Baseline Interview Story, Part 2

Please continue your baseline story using a character based on your interview notes.

Reminders: Your story can follow any genre (sci-fi, fantasy, horror, western, romance, realistic, action, comedy, etc.) Want to write about teenage vampires? Go ahead! Choose a genre or topic that you are interested in. This helps a writer write a story successfully.

Your story should be relatively short (approx. 2-5 pages, double spaced). You can always add to the draft later. When you have completed your first draft, please title your story, put your standard heading on the top left (or right) and proofread your work for spelling/grammar errors. When satisfied that this is your 'best' work, please print and turn in.

Remember that a hook works just as well for a story as it does for a speech. Revise your opening sentence of your story to HOOK your reader. Be creative to grab our attention!

Character Baseline Exercise & Delivering a Speech

Since we didn't get a chance to introduce each other yet (and there is another class using the room next door 3rd period) I'd like to start today's class off with some writing.

Character exercise:

Most writers design and build their characters from people they know. Interviewing interesting people is a great help in coming up with realistic characters. However, remember in fiction, the name of the character should be "disguised" so as not to bring unwanted attention to that single person. Writers usually begin with what they know, but then branch out and add details that have nothing to do with the original model. In this exercise, it is perfectly okay to change details, add false information, and, otherwise, fictionalize your character completely.

Please follow these directions today to start a fictional story:

1. Take your notes from your interview. Read them over.
2. Choose those traits or parts of the interview that were most interesting. Begin there.
3. Use those interesting parts to design a character (your protagonist).
4. Put this character in a specific setting (a specific house, a specific room, a hospital ward, under the elms in Durand Park, on the precipice of a cliff, etc.) The more specific and detailed your setting, the easier your character can react to its environment.
5. Give your protagonist character something to do.
6. Give your protagonist character something to desire or want.
7. Write a story.

Your story can follow any genre (sci-fi, fantasy, horror, western, romance, realistic, action, comedy, etc.) Want to write about teenage vampires? Go ahead! Choose a genre or topic that you are interested in. This helps a writer write a story successfully.

Your story should be relatively short (approx. 2-5 pages, double spaced). You can always add to it later. When you have completed your first draft, please title your story, put your standard heading on the top left (or right) and proofread your work for spelling/grammar errors. When satisfied that this is your 'best' work, please print and turn in.

During the second period of our class, you and your partner will present each other to the class in a short introductory speech.

Take a few minutes to prepare your notes, and decide what you learned from your interview and want to share with the class. Speeches usually open with an interesting statement or lead-in. This is usually called The Hook. Begin your introductory speech with a clever attention-grabber. Write an interesting opening line for your speech to introduce your partner.

When called, please stand up and introduce your partner. You may use your notes if you get stuck, but try to also "talk" to us. No one likes to be "read" to.

As a class politely listen to each speech. Listening is an important element in the communication process. It is extremely rude to chat, ignore, or otherwise distract a speaker. Please be courteous in this class. As class rules state: Respect all NOUNS (that includes you and me and each other).

HOMEWORK: None. We will finish our fiction stories next class in the lab.

Communication & the Interview Project, Part One

This morning, after our course criteria discussion, complete this in class activity: 

With a partner, discuss and come up with: 
A. a list of ways in which humans communicate (humans communicate through...)
B. Reasons why humans communicate

This begins our first step as creative writing majors. It is important for us to examine how and why and when, as human beings, we decide to practice communication. This course will also get into areas of communication, the communication process, and techniques of effective communication. If you go on to study the arts, literature, political science, divinity, history, business, advertising, marketing, teaching, law, journalism, communication, or media, you will definitely need a basic understanding of these concepts.

Conversation is one of the most obvious processes of communication. Today you are going to "interview" a class member, then introduce this person to the rest of the class. The notes you take will also be used to create a "fictional" character based on a real person during our next class.

Activity:

1. Please follow my verbal directions to choose a partner for this exercise.
2. Once you have a partner, take 10-15 minutes to ask the following questions and record what your partner says in your journal.

Please note: You do not have to write down everything your partner says. Part of communication is listening to what is being said, then remembering and retelling in your own way. Use your notes and ask follow-up questions to develop your partner's answers. (see below)

3. After you have completed the set of questions, allow your partner to conduct an interview of you as well. Again, take 10-15 minutes to complete this portion of the exercise.

4. During the second period of our class, you and your partner will present each other to the class in a short introductory speech.

