Writers Craft Class Website: 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/fashion/21GenB.html?sudsredirect=true

It's about reading, not writing... But it's cool.

How to Deal with a Quarter Life Crisis

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

So I was reading some blogs and-- actually, I'll be honest, I clicked a link from Twitter and then I clicked another link that looked interesting and so I was sort-of reading a blog... anyways. I found this, and not only is it a cool piece of writing and not only does it have a good message but I think it's.. umm... really cool?

whatever.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Need a columnist... NOW!

1:37 PM |

Hey fellow classmates. I have been surfin' the web for at least 2 hours and still cannot find a good columnist. I thought I had one but turns out they aren't a "professional." I need suggestions... FAST!

Thanks, from Sara.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Discussion: Is the novel a dying art?

6:52 PM |

Are readers (and writers) tired of novels? Over at salon.com is an intriguing article by columnist Laura Miller about David Shields' new work, Reality Hunger: A Manifesto. In essence, Shields has written an anti-novel, and "the literary world is up in arms," according to Miller. The book "defends plagiarism, champions faked memoirs and declares fiction dead."
So, what does an anti-novel look like? Miller explains:

It contains a lot of passages cut and pasted from the work of other writers and artists. This technique, which Shields calls "literary mosaic," is meant to imitate hip-hop sampling and other kinds of musical appropriation.

Literary traditions disappear with as much agony as they arrive. (Just look at what happened to poetry and short stories over the last twenty years.) Are you reading more and more non-fiction these days? Would you enjoy a literary "mash-up" like Reality Hunger? Is the novel as we know it coming to an end?

Labels: interest |

Writers on writing

6:28 PM |

Labels: interest |

Tim's Prompt 14

9:45 AM |

** On a side note: I am LOVING the update made to the blog. Did you do that all on blogger or are we now using wordpress or something? Amazing!

Here's that big bulky prompt that blew Mary's mind:

Stepping into the small closed-in gazebo; I strike up a match and begin to light the various candles and lantern inside, as the sun is quickly beginning to set. I sit in the old wood-and-leather rocking chair; one of a set of two that my parents purchased in Costa Rica. The other chair is beside me, but it is empty, except for the wool, patterned blanket – from Mexico – that is draped over top. Once comfortable, I lean forward to pick up my book from the little coffee table. As I stretch forward, I can feel my teeshirt pull away from my damp skin. It is a hot summer, and I wear a tee and shorts every day to maximize comfort. Resting the book in my lap before opening it, I can hear the loons calling from the lake. "Hello?" they might be saying; or maybe "Boat!" Listening very, very carefully, I can hear the gentle croaking of the frogs from their home in the little lily-bay just off the point of our beach. I slump further into the supple leather straps that make up the chair, and I forget about the book in my hand, loosening my grip on it.

Labels: fiction |

This is neat

7:34 AM |

I stumbled on this and was like, "Wow, it's like a website just for Writer's Craft!" and then realized that thats what this blog was. Duh! Then I realized I should post it.

Here you go: www.websitesforwriters.net

Labels: interest |

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

April is Script Frenzy Month

10:59 PM |

via National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo.org)

It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it. And I'm not using "you" in a general sense here. I mean you. As in you sitting in that chair, so kindly giving up a few minutes of your life to read this.

   You wrote a novel with us in November. Or maybe you just recently signed up for NaNoWriMo, and are looking forward to bashing out your first NaNo novel with us in the fall. Regardless, you're a brave soul with a well-honed sense of creative adventure who does well with ridiculous challenges issued from random people on the internet.
   Because of this, I'm here with a proposal.
   Let's write a movie. Or a play. Or a graphic novel. And let's do it in April. For Script Frenzy.

Labels: interest |

Poll Results: What would you like to know more about?

10:28 PM |

Short Stories	6 (60%)
Creative Non-fiction	5 (50%)
Children's Literature	3 (30%)
Comics and Graphic Novels	4 (40%)
Poetry	7 (70%)
Plays and Films	3 (30%)
Media and Advertising	3 (30%)
Journalism and Zines	3 (30%)

