Writing Resources for Student Writers
Have a look at the resources above for ideas and exercises.
Remember, the focus for tonight's assignment and each weekly assignment is to make you a better writer and that may mean taking risks, trying a new style, aiming for a new type of plot, showing and not telling, discussing topics close to your heart.
If the writing does not excite you, it's not ready to be submitted.
Find a topic you are interested in and enjoy the writing.
Two more pages of your story due Thursday. Two more next Thursday and then a good copy by Monday of our last week before Xmas break.
Tomorrow: Bring the poem you plan to read to the class so that we can practice and prepare for recitations, Friday. See last Friday's blog for all of the criteria. Think a combo of Gabe Lunn (UVic student), Carla Funk, and Jeffrey Renn. Take the best of these performers' attributes and apply it to your poem.
In the introduction to your poem, give the audience something to listen for.
For example,
The first poem I'd like to read today uncovers a topic close to my heart--my dad. I know it may not be cool to talk and write about your dad but I love this guy.
That's all you need. Don't talk down to the audience. Don't try to be cool. Don't try to be liked, accepted, respected, revered.
Don't try, Yoda, said. There is DO or DO NOT.
Just be yourself.
Pass the potatoes, please.
You do NOT need this audience's approval.
If you have prepared. If you love the poem. If you are enunciating, pausing, expressing your heart out, how could you err? So, the key to any successful performance, Mr. Plant, assures me, is PREPARATION.
la la la
To err is human, to forgive? Divine.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
ENGLISH 12: Chapter 16, The Catcher in the Rye . . .
Reading closely is a skill. Inferring is a skill. Practice.
Not to infer means not thinking. Someone who does not think loses their edge. Their humanity.
Homework: Read chapter 17, closely. When you get to page 131 (in the small version of the novel), the confrontation between Sally and Holden, post-it note that section and write your insights down on the post-it. Tomorrow, during class you will be writing a paragraph on that section, using the quotes, and ideas that you discover tonight.
If you missed today, you missed a lot!!
GET all the notes from a friend.
We reviewed what you need to do to succeed on the poetry section of the exam. Get those notes.
I passed out the two-page list of literary terms that could be on the provincial exam and we went over the ones which are usually on the exam. Make sure to get a copy of that sheet and to circle the key ones. Study the ones you don't know on quizlet.com. Create an account. Search for sstenson and copy my English 12 list onto your page. You can organize the terms by genre: poetry, drama, short stories, novels, and personal essays so they are easier to remember. All of the definitions are on my quizlet page.
We had two questions on the board that we answered with post-it notes as I read chapter 16 aloud so read chapter 16 and borrow a friend's book to post-it note the key passages. Discuss the significance of the museum, tying the girl's skate, and the child singing the hymn "when a body catch a body comin' through the rye".
We started reading chapter 17.
NOTE: Memorize quotes from the novel to use on your provincial exam. Imagine starting your synthesis essay with this hook: Holden Caulfield believes that nothing should change. Time must stop. However, the character, Hal, in the story, "Hal's Day Off" is the anti-thesis to the innocent boy from New York.
Good readers make connections. Good writers remember them. Great English 12 students do both because THEY read the blog.
Lucky you.
Not to infer means not thinking. Someone who does not think loses their edge. Their humanity.
Homework: Read chapter 17, closely. When you get to page 131 (in the small version of the novel), the confrontation between Sally and Holden, post-it note that section and write your insights down on the post-it. Tomorrow, during class you will be writing a paragraph on that section, using the quotes, and ideas that you discover tonight.
If you missed today, you missed a lot!!
GET all the notes from a friend.
We reviewed what you need to do to succeed on the poetry section of the exam. Get those notes.
I passed out the two-page list of literary terms that could be on the provincial exam and we went over the ones which are usually on the exam. Make sure to get a copy of that sheet and to circle the key ones. Study the ones you don't know on quizlet.com. Create an account. Search for sstenson and copy my English 12 list onto your page. You can organize the terms by genre: poetry, drama, short stories, novels, and personal essays so they are easier to remember. All of the definitions are on my quizlet page.
We had two questions on the board that we answered with post-it notes as I read chapter 16 aloud so read chapter 16 and borrow a friend's book to post-it note the key passages. Discuss the significance of the museum, tying the girl's skate, and the child singing the hymn "when a body catch a body comin' through the rye".
