was standing with “Cynthia” on her driveway. I was nine years old, she was a year or two older. She had stolen the cigarettes from her older sister, and she had done it before. A few years later, I would write my D.A.R.E. essay on how I said no, even though I tried the cigarette. I knew we weren’t supposed to smoke, and I knew I didn’t want to, but I wasn’t angry or nervous. It was more like I just didn’t feel like it, but as a kid, I did anything anyone dared me to, and often put myself into dangerous situations. I coughed a lot, did not enjoy the cigarette, but didn’t really care one way or the other that I had tried it. I told no one. I did not want to disappoint my mom. I remember Cynthia’s short, extremely bright red hair.
I DON’T REMEMBER: What events led up to this or what happened right afterward. I don’t remember what my parents thought of Cynthia, but I didn’t hang out with her much. I don’t really remember what I was thinking, just that it happened. I don’t know what time of year it was, or how much I hung out with Cynthia after that. I don’t really remember anything else about this girl at all, except that her older sister had a lot of Heavy Metal posters on her bedroom ceiling.
Beginning of Story:
“Where’d you get that?”
“My sister’s purse.” Cynthia held the cigarette coolly between her fingers, just like my Uncle Travis. He was everyone’s favorite relative, and had been a smoker his whole life. Cynthia lit the stick like a pro, puffed twice, and handed it to me.
I held it for a moment or two, rolled it around, knowing I wasn’t doing it right. No one was around. I was nervous about getting caught, not about doing something wrong. I was in trouble regularly, but what a hassle. I didn’t want to answer all the questions that would follow my being caught, because I had no satisfactory answers. I knew I wasn’t supposed to smoke, because “it was bad,” but I felt no bullying from Cynthia. We were in good together, always climbing up light posts and stealing Mike & Ike’s from the gas station a mile away. She wasn’t pressuring me, just offering me another new experience, and I took it with obedience. Somewhere I had gotten into my mind that I would try everything in life, no matter how enjoyable or clever.
Part 3
Exercise 24
I’ve written a story about a group of women who all follow a sort of leader around, but it’s definitely in the rough stage. I’ll write about the leader. She is the sort of person who:
1. would disagree with your opinion, simply because you’ve stated it aloud.
2. pretends she does her own pristine gardening, but has a landscaper do most of the work.
3. sets her clothes out for the entire week.
4. verbally points out the shortcomings of others.
5. cries into her pillow about the nasty things she imagines people say about her.
6. hates her children, but would never betray that thought to anyone, even a stranger.
7. suspects her husband is cheating on her, but doesn’t care.
8. loves her dog and hates housework, but doesn’t mind vacuuming up his fur.
9. goes from department store to department store to get free makeovers and samples.
10. got all her leg hair removed so she doesn’t ever have to waste time shaving or waxing again.
25
The Best of Mason Hadigan
1. Name: Mason Hadigan
2. Nicknames: none; this bothers him.
3. Sex: male
4. Age: 24
5. Looks: average, average, average.
6. Education: useless undergraduate degree in sociology
7. Vocation/occupation: waiter at the Outback Steakhouse
8. Status and money: rents an apartment; makes decent tips as a waiter, okay with his station.
9. Marital status: single
10. Family, ethnicity: has a younger sister and an older brother, both live far away; parents live far away, separated but not divorced. None of the five live in the same state; Caucasian—mixed European descent
11. Diction, accent, etc.: has lived all over the place; picks up the accents and diction of whomever he’s talking to.
12. Relationships: a couple semi-serious girlfriends, but currently single; lives with his best friend from college, Ryan.
13. Places: nice apartment in Rochester, MN; roommate’s girlfriend cleans it; works at the Outback; rarely goes anywhere except out of necessity; mostly eats discounted restaurant food and Lucky Charms.
14. Possessions: book, records, unfolded but clean laundry. Beat-down mini-van.
15. Recreation, hobbies: a bit of a pop culture nut; also likes to dabble in everything—rock climbing, pool, whatever everyone else is up for; reads relentlessly.
16. Obsessions: reading; his vinyl collection, dogs, but doesn’t have one.
17. Beliefs: forgives everyone all the time; not sure if he should.
18. Politics: has always voted for democrats/liberals, but is scared to label himself anything; is extremely miffed by politicians.
