Go to link:
http://www.artandwriting.org/the-awards/categories/
http://www.artandwriting.org/the-awards/categories/
Monday, December 14, 2015
Friday, December 4, 2015
Raymond Carver
AGENDA:
Discuss Carver stories
Raymond Carver was a short-story writer credited with revitalizing the form in the United States during the 1970s and '80s. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Carver spent most of his childhood in Yakima, Washington. He moved to California in 1958 and took up writing in the early 1960s. During the 1960s he worked as a textbook editor, lecturer and teacher while writing, and published several short stories and his first book, Winter Insomnia (1970). His 1976 collection Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? established his reputation and featured some of his trademarks: alcohol, poverty and ordinary people in ordinary but desperate situations. Carver, who also taught writing and wrote poetry, has been called a "minimalist" because of his spare and realistic fiction, and has been compared to Ernest Hemingway and Anton Chekhov. In the late 1970s Carver required hospitalization four times in under two years for acute alcoholism. By the mid-1980s, however, he was sober, writing full-time and married to the poet Tess Gallagher (it was his second marriage). He died at the age of fifty from lung cancer, and his last collection of stories, Where I'm Calling From, was published posthumously in 1989. His collections of poetry include Where Water Comes Together With Other Water (1985) and Ultramarine (1986).
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Raymond+Carver+Interview&view=detail&=&=&mid=034FCB7156A1DFBA432F034FCB7156A1DFBA432F&rvsmid=034FCB7156A1DFBA432F034FCB7156A1DFBA432F&adlt=strict#view=detail&mid=034FCB7156A1DFBA432F034FCB7156A1DFBA432F
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Raymond+Carver+in+Person&view=detail&=&=&mid=47C6DB284A688E7EDDE047C6DB284A688E7EDDE0&rvsmid=47C6DB284A688E7EDDE047C6DB284A688E7EDDE0&adlt=strict#view=detail&mid=47C6DB284A688E7EDDE047C6DB284A688E7EDDE0
Workshop second person stories, begin Carver stories
Discuss Carver stories
Raymond Carver was a short-story writer credited with revitalizing the form in the United States during the 1970s and '80s. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Carver spent most of his childhood in Yakima, Washington. He moved to California in 1958 and took up writing in the early 1960s. During the 1960s he worked as a textbook editor, lecturer and teacher while writing, and published several short stories and his first book, Winter Insomnia (1970). His 1976 collection Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? established his reputation and featured some of his trademarks: alcohol, poverty and ordinary people in ordinary but desperate situations. Carver, who also taught writing and wrote poetry, has been called a "minimalist" because of his spare and realistic fiction, and has been compared to Ernest Hemingway and Anton Chekhov. In the late 1970s Carver required hospitalization four times in under two years for acute alcoholism. By the mid-1980s, however, he was sober, writing full-time and married to the poet Tess Gallagher (it was his second marriage). He died at the age of fifty from lung cancer, and his last collection of stories, Where I'm Calling From, was published posthumously in 1989. His collections of poetry include Where Water Comes Together With Other Water (1985) and Ultramarine (1986).
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Raymond+Carver+Interview&view=detail&=&=&mid=034FCB7156A1DFBA432F034FCB7156A1DFBA432F&rvsmid=034FCB7156A1DFBA432F034FCB7156A1DFBA432F&adlt=strict#view=detail&mid=034FCB7156A1DFBA432F034FCB7156A1DFBA432F
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Raymond+Carver+in+Person&view=detail&=&=&mid=47C6DB284A688E7EDDE047C6DB284A688E7EDDE0&rvsmid=47C6DB284A688E7EDDE047C6DB284A688E7EDDE0&adlt=strict#view=detail&mid=47C6DB284A688E7EDDE047C6DB284A688E7EDDE0
Workshop second person stories, begin Carver stories
Monday, November 30, 2015
Short Stories
AGENDA:
Classic Short stories online:
http://www.classicshorts.com/author.html\
http://www.classicreader.com/browse/6/p/title/
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/03/writers-as-architects/?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FCarver%2C%20Raymond&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=4&pgtype=collection&_r=0
AGENDA:
Go to library and get Raymond Carver short stories.
