English 10: USSR forms are due

I'll collect the forms tomorrow. Have a safe evening. Read to page 112 for Friday.

English 10: Read to page 80, bring materials . . .

We read to page 80 today during class. If you are not quite there, find at least a half an hour to read this evening. Read with post-it notes by your side. We reviewed what to post-it note during class today. If you are still having trouble, bring me some examples from the text which you feel are important and we can discuss them.

Injustice projects. How does an artist show us the truth? How did Harper Lee affect a nation's prejudiced views? Artists show. They don't tell. Artists make us laugh, cry, get mad, feel outraged. They motivate us to change. They affect us emotionally.

We worked individually and in small groups or pairs today to define the project. Everyone now has a topic, a group, and a goal. Due: Nov. 6th. Two weeks from today.

The most important aspect of this assignment is to become an artist. You are standing in Harper Lee's shoes. You have a truth that needs to be told. You will know you have been successful if people get angry with you. Show don't tell. Appeal to your viewers' / readers' emotions.

You cannot simply say prejudice is bad. Bullying should not happen. Obesity is a problem in kindergarten. You need to find a way that we see ourselves in your work. Only true awareness can bring change.

Good luck.

Tomorrow you will have half the class to work on your project but only if you arrive with all of your materials. If you are writing poems, use the computers. If you are making a film, bring your laptop or video camera. If you are creating a film, write the script. If you are taking photos, bring the camera, know where you are heading. Show me clearly what you can accomplish in 45 minutes.

Wr 12: Manuscript due Nov. 6

We spent the entire period editing/revising our manuscripts. If you were absent, find an extra 80 minutes to make up for missing today's class. I also collected two poems and the Yvonne Blomer response.


Tomorrow: The poet, author, teacher, critic, academic, former Dean of Okanangan College, John Lent will be here to read poetry. He is currently promoting his latest novel, The Path to Ardroe, which I read and when I finished it, I immediately began to read it again. See previous blog posts to read about his work. Be sure to ask pertinent questions regarding preparing your manuscript. How does one end a poem? How do you revise? How do you add sound? Rhythm? Surprise? Etc.

Eng 11 E: Read Act 5, scenes 1 and 2

If you were absent today, be sure to get all the notes from a friend as we filled the boards at least four times. Choose a strong note taker.

We read Act 4, Scene 3 aloud and took notes on that as well as discussing the work you did the previous evening on Scene 2. Tomorrow, we will watch Act 5 but it will not make sense if you haven't read the scenes.

We spent quite a bit of time on Act 5, Scene 2's first speech, as well, Othello's soliloquy. Read the side notes first as they help to set the mood. You have to understand why Othello is again returned to a position of honour.

Next week will be busy so get prepared now.
Your notebooks will be do. You will be creating a quote log, writing an essay and a test. If you have been absent during this unit or not keeping up to date, create a study group with whom to discuss key scenes.

Grade 11E essays are different from anything you have written before.
You will like it. Stay tuned.

Eng 111E: Read Act 4, Sc. 3, carefully

Today, we each chose a passage from either Act 3, Scene 4, or Act 4, Scene 1.

Once you have chosen your passage, be sure to brainstorm. Make connections to other scenes, make predictions, make inferences. Go beyond and between the lines. Ask questions etc.

Once you have a gigantic list of ideas, turn the ideas into a paragraph. The paragraph may be a series of tangents. The idea here is to push your thinking beyond obvious "Spark-notes" type interpretations. There is artistry needed in your musings.

In the paragraph response, reach toward a final sentence which offers an epiphany of sorts (your ah-ha) moment where your understanding of the characters and themes becomes clear. This statement is one you have just figured out based on your brilliant brainstorm. Hurricane Othello!

Tonight, have post-it notes handy as you read or re-read Act 4, Scene 2.
Find and post-it note passages which you can use to discuss the following:

• how Othello treats Emilia and Desdemona
• how Desdemona and Emilia respond
• examples of dramatic irony
• explain why Desdemona cannot even say the word "whore" and what that reveals about her character. How might it be construed as a fault? 
• how does Iago engage Roderigo's services to kill Cassio? What does hiring Roderigo reveal about Iago? He promised to kill Cassio himself, did he not?

Manuscript due: Tues. Nov 6

The Yvonne Blomer Response is due tomorrow. Tues. Oct. 30.
John Lent presents Wed. Oct. 31. John Lent response due Friday, Nov. 1.
Literary Event Response Outside of class: Last day: Tues. Nov. 6.

MANUSCRIPT IS DUE TUES. NOV. 6. NO LATES ACCEPTED.

Manuscript Criteria List: Poetry, Writing 12

Due: _________________________________

Ensure that you have completed each item. Check each one off as you finish it.

1. _____ You have included your 10 to 12 best poems or more.
2. _____ You have edited out cliché, lack of surprise, any dull language.
3. _____ Each poem is titled. The title adds resonance to the poem.
4. _____ Each poem has your first and last name on it under the title.
5. _____ You are pleased with these final copies and want to publish them.
6. _____ Any poems not for publication are marked: NOT FOR PUBLICATION
7. _____ Your title page includes a manuscript title like Soft Green Rain.
8. _____ Title page: name, address, postal code, phone number, date, email.
9. _____ The last page of your manuscript is a bio. 1-2 sentences about you.
10. _____ You have another copy at home, at Uncle Fred’s and in a bank safe.

MANUSCRIPTS WILL NOT BE RETURNED. I DO NOT EDIT THEM. THESE ARE NO LONGER UGLY BABIES. THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL AND READY TO LEAVE THE NEST. Fly Fleance, Fly!! (That’s from Macbeth).

YOU MUST ALSO EMAIL ME A COPY OF YOUR MANUSCRIPT BY the due date: aurora@shaw.ca. First put your name, address, etc and bio followed by all poems in the body of the email. That is easiest. Also, keep electronic copies at home. If you get published in The Claremont Review, we will need electronic copies.

Assessment: I must have seen all the poems prior to submission in a manuscript or they do not count. You must use your own work only. Any phrases or lines from other poets put in italics and at the end of the poem say who the poet you are quoting is and name the poem. Add the names of the authors at the end of the manuscript.

NO LATES ACCEPTED. If you are sick, send it by cab. No kidding! The manuscript is worth 50% of your first term mark.

