M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E
Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2005 10:25 am
Don't ya just love when you sign up for a class, get the syllabus, and then find out that it's going to be a fun class? Check out my assignments for one of my English classes this semester. I'm gonna have a blast with this one! I can't begin to guess which one I'm going to have the most fun writing -- the "ripped from the headlines/Law & Order" one, the "garbology" one, POV, dialogue, action v. plot.... 
Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!
ASSIGNMENTS
ENGL 2307
5pring 2005
For the chapter summaries, first tell me the most important points the author makes, then what information might be most useful to you as a writer. This assignment is an informal but thorough response to what you have read in the text, including what the author says. Your response should be about HALF A PAGE in length.
For the exercises, read through the complete assignment before beginning. HAVE FUN WITH THESE ASSIGNMENTS – let your imaginations go! Remember, there are no “right” or “wrong” answers here. If you get stuck, or if you have questions, feel free to email me or call me on the phone.
The length of the exercises will vary, but should be thorough. Departmental guidelines ask for a total of 6000 words for this class, so you need to give a response worthy of the assignment. Remember, too, the more you put into the exercises, the more you’ll get out of them. The short stories need to be at least two pages long (double spaced) for full credit.
The weekly assignments are not considered complete until both parts—the summaries and the exercises—are in.
ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE BY OR ON THE DATES LISTED. You get three late freebies with no consequences, but after that, your final grade goes down a letter with each further late assignment, unless you contact me BEFORE the due date—or let me know if something major is going on in your life. After six late papers (unless you’ve notified me and I’ve agreed), you will be dropped from the class.
Jan. 18 – Classes begin.
Jan. 20 – The assignment for the first week is to get your book, Writer’s Mind. Look over the text. Even though you aren’t required to respond to the introductory material, go ahead and read the Preface just to get on board. I picked this book because the author is fun and has some personality. The chapters are easy to read, while at the same time filled with information. You will notice, too, that each chapter provides you with some extra exercises you can try if you like, as well as a list of interesting books you might want to read some time in the future.
Jan. 27 – Read Chapter 1. It’s not long. Summarize the main points. Your exercise will be to ask yourself the question “Why do I write?” In an informal way, give me your thoughts. REMEMBER: THERE ARE NO WRONG ANSWERS HERE! I’m genuinely curious to hear about what attracts you to the idea of writing fiction, and (of course, since this is a writing class), it’s always a good exercise for you to verbalize your thoughts on the subject.
Feb. 3 – Summary: Chapter Two, “What Is a Story?”
Exercise: Looking back on your personal development, notice the different stages you’ve been through. You might even see yourself as having been several different people. For instance, maybe you’ve been a rebel, a loner, a do-gooder, a party animal, a victim, an addict, a hero, a clown. Notice ways that you have changed. Jot down characteristics of yourself in a former life (be specific-—what did you look like? what clothes did you wear? what were your attitudes? habits? hopes? beliefs?) Then be as specific about the person you are today. A key question is this: How did you evolve from this person you’ve just described into the person you are?
Now you have the hub of a story: someone you care about, and a transformation. HERE IS YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Narrate the change you made in your life, including the kinds of details you jotted down above.
Feb. 10 – Summary: Chapter Three, “What to Write About”
Exercise: TV shows such as “Law and Order” claim to be “ripped from the headlines.” Your assignment is to review recent newspaper articles and find a headline that grips you. Now, write the “real” story (the story behind the story), making up whatever you like to embellish the stark treatment of a newspaper story. Tell the story AS A STORY (with characters and plot, etc.) and NOT AS AN ESSAY. Pick a story that you are comfortable with.
Feb. 17 – Summary: Chapter Four, “Action Versus Plot”
Exercise: Place two characters in a fundamental conflict: one wants
something the other doesn’t want to give—money, respect, jewelry, sex, information, or even a light for a cigarette. Write a scene, focusing on the one desire. Be conscious of building conflict and resolving the issue.
Feb. 24 – Summary: Chapter Five, “Characterization”
Exercise: In the sociological science of “garbology,” human habits are
assessed by what is thrown away. Write a full character sketch by describing the contents of someone’s wastebasket. (For example, what can you tell about a person who has in their trash can tons of wadded up kleenex smeared with make-up, a discarded hair dye (purple) box, broken false fingernails, a teeny-bopper magazine with smoochy kisses all over the face of a major rock star?)
First, list the contents of the wastebasket, then write the character sketch.