Read title short story
Work on second person short stories--workshop
Raymond Carver:
The dirty-realism school of writing became popular in the 1980s thanks to a group of writers who began writing about middle-class characters who faced disappointments, heartbreaks, and harsh truths in their ordinary lives. Granta, a highly regarded literary journal, coined the term dirty realism in 1983 when it published its eighth issue, which featured writers from this school. Granta 8, as the issue became known, included stories by Angela Carter, Bobbie Ann Mason, Richard Ford, Tobias Wolff, Raymond Carver, and many others. Although each of these dirty-realism writers has a distinctive style, they are connected by their sparse prose, simple language with few adjectives or adverbs and direct descriptions of ordinary people and events. Much of the fiction published in the New Yorker, where many of these writers were and are still published, is of the dirty-realism school, but today the term—as well as the practice—has somewhat fallen out of fashion. “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” was published in 1981, at the height of the dirty-realism movement, and the story is often regarded as the prime example of the form.
Critics have aligned Carver with minimalist writers because of his truncated prose and elliptical delineation of characters and events in the volume What We Talk about When We Talk about Love, in which Esquire magazine claimed that Carver had “reinvented the short story.” The stories of this collection, which reach extremes of stark understatement, have been called spare and knowing masterpieces by some reviewers and laconic, empty failures by others. Specifically, “What We Talk about When We Talk about Love” has been described by some commentators as a story where nothing really happens, but others see it as a demonstration of the barely-furnished nature of Carver's distinctive style. Most critics laud the impact and power of the stories in the collection, including “What We Talk about When We Talk about Love.” Scholars have praised the realistic and evocative dialogue of the couples in the story as well as Carver's use of irony. Critically and popularly, Carver is acknowledged as a profound influence on contemporary writers and literature, and stories such as “What We Talk about When We Talk about Love” are considered valuable, original contributions to the American short fiction genre.
Themes
The Elusive Nature of Love
The nature of love remains elusive throughout “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love,” despite the characters’ best efforts to define it. Mel tries again and again to pinpoint the meaning of love, but his examples never build up to any coherent conclusion. For example, he tells his friends about an elderly couple who nearly died in a car crash, but the conclusion of the story—the old man depressed by not being able to see his wife—merely confuses everyone. When he asserts that he’ll tell everyone exactly what love is, he instead digresses into a muddled meditation about how strange it is that he and the others have loved more than one person. His attempts to clarify the nature of love eventually devolve into a bitter tirade against his ex-wife. He seems much more certain about what love is not and tells Terri several times that if abusive love is true love, then she “can have it.”
Laura and Nick believe that they know what love is, but they never really provide a clear definition or explain why they’re so certain in their convictions. They merely demonstrate their love for each other by blushing and holding hands, but these actions simply support the mystery of love rather than unmask it. Terri, of all the friends, seems to be most certain about the meaning of love and repeatedly claims that her abusive ex-boyfriend, Ed, truly loved her, despite his crazy way of showing it. The examples she provides of this love—beating, stalking, and threatening—are disturbing but serve as proof in her mind. Like the others, however, she cannot translate her certainty into any kind of clear explanation of the nature of love.
The Inadequacy of Language
Although the four friends talk for a while about love, the fact that they never manage to define it suggests that language can’t adequately describe emotional, abstract subjects. Mel does the most talking, but his bloated stories and rambling digressions show that he has trouble conveying his thoughts and feelings, despite how much he talks. Terri speaks a great deal about her former lover Ed, but when Mel challenges her, she turns to intuition to prove her point. She believes that Ed loved her no matter what Mel or the others think, demonstrating that gut feelings about love can be more powerful and accurate than words. Laura and Nick, meanwhile, say very little about the nature of love and instead rely on physical gestures to clarify what language cannot: they hold hands, blush, and touch each other’s legs. Carver indicates that words simply aren’t enough when talking about love, which is probably why all four friends have fallen silent by the end of the story.
Motifs
Drinking
Nick, Mel, Terri, and Laura consume copious amounts of alcohol during their discussion about the nature of love, and their increasing intoxication mirrors their growing confusion about love and inability to define it. The friends have gathered to talk and drink gin, and the pouring, stirring, and sipping of drinks punctuates their conversation. As the friends get drunk, their conversation grows blurry and incoherent and finally stops completely. Drinking also serves as a kind of ritual in the story as the friends pass the bottle of gin around the table and make toasts to love. At the end of the story, as the friends discuss going out to dinner, Mel says they must finish the gin first, as though only finishing the bottle can free them from the discussion.
