Writing Fantasy; Reading; Inspiration

Writing Prompts:

Seven Fantasy Story Ideas (choose one and write for 10 minutes in your journal)

• A mythical creature (dragon, griffin, werewolf, vampire, centaur, dryad, elf, tentacled thing, Cthulhu, a pixie, leprechaun, etc.) drops in for the opening day celebration of a new local store or the opening night of a concert or traveling band. Write the story from the creature's perspective or the POV of a common person witnessing the creature's arrival. 
• Bored high school wizards decide to throw a party. What happens before the party (or during, or after)? (pick one)
• Weddings are stressful. They’re especially tricky when one family is magical or are a supernatural creature (vampires, werewolves, dragons, ogres, unicorns, dwarves, etc.) and the other are prejudiced against supernatural beings or think magic is evil. Both mothers want to control the celebration. Write a scene from this doomed wedding.
• One morning in March, all domestic pets (hamster, horse, dog, cat, parakeet, etc.) start talking. What happens as a result?
• A supernatural creature (goblin, dragon, unicorn, giant, tentacled thing, vampire, witch) is REALLY into reality TV (like American Idol, for example), and one day arrives at a producer's office or on set to pitch an idea for a show. Write that scene.
• While passing a park, a common animal (dog, squirrel, cat, crow, ant,) or plant (bush, tree, rose, tulip, crab grass, etc.) whispers a secret to the protagonist of your story. What happens as a result? 
• What if your main character can change who they are physically by becoming a fantasy creature: a centaur, a unicorn, a giant, a witch, a monster, or any other supernatural or mythical  creature you can think of? What would be the trigger for the transformation? (a potion, a spell, an operation, a face-lift, a curse?) Write that story.

Let's read Angela Carter's "The Werewolf", then complete the writing exercise as directed.

Writing creatively requires a lot of imagination. As young writers it is important to remember that inspiration will not necessarily strike you when you sit down to write. However, the more fluid your writing, the more effort and interest you put into your art, the easier it will be to "fake it" or "skate through the hard bits" when you get stuck.

There are a few key attributes that writers require to support their imagination. These traits can be found in most of us, but sometimes in varying degrees or amounts. Let's take a look:

1. Curiosity
2. Receptivity
3. Passion
4. Immediacy

Let's read the article on motivation and fantasy writing. Take notes in your journal. There will be a quiz next class on this material.

After the various writing tasks, read the short story. "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Feel free to take notes in your journal on the story.

HOMEWORK: Complete and examine both stories and the article we read today. On YOUR blog comment about what you learned about fantasy writing, motivational tips, and these two stories. What did you learn about writing fantasy or just writing in general from our reading today?