Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Student Feedback and Musings

Creative Writing: Musings

     
(you may type and email this to jforman@buckley.org or use this sheet)

Your thoughts on the following (bullet points or a sentence) 
(pick two or three):

·         “There is no creative writing without creative reading.” Carol Muske-Duke
How does reading help us as creative writers? Explain what “creative” reading might entail? (Think outside the box)
  •  Six word memoir (write six words that might sum up one’s life)

·         Serendipity: “The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.” How can browsing in a bookstore or library create the element of chance so that you might stumble upon something you never were looking for?

·         Short short fiction: How can we incorporate daily reading or short short fiction writing into our daily or weekly routines? How is this valuable?  Should we try writing collaboratively?

·         Brainstorm some ideas for this course going forward:

Monday, October 29, 2012

Creative Reading, Creative Writing

Let's read poems and other works in quarter two and share what we admire with one another.
Let's meet in the library to discover books there.
Read some screenplays.
Find 'fine lines' in your own work and published work.
Let's consider publishing together, online or in print?
Should we have a small poetry reading?  When? Where
Every day, let's write short short works:
Six word memoirs
140 character novels or memoirs, maybe with a twitter feed.
Collaborative poetry?
Tufte shows us how to use short sentences effectively in our writing.
Let's read some of our works aloud.
In addition, we'll keep on writing.

Monday, October 22, 2012

What We've Written So Far

CREATIVE WRITING WORKS
GINA
·         “How Do I Love Thee”
An imitation with a twist of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's overly romantic "How Do I Love Thee. "
·         “The Best Thing in the World”
A response to Browning's "The Best Thing In The World" questioning the ideas suggested in the original piece.
·         “Untold Fairytales”
The lives of Malibu teen Amira and third world citizen Naala in Lebanon are compared and contrasted in a fictional short story.
·         Imitation of Sharon Olds’ “I Go Back to May 1937”
PARIS
·         “First Internship” Scott Rudin/ Internship Narrative
             (nonfiction narrative about NY internship at 16)
I had my first internship when I was 16 in New York City. Being only 16, I was a nervous wreck at first but as time went on I quickly adjusted and learned so much about responsibility and the city.
·         “Tuesday Evening”
A one act play that explores the art of the conversation between two opposite strangers in a subway car. The longer they are in there, the more we find out about these two characters.
MADELINE
·         “Looking Back”
Nonfiction narrative about post surgery which focuses on a young girl who experienced a traumatic back surgery. Starting from when she wakes up she puts together the scattered pieces of hardship and support she dealt with. This previously untold story gives insight to the true emotions of a patient.
·         “Growing Up”
The current poem I’m writing is about growing up and the things I’ve learned in the process. It is emphasizes changes and hardships as well as joys and achievements. The structure mirrors how I’ve been structured growing up. When I was younger it is free verse and as I get old it becomes couplets.
CHLOE
·         “Dark Face”
Narrative poem about baboon attack on safari.
·         Child of the Night
Short story about a suburban girl who finds herself in the midst of a high profile prostitution realm.

