MEMOIR DEADLINE: 21 January, 2011 -- 1,000 words!
Periods 3&4 are invited to read at Broadway Books on the 19th of January, if they have finished their piece and worked with Karen to perfect it! All are invited to come hear their peers read!
Memoir: A story about oneself; some aspect of memory; non-fiction; that features CHANGE (a shift); writing from a place of emotion
We read a piece "Static" by last year Grant Senior Nellie Papsdorf. We listened for details of sensory details. For example ..... mother walking in; the smell of Marlboro's; smoke the color of sidewalks on different days;
We paid special attention to the way the story shows that the narrator (Nellie) changed. (America has a myth of "coming of age" stories that imply that one day we grow up. But, really, it is more honest to recognize that becoming an adult is the result of a series of (often subtle) shifts.
We began to shift from writing to a prompt towards writing that is more focused on showing something (e.g. the shifting towards adulthood). "Static" is a finished piece of writing. It is the result not only of responding to a prompt, but careful and focused revision.
The prompt today was to focus on a time when there was a shift in your life.
What contributes to change:
People come and go (pets are people, too)
you move
you are tortured at school
you realize you have a gift / you realize that you don't
The next three weeks: By Friday the 7th you need to know your subject. Soft deadline is January 14th. A "soft" deadline is an internal deadline. That is you need to have a rough draft, one that you have typed and printed a copy of for class.
We will be adding a "Memoir Day" next week. We will work on memoir on Wednesday / Thursday in addition to next Tuesday and Friday.
Another thing that was discussed today was tone. Some people are naturally funny. Not everyone is funny. People who focus on being funny are really SERIOUS about being funny. Don't push yourself to be funny if it doesn't come naturally (seriously) to you.
No comments:
Post a Comment