Me Talk Pretty One Day - Project Series
Me Talk Pretty One Day – David Sedaris
Writing Project(s) (part 1)
Memoir is growing in popularity. In the last decade, creative non-fiction (memoir, mostly) has increased sales and readership. Creative non-fiction works exactly like fiction. There is very little difference, except that the plot, characters, setting, etc. are based on real people, places, and events. A writer of non-fiction must tell a story. There is usually dialogue, a rise of action to a climax, an epiphany, and attention to imagery, characterization, and other literary devices. Lack of memory is not an excuse for lack of detail. If a writer doesn’t remember the details exactly, she must provide these details from her imagination. The goal is to tell an interesting story.
Part 1:
Please read the first five essays in the book. As you read, pay attention to how Sedaris brings his reader into his private confidence. Examine how he surprises us with a turn of phrase or an issue that we didn’t expect.
Draft 1: pick a moment that shaped you, or embarrassed you, or made you who you are at this moment. Explore the cause and effects of this moment. Create a story draft (with a beginning, middle, end).
Journal exercises (any of which can be turned into poems, narrative non-fiction, documentary, etc. for your portfolio – due date is any time this year. Portfolios will be collected by 10/10 for this marking period.)
• Inspired by the essay 12 Moments in the Life of an Artist, select a # of moments in your own creation process. How did the creation process affect you? What ultimately did you learn about yourself and the people who viewed your art?
• Inspired by the essay The Youth in Asia, examine the death of a beloved (or not so beloved) pet on you and your family. How did family members react to the death? How does their behavior or the promise of mortality affect you as a human being? Explore.
• Inspired by The Learning Curve, write about a teacher you had in the past. What was their possible motivation for teaching, what did you learn or not learn from them?
Writing project #1 (draft 2) (due date: on-going; draft of your essay MUST be included in your portfolio (collected by 10/10).
Draft 1: pick a moment that shaped you, or embarrassed you, or made you who you are at this moment. Explore the cause and effects of this moment. Create a story draft (with a beginning, middle, end).
Draft 2: Expand. Consider where your epiphany or “climax” is in the story. Add additional scenes or examine the scenes you have to dig deeper and more fully into the spirit of the draft. Add description. Make sure you include self reflection (an important aspect of memoir). Beef up the beginning and ending. Hook our attention by a whiz-bang opener. Consider the description and development of all your characters in the story. Even though it’s non-fiction, when you are done with your narrative, it should read just like a short story (it’s just that its based on your real life). Try to lengthen your draft by at least 50%.
Draft 3: Cut. Find the essentials of your draft. After expanding the details of your essay, go back through and clean up your grammar, punctuation, cut unnecessary phrases or sentences. Reduce your word count. Choose active verbs, reduce # of adverbs, etc. Try to cut about 25% of your 2nd draft.
Writing Project(s) (part 1)
Memoir is growing in popularity. In the last decade, creative non-fiction (memoir, mostly) has increased sales and readership. Creative non-fiction works exactly like fiction. There is very little difference, except that the plot, characters, setting, etc. are based on real people, places, and events. A writer of non-fiction must tell a story. There is usually dialogue, a rise of action to a climax, an epiphany, and attention to imagery, characterization, and other literary devices. Lack of memory is not an excuse for lack of detail. If a writer doesn’t remember the details exactly, she must provide these details from her imagination. The goal is to tell an interesting story.
Part 1:
Please read the first five essays in the book. As you read, pay attention to how Sedaris brings his reader into his private confidence. Examine how he surprises us with a turn of phrase or an issue that we didn’t expect.
Draft 1: pick a moment that shaped you, or embarrassed you, or made you who you are at this moment. Explore the cause and effects of this moment. Create a story draft (with a beginning, middle, end).
Journal exercises (any of which can be turned into poems, narrative non-fiction, documentary, etc. for your portfolio – due date is any time this year. Portfolios will be collected by 10/10 for this marking period.)
• Inspired by the essay 12 Moments in the Life of an Artist, select a # of moments in your own creation process. How did the creation process affect you? What ultimately did you learn about yourself and the people who viewed your art?
• Inspired by the essay The Youth in Asia, examine the death of a beloved (or not so beloved) pet on you and your family. How did family members react to the death? How does their behavior or the promise of mortality affect you as a human being? Explore.
• Inspired by The Learning Curve, write about a teacher you had in the past. What was their possible motivation for teaching, what did you learn or not learn from them?
Writing project #1 (draft 2) (due date: on-going; draft of your essay MUST be included in your portfolio (collected by 10/10).
Draft 1: pick a moment that shaped you, or embarrassed you, or made you who you are at this moment. Explore the cause and effects of this moment. Create a story draft (with a beginning, middle, end).
Draft 2: Expand. Consider where your epiphany or “climax” is in the story. Add additional scenes or examine the scenes you have to dig deeper and more fully into the spirit of the draft. Add description. Make sure you include self reflection (an important aspect of memoir). Beef up the beginning and ending. Hook our attention by a whiz-bang opener. Consider the description and development of all your characters in the story. Even though it’s non-fiction, when you are done with your narrative, it should read just like a short story (it’s just that its based on your real life). Try to lengthen your draft by at least 50%.
Draft 3: Cut. Find the essentials of your draft. After expanding the details of your essay, go back through and clean up your grammar, punctuation, cut unnecessary phrases or sentences. Reduce your word count. Choose active verbs, reduce # of adverbs, etc. Try to cut about 25% of your 2nd draft.
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