ALI
·         “An Ode to the Rocket”
·         “The Rocket’s Ode Back to You Engineers”
(odes to rocketeers and rockets)
·         “CI-0005, 15:55” and “Sky Lanterns” (Week Two)
Taiwan Trip(台湾的旅:导语)(nonfiction memoir about flying to Taiwan)
I articulate how and why I was able to overcome hesitation-- in this instance, it was manning up and flying halfway around the world, essentially on my own. I think what I want to impart to the reader is that although courage may seem hard to muster, it is invaluable if one is trying to make life meaningful and substantial. Experimenting with conversational prose and lots of personal anecdotes, I am also branching out of another comfort zone: my style of writing. Instead of my normal, rigid verse better suited for poetry, I think that my colloquialisms and sometimes embarrassing insights will make the reader all the more comfortable and, hopefully, my journey all the more relatable and inspiring.
JULIANNE
·         Admitted
·         Admitted Mirrored
      poems about college admissions
·         Black Polo
       poem about being a senior
·         Survival
·         “Growth”: a bound book of poems
My book of poetry is based around the concept of growth. This theme includes the physical and emotional growth of someone, something or a group of people. The book consists of an array of rhyming, non rhyming, and both short and long poems. Although a few poems are more intense, I've included whimsical and upbeat poetry, to keep the reader at their feet. I've started off my book with an opening poem which reveals the theme. Since the opening poem gives away the theme immediately, I thought of the idea of gradually masking each poem. By the last poem, the theme is less obvious, forcing the reader to explore different interpretations of the poem. The first few poems reveal the theme more obviously, however as the book progresses, the theme is less apparent.
MICHAEL
·         Vain Prayer
Poem mimicking the nature, tone, and context of prayer in the perspective of a earthly, desperate and desolate man.
·         December’s Evolution
Poem/Play: An unbridled and unfounded effort to invert the hierarchy of creative works, placing writing in a place of primacy in place of meaning.
TYLER
·         “More than Footprints”
Nature poem seeking meaning for one’s imprint; Reflecting on Nature to remind us that we have an impact just as Nature does.
·         “It Really Doesn’t Mean That”
A satirical poem combating the original poem, told from the perspective of someone who is not as positive and doesn’t connect with the vivid imagination and sweet encouragement that poets sometimes offer.
·         “Truths from and Inside Outsider (Poetry Book, on hold for now)
A diary almost except written in poetry, each poem defines certain situations or issues in one specific characters life.
·         Villains (screenplay)
Original project, action, comedy, drama in which underdogs and “zeroes” decide they are tired of being overlooked and underestimated. Having all gone through rough times and sharing a love for comic book villains they decide to join together and become real life Villians. However they aren’t just evil villains they are working against the government and the wealthy who neglect the needy like them. All of the money from their showy heists and major robberies go to shelters and orphanages that the government refuses to tend to. In a paradoxical way they are heroes to the oppressed but to the wealthy or selfish they are their worst enemies.
PAULINA
·         “The Final Goodbye” (long poem)
"The Final Goodbye" is a poem I wrote about a personal experience. I wrote about myself in the third person and how I felt when I found out my grandfather had passed.
·         Girl Displaced (short fictional story)
My new project which has yet to be titled is completely fictional. It's a story about a girl with depression going through social problems and how she tries to live her life while she's caught in several different problems.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Listening to Poetry Recordings

Mornings we will listen to recordings of poetry read by poets.

A sampling:
  1. Maya Angelou “Africa
  2. W. H. Auden “Musee de Beaux Arts”
  3. Elizabeth Bishop “Casbianca”
  4. William Blake “London” (Jon Stallworthy)
  5. Gwendolyn Brooks “We Real Cool”
  6. Emily Dickenson “a narrow fellow in the grass”
  7. Emily Dickenson “After great pain a formal feeling comes”
  8. Emily Dickenson “Because I could not stop for death”
  9. Emily Dickenson
  10. Robert Frost “The Road Not Taken”
  11. Allen Ginsberg “A Supermarket in California
  12. Michael Harper “Dear John, Dear Coltrane”
  13. Robert Hayden “Those Winter Sundays”
  14. Gerard Manley Hopkins “Spring and Fall (M.H. Abrams)
  15. Li-Young Lee “Persimmons”
  16. Robert Lowell “Skunk Hour”

Sunday, October 14, 2012

140 char novels



THE Guardian  Guardian.co.uk 
Twitter fiction: 21 authors try their hand at 140-character novels
We challenged well-known writers – from Ian Rankin and Helen Fielding to Jeffrey Archer and Jilly Cooper – to come up with a story of up to 140 characters. This is their stab at Twitter fiction


