Cultural Settings Project: Narrative; Introduction to Jeanette Winterson

By -
To begin class today, please gather your notes for your setting project and look through them. If you need to, share your notes with another willing writer and respond to each other's setting or ideas. Brainstorm possible stories that could take place in the setting you have created. As a partner, try to ask some questions that do not seem clear to you as a listener or reader. Then exchange places with your partner and share again. If you feel you are not yet ready for this step, look through your own notes alone. Spend the first half of the first period in this activity. After 15-20 minutes, begin fleshing out a story or narrative.

Consider:
  • Who will be my protagonist?
  • What does my protagonist wish to accomplish? Name a few goals my protagonist might need to meet.
  • What makes my protagonist unique or likable? 
  • What flaws or mistakes or bad decisions has my protagonist made in the past? How have these mistakes or decisions affected his/her life in the present?
  • Who or what opposes or causes current conflicts for my protagonist?
  • What does my antagonist want to accomplish--or how might the antagonistic force oppose the goals of my antagonist?
  • Briefly consider the ending of a story (whether it will be the final end or not).
  • What scene from your protagonist's life is vivid in your imagination? 
  • What event or interruption starts your protagonist's goals to begin going astray?
When you have answered or considered some of these questions, taken notes, freewrote, brainstormed, or listed, doodled, or what-have-you, begin at an appropriate beginning for your narrative, and write. Continue to write for 15-20 minutes. 

At some point during the early part of period 2, we will move to the library to pick up The Stone Gods by Jeanette Winterson. You may either stay in the library and read, or return to the lab to write. In either case, please learn about the author from the links below before next class.


Jeanette Winterson is a contemporary novelist. She is a lesbian writer, but dabbles in science fiction, literary and poetic prose. She was born in Manchester, England, and adopted by Pentecostal parents who brought her up in the nearby mill-town. She attended Oxford, and currently writes for various UK newspapers (she is a journalist, as well as a literary novelist and poet).

Her novels include:
Author interview with Jeanette Winterson
Jeanette Winterson talks about her favorite books

HOMEWORK: Please read the first part of The Stone Gods. Analysis and discussion on this section will begin on Friday during second period. Please bring your book back with you to class on Friday.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Namesake Analysis/Discussion Chp. 1 & 2; How It Feels To Be Colored Me

By -
Image
Let's go back to examining  The Namesake , Chapter 1 this morning to continue examining the writing style going on here. Take a closer look at these passages: Pg. 3 (1st full paragraph) to 4 (end of 1st full paragraph): How is Ashima's character compared/contrasted with the American women in the hospital? What do you notice about the sentence structure of this paragraph? What does the use of dialogue in this paragraph provide for the reader? What literary devices do you notice? Can you find figurative language/metaphor/alliteration or other elements of imagery? How are the sentences similar to a contraction (the action in the scene)? Pg. 10-12: how is Ashoke's character presented? How does his story parallel or contrast with his wife's? How is Ashoke different from the other American men in the waiting room? What details do we learn about him?  Pg. 13-14: Nickolai Gogol and the short story "The Overcoat" is alluded to here. Just notice it for now. This al
Read more

Clash of the Titans (Conclusion); Creation Myths

By -
Clash of the Titans (conclusion) Clash of the Titans   (1981)--produced and designed by  Ray Harryhausen . Directed by  Desmond Davis . Starring:  Laurence Olivier  as Zeus,  Maggie Smith  as Thetis,  Harry Hamlin  as Perseus, and  Burgess Meredith  as Ammon. Clash of the Titans (2010) & Clash of the Titans (2010) Medusa Scene Wrath of the Titans (2012) Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief (2010) Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters (2013) Percy Jackson Titan's Curse (2017) Use mythic criticism to review (in writing or as a podcast or vlog post)  Clash of the Titans . Take notes during the film to help you prepare your review. Myth Criticism  asks: 1. How does the story resemble other stories in plot, character, setting or use of symbols? 2. Are archetypes presented, such as quests, initiations, scapegoats, descending, or withdrawals and returns? [Use your handout/notes to help!] 3. Does the protagonist undergo any kind of transformation (such as movement from innoc
Read more

Wilderness Tips - Examination & Analysis

By -
Image
Use period one to continue the story draft you started last class. Use your time to develop your ideas, theme, work on plot, character development, setting, and other aspects of your fiction writing. Remember, your story should include the following: Write a draft that includes a flashback . Consider an urban setting, but at some point in your story, move to a more natural setting. The setting should reflect the inner conflicts of your protagonist if possible. Avoid character cliches: surprise your reader (and possibly yourself or even your character) Include a secondary character who should act as a foil to the protagonist. Write in present tense ; (flashbacks can be written in past tense); Use 3rd person POV (limited, omniscient, objective). See the previous post for more details. Period 2: Let's discuss what we've read so far in the collection. Wilderness Tips is   Margaret Atwood’s second volume of short stories ( Bluebeard’s Egg and Other Stories (198
Read more