Motif Story Project

After our quiz on The Thief of Always, please go to the lab to work on the following task:

1. Choose a month

2. Choose an event in that month. Look here for help.

3. Create a rough character list (you may always add to this list as you write)

4. Select a specific place for most of these characters to meet (or at least 2-3 of them)

5. Write a 1-2 sentence statement about what you believe to be true: examples:

• Good people win in the end. 
• Parents are important models for children.
• Time should not be wasted

Use this statement to create a metaphor and story "spine"--a premise for your story or themes. 

6. Create a motif or symbol--a recurring event or object that helps create a metaphor for your theme. Consider how Barker uses motif or symbols to comment on his theme: (time, for instance)...

7. Choose one of your characters from your character list (see #3) to be your protagonist.

8. Start your story with a problem that AFFECTS your protagonist. Describe in your opening paragraph how this is a problem for your character.

9. Add a better hook or opening sentence once you get started.

10. Keep writing. What does your character do to solve his/her problem? Usually, our actions to solve problems cause other problems. How do these consequences cause problems for the protagonist? Keep writing and find out!

Write a short story of AT LEAST 1,000 words (that's about 3-4 pages double-spaced). Genre and story line is up to you, but you should follow the steps above to set up your premise.

Now: write. See what you create!

HOMEWORK: Work on your story. Continue writing. 

The Thief of Always: Discussion/Lab

This morning gather in a discussion group and talk about the book. You should have read The Thief of Always by now, but if you didn't talk about what you HAVE read of the book. There will be a test on the book Thursday. Prepare for the test by discussing the following and know the basic plot, conflicts, setting, and characters.

Motifs (a motif is a recurring or repeated object, image, or idea in a story)
Personification: Giving inanimate or non-living objects human qualities.
Similes: A comparison between two things using the words “like” or “as” or metaphors: a comparison between two unlikely things.

Themes:
Themes come in 4 basic flavors: (consider how the author uses all these themes in his book)

1. Nature
2. love
3. death
4. life 

Time: Follow references to time throughout the novel. Notice when characters talk about time. How might all this talk about time create a lesson or meaning for us as readers?

Names: many of the names in this book hold clues as to their true nature or significance. Discuss what you found out about the names of these characters? Particularly Marr, Rictus, 'Hood, Ms. Griffin, Carna, etc.

Animals: Look for the types of animals mentioned or met in the novel. What might be the connection between them? How do animals or animal qualities compare/contrast to the human characters?

Transformation: A character that changes in a story is called “dynamic”. Who are the dynamic characters in the book and how or why do they change?

Stealing/Loss: something taken from you or something once possessed now lost.

Discuss, analyze, and evaluate the book with your peers.

LAB WORK:

Please continue writing on your blogs using the prompts from below. Try to complete at least 1-2 today, if not more. When you are ready, please begin your writing assignment below:

Now you try writing a story. Follow these steps by writing in your JOURNAL: 

1. Choose a month

2. Choose an event in that month. Look here for help.

3. Create a rough character list (you may always add to this list as you write)

4. Select a specific place for most of these characters to meet (or at least 2-3 of them)

5. Write a 1-2 sentence statement about what you believe to be true: examples:

• Good people win in the end. 
• Parents are important models for children.
• Time should not be wasted.

Use this statement to create a metaphor and story "spine"--a premise for your story or themes. 

6. Create a motif or symbol--a recurring event or object that helps create a metaphor for your theme. Consider how Barker uses motif or symbols to comment on his theme: (time, for instance)...
7. Choose one of your characters from your character list (see #3) to be your protagonist.
8. Start your story with a problem that AFFECTS your protagonist. Describe in your opening paragraph how this is a problem for your character.
9. Add a better hook or opening sentence once you get started.
10. Keep writing. What does your character do to solve his/her problem? Usually, our actions to solve problems cause other problems. How do these consequences cause problems for the protagonist? Keep writing and find out!

HOMEWORK: If you did not complete your reading of The Thief of Always, please complete this book and prepare for your exam on Thursday.