What I am looking for in your manuscript

1. Surprise—I don’t want to be able to predict the next line.
2. Form—are you using stanzas, line breaks, pauses, epigraphs for effect?
3. Sound—rhythm, repetitions, verb choices, assonance, dissonance, alliteration
4. Truth—the subject matters to you. There is some form of epiphany or leap.
5. Diction—your use of language is precise and clear, not fat when you mean chubby, etc. Your attention to language is obvious. No clichés or tired phrases.
6. Proofreading—absolutely error free. You have edited and edited and so have your friends. Attention to detail—you obviously care about the material. No first drafts here. Its/it's, there, their, they're, Left justified. No ALL CAPS.
7. Titles—each poem is titled. The title adds context, resonance, a pun, an invitation. Generally a title has more than one meaning.
8. Context—it is clear who is speaking and why. Clear and easy to follow.
9. Endings—you do not “wrap up” the poem with a moral. End on an image.
10. Revelatory—you have asked yourself and the world hard questions even if it was scary or even if you haven’t yet found the answers you are looking for.

English 10: Reading Section 1: pages 1-112

To Kill A Mockingbird  

Reading Guide

Part 1: 112 pages long which at one minute per page = 112 minutes. 2 minutes per page = 224 minutes

You will have some time during class to read but you must be willing to find an extra half hour per night to keep up with the reading. If you read slowly, aim for an hour per night.

The first section of the novel introduces the children and their innocent version of the world which is slowly corrupted by the actions of the adults they encounter. Look for examples of prejudice and injustice as you read.

You will also be assigned one character to follow throughout the novel so that you become the class expert on that character. Please post-it note these character's interactions. Use a different coloured post-it note if possible.

English 11 E: Read Act 3, Scene 4 plus . . .

Today, we finished our discussion of Act 3, Scene 3 and we took a lot of notes so if you were absent borrow the notes on Monday and make a copy. Read the scene closely and take your own notes.

I will return your "musings" Monday. If you have not submitted your paragraph, by the beginning of Monday's class, you will need to be given an alternate assignment and deadline. See me asap.

We watched the beginning of Act 4. 


Homework: Read Act 3, Scene 4 carefully. Post-it note the changes in Othello since he has sold his soul to his baser nature.
Review: invocation, blank verse, iambic pentametre, juxtaposition, Iago's motives

What can we make of Iago? What does he represent? Why?

Next, Read Act 4, scene 1. Act 4 is the denouement and we have a lot of unravelling, unknotting to do. Post-it note key passages.

Read these two scenes carefully. Be prepared for a quotation quiz on Monday. You will need to state who is speaking, what is happening during the passage and then you will need to interpret the passage.

Wr 12: Yvonne Blomer Response due

Yvonne Blomer response. Please submit it by Tuesday, Oct. 30.

Get to Planet Earth Poetry tonight if you can. Get that response in by Nov. 5.

Two new poems due Tuesday.

Manuscripts due Tuesday, Nov. 6. No late manuscripts accepted. We'll discuss the set up during Monday's class.

Put Wed. Nov. 7th on the calendar. Reading at SMUS from 7 until 9.
Remind me to talk about this reading on Monday. We can have 5 of you read at the open mic. Who wants to read?

Have a lovely time writing this weekend.

English 10: USSR

Forms due Wednesday. If you read slowly, be sure to read ahead in our novel so that you can be prepared for each class.

Study the vocabulary words, especially the new ones as we'll have a test soon.

Think about the way injustice is portrayed in the film.

Get started on your injustice project.

English 11E: Text Analysis / musings due today

I have collected and marked the musings. They are wonderful. Well done. You really did an excellent job of making the scene your own. I can see several really unique theses arising from your interpretations.

We'll finish off the scene tomorrow and then we'll watch the rest of the film.

You have a vocabulary test on 1-40 tomorrow as well. Study.

Writing 12: Leonard Cohen presented . . .

I collected the Performance Poetry responses today. If you didn't get it in, you are out of luck. You had two nights to complete it. 

Thanks to Joel, Aubrey and Sara for their ebullient presentation today. I really enjoyed it.

Tomorrow, poet, critic, educator, Yvonne Blomer will be presenting her work.
Please arrive with key questions.

She has studied and worked in Japan and England. She is a cyclist and has ridden through Europe and Asia. She did her masters in creative writing in England. She has several books out and she runs the Planet Earth Poetry Series. In other words, she is an artist who creates her life and her employment. She teaches at Camosun College and she offers courses and mentoring from her home. She is married with one son. Her husband, Rupert, teaches Japanese.

English 10

We watched the beginning of the film version of the novel so far, which is based on the 1962 version directed by Robert Mulligan.

The film version is based on a screenplay, a series of scenes based on some of the most poignant events in the novel; however, the screenplay is not a replacement of the novel so be sure to read the novel. We are watching the movie to enhance our understanding of the novel and to speed up reading it since it is quite long.

Homework: USSR reading is always for homework when no other work is assigned. Also, work on preparing your USSR response sheets for Wednesday.

We had a quiz on the 31 words so keep studying and using the words
as we'll have a test soon. 

English 10: Read your USSR books tonight

Deadline for USSR forms is next Wed. the last day of October. How many books have you read? Have you written out clear responses?

Do so now while you have time.

What injustice are you going to explore for your creative response to this novel?

It's clear from today's presentations that innumerable injustices existed in the south during the thirties and Harper Lee chose to expose many of them through the innocent eyes of her main character, Scout Finch.

What will you do?

• Litter at Claremont
• Homelessness in Victoria
• Cliques at Claremont
• Cyberbullying
• Bullying at Claremont
• Pressures to conform
• Pressures to be a certain kind of student
• Pressures to be a teen
• Are teenage voices heard? Where? How? What do you need to say? 

Once you choose a topic, how will you "show" us the injustice? You cannot simply stand up and say--this is bad, this is bad, this is bad, can you?

Choose to create poems, performance poems, stand up comedy, a story, a play, a dance, an installation, a film, a demonstration, a speech, bring in a panel of people to speak and invite other classes to join us, book the library, do a poster display . . . The key here is to use art to change people's minds. 

A strong first draft is due, Monday, Nov. 5. 

Eng 11 E _ Muses due

Take what you wrote last night and based on our discussions and notes today, expand on your interpretations of the scene. Come up with bold and innovative insights into the play's characters and its themes.

We'll finish discussing the scene during class tomorrow.

Quiz on vocabulary words, 1-40, Friday. Study.

Wr 12: Performance Poetry Responses due

For the names of yesterday's performers, please see yesterday's blog.
I look forward to reading your responses.