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Writing Prompt 14, by Sara

1:54 PM |

The rocky incline is slippery, so I shimmy over to the mossy sides and climb up there. I have to look down, as the setting sun is shinning right into my eyes as it peeks over the top of the gigantic rock formation. This place holds a decade full of memories; a dozen summers of climbing this exact trail. Pants and running shoes protect my legs and feet from the bugs. An oversized sweater stolen from a cabin mate dangles from my young, gangly frame. The warm summer breeze kisses my cheeks as it dances through the trees. Everyone is silent, save for the pants and grunts with effort of getting up the rock. Below us, the docks bang against each other, jostled by the waves of a passing motorboat. A loon can be heard far off to the north. With one last push, I'm on top, looking at those who have already arrived and found a perch on the multitude of rock. I walk over to a small nook, my favorite place, and sit. The adrenaline of game time has worn off, leaving everyone covered in a blanket of calm. The rock sighed; it seemed to be happy we came and took away the loneliness it endures during the day. My best friend plops down beside me, smiles, and links her arm through mine. We squint into the sunset. We smile as the sun warms our faces. There is nowhere we'd rather be.

Labels: fiction |

Friday, March 5, 2010

Imogen's Cheever Arms, complete version

12:04 PM |

Ten Years Later

   He didn't exist. That's what Norah's boss had been telling her for the past year. All of her stuffy, bookish friends agreed that the mysterious messiah had to be fictional. This rendered Margarete's story a lie, a useless lie. Norah knew they were right, but she would always believe Margarete. The man had existed, she knew so. This was always her focal point when speaking. Show the audience that you trust the story and believe in it's truth.
   "Eventually, we'll convince them all," Margarete had said. Norah pleaded with fate, hoping she was right.
   And then she was out of her head, and back inside the spacious hotel lounge. Nick leaned his head against her shoulder while he relaxed into the red and gold satin sofa. He had trust in Margarete's story, and this worried Norah. Only the great unwashed masses would believe, that wasn't enough.

Labels: fiction |

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

"I like moonlit walks on the beach."

10:28 AM |

By Tim

Voice of Restraint:
I walk on the side of the ocean. The beach is nice. The moon is bright, and I talk to it. I feel like a character in a romance movie. It is a good thing everyone else is asleep.

Voice of Abundance:
I tread, heavy footed, on the beach alongside the rolling green-blue waves of the warm ocean. The beach is sandy and clean; it acts as a display case for the most beautiful collection of shells—they are pink, blue, black, snow white, shiny, patterned, dull, and all of them lovely. The moon has been raised high into the sky and is almost a full circle, but not quite: it sheds light upon the beach well enough for me to navigate my way without stumbling. As I walk, I speak to the moon: I tell it of my ambitions and my dreams, I speak to it like I'm a soppy character in a romance movie, I laugh, thinking "I like moonlit walks on the beach." As I walk, I am glad that the moon doesn't shed enough light for anybody to see, should they wake up at this hour and look out their window to the dark sea.

Labels: fiction |

Monday, March 1, 2010

Hmmm... Twitter is evil. Enough said. Wait. Why are important people on it anyway??

12:06 PM |

http://tech.ca.msn.com/canadianpress-article.aspx?cp-documentid=23536425

This not only confirms my hatred for Twitter, but also makes me think: Why are important people ON IT in the first place???

-Sara

Labels: interest |

Sara's interview with Ms Greene

11:13 AM |

Kaitlin Green sat on a desk, surrounded by a semi-circle of grade 12 students who were also perched on top of desks. Her hair shone from the light coming in from the window. At this point in the interview, she was relaxed; her shoulders were slumped, her legs dangled from the desk. Her eyes were searching each face, waiting for the next question. There was an awkward silence.

"What are qualities people point out about you?" I piped up. I thought back to the note my boss had written me before she moved out to Calgary, pointing out my optimistic mood and carefree ways. She told me to never lose that. I loved that letter. It reminded me of the person I want to be.

Labels: non-fiction |

Kaitlin Greene Interview

9:35 AM |

By Tim

It is cold outside, and a bit chilly inside as well. I made sure to close the window when I entered the room, and it was quickly warming up. We all sit on top of the desks to provide a comfortable environment for our interview; Kaitlin Greene, aspiring teacher, is telling the story of her childhood, growing up on a farm just outside of Ottawa. "I remember one Christmas morning," she says, "when my father gave me a toy tractor; one of those big ones with the realistic parts. My mom gave me a Beauty and the Beast doll set, and I remember I wasn't interested in the tractor at all." As Kaitlin tells us her story, I can feel the vivid imagery in her memory. I can practically smell her grandmother's Butterscotch Pie cooking in the oven, and I sense the feeling of being safe inside a warm home when the snow is piling up all around. I watch as though looking at an old home video on VHS as Miss Greene's father (looking very much like Pierce Brosnan) tries to capture her interest with the tractor. I see her mother sipping at a glass of heated apple cider, joy in her eyes at seeing her family so happy while the Princess and the Goblins plays in the background.