Valentines Poem Exercise

Today, during 4th period, please draft a couple love-type poems. These are typically odes: poems of praise where the speaker of the poem praises someone or something. Time to fall in love all over again. Go ahead and write following the directions here:

Task: write a poem that compares two things in a creative or unexpected way. To start, choose a feeling or abstract idea. Then compare this feeling/idea with a concrete and specific noun. See models for an example. If you finish before the time is up, try to write a second or third poem.

"Your Arms are Stronger than the Words" by Katy Montgomery

Your arms are stronger than the words of the Gettysburg Address.
Yet soft and warm as clothes in a dryer.

And your eyes--bluer than Boston in a World Series,
Deeper than the stack of papers on my desk.

Your voice rings like the phone in the middle of dinner,
It bubbles in me like milk blown through a straw.

How much do I love you?
More than a fire loves oxygen.
More than the mailman loves Sundays.
More than the Rabbit loves Trix.

Task: Write a "love poem" to one of your body parts (please do NOT write about your genitals). Look here for a model:

"Homage to my Hips" by Lucille Clifton:

these hips are big hips.

they need space to 

move around in.

they don't fit into little

petty places. these hips

are free hips.

they don't like to be held back.

these hips have never been enslaved,

they go where they want to go 

they do what they want to do. 

these hips are mighty hips.

these hips are magic hips.

i have known them

to put a spell on a man and 

spin him like a top.

If you finish your poem drafts, please put them in your portfolio for safe keeping. You may work on your blog, journal, or continue to read The Thief of Always if you finish early.

HOMEWORK: Complete the homework for the post below. 

Thief of Always

After our discussion on the first three chapters of The Thief of Always, please continue reading today quietly. During period 4, we'll go to the lab and complete some writing.

Please use the ideas and prompts below to write journal and/or blog posts. You may write as many of these as possible. Remember that you will be graded on how much you write--so open up and get creative!

More Journal/blog ideas for the Thief of Always:

Chapter Four - Seven:

1. Pg. 33; “Another day, another dollar.” Collect sayings that your parents or family use. List these sayings in your journal. Start a poem with a saying and explore its meaning or relevance.
2. Pg. 46; “This was a place where dead things belonged.” Start a description of a setting with the words: “this was a place where…” Perhaps turn your list into a catalog or chant poem.
3. Pg. 49; The description of autumn. This passage uses a lot of imagery: appealing to our senses through words that recall a touch, taste, smell, sound, or sight. Pick a season and, using imagery, describe it without naming it.
4. Pg. 55; The description of the musty room with the masks. Barker uses effective imagery here as well in this passage. You should note that the most important detail is left for last and that there is a build up of details. Write a description of a room, leaving the most important detail for last. (he does this again on page 56 when describing clothes).
5. Wendell’s practical joke (pgs. 59-62). Write about a time you played a practical joke on someone or when someone played a practical joke on you.
6. Pg. 68; Make a list of things you would like for Christmas. Add to your list odd items that may be impossible to find or get. Be creative!
7. Pg. 70-72; Describe an old gift given to you many years ago or describe a favorite gift. Where is this gift now, or what happened to it? Explore this exercise in a poem or short vignette.  

Chapter eight-thirteen:

10. Pg. 80; Tell a water story from your real life; describe a time when you encountered water.
11. Pg. 81; Describe a precious item you lost or that was stolen from you.
12. Pg. 83; Describe a dream you have.
13. Pg. 89-92; Describe a transformation or explore the possibility of being something else. What would you like to be? Why?
14. Describe a time you witnessed or participated in the death of a living being.
15. Pg. 130. An appositive is a description of a named noun. It is used after a comma to clarify or provide further detail to something already identified. Carna is described in a series of appositives (the appositive phrase is italicized): “Carna, the tooth-stealer; Carna, the devourer; Carna, the beast.” Use the appositive to describe an object or person.

This covers the first half of the book. The book is divided into two parts. The first part of the book has 13 chapters. The second does as well. There are 26 chapters in all. Why do you think Barker divided his book in this manner?