5. Keep your notes for the next writing assignment (more details to follow).

 Sample Questions to ask:

A. How were you shaped by your environment or cultural background as you grew up?
B. Name a friend, relative, or childhood friend or hero figure that had an impact (positive or negative) on your life. Describe how this person influenced you.
C. Describe a personal experience that had a major impact on your life and/or creating the person that you are today.
D. What activities or hobbies or interests bring pleasure and meaning to your life?
E. Name a goal that you have set for yourself. How are you going to achieve that goal?
F. What value or philosophical belief do you hold dear? Why do you hold this belief or value so highly? How does it affect your life?
G. Any other question you wish to ask within the time limit of this exercise.

Your short introductory speech should reveal the nature or character of the person you interviewed. When asked, please introduce your partner to the rest of the class. You may use your notes to help guide you, but try not to simply read off of your notes. Try to remember what your partner told you, then report this to us.

This assignment is worth participation credit.

Welcome Freshmen!

Welcome to Performance, Word, & Text. Please read the course description, objectives, and requirements for this class. My teacher website and the Creative Writing Forum is also posted on the side links. You or your parents can check there for a PDF Course Criteria Files and more information about the Creative Writing department, our class, and SOTA.

Course Description:

This creative writing course will introduce students to such topics as performance (acting) techniques, spoken word poetry, speech communication, oral interpretation, and writing for a public forum. Through the course, the students will gain an understanding of the field of communication, improve communication and listening skills, build self-esteem and self-confidence writing and speaking in public. Students will compose their own speeches, plays, films, stories, presentations and poetry to be shared in class or read aloud in public venues like the Coffee House Readings. This course is paired with Writing for Publication.

Course Objectives:

1. Students will examine and engage in the communication process

2. Students will prepare and perform “readings” or “performances” in a public event (Coffeehouse Readings, Reader’s Theatre, SOTA’s Improv group, Speech and Debate, etc.) 

3. Students will be required to participate in class assignments, homework and/or projects

4. Students will gain confidence speaking in public and in front of an audience

5. Curricular material for this course meets the New York State Standards in English/Language Arts and the Common Core

 

Course Evaluation:

25% Participation, homework, behavior, attendance

25% Writing projects, performances

25% Tests, quizzes

25% Portfolio, journal

Long Range Curriculum:

1^st term:  the communication process, introduction to performance, speech writing, oral interpretation, improvisation games

2^nd term: interpersonal communication, techniques in voice and acting, character building, and performance poetry

3^rd term: performance or spoken word poetry (cont.), debate, theatre and mass communication; final assessment

Film Projects Due Today!

Get them done. Finish up. Work on putting your portfolio together. Done with everything? Go online and play or write on your blog or read your fantasy book.

Film Project

Please complete your film documentaries.

HOMEWORK: Complete your filming/editing. Continue reading your fantasy book.

Fantasy Genres: A brief overview

There are quite a few speculative and fantasy genres that writers tend to write in. Each has its own "feel" or "tone" and there are a few rules writers in these genres follow.

It can be helpful to note which genres are which so that you can select reading material more accurately. Why waste your time reading a pleasure book you don't like?

Fantasy fiction is a wide genre suited to the fantasist reader. It has what fantasists like best: a strange or exciting world in which to lose themselves in, often an epic story with a lot of action, weird occurances, strange characters, and the best part: it's not OUR reality. Laws and physics do not work the same as in realist fiction.

Fantasy can be described as fiction with elements of magic, unknown monsters, creatures, strange beings, and make-believe worlds. While many consider knights in armor, mystical elves, and burly dwarves swinging axes (thanks to the role playing industry) to be the staples of fantasy, there are other aspects to it as well. Here's an overview of the fantasy genres in fiction:

High or Epic Fantasy Genre
The high or epic fantasy genre is probably the most recognized by the general public. In high or epic fantasy, knights go on quests, fair maidens need rescuing, and the general theme is usually Good vs. Evil. This fantasy genre is set in a pseudo-medieval world of kings and queens. It often has powerful wizards, bands of adventurers, and multiple quests to undertake. The narrative scope is large and vast, and often spread out over several books in a series. The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece The Lord of the Rings are just two examples.

Sword and Sorcery Fantasy Genre
The sword and sorcery fantasy genre is akin to Dungeons & Dragons games put in type. With similar characteristics of high or epic fantasy, sword and sorcery has a much smaller scope. One band of adventurers is going on one quest. There is often a lot of action involved.