19. Sexual history: has only slept with one girl; doesn’t like to talk about this because of how people perceive that, but he’s confident in himself; he’s patient about girls, though tends to get crushes easily.
20. Ambitions: vague, mid-20’s blah: wants to do “something.”
21. Religion: practicing agnostic, not the “I’m not sure” type.
22. Superstitions: has to lock the doors of his car and home whenever he’s in them, but not if he’s gone.
23. Fears: he’ll become complacent. He’s good with his life now, but doesn’t want it to stay that way.
24. Attitudes: always polite to strangers, honest with friends (sometimes good, sometimes not), impatient with family.
25. Character flaws: complains about everything others do wrong that he does, too. Isn’t exactly gifted, but squanders what he has. Knows how to give a good pep talk; extremely sarcastic.
26. Character strengths: Knows how to give a good pep talk; no one ever questions what he means when he’s straightforward. Funny, fun.
27. Pets: none, except misses his childhood dogs.
28. Taste in books, music, etc.: loves classics, modern fiction, will read anything anyone suggests to him. Appreciates anything that’s “good.” Especially loves 60’s and 70’s rock, singer-songwriters, folk, jazz, and classical. Couldn’t choose between Beethoven and the Kinks.
29. Journal entries: always means to write, but never does.
30. Correspondence: hates the phone, likes to write letters, but never does. Misses his friends, feels obligated to see his family, but rarely does anything about it.
31. Food preferences: anything with melted cheese, but not a fan of fast food.
32. Handwriting: small, neat, always printed, writes only black ink.
33. Astrological sign: Aries
34. Talents: Picks up things easily, but rarely improves afterward; good musical ear; played trumpet for a long time, was very good, but not good enough to go pro.
35. Friends: mostly live far away, except for Ryan. Acquaintance of co-workers.
36. Relatives: not close to extended family at all.
37. Enemies: a guy at work bugs him, but he mostly ignores him. He’s too laid back for enemies.
38. As seen by others: nice, odd, not very interesting, but easy to get along with.
39. As seen by self: not very industrious; wishes he wanted more, but doesn’t at the moment.
40. Scars: down his left shin from getting hit by someone’s cleats in college intramural soccer.
41. Tattoos, piercings, etc.: none.
42. Salary: minimum wage + $100-200 in tips per night or so, if he’s having a good night.
43. What is kept: whatever food his roommate buys, Tylenol, comb, toothbrush (keeps clean but does little else to groom), doesn’t keep a calendar, has people’s phone numbers and addresses in an Excel spreadsheet on his laptop.
Exercise 1
10 opening lines:
1. Ellie wished she’d never bought that silk chiffon dress with real Swarovski crystal detail.
2. It was unacceptable, completely unacceptable, that he should be sitting in my chair.
3. The gloaming of an August evening struck panic in one Timothy McDeller, who sprinted to his mother’s kitchen calendar to count the days until September 4.
4. Why didn’t anyone else seem to notice that the cat’s ear twitched every time a bird flew near?
5. “If I ever see you with a cigarette, Donnie,” she croaked between puffs, “I’ll whoop yer ass all the way to Plainsview and back.”
6. As Sarah stared at the piano keys, each of the eighty-eight stubbornly refusing to do anything on its own, she wondered how long she could pretend that she didn’t know how to play.
7. Mrs. Torini offered me cookies as though I might have already forgotten about my lost mail, and no, I would not be calling her Edna.
8. “I most certainly did see a blue station wagon parked outside of the house on Tuesday.”
9. God damned robots.
10. Jonas and Gabriel were just about to sled down that hill for the third time when my father roared, “Where in the hell is that noise coming from?”
Exercise 9
Ann Landers: look at the top of the page for my inspiration.
I would retell this story from the viewpoint of one of the children—the youngest daughter of this couple. Sylvia is now 41 years old, unmarried with three children of her own. She works at a fabric store. Sylvia know she was raised with all advantages, but she chose to study home economics in college. She wanted to be the next Martha Stewart, but instead she teaches quilting classes at the store. She lovingly takes care of her children, who don’t have the privileges she had, but she takes them to the library and the park, and other free places. Sylvia knows her brother and sister have a difficult time with her parents, but she holds them no ill will. She never got along with them, but she never didn’t, either.