Part Two: 

Chp. 14-26

1. Pg. 139. Start a story with the sentence: “He knocked on the door…” continue the story.
2. Describe a time in your life when you wished that time would move faster or slower.
3. pg. 153. Draw a picture of a house or place. Use this drawing to start a story or poem set in that location.
4. Pg. 194. Describe your attic or a fictional attic. What sorts of things are there in the dark?
5. Pg. 199. Start a story or poem with the line: “There were five doors ahead of him.”
6. Chp. 20 – Have a conversation with an inanimate object. What might it say or believe?
7. Pg. 220. Oh, to be a vampire again…. Start a poem with a similar line. Choose a noun that you would want to be “again” and use this repetition (like pg. 220) to create verse.
8. Chp. 23. Write about the war between two or more inanimate objects. What would they argue about? Who might win?
9. Describe a time when you stole or thought about stealing something.
10. Pg. 266. Start a poem, story with the line: “The days were…”

HOMEWORK: Complete the book The Thief of Always. Use the prompts above to write in your journal and on your blog during the week. The more you write, the higher your grade for this project will be. 

The Thief of Always: Period 4

Click here for information Clive Barker has provided on the Thief of Always.

As you read the first few chapters (1-3), keep track of some of the following literary devices/terms that can be found in the book. As you read, jot down notes in your JOURNAL about what you find. This will be collected later in the marking period.

Motifs (a motif is a recurring or repeated object, image, or idea in a story):

• Questions: Rictus says “No questions boy…questions rot the mind.” Questions (pg. 6, 8, etc.) are a recurring motif in the novel. Try to notice as many “questions” or “question-like” items or events in the book. Remember that this book is a mystery. Without questioning, one can never find the answer to a mystery. What might the author be trying to tell us as people?

Personification: Giving inanimate or non-living objects human qualities.

• Barker uses the poetic technique of personification throughout the book. As you read, try to notice when he uses it. Consider why he might want to describe inanimate objects with living traits.

Similes: A comparison between two things using the words “like” or “as”.

• Similes are used like adjectives, to describe an abstract idea in a more concrete or solid way. Keep a record of the number of times Barker uses similes in his novel. Why does he use so much comparison?

Time: Follow references to time throughout the novel. Notice when characters talk about time. How might all this talk about time create a lesson or meaning for us as readers?

Names: many of the names in this book hold clues as to their true nature or significance. What might the names: Rictus, Carna, Millsap (the town), Griffin, Swick, Mr. Hood, Jive, Marr mean?

Animals: Look for the types of animals mentioned or met in the novel. What might be the connection between them?

Transformation: A character that changes in a story is called “dynamic”.

• What kinds of changes occur to Harvey and the other characters in the book? Are these all physical or mental changes? Why is change important as a theme, do you think?

Journal exercises. Complete at least ONE of the following in your JOURNAL. Complete at least ONE (a different one) for your BLOG. (Minimum credit is two entries).

Chapter One - three:

1. Pg. 2; Pick a month. Personify it. Explain why the month is monstrous or marvelous, etc. 

2. Pg. 3; Write about your own route to school. What would a detective following your route to school and your day find. Describe where you go and what you do routinely. 

3. Pg. 5; Describe what you would like to do with your time or life. 

4. Pg. 8; make a list of questions that you would like answered. Start realistically, then begin asking questions a small child might ask or ask questions that seem odd or far-fetched and creative. 

5. Pg. 22; What would be a fine thing to build in your life? 

6. Pg. 22; Use infinitives to string a series of seemingly random thoughts together as in the first paragraph on page 22 (chapter 3). An infinitive is made by adding TO + VERB. Notice how Barker creates a rhythmic passage using semi-colons and infinitives. 

7. Pg. 23; Describe a person’s face using a simile. 

8. Pg. 25; Mrs. Griffin says, “Nothing’s perfect…because time passes…and the beetle and the worm find their way into everything sooner or later.” Consider the meaning of this statement. In your journal, list your own reasons why nothing is perfect.

HOMEWORK: Complete chapters 1-3 for FRIDAY, Feb. 13--Friday the 13th! Bring your books back with you to class. Write an entry in your journal AND a post to your blog from the choices above.

Student Blogs

The following students have sent me a link to their blogs:

Azana
Karina
Tamaron
Isabella
Frank
Nasmere
Thalia
Jocelyn
Dannae
Ellie
Carina
Kyra
Isiah
Liana
Alexis
Alexander
Sam
Sara
Yanira
Emily

If your name does not appear here, please send me your link at the bottom of this page as a "comment"--I cannot grade your work if you do not share your work with me and the class.