Labels: non-fiction |

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Cheever Arms: 3rd Pov, 1st Pov, 10 yr jump

6:05 PM |

By Marc W.
Hope I got it this time.

Third pov

"I'm home-"Charlie yelled, stumbling drunkenly through the apartment's ancient threshold, " -and I brought company!"

"Shh, Charlie," the blonde giggled behind him, "you'll wake the whole house."

"Oh right, sorry," he whispered in a loud voice brushing snow off his leather Fire Department jacket.

Seven year old Tatum, got up from his spot on the futon and skulked his way down the old hall way. This was his chance, mother had always said that every man has one of the seven deadly sins, he knew that if he played his cards right he could use this.

Labels: fiction |

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The Cheever Arms

10:17 PM |

By Emma H

PART ONE

"How's my favourite girl?" Charlie called to the front door of his apartment. He placed his daughter's after-school snack of cheese and crackers, arranged in a smiley face, on the little round table.

He heard the padding of her feet as she ran to him. She threw her arms around his middle, hugging him from behind.

"Daddy!" She smiled into his shirt. "My day was crazy!" She moved towards the table and began to shove the little blocks of cheese into her mouth.

Labels: fiction |

nEAT-O!

9:24 PM |

A video that (almost) reminded me of the poem we got some time ago... Lost Generation by Jonathan Reed.

(this post is for fun purposes only. Enjoy!)

http://vimeo.com/9532951 <<< video

http://jyothsnay.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/lost-generation-by-jonathan-reed/ <<< poem

-Binaeshh

Labels: interest |

Interesting news article- posted by Sara

1:33 PM |

This is a series of articles about strange sports they've had in the Olympics. Some of them would make an interesting story!

http://sports.ca.msn.com/olympics/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=20701446&page=1

Labels: interest |

Two Teachers, One Chair....

12:07 PM |

Posted at the demand of the class :)

Read here.

Labels: interest |

4 comments

Disabled Girl Reduced to a Number

9:20 AM |

Thought this could be turned into a good story.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/disabled-girl-reduced-to-a-number/article1479231/

Labels: interest |

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Cheever Arms - Complete

10:59 PM |

By Clara

Cheever Arms - Winter

Brrrrrrrrring!

"'Lo?" Charlie groggily answered the phone. He could hear symphony music coming from the next room. Tatum must be watching cartoons. He tried to listen to what the chief was telling him on the line, but Bach kept on slipping into his ear.

"Sure, be right there." He set down the phone, and looked over at the clock radio on his bedside table. 14:00. It's had only been six hours since he got off the night shift, but he needed the money. Since Carol left things had been tight. It seemed with each additional shift his resentment towards her grew for just walking out on their child. But now wasn't the time for anger, Charlie needed to find a place to bring Tatum.

"Hey Bud, what's on the tube today?" Charlie asks as he entered the living room. It was rather small, with aged 70's furniture and a musty old Turkish carpet. The furnishings came with the apartment, and neither Charlie nor Tatum felt the need to bring the small two bedroom into the 21st century.

"Bugs Bunny, the one when he's a barber," replied Tatum. She was laying full length on the carpet, an ugly orange pillow propped her up. She stared intently at the fuzzy television, swinging her legs in the air on time to The Barber of Seville.

Labels: fiction |

Announcement: New Site Feature

10:58 PM |

by MR. SALVADOR

Now that the website is seeing a flurry of activity, some of the course-related posts (such as assignments and writing prompts) are getting difficult to find. To fix this, I've added a new menu bar under the website banner. Clicking on a menu item will bring you to a new page.
All new assignments, writing prompts, and homework tasks will be posted on these new pages.

Labels: announcement |

Cheever Arms: Part 3

8:41 PM |

by Chantal

Alright guys, I changed my story to fit the 10 year criteria :) Let me know what you think!

10 Years Later

You walk into the sun lit kitchen, and your hair seems to be defying gravity as it stands perpendicular to your head. You drag your feet with every step, almost like you want to walk properly, but have forgotten how sometime throughout the night. With every step you take towards your destination and away from sleep, you blink your eyes to adjust to the brightness of the kitchen. Finally you reach your journeys end, your father's arms. He lifts you from the ground and you are relieved to no longer be in a standing position. As you rest your head on his shoulder, you can instantly feel the warm body heat being exchanged between his body and yours, and you think maybe you won't ever have to leave his arms. He holds you for several minutes and you can feel your body going back into sleep mode. Your eyes lids are slowly starting to meet and objects become a blur, so you give in and let them close. Your breathing has become relaxed; you inhale into your mouth and exhale slowly, letting your throat muscles become neutral. You have officially given into the pull of sleep. Suddenly, your body is moving and you don't know why, then you realize that you are still in your father's arms, and not in your bed.