The story begins when Sylvia finds out at her job that her father has just died and her mother is not doing well in the hospital. She decides to take some time off and, as it is summer, her children go, too. She does not yet know if her sister and brother will be joining her in her parents’ hometown, just twenty minutes from where she lives. Her mother dies days after her arrival.
Throughout the story, we will find out about the bitterness of Sylvia’s siblings when they find out their parents left all their money to random good Samaritans they read about in the newspaper. Sylvia, however, thinks this is kind of them, and has always believed in people making their own way in the world. She doesn’t see her life getting worse, anyway. Her siblings decide to contest the will, and, when this doesn’t work, harass the people her parents left money to. Sylvia decides she would simply like to meet them.
Part 2
Exercise 14
We shall call her Tammy, although her real first name continued to haunt me with others who shared it— someone named Tammy would always date the boys I liked, get the job I wanted, or have the beauty, talent, or grace I coveted. But this Tammy was my “best friend” from the ages of four through six, while I lived in Marlboro, New Jersey. Yes, like the cigarettes.
She bossed me around constantly, and I always did what she said. When we were at her house she used that to declare that she would get to choose what to do, and when she was at my house—which she rarely was—she would state that “guests should get to decide what to do,” and my mother agreed. Tammy threw tantrums and her parents sent me home whenever she decided I did something wrong. Her parents: she never had a chance. She was an only child who lived with two working parents and a grandmother. They spoiled her with all things material. Tammy was pudgy, but by no means fat. Her mother made her drink diet soda and regularly put her on diets. I was always naturally better than her at everything by just a little bit, but she went to school and I didn’t, so she knew all about a world in which I was clueless.
Today, I picture Tammy to be blissfully unhappy, constantly trying to prove to the world how perfect her life is. I’m sure she went to a name brand college that’s mildly difficult to get into. She’s got some sort of office job where she dresses well and makes enough money part-time, so she can be home to pick up her children from elementary school. I’m sure there are two—a boy in first grade and a girl in kindergarten, because that’s how it works out for couples like this. She wears a giant rock on her finger, and her husband works on Wall Street. He hand washes his car in his driveway every Saturday morning, just like her father did. It’s so cliché, and that’s the tragedy of it all. In 10 years she’ll be just like the parents I dread meeting during conferences: defending every mistake her children make because she has worked so hard to be their friend instead of their mother. And they won’t respect her.
Exercise 18
EVENT: The first time I tried a cigarette
I REMEMBER: It was outside down the street from my house in Freehold, New Jersey. It was broad daylight, and I was standing with “Cynthia” on her driveway. I was nine years old, she was a year or two older. She had stolen the cigarettes from her older sister, and she had done it before. A few years later, I would write my D.A.R.E. essay on how I said no, even though I tried the cigarette. I knew we weren’t supposed to smoke, and I knew I didn’t want to, but I wasn’t angry or nervous. It was more like I just didn’t feel like it, but as a kid, I did anything anyone dared me to, and often put myself into dangerous situations. I coughed a lot, did not enjoy the cigarette, but didn’t really care one way or the other that I had tried it. I told no one. I did not want to disappoint my mom. I remember Cynthia’s short, extremely bright red hair.
I DON’T REMEMBER: What events led up to this or what happened right afterward. I don’t remember what my parents thought of Cynthia, but I didn’t hang out with her much. I don’t really remember what I was thinking, just that it happened. I don’t know what time of year it was, or how much I hung out with Cynthia after that. I don’t really remember anything else about this girl at all, except that her older sister had a lot of Heavy Metal posters on her bedroom ceiling.
Beginning of Story:
“Where’d you get that?”
“My sister’s purse.” Cynthia held the cigarette coolly between her fingers, just like my Uncle Travis. He was everyone’s favorite relative, and had been a smoker his whole life. Cynthia lit the stick like a pro, puffed twice, and handed it to me.
I held it for a moment or two, rolled it around, knowing I wasn’t doing it right. No one was around. I was nervous about getting caught, not about doing something wrong. I was in trouble regularly, but what a hassle. I didn’t want to answer all the questions that would follow my being caught, because I had no satisfactory answers. I knew I wasn’t supposed to smoke, because “it was bad,” but I felt no bullying from Cynthia. We were in good together, always climbing up light posts and stealing Mike & Ike’s from the gas station a mile away. She wasn’t pressuring me, just offering me another new experience, and I took it with obedience. Somewhere I had gotten into my mind that I would try everything in life, no matter how enjoyable or clever.