Symbols
The Sun
The sun in the story, which is bright at the beginning and gone by the end, represents the loss of clarity and happiness as the friends grow increasingly confused about the meaning of love. At the beginning of the story, Nick notes that the kitchen is bright and compares the friends to giddy children who have “agreed on something forbidden.” The talk is light and hopeful, just a friendly conversation on a gin-soaked afternoon. However, as the conversation about love becomes increasingly dark and complex, the sun in the kitchen slips slowly away. Nick notes that the sun is “changing, getting thinner,” and, not long after, that the sun is “draining out of the room.” As the sun disappears completely, the conversation devolves into Mel’s drunken threats against his ex-wife, including a fantasy of murdering her. At the end of the story, the friends are sitting in complete darkness. The sun has gone, as have their rosy, hopeful perceptions of love.
Classic Short stories online:
http://www.classicshorts.com/author.html\
http://www.classicreader.com/browse/6/p/title/
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/03/writers-as-architects/?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FCarver%2C%20Raymond&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=4&pgtype=collection&_r=0
AGENDA:
Go to library and get Raymond Carver short stories.
Read title short story
Work on second person short stories--workshop
Raymond Carver:
The dirty-realism school of writing became popular in the 1980s thanks to a group of writers who began writing about middle-class characters who faced disappointments, heartbreaks, and harsh truths in their ordinary lives. Granta, a highly regarded literary journal, coined the term dirty realism in 1983 when it published its eighth issue, which featured writers from this school. Granta 8, as the issue became known, included stories by Angela Carter, Bobbie Ann Mason, Richard Ford, Tobias Wolff, Raymond Carver, and many others. Although each of these dirty-realism writers has a distinctive style, they are connected by their sparse prose, simple language with few adjectives or adverbs and direct descriptions of ordinary people and events. Much of the fiction published in the New Yorker, where many of these writers were and are still published, is of the dirty-realism school, but today the term—as well as the practice—has somewhat fallen out of fashion. “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” was published in 1981, at the height of the dirty-realism movement, and the story is often regarded as the prime example of the form.
Critics have aligned Carver with minimalist writers because of his truncated prose and elliptical delineation of characters and events in the volume What We Talk about When We Talk about Love, in which Esquire magazine claimed that Carver had “reinvented the short story.” The stories of this collection, which reach extremes of stark understatement, have been called spare and knowing masterpieces by some reviewers and laconic, empty failures by others. Specifically, “What We Talk about When We Talk about Love” has been described by some commentators as a story where nothing really happens, but others see it as a demonstration of the barely-furnished nature of Carver's distinctive style. Most critics laud the impact and power of the stories in the collection, including “What We Talk about When We Talk about Love.” Scholars have praised the realistic and evocative dialogue of the couples in the story as well as Carver's use of irony. Critically and popularly, Carver is acknowledged as a profound influence on contemporary writers and literature, and stories such as “What We Talk about When We Talk about Love” are considered valuable, original contributions to the American short fiction genre.
Themes
The Elusive Nature of Love
The nature of love remains elusive throughout “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love,” despite the characters’ best efforts to define it. Mel tries again and again to pinpoint the meaning of love, but his examples never build up to any coherent conclusion. For example, he tells his friends about an elderly couple who nearly died in a car crash, but the conclusion of the story—the old man depressed by not being able to see his wife—merely confuses everyone. When he asserts that he’ll tell everyone exactly what love is, he instead digresses into a muddled meditation about how strange it is that he and the others have loved more than one person. His attempts to clarify the nature of love eventually devolve into a bitter tirade against his ex-wife. He seems much more certain about what love is not and tells Terri several times that if abusive love is true love, then she “can have it.”
Laura and Nick believe that they know what love is, but they never really provide a clear definition or explain why they’re so certain in their convictions. They merely demonstrate their love for each other by blushing and holding hands, but these actions simply support the mystery of love rather than unmask it. Terri, of all the friends, seems to be most certain about the meaning of love and repeatedly claims that her abusive ex-boyfriend, Ed, truly loved her, despite his crazy way of showing it. The examples she provides of this love—beating, stalking, and threatening—are disturbing but serve as proof in her mind. Like the others, however, she cannot translate her certainty into any kind of clear explanation of the nature of love.
The Inadequacy of Language
Although the four friends talk for a while about love, the fact that they never manage to define it suggests that language can’t adequately describe emotional, abstract subjects. Mel does the most talking, but his bloated stories and rambling digressions show that he has trouble conveying his thoughts and feelings, despite how much he talks. Terri speaks a great deal about her former lover Ed, but when Mel challenges her, she turns to intuition to prove her point. She believes that Ed loved her no matter what Mel or the others think, demonstrating that gut feelings about love can be more powerful and accurate than words. Laura and Nick, meanwhile, say very little about the nature of love and instead rely on physical gestures to clarify what language cannot: they hold hands, blush, and touch each other’s legs. Carver indicates that words simply aren’t enough when talking about love, which is probably why all four friends have fallen silent by the end of the story.