Your poems in response to the Patricia Young presentation today were wonderful. Ask yourself where do you want to go from here? What subjects do you want to write about? What forms? Where are you excelling in your writing and where are you holding back? Are you reading poetry? What kind? Read more. Have you gone to a literary event yet? Visit yesterday's blog for places to go Thursday and Friday night.

Prepare a poem for workshop for Friday. Be sure it meets the criteria. Thanks.

English 10: Power point / prezi presentations . . .

You'll present your portion of the webquest to the class tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing what you discovered. All of this information will help to enrich your novel study.

Think of a number between 1 and 29 and bring that number to class tomorrow.

Tonight, read your USSR book as October responses are due next Wed. Oct. 31, the last day of the month.

English 11: A Close Reading of a Text

If you were absent today, try to come early tomorrow to collect two key handouts which you will need to complete tonight's homework.

Tonight: Finish your close analysis of the 80 to 100 lines from Act 3, Scene 3, that you have chosen to interpret. I'm looking forward to your interpretations!!

Follow the steps and you'll do well.

Bring in your permission forms please.
Also, ensure that your story has been submitted to the BCTELA contest and to one other magazine.
If you were absent today, bring an electronic copy of your story to class so that you can complete this assignment.

I also distributed marks today so ask to have a look.

WR 12: Report on today's presentation due . . .

Brendan MacLeod, Zaccheus Jackson, Gillian Christmas and Jeremy Loveday all did a fabulous job entertaining the crowd today. Please create a response and submit on Thursday.

I've marked most of today's poems and they are fabulous. Congratulations!

Next week will be the last week for submitting poems. After that, we start to edit to ensure our manuscripts are the best they can be. Manuscripts are due at the end of term, Tues, Nov. 6.


Two great literary events this week you can attend. Tomorrow night at the Solstice Cafe on Pandora near Government, 7:30, spoken word artists and an open mic.

Friday night at the Moka House on Hillside near Shelbourne is Planet Earth Poetry. 7:30. $3.00 fee.
This week's poet is from Vancouver and Brendan says she is dynamite. 
Planet Earth Poetry Blog

You need to attend a literary event and get your response submitted to me by Tuesday, Nov. 5. You have two weeks. 

Yvonne Blomer will be visiting our class on Friday and John Lent on Wednesday.


Here is a video on John Lent's work and life which has been created by Jay Ruzesky. John was Jay's first creative writing teacher. Jay Ruzesky's film about John Lent

English 11E: Act 3, Scene 3,

Make sure that you have read and made notes on the ways that Iago uses to tempt Othello. How effective are these techniques?
We'll be looking at how to do a close reading of a text during tomorrow's class.

If you were absent today, we added 2 more words to our list, and we watched the film version of Act 3. We also reviewed the vocabulary via the vocab. game.

Permission Forms are due.

Submissions to a literary magazine are due.

If you plan to submit to Aerie or to Polyphony, ensure that you have electronic access to your story and to a photo of yourself. You will also need a bio and a statement regarding why you wrote the piece.

If you plan to submit to The Claremont Review, bring a copy of the story, a SASE, and a cover letter. Visit their website for guidelines.

If you plant to enter The Claremont Review contest, bring 25.00, a copy of the story and you'll attach it to a contest entry form.

Wr 12: Brendan MacLeod, Jeremy Loveday

Tuesday: Two poems are due. I'm looking forward to see how your poems have changed!!

Tuesday: We have performance poets visiting the library. We'll be going down part way through USSR to set up the library and enjoy the performance.
You will need to write a literary response and hand it in by Thursday.

Friday: Yvonne Blomer will read her work

Wed/Thurs: Student presentations

Friday: a poem for workshop is due. (I'll be checking so make sure it is here).

YOUTH POETRY LAUREATE: ARE YOU GOING TO APPLY? Deadline is imminent.

English 10

We are starting the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, this week. Please return your poetry texts, Themes on a Journey, to the library and sign out the novel.

Permission Forms are now OVERDUE. You may lose the opportunity to attend the performance.

Prezi or powerpoint projects on the introduction to the novel's themes are due Wednesday. If you do not have a group, ask me for one. Visit the previous blog post for the link and pick a topic to research.

Injustice:

What aspect of your school, your city or your world do you regard as UNFAIR?
How does art impact the way we see the world? Harper Lee's novel had an enormous impact on the way the world began to view the poverty and prejudice which existed in the southern United States.

She chose to write a novel from a child's point of view? Why?

Project-based learning:

Alone or with a partner, choose an area in your life that you feel is unjust. Create a work of art which "shows" rather than states the injustice.

You could prepare a rap, a collection of poetry, a film, a short play, an art installation, a mockumentary, a documentary etc. in order to express the injustice in a manner that will grab people's hearts and make them change their minds.

Think of great films, poems, books, plays, or stories that have made you look at a topic in a new way. Imitate that style.

First draft due in two weeks: Mon. Nov. 5.

USSR reports for October are due Oct. 31. How many books have you read so far? How many can you read this week? 

English 10: You did it!

I'm so proud of you. We'll go back to the lab on Monday to ensure all videos uploaded properly. We'll be doing a web quest in the lab to begin our novel study.

If you were away today, homework this weekend is to read at least 150 pages of your USSR book since we didn't have USSR this week, you need to make up the time.

Permission forms are due.

To Kill A Mockingbird webquest

Wr 12: creating a conceit

A conceit is an unusual metaphor. Read John Donne's "A Valediction Forbidding Mourning" for one of literature's most famous conceits.

I read a poem to the class comparing infidelity to something in a garden.
Write a poem comparing two things and ensure that the comparison is unusual.
For those absent today, I have a handout to help with the task.

My dreams are
Japanese origami stars.

My childhood is Mozart.

My elbow is a small town in Derbyshire.

My mother is a mirage.

Once you choose the comparison, the poem writes itself because you simply search guidebooks, magazines, websites, plus your imagination for all the ideas related to stars, Mozart, Derbyshire or mirages in the above examples.

So, choose an item that you either know a lot about (rugby, piano, dancing, star gazing) or that you research (origami, basket weaving, drum building) etc.

Workshop on Monday and computer lab time.
Two poems due Tuesday.
Yvonne Blomer, Friday. 

Eng 11: Read ACt 3, Scene 1, answer the questions . . .

If you were absent today, you missed the quiz so remind me on Monday to give it to you.