Geoff Dyer
I know I said that if I lived to 100 I'd not regret what happened last night. But I woke up this morning and a century had passed. Sorry.
James Meek
He said he was leaving her. "But I love you," she said. "I know," he said. "Thanks. It's what gave me the strength to love somebody else."
Jackie Collins
She smiled, he smiled back, it was lust at first sight, but then she discovered he was married, too bad it couldn't go anywhere.
Ian Rankin
I opened the door to our flat and you were standing there, cleaver raised. Somehow you'd found out about the photos. My jaw hit the floor.
Blake Morrison
Blonde, GSOH, 28. Great! Ideal mate! Fix date. Tate. Nervous wait. She's late. Doh, just my fate. Wrong candidate. Blond – and I'm straight.
David Lodge
"Your money or your life!" "I'm sorry, my dear, but you know it would kill me to lose my money," said the partially deaf miser to his wife.
AM Homes
Sometimes we wonder why sorrow so heavy when happiness is like helium.
Sophie Hannah
I had land, money. For each rejected novel I built one house. Ben had to drown because he bought Plot 15. My 15th book? The victim drowned.
Andrew O'Hagan
Clyde stole a lychee and ate it in the shower. Then his brother took a bottle of pills believing character is just a luxury. God. The twins.
AL Kennedy
It's good that you're busy. Not great. Good, though. But the silence, that's hard. I don't know what it means: whether you're OK, if I'm OK.
Jeffrey Archer
"It's a miracle he survived," said the doctor. "It was God's will," said Mrs Schicklgruber. "What will you call him?" "Adolf," she replied.
Anne Enright
The internet ate my novel, but this is much more fun #careerchange #nolookingback oh but #worldsosilentnow Hey!
Patrick Neate
ur profile pic: happy – smiling & smoking. ur last post: "home!" ur hrt gave out @35. ur profile undeleted 6 months on. ur epitaph: "home!"
Hari Kunzru
I'm here w/ disk. Where ru? Mall too crowded to see. I don't feel safe. What do you mean you didn't send any text? Those aren't your guys?
SJ Watson
She thanks me for the drink, but says we're not suited. I'm a little "intense". So what? I followed her home. She hasn't seen anything yet.
Helen Fielding
OK. Should not have logged on to your email but suggest if going on marriedaffair.com don't use our children's names as password.
Simon Armitage
Blaise Pascal didn't tweet and neither did Mark Twain. When it came to writing something short & sweet neither Blaise nor Mark had the time.
Charlie Higson
Jack was sad in the orphanage til he befriended a talking rat who showed him a hoard of gold under the floor. Then the rat bit him & he died.
India Knight
Soften, my arse. I'm a geezer. I'm a rock-hard little bastard. Until I go mushy overnight for you, babe. #pears
Jilly Cooper
Tom sent his wife's valentine to his mistress and vice versa. Poor Tom's a-cold and double dumped.
Rachel Johnson
Rose went to Eve's house but she wasn't there. But Eve's father was. Alone. One thing led to another. He got 10 years.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Marvell's Poetry (imitate it)

            Had we but world enough, and time,
            This coyness, lady, were no crime.
            We would sit down and think which way
            To walk, and pass our long love's day;
            Thou by the Indian Ganges' side        5
            Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide
            Of Humber would complain. I would
            Love you ten years before the Flood;
            And you should, if you please, refuse
            Till the conversion of the Jews.          10
            My vegetable love should grow
            Vaster than empires, and more slow.
            An hundred years should go to praise
            Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;
            Two hundred to adore each breast,    15
            But thirty thousand to the rest;
            An age at least to every part,
            And the last age should show your heart.
            For, lady, you deserve this state,
            Nor would I love at lower rate.            20

            But at my back I always hear
            Time's winged chariot hurrying near;
            And yonder all before us lie
            Deserts of vast eternity.
            Thy beauty shall no more be found,   25
            Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound
            My echoing song; then worms shall try
            That long preserv'd virginity,
            And your quaint honour turn to dust,
            And into ashes all my lust.                              30
            The grave's a fine and private place,
            But none I think do there embrace.

            Now therefore, while the youthful hue
            Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
            And while thy willing soul transpires   35
            At every pore with instant fires,
            Now let us sport us while we may;
            And now, like am'rous birds of prey,
            Rather at once our time devour,
            Than languish in his slow-chapp'd power.      40
            Let us roll all our strength, and all
            Our sweetness, up into one ball;
            And tear our pleasures with rough strife
            Thorough the iron gates of life.
            Thus, though we cannot make our sun
            Stand still, yet we will make him run.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

What we're up to now

The Best Thing in the World

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

What's the best thing in the world?
June-rose, by May-dew impearled;
Sweet south-wind, that means no rain;
Truth, not cruel to a friend;
Pleasure, not in haste to end;
Beauty, not self-decked and curled
Till its pride is over-plain;
Love, when, so, you're loved again.
What's the best thing in the world?