Motifs
Drinking
Nick, Mel, Terri, and Laura consume copious amounts of alcohol during their discussion about the nature of love, and their increasing intoxication mirrors their growing confusion about love and inability to define it. The friends have gathered to talk and drink gin, and the pouring, stirring, and sipping of drinks punctuates their conversation. As the friends get drunk, their conversation grows blurry and incoherent and finally stops completely. Drinking also serves as a kind of ritual in the story as the friends pass the bottle of gin around the table and make toasts to love. At the end of the story, as the friends discuss going out to dinner, Mel says they must finish the gin first, as though only finishing the bottle can free them from the discussion.
Symbols
The Sun
The sun in the story, which is bright at the beginning and gone by the end, represents the loss of clarity and happiness as the friends grow increasingly confused about the meaning of love. At the beginning of the story, Nick notes that the kitchen is bright and compares the friends to giddy children who have “agreed on something forbidden.” The talk is light and hopeful, just a friendly conversation on a gin-soaked afternoon. However, as the conversation about love becomes increasingly dark and complex, the sun in the kitchen slips slowly away. Nick notes that the sun is “changing, getting thinner,” and, not long after, that the sun is “draining out of the room.” As the sun disappears completely, the conversation devolves into Mel’s drunken threats against his ex-wife, including a fantasy of murdering her. At the end of the story, the friends are sitting in complete darkness. The sun has gone, as have their rosy, hopeful perceptions of love.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Writing in the Second Person
Writing in the Second Person POV
What is the Second Person?
Excellent blog post:
http://www.eclecticeditor.com/2012/10/effective-narration-101-second-person-narration/
An example from
www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1200131-That-Second-Person
Let us talk about writing, just me and you. Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable. Pour a cup of joe, or whatever your favorite poison is. Settle in and we'll get down to the nitty gritty. I can go on for hours about this writing business, but I won't take up too much of your time today. Writing is one my favorite subjects. I'm thinking it might be yours too. Why do I think it might be yours? Well, you're here aren't you? That's a pretty good indication. I could be wrong though, and I'm more than willing to admit that. But let's talk a bit if you don't mind.
See this paragraph above? That's one way to use the second person properly, when directly addressing someone. I'm addressing you, the reader and possible writer, directly. The paragraph is written with a specific audience in mind, not a general one. I blame my first college professor for my pet peeve about the misuse of the second person. He pounded it into my freshmen skull many years ago that "you" had no place in any essay except for extraordinary circumstances. When I had him again for nearly every other English class, that lesson was simply emphasized in other writings. Other professors touched on it in literature, but he really sent it home.
I mostly blame advertisement for the misuse of the second person in new writing. I don't know how many times I have driven my family to distraction because I've absentmindedly disagreed with an advertisement. Listen to those things sometime - advertisements. Most of them are trying to target a specific market, but the way the commercials are written is so broad. The net thrown tries to catch as many people as possible. The public at large is included in the message. "You" is inclusive. The message is worded so everyone hearing it is led to believe they need that product or service by the simple use of that one little word. It's no wonder beginning writers use it in their writing; they're exposed to it constantly.
Another reason some beginning writers use the second person incorrectly is because they are "telling the tale." Most people learn to talk before they learn to write, and more people are better at telling stories than writing them. When beginning writers start to write the stories in their heads, often things become lost in the translation. Oral telling is different than the written word, and some writers don't make the distinction between what's said and what's written. When storytellers have an audience in front of them, they can say "It's so black that you can't see your hand in front of your face..." or "...the wind's so cold it'll cut right through ya." Storytellers talk directly to their audience. Even if the audience doesn't "feel" the cold, the use of the second person can bring them deeper into the story.
It can be done; Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas by Tim Robbins is a fictional novel written in second person, and there are several short stories which use the second person well, but they are rare. Also, the "choose your own adventure" genre of fiction has often been written in second person. Now that the Internet is so well established, interactive stories and many role playing forums are perfect homes for fictional stories that incorporate the second person.
In non-fiction writing, the use of the second person is commonplace. As in this opening sentence from Take Control of Your Sales by Sonya Carmichael Jones, "Regardless of your writing genre, marketing is the primary means by which your book sales are generated." This article addresses a specific audience, the book writer who wants to sell books. By inserting "you" into the article, the author attempts to draw the writer in and make the article personal. Such casual writing is routine nowadays. However, the above sentence could just have easily been written, "Regardless of genre, marketing is the primary means by which book sales are generated." Both are correct, it's simply a matter of preference.