Some tips about blogging from the experts:

1. Know your audience. Your class will be most of your audience during this year's blogging project. Remember that your parents/guardians, friends, and family members (even your Grandma) can find your blog. Don't write anything you'd regret sharing with them.

2. Write regularly on your blog. The more you update and write on your blog, the more likely readers will come back and check your writing out. Also, you'll have to complete these blog posts for participation grades for this class: writing for publication.

3. Be inviting. Your blog is public. Don't be an ass or a jerk. Social media can be damaging and hard on teenagers. Try to be as positive as possible and share your ideas with the world. Ask friends to subscribe to your blog and comment in the comment section. If you do the same on their blogs, you start creating a friendship.

4. Design & Be Creative. Try something different. Remember pictures and graphics can be a good way of setting the tone of a post or getting at a theme or idea you are presenting. Blog posts are usually short (a few paragraphs long). Make sure you proofread and correct your mistakes in grammar/punctation when you find errors. Ask a friend to help you until you're good at this.

5. Be yourself. Be creative. Find your voice. Your blog reflects on you. Enough said. Be a writer and write. Remember your audience (that's tip #1!)

LAB TASK: Please review at least 3 other blogs from the list (not yours, silly!) If you like these blogs, subscribe to them. Comment to at least 3 posts (1 post at least for each blog you review). Let your writer-peers know what you think. Remember that you catch more flies with honey--be understanding and courteous to your peers.

Blog Project

Please read and follow these instructions to set up and write on your blog!

BLOG PROJECT: Setting up your very own blog

One of the most important marketing/writing skills you will need to succeed as a writer is having your own blog. Many authors have a blog where they can interact with their potential audience(s) and share the process of writing, or snippets of their personal lives.

First off, many of you are probably familiar with what a blog is, but if not, here you go--some important information:

A blog is a web log or web journal. A journal written online. Just like your physical writing journal, a blog can include ideas for stories, your own personal reaction to books/films/national events, etc. It can be a good place to publish your poetry, fiction, and plays before you eventually get paid for your writing. Some companies and media sources hire writers to set up and contribute to a company blog--and they pay you for it! For more info check here.

However, there's a lot to know about blogging. Check out the links below and read a little about blogs before attempting to create one.
5 Reasons Why You Should Consider Blogging

Here's a few sample writers blogs (with tips about being a writer)

• Sample Blog
• Sample blog
• Sample blog (writing tips)
• Sample blogs and types: Teen Blog #1, Teen Blog #2, Teen Blog #3, Teen Blog #4.

To set up your blog:

1. Go to blogspot.com or (tumblr.com--please note you will not be able to access tumblr from the RCSD network). You may use blogger (read link to set this up), this is Google's blog site and you can use a Google email address. This year the district has provided every student with a Google email address. Use this one if you remember what it is. You may also use word press at this link. The choice is yours. 

NOTE: If you have already started a blog as a side project, or because you have already been introduced to the idea, I don't want to stop you from using it. Use your original blog site, but I will be asking that you write things specifically on your blog for our class. If this bothers you, start a new blog. No big deal.

2. You may take a quick tour to get information about the blog site you are going to use, if interested. Otherwise, create a new account. Depending on the site you choose, the instructions for creating a blog will be slightly different. Follow instructions as necessary!
3. You must enter an email account (if you have no email, use one from your family; if this isn’t working, use an email account from a trusted and valued friend.) You can set up a new email account at gmail.com. This is a free service. Your email account name will be your “username”--Write your password somewhere safe where you will remember it. You will need to keep track of this.

NOTE: Please send me your blog address in the COMMENT section below.

4. Create a password, display your name, look at terms of service, etc.
5. Log onto your blog. Follow the prompts to set up your page. Write down your address/passwords, etc. Again, I can't help you if you screw this up.
6. You may provide biographical info and so on. At some point, you will need to create a NEW Post. Each new post needs a title and you should edit it before you post it.

WRITING TASK: Today, you will need to set up your Blog and write the following posts (complete all):

A. An introduction to your website. 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. Tell your readers what kind of reader you are. Are you a fantacist, a realist, or a pragmatist? Are you two kinds, or a mix of all three? What are some of your favorite books. Tell the world what you like about reading and what kind of reader you are. 