Labels: fiction |

Cheever Arms: Part 3

9:18 AM |

By Emma H

Tatum bounded through the hospital room door. The little blue room smelled like hand sanitizer and wilted flowers. The art on the walls was simple, mostly landscapes with lots of blue tints. There were two beds, parallel to each other, against the right wall. Everything was blue. Often, Tatum supposed it was to be calming, but to her it had just seemed depressing. In the furthest bed from the door, Tatum knew she would find her dad, staring blissfully out the window.

"Dad, Dad! You'll never guess!"

"What...is it...Tate?" He turned from the window. Charlie's sentences were paced out, slow and deliberate, like each word was a challenge. He sat up slowly on the cushions, careful not to knock any on the little tubes attached to his forearm, dripping innumerable amounts of medications into him.

Labels: fiction |

4 comments

Monday, February 22, 2010

Cheever Arms: Part 2

10:21 PM |

by Emma H

It was there, and now it's gone. There...gone. I watched the sun flicker amongst the clouds through the stained glass windows. I just knew that Norah would be stressed about the "imperfect" weather on her big day.

But other than the weather, everything looked to be running smoothly. Light pink roses greeted every guest at the end of each pew, all the bridesmaids and groomsmen had arrived on time, there were hardly any wardrobe malfunctions, and best of all, Nick and Norah were ecstatic.

I'd never seen Nick so happy; he seemed to glow when he smiled. I remembered the feeling, , knowing that in a matter of hours you would be forever bound to the one you loved. Forever certainly hadn't held up for me.

Labels: fiction |

Canada's Oldest WWI Veteran Dies at 109

8:20 PM |

CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Thu. Feb. 18 2010 10:51 PM ET

John Babcock, Canada's last known First World War veteran, has died at 109, the Prime Minister's Office said Thursday night.

Born on a farm in Ontario on July 23, 1900, Babcock signed up for the military as a teenage volunteer, but ended up digging ditches in Canada while pining for the battlefield.

Frustrated, the young Babcock later lied to military staff while volunteering in Halifax and told them he was 18, when in fact he was two years younger.

"When they asked me how old I was, I said 18. Well, when we got to England you had to be 19 to go to France," recalled Babcock in an interview with The Canadian Press in 2007.

Labels: interest |

Shift by Meghan Sinoff

6:08 PM |

Hey it's Kaity, I found this online earlier today. It's a short story, I really liked it so I thought I'd share. Hope you enjoy it.

Click here to read.

Labels: interest |

Sara's Cheever Arms, Pt. 3—10 Years Later

11:20 AM |

by Sara

There was nothing left. Everything that needed to be done had been done. It had been a short life, but a full life. The excitement had been used up long ago. Tatum looked down into his rippled, distorted reflection. He took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of running water and forest decay. The wind brushed his skin, leaving small bumps in its wake. He tried to remember something good. A Christmas Eve, perhaps when he was four. The excitement of knowing Santa was coming that night, and not being able to fall asleep. The anticipation of the presents that would magically appear.

The spark of so long ago could not be fanned into a flame. Tatum's face was hard, closed off to those sorts of emotions. His heart had simply given up.

At first, he thought he liked being lonely. He was content to live vicariously through other people. He used to be able to smile while he watched co-workers or strangers at the coffee shop talk and smile and be social and normal. Normal. That was about the only thing Tatum could not have. But he was a teenager. And teenagers crave company. This was Tatum's problem.

Labels: fiction |

Sunday, February 21, 2010

The Cheever Arms Pt.1

5:21 PM |

by Kaity B

Nick dropped his workbag in the front hall and took in the still unfamiliar entryway. Norah's touch had already taken over. Never would Nick have dreamed that his apartment would hold fresh cut flowers and table runners instead of four-month-old Sports Illustrated and leftovers from the restaurant.

Well, at least they smelled okay.