If used properly, use of the second person can draw the reader into a piece like no other word. Such as this statement: "If you're one of the millions of people in the United States who has ever..." It is written directly to a specific audience. It attempts to hook that audience immediately. Hopefully, anyone who falls into the category of the article will read the rest of article with interest. Those who do not fall under the umbrella of whatever the article covers will most likely not read it. However, since they are not the intended audience, the use of the second person has fulfilled a purpose as well.
Using the second person is the easy way, but it can alienate half the readers in the blink of an eye. Consider an article written about some extreme sport where the author has written "... and you feel the rush of wind screaming through your hair. This is why you dig freefall, the rush..." Well, there went all of his sensitive bald readers and anyone who's never felt freefall, or those who don't "dig" it.
Using the second person can be a very powerful tool in an author's toolkit. But if it's used incorrectly it can gum up the works good and proper. Generally, try not to use the second person in an essay or a fictional story that is not aimed at a specific audience. There are always exceptions of course. What would this wonderful language be without exceptions? In my opinion, there are ways to get around using the second person - notice how I have not used it since the first paragraph except in quotations? A writer simply has to be creative. It's more fun that way. Is there a better way to enhance writing skills than finding more creative ways to say things? I can't think of one.
Well, I enjoyed this time with you. I hope you did too. Thanks for coming by and listening to me voice my opinion. It was a blast. I've got to get on to other things, but I hope you'll stop by again soon.
Take care.
from
www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1200131-That-Second-Person
Group #1 Wikipedia on second person narrative:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second-person_narrative
Group #2 Why you should write in 2nd person:
http://thewritepractice.com/second-person/
Group #3 Writing in second person:
http://www.chuffedbuffbooks.com/writing-in-second-person-atwood-to-tolstoy/
Two more short stories in 2nd person
http://42opus.com/shortstory/secondperson
And more
http://www.goodreads.com/story/tag/second-person
Lorrie Moore:
http://www.shortstoryproject.com/how-to-talk-to-your-mother-notes/
http://juked.com/2013/02/micah-stack-how-to-write-a-story.asp
and Italo Calvino
http://www.tcomer.faculty.defiance.edu/calvino/ifon.htm
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Poems for Poetry Walk/Dance Project
AGENDA:
7th period--complete poems for dancers
8th period--join dancers for selection of poems
7th period--complete poems for dancers
8th period--join dancers for selection of poems
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Fiction Writing Exercise
AGENDA:
WRITING: Work on your selected exercise from the Fiction Writing HANDOUT
Turn in your exercise if it can be printed clearly. Otherwise save it until we get a new toner cartridge!
CONTESTS: Please consider entering Bennington and Hollins (women poetry)! Entries need to be mailed or submitted tomorrow!
WRITING: Work on your selected exercise from the Fiction Writing HANDOUT
Turn in your exercise if it can be printed clearly. Otherwise save it until we get a new toner cartridge!
CONTESTS: Please consider entering Bennington and Hollins (women poetry)! Entries need to be mailed or submitted tomorrow!
Friday, October 23, 2015
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Transmedia Projects
AGENDA:
Young Justice--presentation
Discussion about the three projects
Written reflections (1 page, single-spaced)
http://classroom.synonym.com/write-selfreflective-essay-2138.html
http://www.preservearticles.com/2012032829088/how-to-write-a-self-reflective-essay.html
Young Justice--presentation
Discussion about the three projects
Written reflections (1 page, single-spaced)
http://classroom.synonym.com/write-selfreflective-essay-2138.html
http://www.preservearticles.com/2012032829088/how-to-write-a-self-reflective-essay.html
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Presentation of Transmedia Projects
AGENDA:
On Monday, the Pleasantville Project presented its work.
Please post your thoughts about their project here.
What did you learn about storytelling from their project?
What parts were most successful or interesting to you?
On Monday, the Pleasantville Project presented its work.
Please post your thoughts about their project here.
What did you learn about storytelling from their project?
What parts were most successful or interesting to you?
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Monday, September 21, 2015
Group Progress Report
AGENDA:
Continue to work on projects in your groups.
HANDOUT: Work on Small Group Progress report. Name your group. Be sure to assign and describe roles. Set up a timeline for completion over the next two weeks.
Hand in your Progress report!
Continue to work on projects in your groups.
HANDOUT: Work on Small Group Progress report. Name your group. Be sure to assign and describe roles. Set up a timeline for completion over the next two weeks.