C. What is your review so far of the book The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker? What did you think of it when you first started reading? What do you think of it now? What have you learned about writing from reading it? Feel free to add a picture or graphic of the book's cover to your post. Practice using links and pictures/graphics in your blog posts.

D. Write a short non-fiction entry about something you feel passionate about. 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. 

These blog entries will be graded as participation credit. Please complete them today.

IMPORTANT!: PLEASE send me your blog's URL address to the comment section of this blog post (see below!)

HOMEWORK: If you did not complete any of these parts (or did not finish writing your blog posts in class today) do so by the beginning of next class. Add entries as you see fit to your blog. Post previous poems, short stories, essays, rants, whatever you would like. Have fun and publish! Every new post you create will count for your blog project. The writers who write the most get the highest grades...! Keep writing!

Writing Careers; Types of Readers (audience); Blog Project

After we finish with our creative writing careers today and reviewing the links I posted last class, let's chat about the 3 types of readers. We'll take a trip to the library to pick up a book (for your very own) and then it's off to the lab to conduct some business: creating your very own blog.

Types of Readers

1. Realist
1. Enjoys real life situations
2. Enjoys contemporary issues and stories dealing with them
3. Enjoys stories with easily identifiable characters
4. Enjoys stories dealing with ones own culture or experience

Examples: realistic fiction; creative non-fiction; Oprah book club or NY Times bestsellers, biographies, autobiographies

2. Fantacist
1. Enjoys fantasy or made-up situations
2. Enjoys weird or made up settings or time periods
3. Enjoys stories with allegorical or symbolic characters or conflicts
4. Enjoys stories that take the reader outside of his/her own culture, life experience, or cultural problems
5. Often likes to immerse him/herself in a book

Examples: horror, sci-fi, fantasy, westerns, historical fiction

3. Pragmatist
1. Enjoys reading for a purpose (usually to learn something)
2. Enjoys anything that improves or helps his/her own life experience
3. Wants a quick story or synopsis, “sound byte”, or short selection that’s to the point

Examples: Cookbooks, textbooks, academic non-fiction, newspapers, magazines, self-help books, instruction manuals, etc.

BLOG PROJECT: Setting up your very own blog

One of the most important marketing/writing skills you will need to succeed as a writer is having your own blog. Many authors have a blog where they can interact with their potential audience(s) and share the process of writing, or snippets of their personal lives.

First off, many of you are probably familiar with what a blog is, but if not, here you go--some important information:

A blog is a web log or web journal. A journal written online. Just like your physical writing journal, a blog can include ideas for stories, your own personal reaction to books/films/national events, etc. It can be a good place to publish your poetry, fiction, and plays before you eventually get paid for your writing. Some companies and media sources hire writers to set up and contribute to a company blog--and they pay you for it! For more info check here.

However, there's a lot to know about blogging. Check out the links below and read a little about blogs before attempting to create one.
5 Reasons Why You Should Consider Blogging

Here's a few sample writers blogs (with tips about being a writer)

• Sample Blog
• Sample blog
• Sample blog (writing tips)
• Sample blogs and types: Teen Blog #1, Teen Blog #2, Teen Blog #3, Teen Blog #4, Teen Blog #5.

To set up your blog:

1. Go to blogspot.com or (tumblr.com--please note you will not be able to access tumblr from the RCSD network). You may use blogger (read link to set this up), this is Google's blog site and you can use a Google email address. This year the district has provided every student with a Google email address. Use this one if you remember what it is. You may also use word press at this link. The choice is yours. 

NOTE: If you have already started a blog as a side project, or because you have already been introduced to the idea, I don't want to stop you from using it. Use your original blog site, but I will be asking that you write things specifically on your blog for our class. If this bothers you, start a new blog. No big deal.

2. You may take a quick tour to get information about the blog site you are going to use, if interested. Otherwise, create a new account.
3. You must enter an email account (if you have no email, use one from your family; if this isn’t working, use an email account from a trusted and valued friend.) You can set up a new email account at gmail.com. This is a free service. Your email account name will be your “username”--Write your password somewhere safe where you will remember it. You will need to keep track of this.

NOTE: Please send me your blog address in the COMMENT section below.

