MP4; Decade Project Draft & Stuff

Period 1:

Please complete your decade presentation (padlet/prezi, etc.) and send us the link in the comment section of this post.

Authors: view these presentations for ideas for your decade story project. Here's how to do it:

Write a story draft set in your decade (or chose someone else's decade if that intrigues you...)
Use what you have learned to inspire your story. Connect your character's main conflict to popular culture in some way.
All stories need a well thought-out and researched (if possible) setting. Often this comes from our memory, but snuggling into a setting that is alive with wriggling details can enchant the hardest cynical reader. Our job as writers is to provide this "stage" or setting on which our characters play out their fictional lives.
Setting is not just location, but includes weather, season, props--the things that characters touch or see or smell or taste or hear. It is imagery. And absolutely required of good writing.
Setting can be used as a compliment or contrasting "color" to our protagonist or characters in a scene.
Setting can be used to fuel conflict or to suggest theme, tone, and mood. This is why it's important that you define and describe your setting effectively.
Since this draft will challenge you to create an authentic time period (of which you probably know little from experience--but should be familiar from your research) find ways to weave these popular cultural events, politics, arts, technology, activities of the day, fads, fashions, folklore, high and low or trash cultural phenomenon into your story. See my previous post for an example of what you could do to use the research we're sharing to create a setting for your story.
When you have identified a setting, character, and conflictual situation (all stories need a conflict!) begin writing your first draft. We'll be adding to this project next class as well, so if you don't make a lot of headway in the lab, please work on the draft over the next couple of days so you don't fall behind.

Write your first draft--a story set in the time period you selected or researched.

In the lab (or on your own time): read "Pop Star Poetics" and "Grave" (previous handouts). Make sure you are familiar with the notes on gender criticism (also previous handout...)

Period 2:

Portfolios:

A bit of advice for MP4:

We're not done. Don't give up just yet. Stay on top of your writing so that June is a pleasant experience for you. Once the weather gets warm, it will be hard to concentrate on your writing. End strong. Your colleges expect that from you--specifically if you are getting scholarships...
Italicize titles damn it! If it's a major work it's italicized. If you are writing by hand, that means you underline the title. Short works (articles, journal papers, reviews, short stories, short poems, t.v. episodes, music tracks, individual titles of paintings, short films (under an hour), short plays, etc. should be "quoted." Punctuation goes inside the quote marks when you use them. Periods go at the end of sentences. Learn the format for scripts, stories, poems, and essays. Use white space correctly. Proofread your work before you submit or turn it in!
All students who cannot do these things for the last marking period will suffer the loss of a grade level on their portfolio. I'm not kidding.
Action sequences. Action is all about verbs. Use killer verbs that suggest the action and movement of your characters. Gliding into the room is different from walking into a room. Scuttling down the hall is different from running down the hall. Work on writing active verbs. Avoid passive verbs like the verb TO BE (is, am, are, was, were, will be, being, been, etc.) Here is a linked list of active verbs to use when describing actions. Print it out and use it.
Plotting. Even essays/articles need a hook, lead-in, thesis. Every story/poem has a beginning, middle, and end. Every beginning starts with the interruption of status quo (an inciting incident), quickly followed by things like: character decisions, rising action, complications, events, the introduction of conflict, the complication of conflicts, turning points, a crisis for the protagonist, a dark moment for the protagonist, an enlightenment for the protagonist, a confrontation with the antagonist, a climax, falling action, and a resolution of denouement. In poetry, the turning point is called the volta, but it's the same concept. Stories that don't have a turning point or central character or conflicts or complications or events or a climax or falling action (even if its one sentence!) are not well plotted stories. Check out Chuck Wendig's article: "25 Ways to Plot, Plan, and Prep Your Story." See what I did there? An article is a short piece, so it's quoted. My sentence ends with a period. The period is usually 2 keys away from the M key on your keyboard.
Revise something you wrote this year again. I'm expecting another revision for your last portfolio--perhaps your last portfolio ever.
Care. Show me you care. Even if you don't. Prepare for class and participate! This will be the last time you get to be here with me and with your peers. Make it count.
Finally, don't be put off by my sarcasm. You will meet many people like me in your academic future. My intentions are to push you to your excellent self. Keep up with those expectations for the rest of your life. Yes, you can...& then JUST DO IT! to quote others.

Articles:

"The Last Days of a Famous Mime" by Peter Carey (Australian writer)
"Snap, Crackle, Plot" by Roy Rivenburg

Writing prompts:

Write the last days of a ________. Pick a character type or occupation that you've never read about (or one you wouldn't want to be) and write the last week, day, or hour of that character's life. Use your chronological time to create short "chapters" for your story, as Carey did in his short story. If you prefer you might "write the first years/weeks/days/hours/minutes, etc. of _________.

Gender/Feminism/Queer Studies: View the following links/videos and explain what the Bechdal test is (what are its rules, for example) and why it might be important when examining pop culture, media, or literature?

Fun Home: focus your reading by considering these questions: (we will discuss them next class!)

An "artificer" is a skilled craftsman/craftsperson or inventor. Give some reasons where, how, and why Bechdal uses this trope in the book. (note: there are 3 parts to this question: where does Bechdal use the idea of an "artificer," how is it used, why does she make this allusion?)
Who were Daedalus & Icarus? Comment on Bechdal's use of this mythological allusion in the book. Are there other allusions that you caught?
Explain why the setting of this book (and its title) are both ironic and appropriate for this story?
Allusions abound in this book. List examples of allusions used in the book. [hint: look for graphics or illustrations in the book that show titles of other books...what are some of these books?]
As much as it is unraveling the mystery of her father's strange life and death, how does Bechdal's own life parallel that of her father? Is this an effective strategy to use, do you think? Why or why not?

HOMEWORK: Read Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. Aim to finish the book by next class (Tuesday) 2. Watch something on the media (t.v., music videos, video games, a film, read a short story or novel, walk through a store in the mall, read a fashion magazine, eat at a restaurant chain, etc.) and write a short article (300-500 words for example) on gender, race, or sexual orientation using the Bechdel test or any of the video or text material linked above. Write the article. Turn it in before Spring Break. It will count as a piece in your portfolio. 3. Write a draft of your decade story project. Bring your draft with you to our next class.