Alternate History Fantasy Genre
This fantasy genre takes a snippet of real-life history and warps it to include fantasy elements. For example, an alternate history fantasy novel may be about WWII and how the goblins played a hand in defeating the Nazis.

One popular sub-genre of alternate history is steampunk. Set in Victorian or Edwardian era, steampunk fantasy incorporates steam-powered technology in often suprising or fantasic ways.

Urban or Contemporary Fantasy Genre
Urban or contemporary fantasy differ only in that urban fantasy is set in a city and is sometimes darker in nature than contemporary. Harry Potter is an example of contemporary fantasy (although taken together it is also Epic). These fantasy genres combine magical beings or spells with modern socity.

Dark Fantasy
The dark fantasy genre is, by definition, dark. It often overlaps both the urban fantasy genre and horror. Vampires, demons rising from the underworld, and Lovecraftian stories are dark fantasy. What makes a story dark fantasy rather than straight horror is often the medieval type setting, or more emphasis on paranormal themes over simply scaring the pants off the reader.

Other Fantasy Genres
There are other fantasy genres besides the ones listed above. Elfpunk is a sub-genre in which fantasy creatures such as elves, dwarves, and fairies enter into, or are a part of, ultra-modern 'punk' society. Erotic fantasy has a strong overshadow of sex, while romantic fantasy is more subtle in the love plots. Mythic fantasy uses classic myths or legends to introduce the fantasy elements. There are science fantasy crossovers from classic science fiction, and even comic fantasy.

There are many worlds in which to explore. Next post I'll get you some links to some of the more significant writers of fantasy with links to their work. This makes excellent summer reading.

HOMEWORK: Please begin reading your chosen novel: The Sword in the Stone, The Hobbit, or A Wizard of Earthsea. Please post comments on your blog about the books as you read.

Documentary Project

Please continue working on your documentary project.

Please plan on attending our last coffeehouse of the year. Friends and family are welcome!

We will be sending the seniors off and saying goodbye to our senior class. But we also want to hear from you! You've worked a lot, put in a lot of effort, and spent your time writing, performing, thinking, procrastinating, and learning.

Please join us at 7:00 on Monday in the Ensemble Theater. Refreshments will be provided.

NOTE: If you have a film project you would like to present, please copy the MP4 file and send it to my teacher email address by end of day Monday.

Also: we would like to put together a 2011 literary booklet with your favorite and best written work. Please send me the attached file and we'll put you in the booklet. I need the files by Monday, June 6.

A Brief Introduction to Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Some advice about approaching a science fiction/fantasy novel (particularly for those of you who are "REALISTS")

First off, you need to know that science fiction and fantasy are two genres often lumped together. They are considered special MARKETS in the publishing world. It has been found that people who like sci-fi & fantasy will read a lot of it. People who don't like it, rarely will. So the sci-fi/fantasy market is specific. In order for publishing companies to make money, they will advertise specifically TO markets.

Remember that sci-fi & fantasy are intended for FANTASIST readers. Readers who want to escape or forget their world and consider other things. They want strange events and weird characters. What you need to know is that these weird characters and strange events are just like normal events in real life, except that characters have neat names or take place in exotic locations, or deal with situations that are unlikely, but often, sometimes possible.

Fantasy really refers to anything that is NOT realistic or occurs in our natural world. Magic, talking animals, psychic phenomena, vampires--all of these things could be considered fantasy. Most fantasy novels involve a good portion of mythic archetype. Many deal with dualistic forces in conflict (good vs. evil, for example). We will discuss more about various literary archetypes in the upcoming classes. But first a note about sci-fi (remember Trekkies?) Most of this pertains to fantasy as well.

All sci-fi is what we call SPECULATIVE FICTION. A speculation is an idea or belief or thought that is developed. All speculative fiction hinges on a single question: "What if?"

What if the world were destroyed?
What if aliens landed on earth?
What if time travel were possible?

The speculative idea, then, is central to understanding a sci-fi novel. You should be able to answer: what is being examined as the central speculative idea in the story?

From this speculative idea (or perhaps because of it) writers of speculative (Sci-fi) writing use the idea to make a metaphor. They are suggesting that one thing represents another. Aliens, for example, represent outsiders (hence their popularity with a group of readers who, themselves, feel like outsiders). The end of the world represents the fact that all of us (and our societies...whether we like it or not) will come to an end. Many times sci-fi deals with themes of transcendence, religion or religious issues, and the flow of memory and time.