CREATIVE WRITING
1.     Add short descriptive blurbs to our class table of contents
2.     Register for Novel Writing Month and use sunrise to attempt typing 50,000 words in November!  http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/ 
3.     Share in Pairs: share something you’ve written recently or something you finished
4.     Fine Lines: Find a fine line from a poem and one from your own work: share these on our class blog
5.     Buckley Lit Journal: Let’s start sharing with this new publication! (permission to publish must be granted by the author)
6. Keep writing every day in class!! Be Creative!


NATIONAL DAY ON WRITING  Oct. 20, 2012
On October 19, tweet out your compositions of all sorts and post them to Twitter using the hashtag #WhatIWrite and, if space allows, #dayonwriting. Our goals are to share writings publicly while we get #WhatIWrite as a trending topic on Twitter this year just as #WhyIWrite was a trending topic last year.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

CREATIVE WRITING SCHEDULE

CREATIVE WRITING CLASS
10/8 mon   typed prospectus due
10/9 tue          an outline or your first sentences/paragraphs/lines
10/10 wed     
10/11 thu      
10/15 mon  Print out what you have for feedback
10/17 wed
10/18 thu      
10/22 mon print out what you have for proofreading and feedback
10/24 wed
10/25 thursday Paper copy in class AND submit to dropbox in NetClassroom

New Grading scale
22 max = 100
21/22= 95
20/21 = 90
19/22= 86
18/22= 81
17/22= 77
Criteria:
Well edited and proofread
Characters fully realized
Well written sentences
Precise word choice, both denotation and connotation of words

chk+ grading scale for homework, drafts
chk++ 10
chk+ 9
chk 8.5
chk - 8
chk - - 7

in class folders with copies of your drafts and work.
plus a chart, on the folder and electronically, of what each student has completed and is working on.

As I return your revisions, please find a 'fine line' that you admire from your own work and one you admire in someone else's as well.

Friday, October 5, 2012

imitate Marvell's Poem

           To His Coy Mistress (Andrew Marvell) 

            Had we but world enough, and time,
            This coyness, lady, were no crime.
            We would sit down and think which way
            To walk, and pass our long love's day;
            Thou by the Indian Ganges' side        5
            Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide
            Of Humber would complain. I would
            Love you ten years before the Flood;
            And you should, if you please, refuse
            Till the conversion of the Jews.          10
            My vegetable love should grow
            Vaster than empires, and more slow.
            An hundred years should go to praise
            Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;
            Two hundred to adore each breast,    15
            But thirty thousand to the rest;
            An age at least to every part,
            And the last age should show your heart.
            For, lady, you deserve this state,
            Nor would I love at lower rate.            20
            But at my back I always hear
            Time's winged chariot hurrying near;
            And yonder all before us lie
            Deserts of vast eternity.
            Thy beauty shall no more be found,   25
            Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound
            My echoing song; then worms shall try
            That long preserv'd virginity,
            And your quaint honour turn to dust,
            And into ashes all my lust.                              30
            The grave's a fine and private place,
            But none I think do there embrace.

            Now therefore, while the youthful hue
            Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
            And while thy willing soul transpires   35
            At every pore with instant fires,
            Now let us sport us while we may;
            And now, like am'rous birds of prey,
            Rather at once our time devour,
            Than languish in his slow-chapp'd power.      40
            Let us roll all our strength, and all
            Our sweetness, up into one ball;
            And tear our pleasures with rough strife
            Thorough the iron gates of life.
            Thus, though we cannot make our sun
            Stand still, yet we will make him run.

see Annie Finch "Coy Mistress"
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175353
 