Part 3
Exercise 24
I’ve written a story about a group of women who all follow a sort of leader around, but it’s definitely in the rough stage. I’ll write about the leader. She is the sort of person who:
1. would disagree with your opinion, simply because you’ve stated it aloud.
2. pretends she does her own pristine gardening, but has a landscaper do most of the work.
3. sets her clothes out for the entire week.
4. verbally points out the shortcomings of others.
5. cries into her pillow about the nasty things she imagines people say about her.
6. hates her children, but would never betray that thought to anyone, even a stranger.
7. suspects her husband is cheating on her, but doesn’t care.
8. loves her dog and hates housework, but doesn’t mind vacuuming up his fur.
9. goes from department store to department store to get free makeovers and samples.
10. got all her leg hair removed so she doesn’t ever have to waste time shaving or waxing again.
25
The Best of Mason Hadigan
1. Name: Mason Hadigan
2. Nicknames: none; this bothers him.
3. Sex: male
4. Age: 24
5. Looks: average, average, average.
6. Education: useless undergraduate degree in sociology
7. Vocation/occupation: waiter at the Outback Steakhouse
8. Status and money: rents an apartment; makes decent tips as a waiter, okay with his station.
9. Marital status: single
10. Family, ethnicity: has a younger sister and an older brother, both live far away; parents live far away, separated but not divorced. None of the five live in the same state; Caucasian—mixed European descent
11. Diction, accent, etc.: has lived all over the place; picks up the accents and diction of whomever he’s talking to.
12. Relationships: a couple semi-serious girlfriends, but currently single; lives with his best friend from college, Ryan.
13. Places: nice apartment in Rochester, MN; roommate’s girlfriend cleans it; works at the Outback; rarely goes anywhere except out of necessity; mostly eats discounted restaurant food and Lucky Charms.
14. Possessions: book, records, unfolded but clean laundry. Beat-down mini-van.
15. Recreation, hobbies: a bit of a pop culture nut; also likes to dabble in everything—rock climbing, pool, whatever everyone else is up for; reads relentlessly.
16. Obsessions: reading; his vinyl collection, dogs, but doesn’t have one.
17. Beliefs: forgives everyone all the time; not sure if he should.
18. Politics: has always voted for democrats/liberals, but is scared to label himself anything; is extremely miffed by politicians.
19. Sexual history: has only slept with one girl; doesn’t like to talk about this because of how people perceive that, but he’s confident in himself; he’s patient about girls, though tends to get crushes easily.
20. Ambitions: vague, mid-20’s blah: wants to do “something.”
21. Religion: practicing agnostic, not the “I’m not sure” type.
22. Superstitions: has to lock the doors of his car and home whenever he’s in them, but not if he’s gone.
23. Fears: he’ll become complacent. He’s good with his life now, but doesn’t want it to stay that way.
24. Attitudes: always polite to strangers, honest with friends (sometimes good, sometimes not), impatient with family.
25. Character flaws: complains about everything others do wrong that he does, too. Isn’t exactly gifted, but squanders what he has. Knows how to give a good pep talk; extremely sarcastic.
26. Character strengths: Knows how to give a good pep talk; no one ever questions what he means when he’s straightforward. Funny, fun.
27. Pets: none, except misses his childhood dogs.
28. Taste in books, music, etc.: loves classics, modern fiction, will read anything anyone suggests to him. Appreciates anything that’s “good.” Especially loves 60’s and 70’s rock, singer-songwriters, folk, jazz, and classical. Couldn’t choose between Beethoven and the Kinks.
29. Journal entries: always means to write, but never does.
30. Correspondence: hates the phone, likes to write letters, but never does. Misses his friends, feels obligated to see his family, but rarely does anything about it.
31. Food preferences: anything with melted cheese, but not a fan of fast food.
32. Handwriting: small, neat, always printed, writes only black ink.
33. Astrological sign: Aries
34. Talents: Picks up things easily, but rarely improves afterward; good musical ear; played trumpet for a long time, was very good, but not good enough to go pro.
