Writers Craft Class Website: March 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 |