Thursday, April 24, 2014

Day 157!

Happy Friday!

Today you will start peer editing on your FINAL short stories! Cole F, Olivia, Clay, and Alex are up as our workshop authors this time. Please begin by sharing your stories as "Can View Only" with the entire class (and with me). You'll want them to be on "Can View Only" so that no one can steal your comments!

Please make a copy of the Peer Editing Forms and begin reading the stories. You may also print these forms out if you prefer.

I expect that you will get at least one full story read and edited during class. You will have Monday to work, and will start the workshop on Tuesday. So, PLEASE be using your time wisely!

Have a good weekend!

Monday, April 21, 2014

Day 153!

Happy Monday!

Today, we will finish discussing the sub-plots that you began reading last week. We will talk about how the plot was introduced, what worked well with it, and how it can be improved.

Once we have finished that, it's on to our FINAL short stories! The focus of this story will be dialogue and plot layers (sub-plots), so be sure that you have each element in your story. You will have the remaining time today to begin working on your brainstorming map and to begin writing!

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Day 151!

Happy Wednesday!


Today we will share some of our sub-plots with each other. THEN, we will begin our FINAL short stories!

Please submit your sub-plots using the form below!

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Day 150!

Happy Tuesday!

Today we will finish writing your sub-plot layers that you added to one of your stories.

Once everyone has finished their plot layers, we will share a few with the class and talk about what is good and what can be even better!

Friday, April 4, 2014

Day 144!


Happy Friday!

Today, we will finish up working with our extra practice writing prompts. You will randomly select a partner to work with. Switch prompts with your partner. Read through your partner's prompt and then try to guess which element they were working on. Then, using the comment function tell them what you felt they did well and give suggestions on how they can keep improving.

After that, we will spend some time working with dialogue (we'll come back to plot layers later). We will discuss how to punctuate dialogue and its different purposes. We will also talk about adding active and interesting dialogue tags.

THEN, we will do a partner dialogue activity in which you will be writing a short short story (like one scene) starting with only the dialogue! It's going to be a blast!

Partner dialogue character choices:

  • movie star and fanatic fan
  • officer and speeder
  • psychiatrist and patient
  • waiter/waitress and diner
  • principal and student
  • hairdresser/barber and client
  • teacher and parent
  • little sis and big sis
  • driving instructor and student driver
  • deejay and phone-in listener
  • reporter and accident witness
  • priest and confessor
  • cheerleader and nerd
  • two people on a blind date
  • dogcatcher and dog owner
  • player and coach
  • two late-night grocery shoppers
  • flight attendant and passenger
  • angel and devil on character's shoulder

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Day 143!

Happy Thursday!

As requested, today will be a sort of "extra practice" day! Below, you will find three different writing prompts; you will also find a list of some of the elements of Creative Writing that we have discussed up to this point. Your job is to pick one of the three prompts to work with.  Before you start writing, pick one of the elements listed (an element which you know you need to practice more). As you are writing your prompt, focus on developing your selected element more than the others.

You will have a set amount of time to write this prompt, and then you will randomly select a partner. You will switch your prompt with your partner. After having read your prompt, your partner will guess which element you were working with. They will give suggestions for how you can strengthen your writing, and they will tell you what you already do well using the comment function on Google Docs.

If we get time after that, we will begin to discussing plot layers.


The prompts:
1. You're digging in your garden and you find a fist-sized nugget of gold...
2. A kid comes out of the bathroom with a long strand of toilet paper dangling from his or her waistband...
3. A man is sitting on a park bench reading a newspaper.....

The elements to choose from:
-Figurative language and/or Sensory Details(remember, there are more options than similes and metaphors...check your old notes for the other options)
-Voice (You get to pick what kind of voice you want to use--think outside the box)
-Point of View (Again, you get to pick which point of view you want to use)