35. Friends: mostly live far away, except for Ryan. Acquaintance of co-workers.
36. Relatives: not close to extended family at all.
37. Enemies: a guy at work bugs him, but he mostly ignores him. He’s too laid back for enemies.
38. As seen by others: nice, odd, not very interesting, but easy to get along with.
39. As seen by self: not very industrious; wishes he wanted more, but doesn’t at the moment.
40. Scars: down his left shin from getting hit by someone’s cleats in college intramural soccer.
41. Tattoos, piercings, etc.: none.
42. Salary: minimum wage + $100-200 in tips per night or so, if he’s having a good night.
43. What is kept: whatever food his roommate buys, Tylenol, comb, toothbrush (keeps clean but does little else to groom), doesn’t keep a calendar, has people’s phone numbers and addresses in an Excel spreadsheet on his laptop.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Spoken Word
So I've been behind after many weeks of not being on campus-- a funeral, canceled class, online week, parent/teacher conferences at my school, and the U's spring break. After piecing together that I need to do a reflection on a spoken word piece, I took a look at this one, which my group picked out during my absence. I've actually seen this before, but it was nice to revisit.
Why does the piece work?
This works because everyone can relate to it. As Homer Simpson says, "It's funny 'cause it's true." At least for teachers, it is, and that's who is in this class. Everyone has met a jerk, and everyone has had some teacher they liked. Everyone has felt cynical, and everyone has seen that cynicism go very serious. He does this.
How does it work?
First, Taylor tells his poem in the form of a story, a yarn he spins while people sit around the dinner table, bellies full. He tells it like a good comedian-- with a little humility and a lot of attitude. He draws everyone in with his tone and by building the story up slowly. By the time he reaches the top level of energy, he doesn't let up until the end. He means it, and the audience can tell.
What's to admire?
It's funny and I wish I could be so concise. He says all the things I think the rest of us would love the opportunity to say to other people, but we aren't often allowed to.
What's not so good?
I won't go so far as to say it's perfect, but he does a really great job all around. Perhaps his point could come through even more strongly if he wasn't yelling, but had more control over his anger in the last part, though I think it works.
How is it a poem as well as a performance?
It sounds great. Taylor uses basic techniques of poetry, particularly with consonance. For example, he says, "You see, I have a policy with honesty and ass-kicking." There are a lot of long "e" sounds in there. He also pauses dramatically to help give depth, and he comes full circle. His final lines are a couplet -- that's downright Shakespearean.
Why does the piece work?
This works because everyone can relate to it. As Homer Simpson says, "It's funny 'cause it's true." At least for teachers, it is, and that's who is in this class. Everyone has met a jerk, and everyone has had some teacher they liked. Everyone has felt cynical, and everyone has seen that cynicism go very serious. He does this.
How does it work?
First, Taylor tells his poem in the form of a story, a yarn he spins while people sit around the dinner table, bellies full. He tells it like a good comedian-- with a little humility and a lot of attitude. He draws everyone in with his tone and by building the story up slowly. By the time he reaches the top level of energy, he doesn't let up until the end. He means it, and the audience can tell.
What's to admire?
It's funny and I wish I could be so concise. He says all the things I think the rest of us would love the opportunity to say to other people, but we aren't often allowed to.
What's not so good?
I won't go so far as to say it's perfect, but he does a really great job all around. Perhaps his point could come through even more strongly if he wasn't yelling, but had more control over his anger in the last part, though I think it works.
How is it a poem as well as a performance?
It sounds great. Taylor uses basic techniques of poetry, particularly with consonance. For example, he says, "You see, I have a policy with honesty and ass-kicking." There are a lot of long "e" sounds in there. He also pauses dramatically to help give depth, and he comes full circle. His final lines are a couplet -- that's downright Shakespearean.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Creative Writing Assignments
All of these assignments are for high school students in a creative writing class. I take an approach for the first few weeks of class where we focus on some elements of story. Each week we study one element. I assign the story on Monday and it is due on Friday. We do a lot more with rewrites and editing later in the term. Here are the assignments I have given for every week of my creative writing class at Wayzata so far this semester, as well as the one my students will receive tomorrow. Since description is the last of the elements, we work considerably with that the rest of the semester as we move into different genres and formats of writing.