We took notes on purpose of Act 3, and scenes 1 and 2 of Act 3.

Homework:
Read Act 3, Scene 1, pages 48 to 58 for Monday. Use post-it notes. This scene is called "The Temptation Scene" as Iago completely poisons Othello's mind regarding the faithfulness of Desdemona.

Note the strategies that Iago uses. How does he convince Othello of such a preposterous lie?

Finally, take note of what happens at the end of the scene. What could the action represent? Look forward to your thoughts on Monday.

Reminders:
1. Return the permission forms.
2. Submit your BCTELA fiction entry.
3. Oct. 31 is the deadline for USSR forms. You should finish up book 2 this weekend.

English 10: Test Corrections due tomorrow

Come to class. Hand in the test stapled to the corrections and then we'll spend the period in the Mac lab finishing the films and uploading them to youtube.

Also, to read more about the Funny Money presentation. Visit their website or find them on facebook.

Steve Irvine was today's presenter. Think about what he said and start saving now. You'll be surprised by how quickly money grows.

Give a thousand dollars to a baby and that one thousand dollars grows to almost one million by the time that baby reaches 65 years old.

Time is on your side. Use it well.

Thank you for being such a wonderful, responsive audience.

I can't wait to see your films.

Wr 12: Workshop poem due tomorrow

Be sure to type up enough copies for your workshop group since we do not have class Friday.

Antony and Evann present the work of Patrick Lane. If you were absent today, be sure to get the notes from Shan and Gill regarding the poet, Karen Connelly. You must do the exercise they shared with the class as well as make up the writing time you missed and the USSR time whenever you miss a class.

We have approximately two weeks before your manuscript will be do so this weekend, edit, revise, write, edit, revise, write. Take home excellent poetry books to inspire you. Go over all of the quick writes from class to uncover great poem beginnings and finish them off.
Monday is workshop and computer lab time.

Tuesday, we will be talking about endings.

We have been invited to SMUS to read so we'll be preparing for that event soon.

Need a literary event, check out Planet Earth Poetry every Friday night at the Moka House on Hillside Avenue.

Two poems due Tuesday.

Next Friday, the poet and host of Planet Earth Poetry, Yvonne Blomer will be visiting and the week after that we will be having John Lent read his work to the class.

Also, Oct. 23, The Fugitives with Brendan MacLeod and poet laureate mentor, Jeremy Loveday will be performing in the library.

You lucky ducks!!

English 11E: BCTELA and Permission Forms due

Check recent blog posts to ensure that you are caught up. Remember, if you miss a class or you are late for a class, you miss material and it's your job to get caught up. Your notes are due at the end of the unit so if you miss class or you are not taking notes, you'll end up with a big project to complete simultaneously with your essay and quote log. Planning now will keep the stress levels down.

Due: BCTELA story (a good copy with absolutely no errors). Do not put your name on the story. Instead, attach the contest cover sheet. 

Due: Choose a second location to publish your story. Get the notes or check a previous post. 

Homework: Read and make notes on Act 2, Scene 3. Pay particular attention to the following:
1. The dialogue between Cassio and Iago regarding Desdemona. Notice the different ways each character perceives her.
2. The silence motif.
3. Iago's lies.
4. Why Cassio is so upset and what that reveals about his character.
5. The plan for Cassio to win back his position with Othello.

Overall in this scene, what is revealed about reason, honour and passion?

En 11: Read Act 2 scene 3

Return the permission forms. Seats are limited. I will know by the end of the month if we have enough tickets for all of you.

If you were absent today, you need to get the notes and do the chart on Iago's character based on his soliloquy analysis at the end of Act 2, Scene 1.

Wr 12 Youth Poet laureate: Apply

Due Nov. 7. See the handout in the classroom for more details.
You can meet Jeremy Loveday, Oct. 23 in the library. He is the mentor of this project.

Workshop poem due Thursday since Friday is a pro-d day.

Return permission forms.

Eng 10: Test corrections due Thursday

Thursday, you will finish the films and upload them to my youtube account.

Don't forget to do your test corrections tonight and submit them to my by Thursday. Tomorrow, we have a special presentation in the theatre to do with managing money.

Be sure to return your permission forms asap.
Thanks.

Eng 10 Bring your permission forms back. Thanks.

You worked well in the lab today. Bring whatever prompts or pictures you may need in your film to the lab tomorrow. We will be in there Tues and Thurs so time management is a key factor. You will need to recite your poem into the microphone and then you will be able to move it around, change the pitch etc.

Make sure that the words match the pictures you have chosen.
Be sure to use as many effects as you can so that you can learn as much about the program as possible.

I will be returning your poetry manuscripts and your tests tomorrow at the beginning of class.

Wr 12: Serious Coffee on Cook near Beacon Hill

Tonight at 7:30. Patrick Friesen and Steve Noyes are launching books. It will be fantastic. There will be books for sale, and possibly free food.
Cost: 3 bucks at the door and buy a tea or coffee or cookie or something from Serious Coffee since they offer the venue free of charge. Thanks.

Get your literary event responses to me by Nov. 1.
Please bring in your Belfry permission forms.

Two poems due tomorrow.

Next week, the writer Yvonne Blomer will be visiting. She is the host of the successful Planet Earth Poetry series which happens every Friday night at 7:30 at the Moka House Cafe on Hillside across from the mall (near Shelbourne St.)
You can google their blog.

We have presentations this week Wed. and Thurs. Yay.
Be sure to fill your imaginative tank this week. Go to a reading. Read an art book. Walk a new way home. Visit a stationery store or book store. Read great poems. If you feed the imagination, the poems arrive unannounced. You don't have to go looking for them because life becomes one big Poetry Moment as Carla Funk would say.

I loved your responses this week. Thorough and entertaining. Well done.

English 11E: Prepping the story for publication

Publishing The Short Story

You must submit the story to the BCTELA contest and to one other magazine,
The Claremont Review, Aerie International or Polyphony HS.

If you need to revise your story, get me a new copy by Monday, Oct. 22.

Today, I collected the blindness paragraphs based on Act 1. If you were away today, pick up the contest entry form cover sheet and your story.

Amanda, Kalina, Rachael, Emma, Jessica and Stephanie. Can we meet in my room at lunch to begin the Remembrance Day Ceremony program? The band teacher can meet with us then. Thanks. 