We started reading chapter 17.
NOTE: Memorize quotes from the novel to use on your provincial exam. Imagine starting your synthesis essay with this hook: Holden Caulfield believes that nothing should change. Time must stop. However, the character, Hal, in the story, "Hal's Day Off" is the anti-thesis to the innocent boy from New York.
Good readers make connections. Good writers remember them. Great English 12 students do both because THEY read the blog.
Lucky you.
Writing 12: Who is John Gardner? Who is Raymond Carver?
Graeme knows who John Gardner is. Do you? Graeme has peanut butter cups to prove it. Do you?
Tonight: Work on your next two pages which are due Thursday. Re-submit your first two pages so I can remember where I left off. Thanks.
THURSDAY: YOU WILL BE PRESENTING AN INTRO TO A POEM AND A POEM. I AM EXPECTING YOUR BEST. SEE LAST FRIDAY'S BLOG POST FOR THE CRITERIA. ARRIVE WITH YOUR POEM AND INTRODUCTION ALREADY CHOSEN. DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU CAN READ A POEM ALOUD AND ENGAGE AN AUDIENCE WITH YOUR RECITATION.
Thanks to Prasant for an engaging look at Carver's story, "The Viewfinder". If you were away today, ask to read it and to do the exercise.
I read a longer Carver story to the class called, "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love". Think long and hard about that story. So, what do we talk about when we talk about love? Why so much exposition in that story? Does it work? Why are there so many descriptions of light and gin? What is the "make-up" / legend motif all about? Why does the narrator wish to walk off alone into the sunset? Why can't Laura understand that?
Look at the way the story uses anecdote--the story about Ed, the traffic accident, the vassals/vessels.
Look at the way it uses the cardiologist as the speaker in the story, yet, he is not the narrator.
What is the point of view?
If you spend time, reviewing this story, you will become a better writer. No doubt about that.
Tonight: Work on your next two pages which are due Thursday. Re-submit your first two pages so I can remember where I left off. Thanks.
THURSDAY: YOU WILL BE PRESENTING AN INTRO TO A POEM AND A POEM. I AM EXPECTING YOUR BEST. SEE LAST FRIDAY'S BLOG POST FOR THE CRITERIA. ARRIVE WITH YOUR POEM AND INTRODUCTION ALREADY CHOSEN. DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU CAN READ A POEM ALOUD AND ENGAGE AN AUDIENCE WITH YOUR RECITATION.
Thanks to Prasant for an engaging look at Carver's story, "The Viewfinder". If you were away today, ask to read it and to do the exercise.
I read a longer Carver story to the class called, "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love". Think long and hard about that story. So, what do we talk about when we talk about love? Why so much exposition in that story? Does it work? Why are there so many descriptions of light and gin? What is the "make-up" / legend motif all about? Why does the narrator wish to walk off alone into the sunset? Why can't Laura understand that?
Look at the way the story uses anecdote--the story about Ed, the traffic accident, the vassals/vessels.
Look at the way it uses the cardiologist as the speaker in the story, yet, he is not the narrator.
What is the point of view?
If you spend time, reviewing this story, you will become a better writer. No doubt about that.
English 10: Act 5 Presentation Notes
Tonight: Choose an essay topic. How does one choose? How did you choose a topic for the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird? You thought about three of your favourite scenes. You thought about the themes presented in those themes. You re-read those passages carefully, created a quote log, summarized the log into three sentences and created a thesis statement, which you then used formal language to prove!!
Choose a topic. (See last night's blog for ideas, too).
Find 9 to 15 passages or quotations that inform your topic.
Post-it note them. Number the post-its (in any order).
Bring them to class tomorrow. We will start our quotation logs. If you have a computer, bring it to class.
We will complete the presentations tomorrow. Copy and paste these notes into your books.
Lines 1-11 Romeo has a dream about love but he is questioning his dream as if Queen Mab has him and he's believing Mercutio's version because his love is far away and like a dream.
He dreams that Juliet found him dead--foreshadows his death. Dramatic irony as the audience knows she is dead.
Also, it is like he HAS died since she is so far away.
Tone: bittersweet, happy and sad, happy to love her but he may not see her again
Imagery: He wants to become Emporer because love lifts him above the ground. He is above society, above the grave,
Connections: in the same state as he was with Rosaline, so he could act rashly
How sweet is love possessed
He lives on the love of Juliet.
