During period 3, please complete a first draft of your Stephen King story from the exercise he gave. Your story should be at least one or two thousand words (or about 5 pages double-spaced). It can be more or less. That's just what happens. There's no fast rule about length.
However, if you were not able to reach this number, please reflect on your writing process and add a short response explaining why you could not meet the word-requirement. What's stopping you from writing?
At the end of period 3, proofread your work and print out 2-3 copies of your story.
During period 4, please get into a group of 2-3 student writers to conduct a workshop. Now Stephen King would say that you're not ready for this yet. I agree with him, but classes in creative writing often require you to share your work while it's still "fresh & new"--this can be a problem. You're much too close to your first "perfect" draft to revise it. However, before we move on (as this is just an exercise and an assignment to force you to write) share your efforts with others. Allow them to help you find glaring errors in formatting and grammar/mechanics. Then turn in the better draft to me.
You may use the room next door for the purpose of workshopping or sharing as well. Read your story out loud to your group members. Group members please make grammar corrections or offer suggestions for a rewrite. When you are done with this task, please go back to the lab and revise, correct, and strengthen your draft. Print out a copy of your draft (wherever you end up) and turn the draft in to me for participation/writing credit.
Some Tips/Advice from chapters 9-13:
As a ticket out the door (apart from your story draft) please comment on what you learned about writing and your own writing process from the advice Stephen King has made in his book (see previous post for help) and the story you wrote.
If you did not complete your draft, complete it for Friday and turn in the full draft--(although you should have turned in what you have written at the end of class). Work turned in after that date will not receive full credit.
However, if you were not able to reach this number, please reflect on your writing process and add a short response explaining why you could not meet the word-requirement. What's stopping you from writing?
At the end of period 3, proofread your work and print out 2-3 copies of your story.
During period 4, please get into a group of 2-3 student writers to conduct a workshop. Now Stephen King would say that you're not ready for this yet. I agree with him, but classes in creative writing often require you to share your work while it's still "fresh & new"--this can be a problem. You're much too close to your first "perfect" draft to revise it. However, before we move on (as this is just an exercise and an assignment to force you to write) share your efforts with others. Allow them to help you find glaring errors in formatting and grammar/mechanics. Then turn in the better draft to me.
You may use the room next door for the purpose of workshopping or sharing as well. Read your story out loud to your group members. Group members please make grammar corrections or offer suggestions for a rewrite. When you are done with this task, please go back to the lab and revise, correct, and strengthen your draft. Print out a copy of your draft (wherever you end up) and turn the draft in to me for participation/writing credit.
Some Tips/Advice from chapters 9-13:
- Practice is invaluable--and, if you're doing it right, you should enjoy what you're doing
- Honesty is indispensable!
- Write in any style you like, as long as your style serves the story--there's no right way to do this
- Don't worry about getting it perfect in the first draft--refine, shape, and add "grace notes" (like symbols and themes) in the second draft
- An author will decide how many drafts it takes to revise a story/book. You need at least a second draft
- After writing, put the project away for a while and let it "bake." After some time, take it out and read it in one sitting. See it with "fresh" eyes. Ask: Is my story coherent? Where are the gaps? What sections or passages don't I enjoy reading?
- Don't talk about your work until the first draft is finished; choose an Ideal Reader to give you feedback after writing the draft. Write for this ideal reader (IR). When ready, have more peers look at your work and give you feedback. You might want to pick people you trust, but don't know very well so you get an impartial eye.
- Keep research and backstory in the background of your work. It's the story you should be telling, not a history. "Everyone has a history and (b) most of it isn't interesting."
- The story always comes first.
As a ticket out the door (apart from your story draft) please comment on what you learned about writing and your own writing process from the advice Stephen King has made in his book (see previous post for help) and the story you wrote.
If you did not complete your draft, complete it for Friday and turn in the full draft--(although you should have turned in what you have written at the end of class). Work turned in after that date will not receive full credit.
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