DUE WEDNESDAY: short story and the cover page.
DUE TOMORROW: Read and post-it note key passages in Act 1, Scene 1. Remember that the new setting, the island of Cyprus, represents the opposite of Venice. If you missed today's class, be sure to get all the notes from a peer.

En 11E: Blindness para. due Monday

Choose three to five key passages from Act 1 to use in your chart. You can complete the chart tonight or work on it during class tomorrow. If you did not use the USSR time today for your own reading, please read at least 15 pages tonight.

In a formal, literary paragraph, discuss the purpose of the blindness motif in Act 1? How might it be setting up the key themes for the remainder of the play?

Be sure to move beyond the obvious in your discussion. There is no need to discuss plot. Focus more on character revelation, symbol interpretation, and use of prose/blank verse to reveal tension in the act.

I look forward to reading your interpretations.

You will have some time during tomorrow's class to get a good start on the paragraph. Double space please. Submit the chart with the paragraph on Monday.

I am almost finished marking your short stories. They are brilliant--evocative, poignant and not at all officious.

Your ebullient teacher,
Ms. Stenson

Writing 12: Carla Funk, poem due for workshop

Bring copies of your poem for workshop. You will not have time to print at the beginning of class so print before you arrive. My room is open early.  Cost is ten cents per page to print. Pass your poems to your group at the beginning of class.

Carla Funk responses are due Monday.

PLEASE RETURN YOUR PERMISSION FORMS FOR THE BELFRY THEATRE TRIP. 

Organize tickets for this weekend's festival. You will love it.

Choose one of the poems that I returned to you today and prepare a reading for the class. How did Patrick Lane read his poems? Watch Carla tomorrow and notice how she reads. How did Brittany and Courtney read Ruzesky's poetry today? I want to see how well you can read your work to a group. We will have a lot of time to practice our oral reading skills before you begin reading to various audiences. We will start our library readings in November, as you know. During December, you will be reading to other classes at Claremont. We are also planning a trip to SMUS to read with their classes.

Two poems due Tuesday. Next week we have two author presentations. Thanks again to today's presenters. It was brilliant!!

Eng 10: Manuscripts Due, Return the form, study for test

Arrive with your manuscripts. Have the four good copies in front and then all of your drafts. Label your drafts. Include a cover page with the title of your book and your name on the front.

PLEASE RETURN YOUR PERMISSION FORMS BY MONDAY FOR OUR BELFRY THEATRE TRIP. YOU MAY BRING THE 20.00 LATER IN THE MONTH IS YOU NEED TO. 

Comprehension Test: No USSR tomorrow. We will be reading a poem and answering a question in a formal, literary paragraph. Study the paragraphs you have already written. Review the literary must-haves list. Use the vocabulary in the paragraph wherever possible. STUDY. 

FAILING TO PLAN IS PLANNING TO FAIL.

If you did not hand in your "How Has Poetry Affected Me?" response yet, bring it in tomorrow. Be sure to use specific titles, authors, and examples from poems to prove your opinions. Some of the ideas you could consider addressing are poems you have enjoyed, your writing process, using your imagination, editing poetry, analyzing poetry, writing paragraph interpretations, how you now look at the world in a more metaphorical manner, whether you plan to take Writing 12 or other writing courses, whether you plan to publish, which poems you are most proud of writing etc. 

MAC LAB: IMOVIE 
Thankfully we have students in the class with some experience with the program, Imovie. Next week we are booked into the lab and we will all need to be patient with our learning curve as we experience putting our poetry into film. On Monday, you will be learning the basics of the program and you will begin to find pictures that you want to use in your movie. You will have to use google photos so if you have photos of your own, make sure they are accessible on google as you can't access your email in this lab. 

Choose a partner and choose a poem by Monday. 


 

Wr 12: Red play response due, Belfry form due Friday

I collected two poems. We created a new poem based on a detailed web we created and a title: Waning Moon. Ask me for the handout if you were absent.

Next, we spoke about why we get stuck in a poem and how to get un-stuck. Ask Frankie to explain it to you if you were not here .

I handed out the permission forms for The Belfry Theatre's Production of A Christmas Carol.

In order to save yourself a seat, you must return the form by Friday.

You may pay me for the ticket closer to the time but I have to confirm numbers early next week. Once you confirm, there are no refunds. Sorry about that.

The date will be Thurs. Nov. 21. The play begins at 1 p.m. The bus will leave here at noon. You will miss periods 3 and 4 so make sure to ask your teachers for permission. Thanks.

Homework:

Write up a response to the play, Red, (due tomorrow) if you wish to use it for one of your literary events. You need to attend at least two events and write responses. Follow the same format which you used for the Patrick Lane response.

Google Victoria Writers Festival. It is happening this weekend at Camosun College. This festival would be a great way to support your writing as you will get to schmooze with writers, attend workshops, listen to novelists, poets, comic book writers etc. Don't miss it.

Buy your tickets on line or at the door.

Thursday: Brittany and Courtney present the works of Jay Ruzesky.

Friday: Poet and UVic prof, Carla Funk, will be reading her work. Please arrive early and please ask questions. She is very articulate about her own writing process so you can learn a lot. Plus, her poems are fun. You'll love her.



If you need a ride Friday night to Camosun, let me know. 

English 11E: Finish reading Act 1, scene 3

If you were absent today, we added the next two words on the list, clamber and gesticulate. We also reviewed and took notes on Act 1, Scene 1, so be sure to get the notes from a friend. We read scene 2 in partners and created a chart on the character of Othello.

We added the following literary terms: blank verse, iambic pentametre, prose,  an iamb. Google these terms or borrow the notes.

Finally, we assigned Act 1, scene 3 to be read for homework. Start on the second page of scene 3 and read until the end.

Look carefully at the speeches by Othello and Desdemona. How do they justify their elopement?Why can't Brabantio believe that Desdemona has fallen in love? What is the play suggesting about society? Love? Control?

Is love a rational act?

Brabantio places a curse on Othello. Copy the line into your notebook.

The last two pages of the scene present Iago and Roderigo. How does Iago convince Roderigo to carry on? Look closely at his arguments? How valid are they?

English 10: Manuscript is due Friday

I'm really enjoying your poems. Tonight, check that all three of your poems are completed. You've edited and revised them according to our clear and detailed criteria sheet and you feel that the images are unique and the language is succinct, not too wordy, not cliche, no Hollywood sentimental, shallow visions.

Tomorrow, I will return your fourth poem. Ensure that you have had all four poems edited by me as you must submit your good copies and all of your drafts on Friday.