He kicked off his shoes and made his way toward the kitchen where he could smell another of Norah's delicious home cooked meals. He didn't miss cooking for himself. Various pots on the stove bubbled and simmered with an array of dishes. Norah must be hungry tonight because there was enough food to feed both of them for three days. Her lesson plans were strewn across the small round table and a pile of half graded homework sat in front of one of the chairs, Norah was nowhere to be seen.

Labels: fiction |

6 comments

Saturday, February 20, 2010

The Cheever Arms: Part 1

4:03 PM |

by Emma H.

"How's my favourite girl?" Charlie called to the front door of his apartment. He placed his daughter's after-school snack of cheese and crackers, arranged in a smiley face, on the little round table.

He heard the padding of her feet as she ran to him. She threw her arms around his middle, hugging him from behind.

"Daddy!" She smiled into his shirt. "My day was crazy!" She moved towards the table and began to shove the little blocks of cheese into her mouth.

"We painted today, Dad! Painted! With our fingers! It got all over, and the teacher wasn't even mad, except with Jordan-"

"Tatum, chew with your mouth closed." Charlie grinned. This was his favourite time of day; Tatum came home and babbled about her day while Charlie watched in amusement as her first-grade excitement bubbled over.

Labels: fiction |

8 comments

Friday, February 19, 2010

Homework: News articles that would make good stories

11:47 AM |

I think we should all comment our news article links on to this post so we don't clog up the feed too much?

Good idea. Please post your found articles in the comments section, with a link and a headline.—Mr. Salvador

Labels: homework |

6 comments

Zoe's "The Cheever Arms" (WINTER)

10:35 AM |

by Zoe

Margarete dired her hands on the kitchen tea towel. It was patterened with dancers. She sighed and reached for her favourite lily-scented moisturizer. The older she got, the harder she tried to salvage her withering hands—another sigh.

Fedor chifted in the next room and the pages of his magazine rustled. Margarete came in with two mugs of tea and set the larger, blue-black mug beside him. She rolled her eyes and internally laughed. Fedor couldn't read english. He was looking athe pictures, the way children do. Now she laughed out loud. That was quite a thought! Her husband, an eighty-five year old Russian, the same as a little child.

They didn't talk much anymore, but sat in silence. It was comfortable enough and part of their routine. When you're old that's what happens. Life becomes a quiet routine.

Tap-tap-tap.

"The door," Fedor grunted without looking up from his pictures. Margarete was surprised. No one came calling anymore. Who could it possibley be? They didn't have any children, and had barely ever spoken to the other tenants of their building. She shuffled towards the door and, after unlocking four locks and swinging open the door, she saw a teary-eyed little girl. It clicked for Margarete. It was the girl from upstairs! Her pig-tails were perfectly even and her dress was tidy. What could be distressing her so?

Labels: fiction |

4 comments

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Assignment #2: The Cheever Arms—A Collection

4:17 PM |

by MR. SALVADOR

Revise and edit the three scenes you have created for Writing Prompts 8-10. Bring a hard copy version into class on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Your scenes will be proofread by your peers during class.

Re-edit your scenes and submit a new hard copy to me and an electronic version to the class website email address by Thursday, Feb. 25. This version will be graded and published as-is in a PDF anthology, the first of several in this class.

A rubric will be provided on Monday, Feb. 22 in class.

Labels: assignment |

Writing Prompt #10: The Pressure Cooker

3:36 PM |

by MR. SALVADOR

This writing prompt will provide the final pieces for our modular narrative collection of stories about "The Cheever Arms" apartment building in beautiful Brooklyn, New York. Here are the instructions:
   1. One character from Writing Prompt #9 must be present in this new scene.
   2. Point-of-view is writer's choice. (If you're feeling adventurous, why not try second-person POV?)
   3. The ending must be open—try not to tie everything up into a neat package. Let your characters yearn.
   4. The time is summer . . . ten years after your scene in Writing Prompt #9.

Labels: prompt |

Writing Prompt #9: A Room with a View

12:56 PM |

by MR. SALVADOR

Choose one of the characters from the scene you wrote for Writing Prompt #8. The rules for this prompt are as follows:
   1. The time is spring, some time after the scene in Writing Prompt #8.
   2. You are writing in first-person POV
   3. The situation is writer's choice, but you must start with the line "It was there, and now it's gone."

Labels: prompt |

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Elegantly Written Captions

11:26 AM |

by Tim

Hey Guys

This is sort of a testing post for me; only not really, because I actually have something to say.

I found this really cool blog where they post some elegantly written captions for cool architectural photos that almost feel like poetry.