Week 1: Plot
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
For your first creative writing assignment, let’s just open it up and see what you have. You are to write a story based on one of the images from The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Be sure to include everything necessary for a plot, including a beginning, middle, and an end, as well as two plot points. Polish this the best you can. There is no length requirement; make it as long as it needs to be. Last, include the quotation from the bottom of the picture somewhere in the story. Fit it in as naturally as possible, and be sure to underline it.
This assignment, like all in this class, should be typed, double-spaced, and include a heading and a title.
Points
Two Plot Points /5
Imbedded quotation /5
Beginning, middle, end /15
Usage /5
Total /30
Week 2: Setting and Audience
Fairy Tale Retelling
You will be rewriting a classic fairy tale, but it’s not for little kids. Concentrate on the time and place of your story. Give context clues to your setting instead of saying outright where and when the story is. So, decide on a fairy tale and the group of people for whom you’d like to write it. You must adapt the basic plot. Want some examples? Rewrite Cinderella for a football team. How about Sleeping Beauty for fans of vampire stories? Get creative.
Points:
Plot Points /5
Setting/Context Clues /10
Overall Adaptation /10
Usage /5
Total /30
Week 3: Point of View
“Your” Personal Narrative?
You’ve written your rough draft, and now you’re working on your spin of a childhood personal story. Remember, your new point of view can be anyone or anything but you. It can still be in first person, but it has to be in the point of view of another in your story: an outsider, a third person narrator, an animal, or an object. You decide.
Rough Draft /5
Point of View /5
Changes /10
Plot Points /5
Usage /5
Total /30
Week 4: Character
Students fill out the following dossier on Monday of the week on character. Then, I photocopy everyone's dossier and randomly pair it with one from another student's in the class. Students do not (and should not) include every piece of information found on the dossiers, but they may not change any of these facts, and they should write their characters knowing these things to be true about them:
Character Dossier
Name ____________________
Nicknames _______________ Age ______
Occupation _______________________ Gender _____
Family____________________Pets______________
Hometown_________________________________
Description of Home ____________________________
Hobbies __________________________________
Friends ___________________________________
Ethnic background __________ Religion ____________
Eye Color _________ Hair Color __________
Weight __________ Height ___________
Favorites:
Movie ________________ Color _________________
Musical Artist __________ Food _________________
Book _________________ Sport _________________
Who is your character’s personal hero?________________
What is your character’s pet peeve? _________________
Where was your character born? ___________________
What else should we know about your character?
Character Story
You will write a story of no more than 1,000 words which involves both the character you created on a dossier and the character assigned to you at random. This can take place anywhere, at any point in time, but must still involve a narrative story line. It must contain at least 10 lines of dialogue. Remember to show character through action, dialogue, examples, description, and exposition.
Points:
Character 1 /8
Character 2 /8
Dialogue /10
Plot /9
Usage /5
Total /40
Week 5: Description
Description
Choose a place. You are to write about that place in as much detail as possible. Make this interesting and readable, but full of detail. This is NOT a story, this is merely your best descriptive writing. That said, be sure to have some flow and organization to your piece, don’t just list things. Be sure to include sensory detail, power words, and your own voice instead of clichés and idioms.
Points:
Sensory Details /10
Word Choice /10
Organization /5
Words Choice /5
Total /30
For the following assignment, I actually assign it around the third week and give students most of the term (half a semester) to complete it. I give students a very long list of books to choose from, including ones from my different genres and formats. The idea is for students to study a bit more of how other authors write, especially because many students do not read for fun at all. I tell the students regularly, "A writer who doesn't read is like a band that doesn't listen to music.
Book Project
Once you have read your book, you are to write a story inspired by the world in which your book takes place. This is very open. You can explore how the main character would act in a different time and place, try a different version of the original story, or spin off into a seemingly unrelated tale based on a specific moment in your book. Write from what you find inspiring, interesting, or curious about the book. There is no length requirement—make this as long or as short as it needs to be. Play with style and formatting. Remember to use everything you have learned so far about the elements of a story. In addition to your story, write a one-page explanation of how your story has sprung from the original book. Why did you make the choices you did? How obvious are the connections?