Sir, I am not a bird of prey:
a Lady does not seize the day.
I trust that brief Time will unfold
our youth, before he makes us old.
How could we two write lines of rhyme
were we not fond of numbered Time
and grateful to the vast and sweet
trials his days will make us meet:
The Grave's not just the body's curse;
no skeleton can pen a verse!
So while this numbered World we see,
let's sweeten Time with poetry,
and Time, in turn, may sweeten Love
and give us time our love to prove.
You've praised my eyes, forehead, breast:
you've all our lives to praise the rest.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

How to Write a Screenplay

http://www.writersstore.com/how-to-write-a-screenplay-a-guide-to-scriptwriting/

How to Write a Screenplay: Script & Screenwriting Tips

By The Writers Store
It's easy to feel intimidated by the thought of writing a screenplay. The rules! The formatting! The binding! Don't let the seemingly endless parade of screenwriting elements scare you away from writing your first script. Since a familiarity with the basics of the craft is half the battle, The Writers Store has created this handy overview on how to write a screenplay to help you get up to speed on screenwriting fundamentals.
Combine that with the right software, books and supplies, and you'll be ready to type FADE IN before you know it.

What is a Screenplay?

In the most basic terms, a screenplay is a 90-120 page document written in Courier 12pt font on 8 1/2" x 11" bright white three-hole punched paper. Wondering why Courier font is used? It's a timing issue. One formatted script page in Courier font equals roughly one minute of screen time. That's why the average page count of a screenplay should come in between 90 and 120 pages. Comedies tend to be on the shorter side (90 pages, or 1 ½ hours) while Dramas run longer (120 pages, or 2 hours).
A screenplay can be an original piece, or based on a true story or previously written piece, like a novel, stage play or newspaper article. At its heart, a screenplay is a blueprint for the film it will one day become. Professionals on the set including the producer, director, set designer and actors all translate the screenwriter's vision using their individual talents. Since the creation of a film is ultimately a collaborative art, the screenwriter must be aware of each person's role and as such, the script should reflect the writer's knowledge.
For example, it's crucial to remember that film is primarily a visual medium. As a screenwriter, you must show what's happening in a story, rather than tell. A 2-page inner monologue may work well for a novel, but is the kiss of death in a script. The very nature of screenwriting is based on how to show a story on a screen, and pivotal moments can be conveyed through something as simple as a look on an actor's face. Let's take a look at what a screenplay's structure looks like.

The First Page of a Screenplay

While screenplay formatting software such as Final Draft, Movie Magic Screenwriter, Movie Outline and Montage frees you from having to learn the nitty-gritty of margins and indents, it's good to have a grasp of the general spacing standards.
The top, bottom and right margins of a screenplay are 1". The left margin is 1.5". The extra half-inch of white space to the left of a script page allows for binding with brads, yet still imparts a feeling of vertical balance of the text on the page. The entire document should be single-spaced.
The very first item on the first page should be the words FADE IN:. Note: the first page is never numbered. Subsequent page numbers appear in the upper right hand corner, 0.5" from the top of the page, flush right to the margin.

Screenplay Elements

Below is a list of items (with definitions) that make up the screenplay format, along with indenting information. Again, screenplay software will automatically format all these elements, but a screenwriter must have a working knowledge of the definitions to know when to use each one.
Scene Heading
Indent: Left: 0.0" Right: 0.0" Width: 6.0"
A scene heading is a one-line description of the location and time of day of a scene, also known as a "slugline." It should always be in CAPS.
Example: EXT. WRITERS STORE - DAY reveals that the action takes place outside The Writers Store during the daytime.
Subheader
Indent: Left: 0.0" Right: 0.0" Width: 6.0"
When a new scene heading is not necessary, but some distinction needs to be made in the action, you can use a subheader. But be sure to use these sparingly, as a script full of subheaders is generally frowned upon. A good example is when there are a series of quick cuts between two locations, you would use the term INTERCUT and the scene locations.
Action
Indent: Left: 0.0" Right: 0.0" Width: 6.0"
The narrative description of the events of a scene, written in the present tense. Also less commonly known as direction, visual exposition, blackstuff, description or scene direction.
Remember - only things that can be seen and heard should be included in the action.
Character
Indent: Left: 2.0" Right: 0.0" Width: 4.0"
When a character is introduced, his name should be capitalized within the action. For example: The door opens and in walks LIAM, a thirty-something hipster with attitude to spare.
A character's name is CAPPED and always listed above his lines of dialogue. Minor characters may be listed without names, for example "TAXI DRIVER" or "CUSTOMER."
Dialogue
Indent: Left: 1.0" Right: 1.5" Width: 3.5"
Lines of speech for each character. Dialogue format is used anytime a character is heard speaking, even for off-screen and voice-overs.
Parenthetical
Indent: Left: 1.5" Right: 2.0" Width: 2.5"
A parenthetical is direction for the character, that is either attitude or action-oriented. With roots in the playwriting genre, today, parentheticals are used very rarely, and only if absolutely necessary. Why? Two reasons. First, if you need to use a parenthetical to convey what's going on with your dialogue, then it probably just needs a good re-write. Second, it's the director's job to instruct an actor on how to deliver a line, and everyone knows not to encroach on the director's turf!
Extension
Placed after the character's name, in parentheses