Hand in your Progress report!
Thursday, September 17, 2015
The Transmedia Project: Roles
AGENDA:
Discussion of individual roles and responsibilities within the group:
Everyone should have a significant writing project--story line, character sketches, brochure, newspaper, journal, blog, script for movie trailer, diary entries, instructional manual, history of the town, family tree, etc.
Additional responsibilities MAY include visual material: maps, drawings, comic book, etc.
Multiple platforms need multiple experts in the making. “You’re not building a story. You’re building a universe” says Susan Bell to describe the numerous branches and interactions that need to be put together when producing a transmedia experience. Transmedia producers are responsible for building the team that will create the magic, mixing complementary skills and finding the right balance between extraordinary creativity (storytellers, game designers, story architects) and top notch execution (developers, community managers, planners, filmmakers, copywriters, etc.). How do you get them to work together and understand each other? How do you transfer the vision when the project goes from hands to hands? Good luck with that.
PLEASE POST WHAT EACH MEMBER OF YOUR GROUP IS WORKING ON. IF SOMEONE IS NOT DOING A WRITING PROJECT, THEY SHOULD COME UP WITH ONE! THE WRITING IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR GRADE!
Please read the following article and discuss it with your group. Post your thoughts about the article here as a comment.
http://www.indiewire.com/article/here-are-the-5-things-that-make-a-good-transmedia-project
Discussion of individual roles and responsibilities within the group:
Everyone should have a significant writing project--story line, character sketches, brochure, newspaper, journal, blog, script for movie trailer, diary entries, instructional manual, history of the town, family tree, etc.
Additional responsibilities MAY include visual material: maps, drawings, comic book, etc.
Multiple platforms need multiple experts in the making. “You’re not building a story. You’re building a universe” says Susan Bell to describe the numerous branches and interactions that need to be put together when producing a transmedia experience. Transmedia producers are responsible for building the team that will create the magic, mixing complementary skills and finding the right balance between extraordinary creativity (storytellers, game designers, story architects) and top notch execution (developers, community managers, planners, filmmakers, copywriters, etc.). How do you get them to work together and understand each other? How do you transfer the vision when the project goes from hands to hands? Good luck with that.
PLEASE POST WHAT EACH MEMBER OF YOUR GROUP IS WORKING ON. IF SOMEONE IS NOT DOING A WRITING PROJECT, THEY SHOULD COME UP WITH ONE! THE WRITING IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR GRADE!
Please read the following article and discuss it with your group. Post your thoughts about the article here as a comment.
http://www.indiewire.com/article/here-are-the-5-things-that-make-a-good-transmedia-project
Friday, September 11, 2015
Creating the Franchise
Agenda:
Students visit website: http://convergenceishere.weebly.com/external-content.html
Discussion:
Students will map out the various roles needed for their storyworlds in "franchise" groups and assign responsibilities to each member of the group.
MultiGenres--What will you use?
\Individually and in groups, students look over the following list of genres to determine what can be created to support their "storyworlds" in addition to using other media platforms.
A Brief List of Genres:
- Journal Entries
- Personal Letter
- Greeting Card
- Schedule/Things to Do List
- Inner Monologue Representing Internal Conflicts
- Classified or Personal Ads
- Personal Essay or Philosophical Questions
- Top Ten List/Glossary or Dictionary
- Poetry
- Song Lyrics
- Autobiographical Essay
- Contest Entry Application
- Business Letter or Correspondence/Persuasive or Advocacy Letter
- Biographical Summary
- Critique of a Published Source
- Speech or Debate
- Historical Times Context Essay
- Textbook Article
- Science Article or Report/Business Article or Report
- Lesson Plan
- Encyclopedia Article
- Short Scene from a Play with Notes for Stage Directions
- Short Scene from a Movie with Notes for Camera Shots
- Dialogue of a Conversation among Two or More People
- Short Story
- Adventure Magazine Story
- Ghost Story
- Myth, Tall Tale, or Fairy Tale
- Talk Show Interview or Panel
- Recipe and Description of Traditional Holiday Events
- Classroom Discussion
- Character Analysis or Case Study
- Comedy Routine or Parody
- Liner Notes
- Picture book
- Chart or Diagram with Explanation and Analysis
- Brochure or Newsletter
- Time Line or Chain of Events
- Map with Explanation and Analysis
- Magazine or TV Advertisement or Infomercial
- Restaurant Description and Menu
- Travel Brochure Description
- How-To or Directions Booklet
- Receipts, Applications, Deeds, Budgets or Other Documents
- Wedding, Graduation or Special Event Invitation
- Birth Certificate
- Local News Report
- Pop-Up book
- Review and Poster for a Movie, Book, or TV Program
- Board Game or Trivial Pursuit with Answers and Rules
- Comic Strip or Graphic Novel excerpt
- Power Point Presentation
