I collected the stories today. If you were absent, be sure to email me the story TODAY. No stories accepted tomorrow unless accompanied by a note explaining how deathly ill you were today.
I also collected the Fiction REPORTS and the Bill Gaston responses.
We read our stories for 15 minutes. We wrote our Bill Gaston responses for 15 minutes. We started a new genre today: the postcard story!!
We wrote a short one today (250 words). If you were absent, stay in at lunch tomorrow to
make up the time. You need to read the two stories, read your USSR book, and write the postcard exercise.
We read Monika Lee's story, "Dizzy" and we discussed the elements of postcard stories. I also read the story, "The Boy with the Duck on His Head".
You have one postcard story due FRIDAY. If you will not be here, either submit it Thursday or email it to me Friday. It must be fewer than 750 words. It can be anywhere from 200 to 750 words. It must WORK. It has to feel as if something happened, some epiphany or shift occurs for the character or for the reader, be concise and precise in style, and be based on a FABULOUS idea.
Read through Claremont Reviews to see what great ideas you can steal. It's TRADITION.
Tonight: Think of an idea for a postcard story. This genre is also called Flash Fiction. Think of a photograph. A lot can be happening in a photograph but it's is captured in that one moment, somewhat like a scene but everything has to be finished, cleared up, by the end of the scene.
We will read some brilliant ones tomorrow and practice write.
Wed: Emi and Mia present.
Thurs: Time to write your postcard story which is due Friday.
Friday: Hand in the postcard story. Start thinking about the long story that will be due the second Thursday in January. Finish reading the book you have and sign out a new one for the holidays.
