Hi class!
It's great to see how well you all continue to do with the coursework. I'd like to clarify a few quick points before discussing some of last week's Greatest Hits (Thanks Kayla, Rebecca, Miranda, & Jesus for writing some outstanding posts that we get to enjoy and learn from!). Bravo to everyone for making it so hard for me to pick only a few Greatest Hits per week! I'm getting used to the fact that this class is full of very talented storytellers.
Some notes as you continue working:
*Remember to complete the Writer's Journal posts to the standard explicated in your syllabus, which is exampled for you in the Class website blog post for Week 1. Points from Writer's Journal posts add up, and completing it to the standard I've asked is an excellent way to better your writing by becoming more thoughtful about writerly choices.
*When giving feedback to your Writers' Groups at the beginning of each week, make sure you respond to the correct posts. Some of you will be reviewing blogs after other classmates post their Tuesday writing assignments... make sure to check dates so you review posts from the week previous only. This will be of great assistance to your group members.
*Strive for clarity in your titles and writing. Since the prompts you're responding to allow you to be creative, it's important you share important "background information", if any, with your readers at the outset. For instance, though the prompts are titled and numbered, it will be helpful if you develop an appropriate title for your piece, outside of simply stating the prompt name or number. Do share the prompt number in your "Title", and do share an original title of your own that works to introduce your piece. If and when prompts ask you to choose an imagined experience/place/person/etc (ex. Prompt 6), do write a short introductory passage that makes your readers aware of what imagined stance you've chosen to write from.
*If you miss a class session, move on to the current assignment. A few of you are still catching up but, if you recall from the syllabus, there is no credit given for late-posted assignments (unless you were a Late Add: John). Your best option is to stay on top of current and future coursework to avoid exceeding the allowable number of absences for the course.
This week, you'll read important chapters in your textbook which teach about craft. Learning about the craft of writing helps us to become more aware of the choices other writers are making (which can help us peer review with specificity and confidence), and also helps us learn about choices we ourselves can make, as writers, to create a more enjoyable or clear reading experience for our audiences.
You'll also offer peer review to your writers' groups and continue to post new work to your blog.
Happy writing, and enjoy the week!
-AP
Greatest Hits
Miranda's post, "Terror Child"
In this post, Miranda conveys an enjoyable - and honest - story from the point of view of herself as a child. Thanks to her specificity, strong use of description, and excellent composition of a beginning, middle, and end, this piece feels complete. Miranda teaches us about the importance of using character dialogue and inner dialogue to create interest. Notice how useful it is for us as readers to learn about what the child is thinking... Miranda leaves no mystery about the thoughts, emotions, and motives of her child self, but does leave a perfect feeling of mystery at the conclusion of her writing... we learn that she was lectured, reprimanded, and left "sulking over... failed efforts to drive the witch from [their] lives forever". As readers, we learn at the beginning of this story that the "witch" is the "woman who later become [Miranda's] step-mother". We know, then, that the child Miranda never did get rid of the witch, and feel curious about what happens to Miranda, her step-mother, and father at other points in time as they attempt to become a family. The feeling of subtle mystery that's created at the end occurs simply because Miranda (sparingly) evokes the past and future in her introduction and conclusion. Thanks for a delightful story, Miranda!
Jesus' post, "The Autobiography of Laslow G. Boniface, III (as told to J. Corona, his neighbor)"
Jesus' writing about Laslow achieves a tremendous amount of clarity in a highly creative format. I love the way this post is divided into short sections - formal techniques such as this one, which are atypical, have come to be labeled as "innovative". Don't be afraid to attempt innovative techniques yourselves... section breaks, lists, and changes in point of view are all innovative, and can create a fantastic reading experience depending on subject matter. (For example, imagine writing a post in response to Prompt 6 called "How to be a Thirteen Year Old Girl", written in a sequence of 20 points on a list. This, if written as an autobiography of, for instance, a kid sister, would be a creative way to convey who she is.) Thanks, Jesus, for teaching us about innovation and personal style in writing! Best yet, your form contains your content wonderfully. I love learning at the end of this piece that the young boy has trouble differentiating reality from the imagined. The brevity of your sections helps to highlight the many quirky details: in Chapter 1, we learn about Laslow's ex-imaginary friend named Carbon Dating Manatee and in Chapter 4, we learn about his plans to wear a sweater vest for the rest of his life - this is too funny. You also teach us, Jesus, that the subjects we choose can entirely effect the successfulness of our writing... your writing is uniquely enjoyable, but so is Laslow himself. Thanks for writing a hilarious and witty autobiography!
Rebecca's post, "Sugar and Cinnamon"
Just as Miranda created a story in recalling her childhood kitchen, Rebecca used the opportunity of the prompt to do the same. This is such an enjoyable story to read! Rebecca's use of point of view brings us into the consciousness of her child self, and allows us to experience the type of excitement, panic, and relief that is accurate to such an event in a child's life. Best is her use of description... I like how she chose to remember one particular, especially evocative food. Doing so allows us to observe an experience of, what we like to call, "comfort food" or "soul food". Rather than using sentimental language to describe the experience of this comfort food, Rebecca allows a reader to experience it ourselves. The tenderness shared between herself, her sisters, and her mother become palpable, and so does the warmth and cozyness of that kitchen. This is the power of great description and specific storytelling: it causes a reader to feel something, which is task we can't easily pull off if a telling is summarized or sentimental. Notice, also, how Rebecca's plot is forwarded through representations of the protagonist's feelings. A feeling of introduction is created when she experiences excitement, a middle is created when she experiences panic/shame, and a conclusion is created when she experiences relief and bliss. Thanks, Rebecca, for showing us how an emotional journey and strong description can create a cohesive and lovely story.
Kayla's post, "Autobiography of Jillian Hannah"
What this post illustrates, which is advanced and quite difficult to pull off, is what I like to call "wisdom writing". Typically, readers like to be shown (through description, dialogue, etc), not told, a story. Readers are also typically offput when they're told what to believe, what to do, or what's right/wrong by a writer. By stepping into the shoes of a particularly inspirational character, Kayla "earns" the right to convey wisdom about humanity-in-general and about life experiences like suffering and perseverance. In her introduction, she writes, "What differs between all us dreamers is the way we react when... plans fall through and we are forced to adjust." She than allows Jillian to admit, "I was one of those people who took a while to adjust." As we continue to read, it becomes apparent that Jillian is a survivor of extreme physical illness and that, as she learned to accept her situation, persevered to re-create joy, hope, and strength. Best, in this story, is the writing of the voice of Jilian. As readers, we perceive the voice as authentic. Kayla also did a wonderful job writing details about Jilian's situation, especially through the beginning and middle of her writing: we get to "see" a profound event in Jilian's life, and get to visit her thoughts as she worked through life changes. Thanks for sharing this with us, Kayla!
Writing Tip of the Week:
Do you know about spellcheck on Blogger? When you finish writing a post, click on the button at the top of your post writing screen that says "ABC". It appears on the same row that allows you to post pictures or change fonts... pressing this button will create a series of highlight marks across your text, notifying you of spelling errors.
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