Create a cover page for you manuscript. No image is needed but you need a title for your poems. Imagine that your poems were ready to be a book of poems. What would you want it to be called?

Often book titles reflect a title of a poem or a line from one of the poems.

You can call it

• Poems To Be Read by Flashlight
• Walking in the Rain
• Best Grade 10 Poems of the Year
• Four, Four, Four
• Poems In Training
• They Don't Grow Oranges in Heaven Anymore 

Choose a title that you think reflects your work.

Next week we will be turning poems into film. Choose one partner to work with. Choose a poem that one of you has written or choose one of the starred poems from your manuscript to turn into a film.

Start collecting high definition photos of your own or from the internet that you think could reflect your poem. When you search for photos. Click large under the size. Look for it on the sidebar of the google images search.

Have a look at these poetry films.

Forgetfulness by Billy Collins

Sweet Talk by Billy Collins

Some Days by Billy Collins

En 11E: Othello, short story test returns

Look closely at the short story marks and corrections and if you have questions, be sure to come in and talk with me. You want to know how to do better next time.
If you would like to try again, next Wed. during the test taking period (2:45 to 4 p.m.) in room 320 is available.

Sign up during class and I'll make sure to have a test there for you.

We took notes on Othello, the Renaissance time period, the Great Chain of Being, how North Africans were perceived in 1604 in England and how Shakespeare uses a Moor, the term used then for North Africans, as his tragic hero.

Finish reading Act 1, Scene 1. Post-it note key ear/eye/animal images. Notice what is revealed about the characters. How does Brabantio react to the new's of his daughter's elopement.

If you were absent today, be sure to get the notes from a friend since your notebooks are one of the key assignments due at the end of the unit.

We will do comprehension tests from time to time as well in order to be prepared for the final exam. Most of you find the time constraints difficult. Ask me for practice tests which you can do at home.

Wr 12: Two poems due . . .

Today we used our writer's block list (see Friday's blog) and we all wrote a poem or the beginnings of a poem during the silent part of the class.

We also read aloud our macaroni or clod of earth imitations.

Finally, we workshopped and headed to the north lab to type up and edit the poems which are due tomorrow.

Your poems are really starting to become multi-dimensional. It's exciting to watch.

English 10: poem four due tomorrow

If you have submitted three poems so far, you are right on track. Poem four is due tomorrow. Manuscript deadline has been changed to Friday, Oct. 12. Be sure to read and re-read the criteria sheet to ensure that you are including all the bits and pieces needed for this project.

Next week we start making movies.

Be sure to be in class tomorrow as we have a lot to do.

Plus, it is our turn to clean the grounds tomorrow. Encourage your friends not to litter!

English 10--Your Death Poems Rock!

I'm marking all of the death poems and each one is absolutely spectacular so keep up the spirit of the imagination in the poem you plan to complete this weekend.

Tuesday: Submit poem # 3. It could be from any of the following or a new one you create: 1. the anthology imitation poem 2. the Sherman Alexie braid poem imitation or 3. the National Geographic poem, In the photo . . . from last week.

They must be typed. Save your first draft in a safe place so you can revise easily.

The anthology is due on the 10th but I think we'll have to move the date to Friday, Oct. 12. in order to complete all the drafts and the revisions.

Next week we will be in the MAC lab to turn these poems into films. Start gathering songs and high resolution photos. We're going to use still photos to create our poems for this project. 

When the films are ready we will load them onto my youtube account so we'll be able to see each other's poem videos. 

Next, we'll choose an evening to come to the school library, invite friends and family and show the films and read your poems to the audience.

Finally, we will send your poems to contests and magazines to ensure your voices are heard world wide.

Writing 12: Refill the Tank!

This week has been one to refill the tank: Patrick Lane's visit, seeing the play, Red, and then today, choosing a routine to ensure that a blank page has no power over you. Below is a list of some of the routines that writers use to start the writing session rolling.

What is your routine?

• Choose different sizes of paper/pens. 
• Choose different places to write--a mall, laundromat, tree house, ferry, bus.
• Open a book, choose a line and begin to write. 
• Read your favourite poet's work until an idea emerges or you just feel inspired. 
• Pick 5 nouns. (Some writers have an envelope filled with interesting nouns and they grab five or so and begin). Try pomegranate, Hindi, shoelace, arrogance, mud. 
• Choose a character, a setting, a conflict . . . Go!
• Have great books and magazine by your side. If you need an image, flip open the book and voila! National Geographic, Flip Dictionary, History of Chinese Farming, How to Make Cheese, etc
• Put a llama in a poem. It will make you laugh. 
• Write about childhood games. 
• Take a title from a non-fiction book and use it for a title of your poem. Go to the Greater Victoria's library website and search for new non-fiction titles. You'll be amazed. Non-fictiontitles WHAT THE DOG SAW, BOOMERANG, MY LIFE IN SHOW BUSINESS.
• Always sit near a window. Open it. Look out. Smell the yard. Hear the birds. The poem begins.

Tuesday:

Arrive with your workshop poems edited. You will have time to work with your author presentation partner(s). 

Wednesday: Two poems are due. Be sure to stick to the criteria:

1. Imagery (appeal to the five senses
2. Surprise (make us look ie. He plummeted down the stairs like a wounded bird may work better than he fell down the stairs as the wounded bird is an image that you can build on in subsequent descriptions. Have something to show us. Show us you care about the topic. 
3. Sound (Use sound to enhance the topic)
4. Show don't tell (have more action in your poetry. Tell us who is doing the action.)
5. Vision: Editing for vision can be tricky. Is the poem worth reading? Why or why not? What can you add or delete to entice the reader?
6. Point of View: Who is telling the story in the poem? Why? Try different points of view while editing to find the perfect voice.
7. Structure: line break, stanza break, titles, caesuras, juxtapositions, punctuation all work with the poem's vitality
8. Tone: Diction is key. Take your time finding the exact word. Focus on nouns and verbs more than adjectives and adverbs. Cut most adjectives and adverbs. 
9. Language: Avoid cliched or Hollywoodish phrases. Avoid rhyme at the ends of sentences. Use internal rhyme, repetition, rhythm.

En 11E: Short Story is due DOUBLESPACE

Staple the draft(s) to your final copy. Make sure that you have proofread and proofread and proofread. Use the dialogue sheet I have you for punctuating speech.

We start Othello on Tuesday.