Mar. 3 – Summary: Chapter Six, “Dialogue”
Exercise: You are seated on a park bench enjoying the afternoon. In a gazebo behind you, out of sight, a couple is having a ferocious argument over something very serious, such as whether or not to get a divorce, whether or not to put a parent in a nursing home, whether or not to move to a new town. Write the dialogue. Remember, you need to include as much information as you can about each person—and you can’t see them or their facial expressions. You are dependent totally on their words to convey important characteristics to the reader.
Mar. 10 – SPRING BREAK
Mar. 17 – FIRST STORY DUE
Mar. 24 – EASTER HOLIDAY
Mar. 31 – Summary: Chapter Seven, “How to Describe Things”
Exercise: Pick an emotion such as anger, joy, fear, or love. Describe a room or a park or another setting, conveying the emotion, but never using the word. You’ll have to use sentences like, “When Big Bad John walked into the room, the plants seemed to shrivel, their very roots quaking” (fear). Or, “The design on the wallpaper seemed to dance and float against the halcyon blue background” (happiness). Make this a full paragraph, perhaps the opening paragraph of a story.
Apr. 7 – Summary: Chapter Eight, “Narration or Dramatization” (Show or Tell)
Exercise: Pick a Christmas or other holiday from your childhood and focus on one particular incident. Narrate the scene. Then dramatize the scene. Tell me: Which method was most effective for what you were trying to do? Why?
Apr. 14 – Summary: Chapter Nine, “Point of View and Narrative Distance”
Exercise: Select a controversy/ argument/ altercation that you’ve been
involved in, remembering the emotion and the details. Write the scene from your point of view using THIRD person (you become “he” or “she.”). Next, write it from the OTHER person’s point of view, but make that point of view FIRST person. Tell me: What did you discover about point of view?
(Be sure you read this assignment carefully. This exercise is designed for you to get comfortable distancing yourself using “he” or “she” but also to be able to get inside the head of someone different from yourself.)
Apr. 21 – Summary: Chapter Ten, “Style, Voice, Tone”
Exercise: Select a paragraph from Charles Dickens, Leo Tolstoy, Shakespeare, or another classical writer from a different century or country. Rewrite that passage in your own style. (Be sure to write out the original as well as your re-write!)
Apr. 28 – Summary: Chapter 11, “Theme”
Exercise: You are ninety-seven years old and have had a full life. Write a
letter to your children and grandchildren, telling them about your life and what has been most important to you.
May 5 – FINAL SHORT STORY DUE
Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!
ASSIGNMENTS
ENGL 2307
5pring 2005
For the chapter summaries, first tell me the most important points the author makes, then what information might be most useful to you as a writer. This assignment is an informal but thorough response to what you have read in the text, including what the author says. Your response should be about HALF A PAGE in length.
For the exercises, read through the complete assignment before beginning. HAVE FUN WITH THESE ASSIGNMENTS – let your imaginations go! Remember, there are no “right” or “wrong” answers here. If you get stuck, or if you have questions, feel free to email me or call me on the phone.
The length of the exercises will vary, but should be thorough. Departmental guidelines ask for a total of 6000 words for this class, so you need to give a response worthy of the assignment. Remember, too, the more you put into the exercises, the more you’ll get out of them. The short stories need to be at least two pages long (double spaced) for full credit.
The weekly assignments are not considered complete until both parts—the summaries and the exercises—are in.
ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE BY OR ON THE DATES LISTED. You get three late freebies with no consequences, but after that, your final grade goes down a letter with each further late assignment, unless you contact me BEFORE the due date—or let me know if something major is going on in your life. After six late papers (unless you’ve notified me and I’ve agreed), you will be dropped from the class.
Jan. 18 – Classes begin.
Jan. 20 – The assignment for the first week is to get your book, Writer’s Mind. Look over the text. Even though you aren’t required to respond to the introductory material, go ahead and read the Preface just to get on board. I picked this book because the author is fun and has some personality. The chapters are easy to read, while at the same time filled with information. You will notice, too, that each chapter provides you with some extra exercises you can try if you like, as well as a list of interesting books you might want to read some time in the future.
Jan. 27 – Read Chapter 1. It’s not long. Summarize the main points. Your exercise will be to ask yourself the question “Why do I write?” In an informal way, give me your thoughts. REMEMBER: THERE ARE NO WRONG ANSWERS HERE! I’m genuinely curious to hear about what attracts you to the idea of writing fiction, and (of course, since this is a writing class), it’s always a good exercise for you to verbalize your thoughts on the subject.