24-29
Tone: determined, not indecisive, wants to be with Juliet dead or alive
he is a man of his word
He thinks he knows what love is but he won't listen to anyone else. He can't LIVE on his own.
Balthasar doesn't understand Romeo's perspective of love so he can't talk him out of buying poison.
Same as when he was pining over Rosaline
Lines 34-52
Romeo's anger
He wants to kill himself.
Tone is dark. He wants to LIE with her tonight. He can't live without her.
The connection to earlier in the story--love is poison--the Friar's potion and the apothecary's poison
Imagery: stuffed skins, bladders, musty seeds, alligator, decrepit images,
Fate: Romeo will lie with her forecver
Lines 60-85
Tone: persuasive,
Apothecary is poor and hungry
Imagery: Famine in thy cheeks, starveth in thy eyes, full of wretchedness,
ironic that the apothecary is sick,
Romeo calls the poison a cordial (a refreshing drink) to convince himself that he must drink it and he has no choice.
Love takes away choice.
I pay thy poverty and not thy will.
Coonection; when he went to the ball he had a prophecy that something bad was going to happen and here he has
Scene 2:
Tone: panic, Friar Laurence realizes Romeo didn't receive the letter. It could have been prevented by one letter. The theme that sometimes we try to help others but we are not helping at all. Fate intervened to show that there were too many complications in their relationship anyway. Hate gets in the way of love. Juliet was right to say that she thought their love was a spark that would burn out to quickly.
Unhappy fortune. Unhappy fate says Friar Laurence and he realizes there is danger now.
Scene 3:
Lines 1-20 Paris at the tomb
Tone: sad, his bride to be has just died, First time we really get to see his despair, he orders around his servant to try to make himself feel better, He is doing what Romeo did to Rosaline. He loved Juliet even though he didn't know her. LOve is just physical. People think that they are in love until they really find love and then LOVE EQUALS UNION. LOVE IS A COMPROMISE.
Lines 22-39
Romeo opening the tomb
Tone: Serious and determined
Do not interrupt me. He tells Balthasar not to disturb him.
Imagery: More fears ... far from empty tigers or the roaring sea--he'll fight the world to attend to Juliet. Frightens Balthasar.
He puts fate into his own hands.
He drinks the poison after seeing her face one last time very similar to the hasty marriage.
Lines 58-71 Romeo fights Paris
Tone: Hatred, misunderstanding
Ideas about love and hate: Romeo kills Paris and Paris wants to be right beside Juliet and Tybalt. More dramatic irony. Death unites rather than love.
It's important that Romeo kills Paris since Romeo's love is the more authentic and authorized by God. Paris must die.
Connection to earlier parts: The fight Roemo had with Tybalt. Romeo didn't want to fight with Tybalt. Dramatic irony.
Choose a topic. (See last night's blog for ideas, too).
Find 9 to 15 passages or quotations that inform your topic.
Post-it note them. Number the post-its (in any order).
Bring them to class tomorrow. We will start our quotation logs. If you have a computer, bring it to class.
We will complete the presentations tomorrow. Copy and paste these notes into your books.
Lines 1-11 Romeo has a dream about love but he is questioning his dream as if Queen Mab has him and he's believing Mercutio's version because his love is far away and like a dream.
He dreams that Juliet found him dead--foreshadows his death. Dramatic irony as the audience knows she is dead.
Also, it is like he HAS died since she is so far away.
Tone: bittersweet, happy and sad, happy to love her but he may not see her again
Imagery: He wants to become Emporer because love lifts him above the ground. He is above society, above the grave,
Connections: in the same state as he was with Rosaline, so he could act rashly
How sweet is love possessed
He lives on the love of Juliet.
24-29
Tone: determined, not indecisive, wants to be with Juliet dead or alive
he is a man of his word
He thinks he knows what love is but he won't listen to anyone else. He can't LIVE on his own.
Balthasar doesn't understand Romeo's perspective of love so he can't talk him out of buying poison.
Same as when he was pining over Rosaline
Lines 34-52
Romeo's anger
He wants to kill himself.
Tone is dark. He wants to LIE with her tonight. He can't live without her.