Thought you all might want to check it out.

http://www.unhappyhipsters.com/

Labels: interest |

Monday, February 15, 2010

Call for one more character profile

9:09 PM |

by MR. SALVADOR

Chantal needs a character profile to complete the first assignment. Please help her by filling out the details for her character in the comments section. (Try to add them in the same order.) The categories are

NAME:
AGE:
HEIGHT:
WEIGHT:
BIRTH DATE:
HAIR:
EYES:
BIRTHPLACE:
OTHER APPEARANCE DETAILS:
DRESS (style, colors):
DESCRIPTION OF HOME:
DOMINANT CHARACTER TRAIT
SECONDARY CHARACTER TRAIT
LIKES:
DISLIKES:
FAMILY:
HOW THIS PERSON TREATS OTHERS:
SEES SELF AS:
IS SEEN BY OTHERS AS:
HABITS:
TALENTS:
AMBITIONS/DESIRES:
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
WORK EXPERIENCE:
PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE:
HOBBIES/PASTTIMES/CHOICES OF ENTERTAINMENT:
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT:
MOST HUMBLING EXPERIENCE WAS:

Labels: class |

6 comments

Writing Prompt #8: The Cheever Arms

8:57 PM |

by MR. SALVADOR

You can view and download this special writing prompt here.

Labels: prompt |

How to add your writing to this website

5:10 PM |

by MR. SALVADOR

One way to use this website is to share what you have written. Sharing your fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and other writings here will provide you with readers and feedback.
To add posts to the Writers' Craft Class Website, you need only an email address. Follow these instructions for near-instant online publication:

Create a new email.
In the subject heading, type the title of your written work.
In the body of the email, the first line should be "by [YOUR FIRST NAME]" to identity the author.
In the next line, you can start typing out the work you would like to share. (Alternatively, you can copy-and-paste your writing from a word processor.)
When you are finished, send the email to the address I have specified in class. Do not share this address with anyone outside of the class.
Within minutes, your writing will be published to the website, ready for comments.

If you are a reader, don't forget to take the time to leave comments for the author.

Labels: class |

Websites for writers

2:47 PM |

by MR. SALVADOR

Here are a few websites related to writing. Feel free to add more websites in the comments section.

Write to Done
Writers' Rooms (via The Guardian)
Flash Fiction Online

Labels: interest |

Assignment #1

2:11 PM |

by MR. SALVADOR

Your first assignment is to use the character profile assigned to you (from Prompt #3) and create a fictional scene of 250 or more words.
Your assignment should

be typed and double-spaced
use a minimum of six categories from your character profile
be about your character's "proudest moment" or "most humbling experience

Provide two copies of your piece—one for me, and one to be workshopped in class
This assignment is due Monday, Feb. 8.

Labels: assignment |

Writing Prompts 1-7

1:08 PM |

by MR. SALVADOR

The following writing prompts were conducted in-class. Be sure to archive your work for your Common Place Book.

PROMPT #1 (Tuesday, Feb. 2)

Write a 250-word introduction to your own imaginary published collection of work. Assume your working life has undergone a struggle, from obscurity to hard-won fame. This is your final opportunity to say something wise to your readers and critics. What were your strengths, and why did your audience first ignore your writing, then welcome it? State what you think the future holds for your work.

PROMPT #2 (Wednesday, Feb. 3)

From the three words chosen from the Idea Bag, write a scene using these rules:

1. Third-person POV

2. Realistic/logical
3. Present tense
The three words chosen in class were crest, zombie, and wolf.

PROMPT #3 (Thursday, Feb. 4)
Using the character profile template, the class contributed physical, psychological, and historical details in the creation of a fictional character for each student.

PROMPT #4 (Monday, Feb. 8)
Write a short fictional passage that tells a backstory without using characters or narration.

PROMPT #5 (Tuesday, Feb. 9)
Using the "So...But..." method for plot generation, create a plot outline for three characters. Do not revise as you write—write continuously for ten minutes.

PROMPT #6 (Thursday, Feb. 10)
In short story form, write the next scene of Patrick Hughes' short film Signs using only physical details in action, characters, and setting. Do not use internal narration. To view the film, click here.

PROMPT #7 (Friday, Feb. 12)
In the form of a play, write ten lines of dialogue for the first encounter between two characters. When you are finished, remove two lines of dialogue that are unnecessary. Then take out four more lines, but keep them for reference. Now turn your dialogue into short fiction by adding descriptive sentences, action, and speaker tags.

Labels: prompt |