Blog Posts Due; Genre Brochure Project: Day 1

CLASSROOM: Reading/Writing Exercise

E.M. Forster was a British author of realistic, literary fiction. His novels were made into films, most notably A Room With a View, Howard's End, Maurice, and A Passage to India. He wrote a famous writing guide book called Aspects of the Novel in which he states that a characteristic of good writing is that it should be: "surprising, yet convincing."

Surprising: something that happens that surprises us or is unexpected--we didn't see that coming...and convincing--that we believe the unexpected thing could actually happen. We are convinced by the surprise, but after learning the surprise, we think: yeah. I can believe that.

In today's short story, read along. When the story surprises you, note it in the margins of the text. Consider how the author attempts to make the surprising situation convincing.

LAB: In the lab make sure you have set up your Blog and have written the 3 required post(s):

A. An introduction to your website. Your first blog entry should welcome your guests and explain that you are a student @ SOTA, taking a creative writing course. This is important so that people know you are a teenager. Feel free to omit (leave out) your last name. You can also use a pseudonym if you'd prefer for privacy sake.

B. Write a short entry (non-fiction, fiction, or poetry) about something you feel passionate about. You may use the writing prompt this morning as a starting point for your work. Use what we read in class as a model. Remember. Describe your memories. Visualize the situation. Write. You can rant, rave, etc. but remember that your blog is a public forum and other people in the world can access your writing. Don't embarrass yourself. Check your spelling and language so you don't come across as ignorant or unskilled. As always, it is important for a writer to think about his/her audience. 

C: On your newly created blog, personally respond to the linked articles/videos above. Which of the top ten writing rules makes the most sense to you? Which ones do you practice? Which ones do you need more work on? Reflect on your own writing in your blog post. Let your audience know that you take writing seriously (i.e., you think about it).

All blog post entries (3) are due today.

LAB TASK #2: Classroom Project: Genre Brochure

Writing is a business. Books are published, not only because they're good for you, are beautifully written, or introduce you to human characters, events, and culture, but also because they sell. Publishers count on readers to consume books. It's all about the $, and less about the art. But it is also an art.

In today's writing market there are a variety of genres in which writers tend to write. Knowing your audience and what readers expect from these genres will help you as a writer give your audience what it wants. So let's learn about these audiences and what they expect!

• Choose one of the genres in bold--check the subcategories so that you know what you're getting into:
• General fiction: chick lit, domestic drama, sports, vampire lit, LGBT, humor, war, urban/black or minority literature, literary (melange)
• Historical fiction: romance, detective thriller, adventure, family saga, drama, multi-volume, African-American/urban
• Romance: paranormal, historical, regency, horror/gothic, LGBT, inspirational, contemporary, African-American/urban
• Mysteries and Thrillers: detectives, cozy, Christian, noir, forensic, police procedural, courtroom/legal, LGBT, historical, thriller, ghost story/paranormal, horror, spy, action
• Science Fiction: soft, hard, apocalypse, cyberpunk, feminist, comic/humor, first contact, colonization, military, time travel, steampunk, space opera, dystopian, speculative
• Fantasy: heroic, Arthurian, dark, urban, alternate history, RPG, high, science fantasy, speculative, magical-realism, fable
• Autobiography & Memoir: boot strap, political, family, celebrity, travel, survival, extraordinary lives, confession/conversion, spiritual memoir, writer's memoir, new journalism
• Literary Fiction: any of the above, but with better writing quality, skill, and attention to craft 
• Children's/Young Adult: any of the above, usually with more fantasy or realist elements 
• Have you chosen a genre? If so, continue on. If not, stop. Go back and choose.
• You will be expected to create a brochure for your chosen genre.
• Take a look at the questions bulleted below. You will want to be able to answer these questions in your brochure.
• In Microsoft Word, from the FILE menu, please select New From Template.
• Choose BROCHURE as a template. Select one you like. Create only a 6 panel brochure (not an 8 panel one or half page). 
• Create a brochure about your chosen genre by following the steps below. Be creative. Play around with design and how you present the information in a clear and creative way. You may use graphics and lists to provide answers to these questions:

1. Describe this genre. What is it?
2. Who is the target reader (a fantasist, a realist, a pragmatist, or what combination?)
3. What are some expectations a reader of this genre might expect?
4. What are some categories of this genre? AND what are the expectations a reader might expect from this genre?
5. Examples of some popular or famous books or films that fit this genre; and/or examples of authors who write in this type of genre.

NOTE: Brochures should not have too much text--they should use graphics and pictures to get information across. Big concepts (like subgenres) can be listed, as opposed to painstakingly explained. Write your notes in your journal (double dipping!) and organize your notes to select only the most important information about your chosen genre in the brochure! More tips on the way. The brochure project is not due yet.

Our curricular map for this semester looks like this: [note: general and literary fiction, poetry, and coming of age young adult fiction will be covered primarily in Ms. Gamzon's class...]

1. Fantasy/Science Fiction
2. Children's Literature 
3. Mystery/Thriller
4. Horror/Suspense
5. Historical Fiction/Romance
6. Humor
7. Memoir & Autobiography

Some drama will be sprinkled in to various literary units. Of those completing the survey, 6 of you labeled yourselves primarily Fantasists, and 4 primarily Realists. 4 were absent or refused to participate in the survey (or turn it in).

HOMEWORK: None.