4. Create a password, display your name, look at terms of service, etc.
5. Log onto your blog. Follow the prompts to set up your page. Write down your address/passwords, etc. Again, I can't help you if you screw this up.
6. You may provide biographical info and so on. At some point, you will need to create a NEW Post. Each new post needs a title and you should edit it before you post it.

Today, you will need to set up your Blog and write the following posts:

A. An introduction to your website. 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 non-fiction entry about something you feel passionate about. 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.

These two blog entries will be graded as participation credit. Please complete them today.

HOMEWORK: If you did not complete any of these parts (or did not finish writing your blog posts in class today) do so by the beginning of next class. Add entries as you see fit to your blog. Post previous poems, short stories, essays, rants, whatever you would like. Have fun and publish!

Welcome to Writing For Publication

While we won't completely leave performance, word, and text this semester we are going to focus on writing as a career. What does it take to be a "writer"? What skills do we need? What attitude do we need to cultivate? Let's find out.

The Career of a Writer:

Wondering why you might want to be a writer? What jobs are out there? Why are you learning all this stuff from Ms. Gamzon, Ms. Perez, and Mr. Craddock? Let's do some research and report back to the class about writing careers.

LAB WORK/RESEARCH: Select and sign up for one of the following occupations. Your job today in class is to use the internet to find out some information to report back to the class on these jobs. Find out:

A. What is the job? (Describe what the job entails or involves)
B. What is the median (average) salary for the job
C. What education and/or requirements are needed to get the job.
D. Anything else you found interesting about the job.

Please record your findings in your journal. Take notes answering questions A-D.

By the end of period 3, please be prepared to share this information with the rest of the class. Some of the categories include: novelist, technical writer, journalist, reporter, copy editor, publisher, advertising/marketing, screenwriter/television writer, columnist, playwright, poet, lyricist (song writer), ghostwriter, press secretary, lawyer, communication manager, reviewer/critic, blogger, researcher, public relations, literary agent, freelance writer, etc.

If you finish early, take a look at any of these websites while you're waiting for classmates to finish. As you watch these videos, please take notes in your journal. Also, record any questions you might still have after watching. We'll report out during period 4.

• Top Ten Writing Rules Advice from Famous Writers
• What does a publisher do?
• How much will I make publishing a novel?

HOMEWORK: Continue reading The Age of Miracles.

SOKOL; Gannon; Portfolio & Journal

Your journal and portfolio is due today. Please use the blog post below this one to set up your portfolio. You may use your journal (to get those extra pages in) for your brainstorming for SOKOL or Gannon exercises (see instructions below!)

Your next book is a "If All of Rochester Read the Same Book program" selection. We will be working with Writers & Books for this project. Let's go get that book from our library today. Please read the book over the next week or two.

The deadline for submitting to SOKOL (poetry, creative non-fiction, fiction/prose) and Gannon University's poetry contest (poetry only) is next week (Jan. 30 and Feb. 1). If you'd like to kill two rocs with one writing stone, consider these prompts:

A. Write a "Where I'm From" poem, but instead of YOU as the subject, choose a real person you know, a historical figure, or a fictional person you make up and write about THIER life.
ex. You are from the hills of Santa Fe...; You come from hard labor and log cabins...; I called you grandma, but you were born an orphan girl...; etc. The traditional "Where I'm From" poem was written by George Ella Lyons. Schools have taken her poem and made it a bit of a cliche (i.e., you might have had to write one of these before). Making the subject someone else is more original.

B. Make a list of technical terms and use this list to describe a person or a common event.
Science technical terms: check here for some ideas...
Here's a list of poetry terminology...
Medical terminology sample poems...

C. Billy Collins wrote this poem: Shoveling Snow With Buddha. Take an historical figure (or a well-known fictional character) and describe that person doing something mundane or common: cutting the grass, making their bed, cooking pasta, etc.

These poems tend to win contests because they are:
1. Universal.
2. Creative.
3. Not about the teenage writer specifically.
4. Show a broader interest than just teenage interests...
5. Show that a poet is specific and knows something more than the average student submitting...
6. Tend to show humans overcoming adversity, not complaining or being negative about the subject...