Points:
Plot /5
Characters /10
Setting /5
Description /15
Usage /5
Explanation /10
Total /50
Week 1: Plot
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
For your first creative writing assignment, let’s just open it up and see what you have. You are to write a story based on one of the images from The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Be sure to include everything necessary for a plot, including a beginning, middle, and an end, as well as two plot points. Polish this the best you can. There is no length requirement; make it as long as it needs to be. Last, include the quotation from the bottom of the picture somewhere in the story. Fit it in as naturally as possible, and be sure to underline it.
This assignment, like all in this class, should be typed, double-spaced, and include a heading and a title.
Points
Two Plot Points /5
Imbedded quotation /5
Beginning, middle, end /15
Usage /5
Total /30
Week 2: Setting and Audience
Fairy Tale Retelling
You will be rewriting a classic fairy tale, but it’s not for little kids. Concentrate on the time and place of your story. Give context clues to your setting instead of saying outright where and when the story is. So, decide on a fairy tale and the group of people for whom you’d like to write it. You must adapt the basic plot. Want some examples? Rewrite Cinderella for a football team. How about Sleeping Beauty for fans of vampire stories? Get creative.
Points:
Plot Points /5
Setting/Context Clues /10
Overall Adaptation /10
Usage /5
Total /30
Week 3: Point of View
“Your” Personal Narrative?
You’ve written your rough draft, and now you’re working on your spin of a childhood personal story. Remember, your new point of view can be anyone or anything but you. It can still be in first person, but it has to be in the point of view of another in your story: an outsider, a third person narrator, an animal, or an object. You decide.
Rough Draft /5
Point of View /5
Changes /10
Plot Points /5
Usage /5
Total /30
Week 4: Character
Students fill out the following dossier on Monday of the week on character. Then, I photocopy everyone's dossier and randomly pair it with one from another student's in the class. Students do not (and should not) include every piece of information found on the dossiers, but they may not change any of these facts, and they should write their characters knowing these things to be true about them:
Character Dossier
Name ____________________
Nicknames _______________ Age ______
Occupation _______________________ Gender _____
Family____________________Pets______________
Hometown_________________________________
Description of Home ____________________________
Hobbies __________________________________
Friends ___________________________________
Ethnic background __________ Religion ____________
Eye Color _________ Hair Color __________
Weight __________ Height ___________
Favorites:
Movie ________________ Color _________________
Musical Artist __________ Food _________________
Book _________________ Sport _________________
Who is your character’s personal hero?________________
What is your character’s pet peeve? _________________
Where was your character born? ___________________
What else should we know about your character?
Character Story
You will write a story of no more than 1,000 words which involves both the character you created on a dossier and the character assigned to you at random. This can take place anywhere, at any point in time, but must still involve a narrative story line. It must contain at least 10 lines of dialogue. Remember to show character through action, dialogue, examples, description, and exposition.
Points:
Character 1 /8
Character 2 /8
Dialogue /10
Plot /9
Usage /5
Total /40
Week 5: Description
Description
Choose a place. You are to write about that place in as much detail as possible. Make this interesting and readable, but full of detail. This is NOT a story, this is merely your best descriptive writing. That said, be sure to have some flow and organization to your piece, don’t just list things. Be sure to include sensory detail, power words, and your own voice instead of clichés and idioms.
Points:
Sensory Details /10
Word Choice /10
Organization /5
Words Choice /5
Total /30
For the following assignment, I actually assign it around the third week and give students most of the term (half a semester) to complete it. I give students a very long list of books to choose from, including ones from my different genres and formats. The idea is for students to study a bit more of how other authors write, especially because many students do not read for fun at all. I tell the students regularly, "A writer who doesn't read is like a band that doesn't listen to music.
Book Project
Once you have read your book, you are to write a story inspired by the world in which your book takes place. This is very open. You can explore how the main character would act in a different time and place, try a different version of the original story, or spin off into a seemingly unrelated tale based on a specific moment in your book. Write from what you find inspiring, interesting, or curious about the book. There is no length requirement—make this as long or as short as it needs to be. Play with style and formatting. Remember to use everything you have learned so far about the elements of a story. In addition to your story, write a one-page explanation of how your story has sprung from the original book. Why did you make the choices you did? How obvious are the connections?
Points:
Plot /5
Characters /10
Setting /5
Description /15
Usage /5
Explanation /10
Total /50
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