If you have not yet paid for the Belfry play, bring your $20.00.

Wr 12: P. Lane responses plus a poem for workshop

I look forward to reading your responses. Bring a poem for your workshop group. Same groups as last week.

Create a poem imitating Lane's "Macaroni Song" for Tuesday.

Since next week is short, your two poems will be due Wednesday. I'm looking for poems that you have edited and checked against the criteria.
Thanks.

En 10: Death poem plus animal poem due

Thanks to all the students who have been true to your word and brought the cash for cancer. If you need help raising your ten dollars, let's brainstorm ways to do so. You need to bring your $10.00 if you haven't already. Thanks.

Due tomorrow:

Death poem. Typed. Please check your criteria sheet to ensure it matches.

3rd draft of your animal poem. Please staple it to the first two drafts.

Great work. Mr. Papich was impressed.

En 10: 3rd draft of the animal poem due Friday

THANKS TO ALL THE STUDENTS WHO BROUGHT MONEY FOR THE COPS FOR CANCER FUNDRAISER. YOUR DONATION WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Also, thanks to all the students who have pledged to bring their money. Appreciate it.

If you do not have cash, you can bring a cheque or you may go to this site to donate now:

DONATE NOW

If you were absent today, be sure to get the notes regarding how to edit your poetry and ask your homework buddy about the criteria for the poetry manuscript as we learned key factors today and we practiced going beyond the obvious in our descriptive writing. We also peer edited our animal poems so  be sure to get a partner to edit your poem.

Mr. Papich will be the TOC tomorrow as I will be at the Belfry Theatre with my grade 11 and 12 students so please treat him with our Spartan Nation hospitality.

Class starts at 12:20. Be there by 12:19. We will be called to the gym immediately for the Cops for Cancer celebration but we must do attendance first so be sure to head to the washroom ahead of time.

We will be writing a poem about DEATH in class tomorrow. Stay tuned.

EN 11E: Belfry and SHORT STORY TIME TOMORROW

Since three people will be away at the leadership camp, I've decided not to start Othello until next Tuesday so you have an extra day to revise your stories. Please make sure you have an electronic copy available so that you may work on the computer.

We will also have extra time for silent reading.

Belfry Theatre Tomorrow
I'll remind you of all the details during class but the bus leaves at noon so be on the bus (in front of the school) by 11:55. You may eat on the bus. Don't bring anything that will leave a mess behind.

Bring your care cards or medical number in case of an emergency. If you are anaphylactic, bring your epipen.

If you bring your phone, please leave it on the bus.

Wr 12: Lorna Crozier tonight!

MEET AT UVIC'S BOOKSTORE BY 7 OR 7:15 IF YOU WANT A SEAT AS THE EVENT WILL BE PACKED AND IT STARTS AT 7:30. WRITE A RESPONSE ON THE EVENT AND SUBMIT TO ME IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. I'M INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU HEARD, HOW IT WILL EFFECT YOUR WRITING, WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THE EVENT, ANYTHING YOU LEARNED ABOUT THE BOOK, THE AUTHOR, THE CROWD, ETC.


Thank you for your warm response to our first author visit. We will be having a lot more authors visit and by November, you will be the warm up act so hang onto your hats as the ride begins!

Friday: Bring a poem for your workshop group and your Patrick Lane response.

Tomorrow: Bring a lunch as you might not have time to stand in the cafeteria lineup as the bus leaves promptly at noon. I'll remind you about all of this during class tomorrow morning but meet out front on the bus by 11:55. We get out of period 2 early for the Cops for Cancer event.

Also due tomorrow is your short poem. See yesterday's blog for a reminder.

Next poet visit: Friday, Oct. 12: Poet, UVic professor, and Victoria's first poet laureate, Carla Funk will be visiting our classroom.

To read about Carla visit . . . Carla's website 


Friday, Oct 26, the poet, Yvonne Blomer will be reading to the class.

Yvonne Blomer

Yvonne Blomer completed her MA in Creative Writing at The University of East Anglia. Her work has won awards and been published internationally. Most recently poems appear in Walk Myself Home: An Anthology to End Violence Against Women, The Best of Canadian Poetry in English by Tightrope Books and in Rocksalt: An Anthology of Contemporary B.C. Poetry by Mother Tongue Publishing Ltd. Her first book, a broken mirror, fallen leaf, was short listed for Gerald Lampert Memorial Award for Poetry. In 2011 Yvonne will have two new books of poetry outLandscapes and Home (Leaf Press) and The Book of Places (Black Moss Press). For four years, Yvonne wrote a cycling column for the Times Colonist called Spoke 'n' Word. She has had travel writing published in Canada, England and Japan and is working on a travel memoir titled The Long Way West: Cycling from Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur. Yvonne has been teaching courses in poetry and memoir for several years.

Wed. Oct. 31, the poet and novelist and short story writer, John Lent will be here staring at all of the students in costume.

John Lent has been publishing poetry, fiction and non-fiction nationally and internationally for the past thirty years.  His work has appeared in various issues of: The Malahat Review, Event, West Coast Line, NeWest Review, Grain, Prairie Fire, CV2, The New Quarterly, This Magazine, The Canadian Forum, Matrix, Waves, Fiddlehead, The Antigonish Review. He has published eight books of poetry and fiction and a book of conversations with Robert Kroetsch about the writing life, called Abundance.  His last novel, So It Won’t Go Away, was short-listed for the BC Book Prizes in 2005, and Thistledown Press released a volume of Lent’s poems called Cantilevered Songs in 2009 that was long-listed for the Re-Lit Award that year.  A novel, The Path To Ardroe, was released by Thistledown Press in the spring of 2012.

Lent has read his from his work in France, England and the USA, and has given Canada Council Readings of his work across Canada over the past twenty-five years, most recently in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Edmonton, Calgary and Victoria. He has taught Creative Writing & Literature at various institutions in this country for the past forty years, and has, most recently, taught at The Sage Hill Writing Experience and The Victoria School of Writing.  He has been writer in residence at Red Deer College and a resident writer at The Wallace Stegner House and The Leighton Artists Colony at The Banff Centre For The Arts. His most recent novel, The Path To Ardroe, is a novel that has taken over a decade to write and surfaces from experiences Lent had living in Strasbourg, France, in 1988, and Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1995.