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Archer School Conference

We are thrilled to invite your students to participate in Archer’s Seventh Annual Student Literary Conference, entitled “Literature &….” This year’s conference is scheduled for 8:30AM to 2:30PM on February 20th, 2013. To those who are interested, I will send along some posters at the end of this month to share with your students and teachers to encourage participation and publicize the event.

The conference welcomes works synthesizing literature and another discipline, as well as creative pieces and essays about works of literature in general. We will reserve a panel specifically for the cross-curricular presentations conjoining writing and history, pop culture, film, art history, philosophy, or any other topic. We will also reserve a panel for creative writing.

We encourage a wide variety of presentation styles from both male and female students. Students might also wish to display images, play music, or project film clips. Presentations should each be approximately 8-10 minutes long. Other details:
  • Students should submit 250 word proposal abstracts or 3-5 page essays with the name of a supervising teacher to me via e-mail. The submission deadline is January 15th, 2013, but earlier submissions are most welcome!
  • I will send out final acceptance letters to the top proposals/papers by February 1st.
  • All attendees should R.S.V.P. by February 8th, 2013. Snacks and refreshments will be provided for teachers and speakers.
The conference provides unique opportunities for students to participate in an intellectually stimulating exchange of ideas. It also allows them to sharpen their writing and presentation skills, gain confidence for college interviews, meet and share ideas with students from other schools, and include something unique to be very proud of on their college application resumes—and beyond.

Monday, October 1, 2012

PROPOSE A PROJECT

        


BIG PROJECT!

 Propose a longer project due by October 25
o   Think of multiple drafts
o   Pick a genre
o   A collection of poems
o   Several short memoir writings
o   Short fiction
o   A draft of a longer work you envision (novel, screenplay, books of poems or short storied, play, book-length memoir)
·         Intermittently, we will also work on “re-vision” as a way to ‘see again’ our first drafts. We will imitate poems, try short fictionalized versions of memoir, and continue to explore ‘fine lines’ of sentences or poetry lines we admire.
What to include in a proposal or prospectus for a longer term piece of writing?
A prospectus for a longer piece is not set in stone, but it gives you and the instructor a possible road map or blue print that you can stray from as you are in process. 
·         What Genre?
·         For plays, screenplays, television scripts, fiction or nonfiction memoir,
o   an idea of the plot structure or sequence of events
o   Beginning
o   Middle
o   End
o   Character and characteristics of protagonist
o   Conflict and/or antagonist (man vs. society)
o   Themes you’re exploring (if you know yet)
o   Collection of short pieces (unified by one character or one theme)
o   A novel: what is the overall structure? How much do you hope to complete by the end of October? How much can you work on it outside of class?
·         POETRY
o   Expected length
o   Collection of poems (unified by what theme?)
o   Short or long lines
o   Rhymed or unrhymed
o   Meter or free verse
·         Plans for multiple drafts and revision over time
·         Always important:
o   Imagery, senses, concrete and telling details
o   Character, fully realized, not out of focus, but sharp, with contradictory qualities, rounded, not flat.