The connection to earlier in the story--love is poison--the Friar's potion and the apothecary's poison
Imagery: stuffed skins, bladders, musty seeds, alligator, decrepit images,
Fate: Romeo will lie with her forecver
Lines 60-85
Tone: persuasive,
Apothecary is poor and hungry
Imagery: Famine in thy cheeks, starveth in thy eyes, full of wretchedness,
ironic that the apothecary is sick,
Romeo calls the poison a cordial (a refreshing drink) to convince himself that he must drink it and he has no choice.
Love takes away choice.
I pay thy poverty and not thy will.
Coonection; when he went to the ball he had a prophecy that something bad was going to happen and here he has
Scene 2:
Tone: panic, Friar Laurence realizes Romeo didn't receive the letter. It could have been prevented by one letter. The theme that sometimes we try to help others but we are not helping at all. Fate intervened to show that there were too many complications in their relationship anyway. Hate gets in the way of love. Juliet was right to say that she thought their love was a spark that would burn out to quickly.
Unhappy fortune. Unhappy fate says Friar Laurence and he realizes there is danger now.
Scene 3:
Lines 1-20 Paris at the tomb
Tone: sad, his bride to be has just died, First time we really get to see his despair, he orders around his servant to try to make himself feel better, He is doing what Romeo did to Rosaline. He loved Juliet even though he didn't know her. LOve is just physical. People think that they are in love until they really find love and then LOVE EQUALS UNION. LOVE IS A COMPROMISE.
Lines 22-39
Romeo opening the tomb
Tone: Serious and determined
Do not interrupt me. He tells Balthasar not to disturb him.
Imagery: More fears ... far from empty tigers or the roaring sea--he'll fight the world to attend to Juliet. Frightens Balthasar.
He puts fate into his own hands.
He drinks the poison after seeing her face one last time very similar to the hasty marriage.
Lines 58-71 Romeo fights Paris
Tone: Hatred, misunderstanding
Ideas about love and hate: Romeo kills Paris and Paris wants to be right beside Juliet and Tybalt. More dramatic irony. Death unites rather than love.
It's important that Romeo kills Paris since Romeo's love is the more authentic and authorized by God. Paris must die.
Connection to earlier parts: The fight Roemo had with Tybalt. Romeo didn't want to fight with Tybalt. Dramatic irony.
Monday, December 2, 2013
English 12: If you missed Friday, you write the test today . . . BUT
We are reading three chapters during class today and answering the following questions in paragraphs that are edited, use formal language, quotations, and add insight to the chapter. Do not discuss the obvious. Tell us something you have just figured out.
Ch. 13: Visit with the prostitute: Discuss the significance of the green dress in this chapter. (It is key to understanding Holden's view of the world). In your discussion of Holden and what the dress means to him, tie your ideas to at least one previous scene in order to support your opinions.
Ch. 14: Talks to his dead brother, Allie, rants about the Disciples in the Bible, confronts Maurice while he is in his pyjamas, cries, and wants to jump out the window but he doesn't WHY? Explain the connections between all these seemingly disconnected scenes in this chapter. What is the purpose for juxtaposing these events?
Ch. 15: Sally Hayes, nun, suitcases, economic status: Compare the tone (diction, sentence structure, rhythm,) in this chapter to the previous two.
Be sure to use examples from the chapter to support your opinions.
Last week, you read three chapters, created a chart and a thesis statement.
Many of your thesis statements were unclear. You did not answer the question.
If you were absent today, write this thesis into your notebook:
After reading chapters 10, 11, and 12, discuss Holden's attitude toward women, including his sister
Thesis:
Holden's role as big and loyal brother to Phoebe influences the respect he shows to women who seem less appreicated in society due to their appearance; however, in order to fit in and feel accdepted in a man's world, the confused teen feels pressured to have sex. Because he cannot separate sex and love, he can only think sexually about girls who he assumes have loose morals. This conflict between his sexual desires and his personal values confuses him and makes him doubt himself.
Be prepared to read chapter 16 during class tomorrow.
Ch. 13: Visit with the prostitute: Discuss the significance of the green dress in this chapter. (It is key to understanding Holden's view of the world). In your discussion of Holden and what the dress means to him, tie your ideas to at least one previous scene in order to support your opinions.
Ch. 14: Talks to his dead brother, Allie, rants about the Disciples in the Bible, confronts Maurice while he is in his pyjamas, cries, and wants to jump out the window but he doesn't WHY? Explain the connections between all these seemingly disconnected scenes in this chapter. What is the purpose for juxtaposing these events?