Realist fiction does the same thing, but they tackle these themes literally. The sci-fi, speculative fantasist does this FIGURATIVELY (or metaphorically).

So for you realists, don't be thrown with a story about Xygort from the planet Hegamelonia who has found that a secret weapon is being used to destroy the universe so he has to time travel to stop this from happening. This is just Steve, the pimply 9th grade wall-flower who can't get a date, until he uncovers the truth about himself by searching his past.

HOMEWORK: Begin reading your chosen book.

Documentary Project & Portfolio

Please prepare your documentaries and portfolios today. Use time in class to complete these projects.

Final Portfolio Rubric & Explanation

There are two (2) parts to your final portfolio.
A. A 4-6 page, double-spaced, typed self evaluation essay
B. A variety of your best work chosen from all your CW classes

Your final portfolio will count for both 9th grade creative writing classes and will be reviewed by Mr. Craddock & Ms. Gamzon. It will constitute 25% of your final grade.

Part A. Self Evaluation Essay

Part B. Portfolio

Select work that you created this year in Ms. Gamzon or Mr. Craddock’s classes. All work should be copies of original work. No journals will be accepted. Follow the guideline below.

Table of contents. Your table of contents should order your portfolio into the following parts:
a. Poetry
b. Fiction
c. Non-fiction
d. Scripts
e. Special projects

Poetry. Choose 5-7 of your best poems. Select work that shows your understanding and growth in the field of poetry. Each poem’s title should be listed on the table of contents.

Fiction. Choose 3-4 of your best fiction pieces. Select work that shows your understanding and growth in the field of fiction. Each fiction piece’s title should be listed on the table of contents.

Non-fiction. Choose 1-3 of your best non-fiction pieces. Select work that shows your understanding and growth in the field of non-fiction. Each non-fiction piece’s title should be listed on the table of contents.

Scripts: Choose 1-3 of your best scripts. Select work that shows your understanding and growth in the field of script writing. Each script’s title should be listed on the table of contents.

Special Projects: Choose and describe (DO NOT PRINT OUT) 3-4 of your special projects (newsletter, iMovie projects, brochure, literary magazine, blog, performance poetry/slam, etc.) which show your growth and creative ability. Each project should be listed on the table of contents. If you have been working on a project not assigned in class, you may include this work in your special projects. (Example: I am working on a novel, and I haven’t told my teachers or I have written a musical, etc.) Please do NOT print your special project, unless you already have an extra copy. Instead, please talk about these projects in your reflection.

Self Reflection Non Fiction - Creative Essay:

During the entire freshman year, we have thrown quite a bit of information, projects, and assignments your way. We did not do this to be cruel, but to see how you react to pressure, deadlines, writing & reading skills, and so that you had the opportunity to grow as a writer and a student. It is true that the most important qualification for writers is that they write. Apart from this, reading is also the most important way to improve your writing at this stage. These introductory courses are designed to get you to know yourself as a student and writer a little better. Part of this is the need to self-reflect. Examine the writing rubrics and the material in your portfolio. Reflect on your work this year.

Reflective piece: 4-6 pages, double-spaced. Write about how you’ve grown as a writer this year, what has been easy/hard for you, what areas you feel you need more work in; reflect on your progress as a writer, a reader, and as a student. Write about each selected piece you have chosen to include in your portfolio (per genre): why did you include these pieces in your portfolio? How does the piece show your growth and development as a writer in this particular genre? What did you learn about yourself concerning writing from this assignment or project? Discuss the writing process you used to create the work, where you got your ideas, what you learned about the form or genre of the work as you wrote and revised it, what you learned about yourself as a writer, etc. Discuss special projects and reading that had an impact on you. What did you learn about writing and about yourself through these assignments this year? (Enough questions to get you started?)

Rubric

_____ Table of Contents 10 points
_____ Reflective Essay (4-6 pages) 30 points
_____ Poetry (5-7 poems) 10 points
_____ Fiction (3-4 short stories) 10 points
_____ Non Fiction (1-3 creative essays) 10 points
_____ Special Projects (1-3 special projects) 10 points
_____ Grammar (Work is clean, copy-edited, free of errors) 10 points
Penalty: (-1/2 point for each grammar error. Up to -10 points)
_____ Portfolio turned in complete and on time 10 points

Penalties:
• Late portfolios (-10 points per day late)
• Handwritten work (-1 for each handwritten page)
• Grammar errors (see above)

The final portfolio is due Friday, June 10