Aesthetically, Lent will tell you that he has specialized in exploring the narrative forms connected to the genre of stream of consciousness fiction.  He strives for a unique, unprecedented intimacy in his writing that comes from years of playing with different ways to represent subjectivity/consciousness in narrative,and years of studying writers like Malcolm Lowry, James Joyce, Céline, Margaret Laurence and Alistair Macleod.  Lent has published and presented critical articles on spatial form in these kinds of  narrative in the work of Thomas DeQuincey, Malcolm Lowry, Kristjana Gunnars, Mavis Gallant, Wilfred Watson, Sheila Watson & Robert Kroetsch.  Lent considers The Path To Ardroe to be a breakthrough result of all this work and hopes to reach a wide audience through it.

Lent lives in Vernon, BC, with his wife, the artist Jude Clarke, and plays in The Lent/Fraser/Wall Trio, a jazz and roots group.  He is one of the founders of Kalamalka Press and The Kalamalka Institute For Working Writers, and though he has taught Creative Writing and Literature classes for years, and served as the Regional Dean, North Okanagan, for Okanagan College, for the past five years, John Lent is currently, and happily, retired.

Writing 12: Patrick Lane tomorrow

Be sure to arrive on time. Your Patrick Lane response is due Friday, Oct. 6. Follow the model in order to get full marks.

We go to the Belfry Thursday afternoon.

You have a poem due Thursday (no need to type. I want you to read it aloud. See how it worked).

Try to write a poem with really short lines. See what happens.
You might want to try a specific number of syllables and stresses in each line, too.
If you want to know the fancy names for syllable numbers and names, check this site: Prosody: the name for iambic pentametre rhythms etc

Try 3 syllable lines or 5 syllable lines. Is there a difference between odd and even numbers? Does it matter where the stress falls? Train your ear.
Short lines slow a poem down. Will the short line work with your subject matter?

Have fun. Arrive on Thursday willing to share what happened even if you are not yet pleased with your poem.

English 11: Short Story Test Wednesday

Tomorrow's test is a comprehension test. I am evaluating your ability to read a story, find pertinent detail to answer the question, create inferences and synthesize it all into a formal, literary paragraph that is expressed well.

Study:

• How to integrate quotations with page numbers. Speech is different from descriptions. 
• The literary must-haves list.
• Previous paragraph feedback from me and from peer editors. 
• How to write a thesis statement. 
• Good verb usage, sentence variety, and transitions. 
• Re-read any model paragraphs I have given you. 
• Know that you will need to manage your time. 

English 10: Test and Poem Corrections Due

If you were absent today, pick up your corrected test (poetry paragraph), your folder, your corrections sheet and two other handouts.

Due Wed: $10.00 for cops for cancer
                 Test corrections and test inside your folder
                 Draft 2 of the animal poem (typed) Be sure to staple it to the original.
                 Vocabulary Test. Study your words on quizlet. I've added the list to it.

Today's class:

I'm glad you were able to work together today to use one another's strengths. The test mark is simply an indicator of what you have learned so far, what you were able to express in a fixed amount of time and what you need to do to learn the intricacies of writing in English.

English 10: How to Succeed in English Class

 Homework:

At the end of each month, please submit your USSR forms. Marks awarded for the number of books read, how well you express your feelings about the book and the variety and difficulty of the material that you choose to read.

BRING YOUR $10.00 FOR COPS FOR CANCER. THANKS. 


HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL ENGLISH STUDENT

It's not enough to sit and be told what to do, is it?

Learning is a verb so it requires action on a student's part.

Arriving to class without your homework completed means you need to build in a routine to check this blog daily so that you are prepared. If you miss a class, you are required to make up the work.

To Improve

When your work is returned, plan to do something about learning the material you have not yet mastered.

Re-write assignments and focus on one or two new things you want to be able to do. For example,

Vocabulary

• study the words daily on Quizlet
• write strong sentences and vary your punctuation
• get the sentences checked
• use quizlet to test your knowledge 

Paragraphs

• How to write a thesis statement
• How to integrate quotations
• How to improve your writing style: vocabulary, punctuation, sentence variety
• How to add insightful responses and support your opinions with proof

Anthology

• Use the poems I have starred as models to create poems 
• Learn how to write a proper bibliography
• What do you need to do to improve?

Writing Your Own Poems

• Follow the samples I give you
• Read poems from The Claremont Review and from your anthology
• Find out what is getting published these days and why
• use unique descriptions
• appeal to the five senses 
• ask for help
• get a peer to edit your work 

Wr-12

Two poems due Tuesday.

Patrick Lane is coming Wednesday!! Patrick Lane response due Friday. Follow the model. Take notes while he is here.

I'm looking forward to your new poems. 

Bring your money and permission form for the Belfry trip asap. We go on Thursday.

Plan to attend Lorna Crozier's book launch at UVic's bookstore, Wed. Oct. 3 at 7:30. If you need a ride, let me know.

English 11E

Write and re-write your story. Submit Friday, Oct. 5. Double space.

Four Levels of Editing
Today we edited our stories using the criteria below. If you were absent today, ensure that you get your story edited by at least two people who use these criteria. Next, you use the criteria below to re-write/revise your story.

Surface Editing

• mechanics
• diction
• syntax
• sentence structure
• consistent verb tense

Rhythm Editing

• the music of the piece
• sound devices (assonance, alliteration, dissonance but also rhythm, rhyme, repetition, 
• sentence variety (length, type, how they begin)
• scenes, half scenes, dialogue, description
• paragraphs (how many? length? purpose?
• consistency

Read it out loud to hear if the rhythm is off.

Structural Editing

• What holds it together? 
• Imagine putting together a quilt? What is in the foreground? Background?
• Are you using a space montage or a time montage? 
• Time sequences, first, next, thn, last night, I rember, if only, ...
• Tell it slant (only show/tell what is essential, allow the reader to infer)
• Use a variety of descriptive methods, reveal indirectly for the most part

Vision Editing (This part is scary--you must ask does this story work?)

• The vision/idea that is moving the story forward
• Where is the heart of the story? Find it? Why did you choose to write about it? 
• The vision is revealed as you write and re-write
• The story is something that you care about.
• The vision rises from the story: YOU CANNOT IMPOSE IT.
• It has to matter. 
• The story will scare you . . . delight you . . . engage you . . . because you will actually get to see in a very dramatic way what you care about. 

Remember First Drafts are First Drafts. Do not submit a first draft on Friday.
If you need an extension, ask. 

Vocabulary Test: Tuesday. All 25 words. Know their meanings, their part of speech and how to use them in a sentence.