Ch. 15: Sally Hayes, nun, suitcases, economic status: Compare the tone (diction, sentence structure, rhythm,) in this chapter to the previous two.
Be sure to use examples from the chapter to support your opinions.
Last week, you read three chapters, created a chart and a thesis statement.
Many of your thesis statements were unclear. You did not answer the question.
If you were absent today, write this thesis into your notebook:
After reading chapters 10, 11, and 12, discuss Holden's attitude toward women, including his sister
Thesis:
Holden's role as big and loyal brother to Phoebe influences the respect he shows to women who seem less appreicated in society due to their appearance; however, in order to fit in and feel accdepted in a man's world, the confused teen feels pressured to have sex. Because he cannot separate sex and love, he can only think sexually about girls who he assumes have loose morals. This conflict between his sexual desires and his personal values confuses him and makes him doubt himself.
Be prepared to read chapter 16 during class tomorrow.
Read Act 5. Prepare for a quiz . . .
Although you have watched a film version of a play, a film is not THE PLAY. Consequently, it is imperative that you do the reading in order to feel prepared for tomorrow's lesson.
Read each scene slowly. Read all three columns in the text to ensure understanding.
Start thinking of essay topics:
1. The juxtaposition of love and hate
2. The roles of the Nurse and the Friar
3. Juliet risks all
4. Various views of love in the play
5. Love only comes out at night
6. Use of light and dark imagery
7. Romeo's changing relationship to love
8. The role of hatred in the film
9. How love is misunderstood in the play
10. Love and hatred as magical spells
11. The role of loyalty in the play
12. Write an essay on a particular scene and how it reveals key themes: the opening scene in Act 1, the balcony scene, Queen Mab speech, etc
13. The role of Mercutio in the play
14. The role of destiny
Read each scene slowly. Read all three columns in the text to ensure understanding.
Start thinking of essay topics:
1. The juxtaposition of love and hate
2. The roles of the Nurse and the Friar
3. Juliet risks all
4. Various views of love in the play
5. Love only comes out at night
6. Use of light and dark imagery
7. Romeo's changing relationship to love
8. The role of hatred in the film
9. How love is misunderstood in the play
10. Love and hatred as magical spells
11. The role of loyalty in the play
12. Write an essay on a particular scene and how it reveals key themes: the opening scene in Act 1, the balcony scene, Queen Mab speech, etc
13. The role of Mercutio in the play
14. The role of destiny
Writing 12: Books to put on the Xmas wish list . . .
Try ABE books for second hand copies or call Russell Books or they may be in our library.
A Passion for Narrative (Jack Hodgins) Canadian, used to teach at UVic in the Writing dept.
On Writing (Stephen King) He's got some great ideas.
The Art of Fiction (John Gardner) spouting off at a UVic party that you've read this book will make you sound and look important even if you do have a blob of guacamole on your shirt
Today: We wrote two scenes. One as a warm up to review the elements of a scene:
conflict
thought
action
speech
description
conflict (worse than what started the scene)
Between scenes you can have exposition (details the reader has to know (explanations, "tell" us straight out) Keep these parts short and they won't work.
Descriptive Passages (motivated)
If you were absent today, be sure to get the notes from a friend regarding the various plot structures you will need to attend to.
Next,
We wrote the next scene in our stories.
Thursday: The next two pages of your story are due. Hand in today's original two plus two more.
Good luck.
A Passion for Narrative (Jack Hodgins) Canadian, used to teach at UVic in the Writing dept.
On Writing (Stephen King) He's got some great ideas.
The Art of Fiction (John Gardner) spouting off at a UVic party that you've read this book will make you sound and look important even if you do have a blob of guacamole on your shirt
Today: We wrote two scenes. One as a warm up to review the elements of a scene:
conflict
thought
action
speech
description
conflict (worse than what started the scene)
Between scenes you can have exposition (details the reader has to know (explanations, "tell" us straight out) Keep these parts short and they won't work.
Descriptive Passages (motivated)
If you were absent today, be sure to get the notes from a friend regarding the various plot structures you will need to attend to.
Next,
We wrote the next scene in our stories.
Thursday: The next two pages of your story are due. Hand in today's original two plus two more.
Good luck.
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