D. Write a story about a character trying to change his/her life or a complicated situation, but write it in present tense or in second person. Start your story with a statement that shocks the reader--a secret or bit of truth that your protagonist has just realized.

Fiction advice:
1. Winners of fiction often have a story that is at least 1,000 words (about 3 pages) with the better ones being more like 3,000-5,000 words (5-7 pages).
2. Include a theme about common human experience (usually overcoming adversity)
3. Tend to be realistic, as opposed to Sci-fi/fantasy or other sub-genres
4. Use a variety of sentence structures and fiction conventions (includes a little dialogue, but not too much...includes a turning point in the plot, ends with a specific and memorable image, centers around an interesting voice or character.)

HOMEWORK: No classes next week until Friday. Please work on your Sokol or Gannon entries. Read: The Age of Miracles for Ms. Gamzon.

Portfolio

Semester Portfolio - Final "Exam"

1. Examine your work collected in your portfolio. (You may print out anything you haven't yet printed out and place a copy in your portfolio). You may print anything out you have written in either Ms. Gamzon or my class.

2. Revise:
• Nouns: Nouns should be specific and concrete; avoid blatant abstract or vague nouns always in your writing.

 One way to make an abstract concept (like love or death or pain or sadness) concrete is by creating a metaphor or simile. (Ex. Love is a blind dove fluttering at your window)--use metaphor and simile in your writing to strengthen abstraction and turn it into concrete and specific writing! 

 If you can’t hold it in your hand, touch it, smell it, taste it, hear it, then it’s not concrete. If you can’t see it or touch it, it’s not specific.

• Verbs: Verbs should be active.

 Do not write in the passive voice – let your subject do the action.
 Avoid excessive use of the verb TO BE. Instead, use strong active verbs
 Do not shift tense. Make sure all your verbs are either in the past or present. Try not to switch between tenses.

• Modifiers: Adjectives, prepositions, adverbs, conjunctions, interjections. These parts of speech help describe your characters, settings, and plot events.

 The thing to remember about modifiers is that they are not necessary. Overusing them is a great mistake in writing! Be concise!
 Make sure your stories and poems describe the images you expect the reader to see. Don’t forget about WHERE your characters are or WHAT they are doing while they are talking or acting.
 Adverbs should be used sparingly.
 Try to avoid overusing conjunctions. This is a sure sign of a run-on sentence.

• Plot, character, setting, conflict, theme, dialogue, form: Find places in your stories and poems to expand your ideas. Complicate your plots, make them longer, more character driven, more descriptive. Use dialogue to develop your characters histories and backgrounds. Choose your words with care. Try to make a point. Remember your reader!
• Spell check and proofread your work! Reading your work out loud can help!
• It is sometimes helpful to get feedback from friends, teacher, or enemies about your writing.

Remember: this is a writing portfolio (and you have taken Grammar and Style), so you should check and correct any grammar or formatting errors in your work.

3. After you review and revise your portfolio, write a 1-3 page typed reflection essay about your progress this far in your creative writing courses.  Since you did one of these last quarter, feel free to update it. Answer the seven questions below somewhere in your reflective response. In your essay, you should:

 Talk about the work you include in your portfolio:
What pieces did you most enjoy, which were difficult for you and why? Which pieces show off your talent? What did writing these pieces help you understand in writing? 

 Talk about your strengths and weaknesses as a writer: what are you still doing well? what do you still need help or assistance with in regards to your writing?

 Talk about the reading we did and your skill at being a reader. What pieces did you most enjoy/which pieces or texts were difficult for you? Why? 

 Talk about specific writing problems you have faced (and overcome) 

 Talk about Ms. Gamzon’s and Mr. Craddock’s class – what parts did you most enjoy, which parts did you least enjoy? What might we be able to do to provide a better learning environment for you? 

NOTE: do not complain for the sake of complaining, but actively examine what you felt you did and learned in these classes in the past semester. Complain to your family and friends, not in your self-evaluation. 

 Make a goal. What would you like to work on in the next semester? 

Finally, grade yourself. What grade would you give YOURSELF as a writer this semester? Why? Defend your answer.

Use the lab today to complete this work. If you do not finish today in class, please complete next class. The portfolio & Journal is due Friday, Jan. 23.

HOMEWORK: None. You may work on preparing your journals and/or your portfolio.