- Informational Video
- Web Site
- Future News Story
- Letter to the Editor
- Newspaper or Magazine Feature/Human Interest Story
- Obituary, Eulogy or Tribute
- News Program Story or Announcement
- Tabloid Article
View prezi: https://prezi.com/vv-uf9k3u-3o/transmedia-storytelling-101-the-basics/
Activity: With groups, students select a simple fairy tale and brainstorm how you might expand the story using multiple genres and/or platforms.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
StoryWorld Building
Agenda:
Transmedia Vocabulary
Transmedia Vocabulary
I-search and define the following terms:
multi-platform storytelling
interactive storytelling
cross-platform or cross media
deep media
cross-media
genre-mash
new media storytelling
immersive games
collaborative fiction
participatory media
storyworld or story universe
convergence culture
franchise
Building a Storyworld
Students read blog http://transmediadigest.blogspot.com/2012/01/storyworlds-part-3.html
Ontology: Storyworlds
Ryan’s description of the contents of storyworlds (Ryan, 2011) provides a starting point for the development of a systematic structure for the narrative elements of transmedia narratives. Ryan identified the content of storyworlds as existents, settings, events, mental events, physical laws, and social laws (Ryan, 2011).
Chatman proposed a story structure that also contains events and existents (Chatman, 1978, p. 19), but their interrelationships differ from Ryan’s. In Chatman’s model, characters and setting are contained within the existents, while events are divided into kernels and satellites (Chatman, 1978, p. 19).
The development of a comprehensive and consistent structure for storyworlds is important for the future development of transmedia narratives. Ryan stated that ensuring stories involve the same existents, settings, and other characteristics of the storyworld and that the stories are mutually compatible will allow the development of multiple stories within the same storyworld (Ryan, 2011).
Using the same set of concepts identified by Ryan and Chapman – storyworlds, existents, events, settings, and stories – but reconfiguring the relationships between them slightly makes it possible to create a high level framework that easily accommodates the creation of multiple stories from within the same storyworld.
A few of the concepts offered by Ryan fall into categories lower down on the storyworld hierarchy, while mental events is a type of event. Physical and social laws fall within the concepts of mythos, topos, and ethos developed by Klastrup and Tosca. Klastrup and Tosca note that they specifically exclude events from the mythos of a storyworld (Klastrup & Tosca, 2011). This makes it logical to include events immediately below the storyworld in the hierarchy of elements, as Ryan has done.
Establishing the storyworld as the highest order category within the narrative design domain provides the foundation for a coherent structure with ample opportunity for expansion across the lower level concepts.
Concept map of the elements that comprise a storyworld (see handout):
Chatman proposed a story structure that also contains events and existents (Chatman, 1978, p. 19), but their interrelationships differ from Ryan’s. In Chatman’s model, characters and setting are contained within the existents, while events are divided into kernels and satellites (Chatman, 1978, p. 19).
The development of a comprehensive and consistent structure for storyworlds is important for the future development of transmedia narratives. Ryan stated that ensuring stories involve the same existents, settings, and other characteristics of the storyworld and that the stories are mutually compatible will allow the development of multiple stories within the same storyworld (Ryan, 2011).
Using the same set of concepts identified by Ryan and Chapman – storyworlds, existents, events, settings, and stories – but reconfiguring the relationships between them slightly makes it possible to create a high level framework that easily accommodates the creation of multiple stories from within the same storyworld.
A few of the concepts offered by Ryan fall into categories lower down on the storyworld hierarchy, while mental events is a type of event. Physical and social laws fall within the concepts of mythos, topos, and ethos developed by Klastrup and Tosca. Klastrup and Tosca note that they specifically exclude events from the mythos of a storyworld (Klastrup & Tosca, 2011). This makes it logical to include events immediately below the storyworld in the hierarchy of elements, as Ryan has done.
Establishing the storyworld as the highest order category within the narrative design domain provides the foundation for a coherent structure with ample opportunity for expansion across the lower level concepts.
Concept map of the elements that comprise a storyworld (see handout):
- Storyworld: A storyworld is the structure within which all of the concepts, objects, entities, and relationships needed to construct a narrative exist. Properties of or elements contained within the storyworld are:
- Temporal Dimension: A temporal dimension is an inherent property of a storyworld and by extension is part of the existents, events, settings, and stories that are contained within that storyworld. This temporal dimension is called “storyworld time”.