Feb. 3 – Summary: Chapter Two, “What Is a Story?”
Exercise: Looking back on your personal development, notice the different stages you’ve been through. You might even see yourself as having been several different people. For instance, maybe you’ve been a rebel, a loner, a do-gooder, a party animal, a victim, an addict, a hero, a clown. Notice ways that you have changed. Jot down characteristics of yourself in a former life (be specific-—what did you look like? what clothes did you wear? what were your attitudes? habits? hopes? beliefs?) Then be as specific about the person you are today. A key question is this: How did you evolve from this person you’ve just described into the person you are?
Now you have the hub of a story: someone you care about, and a transformation. HERE IS YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Narrate the change you made in your life, including the kinds of details you jotted down above.
Feb. 10 – Summary: Chapter Three, “What to Write About”
Exercise: TV shows such as “Law and Order” claim to be “ripped from the headlines.” Your assignment is to review recent newspaper articles and find a headline that grips you. Now, write the “real” story (the story behind the story), making up whatever you like to embellish the stark treatment of a newspaper story. Tell the story AS A STORY (with characters and plot, etc.) and NOT AS AN ESSAY. Pick a story that you are comfortable with.
Feb. 17 – Summary: Chapter Four, “Action Versus Plot”
Exercise: Place two characters in a fundamental conflict: one wants
something the other doesn’t want to give—money, respect, jewelry, sex, information, or even a light for a cigarette. Write a scene, focusing on the one desire. Be conscious of building conflict and resolving the issue.
Feb. 24 – Summary: Chapter Five, “Characterization”
Exercise: In the sociological science of “garbology,” human habits are
assessed by what is thrown away. Write a full character sketch by describing the contents of someone’s wastebasket. (For example, what can you tell about a person who has in their trash can tons of wadded up kleenex smeared with make-up, a discarded hair dye (purple) box, broken false fingernails, a teeny-bopper magazine with smoochy kisses all over the face of a major rock star?)
First, list the contents of the wastebasket, then write the character sketch.
Mar. 3 – Summary: Chapter Six, “Dialogue”
Exercise: You are seated on a park bench enjoying the afternoon. In a gazebo behind you, out of sight, a couple is having a ferocious argument over something very serious, such as whether or not to get a divorce, whether or not to put a parent in a nursing home, whether or not to move to a new town. Write the dialogue. Remember, you need to include as much information as you can about each person—and you can’t see them or their facial expressions. You are dependent totally on their words to convey important characteristics to the reader.
Mar. 10 – SPRING BREAK
Mar. 17 – FIRST STORY DUE
Mar. 24 – EASTER HOLIDAY
Mar. 31 – Summary: Chapter Seven, “How to Describe Things”
Exercise: Pick an emotion such as anger, joy, fear, or love. Describe a room or a park or another setting, conveying the emotion, but never using the word. You’ll have to use sentences like, “When Big Bad John walked into the room, the plants seemed to shrivel, their very roots quaking” (fear). Or, “The design on the wallpaper seemed to dance and float against the halcyon blue background” (happiness). Make this a full paragraph, perhaps the opening paragraph of a story.
Apr. 7 – Summary: Chapter Eight, “Narration or Dramatization” (Show or Tell)
Exercise: Pick a Christmas or other holiday from your childhood and focus on one particular incident. Narrate the scene. Then dramatize the scene. Tell me: Which method was most effective for what you were trying to do? Why?
Apr. 14 – Summary: Chapter Nine, “Point of View and Narrative Distance”
Exercise: Select a controversy/ argument/ altercation that you’ve been
involved in, remembering the emotion and the details. Write the scene from your point of view using THIRD person (you become “he” or “she.”). Next, write it from the OTHER person’s point of view, but make that point of view FIRST person. Tell me: What did you discover about point of view?
(Be sure you read this assignment carefully. This exercise is designed for you to get comfortable distancing yourself using “he” or “she” but also to be able to get inside the head of someone different from yourself.)
Apr. 21 – Summary: Chapter Ten, “Style, Voice, Tone”
Exercise: Select a paragraph from Charles Dickens, Leo Tolstoy, Shakespeare, or another classical writer from a different century or country. Rewrite that passage in your own style. (Be sure to write out the original as well as your re-write!)
Apr. 28 – Summary: Chapter 11, “Theme”
Exercise: You are ninety-seven years old and have had a full life. Write a
letter to your children and grandchildren, telling them about your life and what has been most important to you.
May 5 – FINAL SHORT STORY DUE