- Genre: The genre for a storyworld defines the stylistic conventions for characters, roles, settings, events, and values that are used in the storyworld.
- Existents: The existents are either significant objects or characters. (Ryan, Storyworlds Across Media, 2011) Further details on these two concepts are developed in the section on the ontology of existents.
- Events: The events in a storyworld are the result of changes in the state of elements within the storyworld. Further details on events are developed in the section on the ontology of events.
- Settings: A storyworld’s settings serve as the backdrop against which a narrative occurs. Further details on settings are developed in the section on the ontology of settings.
- Story: A story emerges from the interrelationship of a storyworld’s existents, events, and settings.
- Show and discuss powerpoints:
by Peter von Stackelberg:
by Robert Pratten:
Henry Jenkins: - http://www.slideshare.net/thealchemists/transmedia-storytelling-7-myths-and-7-principles?related=1
Go over Booker's plots: Which of Booker's plots would your group like to work on? Any ideas?
Students prepare a storyworld bible for their projects.
Rules for a StoryWorld Bible
A successful storyworld bible acts as a kind of ‘rule book’ or ‘user manual’ for writers, directors, interactive designers, graphic designers and for any creative and technical contributor. It describes how and why the world works and gives them an understanding of that world. The bible needs to contain;
- LOCATIONS – the geography as well as the history and timeline of the place (town, city, castle, spaceship, country, world, universe) where the stories are set.
- STORIES – plot ideas and basic story outlines that exist within the storyworld. The timeline may also be expanded here in more detail.
- CHARACTERS – arcs, motivations, backstories, conflicts, profiles.
- THEME(S) – an idea about the underlying truth of the stories to be told, for example the theme could be about the meaning of life or the human condition.
- OVERVIEW – presented as diagrams, flowcharts and maps – visual aids to illustrate the storyworld and to show how it works.
- GAMES – any notes and ideas on what type of games and how they will work within the storyworld and what relevance they have to it.
- VISUALISATION – concept art, maps, GUI layouts, interaction flowcharts, colour palettes etc.
- TECHNICAL SPEC – any technical restrictions that may have an impact on the writing and production stages.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Welcome Back--Introduction to Transmedia
Welcome back SOTA Creative Writing sophomores! I'm very excited about working with you again this year in Craft of Writing where we will explore more in depth the four genres of writing and the writing process.
For starters, though, we are going to use many of the skills you already have and challenge your imagination
with the Transmedia Project!
Activity 1. But first, a little reflection on transmedia storytelling. View video.
Transmedia Storytelling
Essential Question: What is transmedia storytelling?
The term “transmedia storytelling” has been used synonymously with “transmedia narrative”. Henry Jenkins states that “transmedia storytelling represents a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience. Ideally, each medium makes its own unique contribution to the unfolding of the story.”
Working in small groups, students will research and read about transmedia storytelling. They will then create a"storyworld" and develop a transmedia project to be presented to the class.
Each transmedia project should contain a basic narrative expanded and explored with additional multi-generic "texts"and/or entry points across different media platforms which may include an element of interactivity
Activity 2: Go to the following websites and with a partner, develop a definition of transmedia. Do these
"transmedia" experts agree or disagree about what transmedia is?
WHAT IS TRANSMEDIA?
Define the term "transmedia" as it is used by:
Henry Jenkins
(http://henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html)
Christy Dena (http://www.yousuckattransmedia.com/)
and Andrea Phillips
(http://www.deusexmachinatio.com/blog/2013/5/6/wtf-istransmedia-
2013.html).
Activity 3: Brainstorm Examples of Transmedia
With members of your group, brainstorm examples of transmedia
that you have been exposed to. Create a list on chart paper and
share out with the class. Share out to whole class.
Team X (can change name later): Emily, Nasmere, Tamaron, Karina, Sammy, Isabella, Azana
Team Y: Jocelyn, Isiah, Alexis, Kyra, Serita, Ellie, Leilanis
Team W: Liana, Alexander, Carina, Frank, Dan'nae, Thalia, Sara
HANDOUT: Elements of Transmedia Projects
HW: Think about possibilities for your group's transmedia project and roles. Who will write?
Who will create a game? Who will make a video? Who will create a blog? etc.
For starters, though, we are going to use many of the skills you already have and challenge your imagination
with the Transmedia Project!
Activity 1. But first, a little reflection on transmedia storytelling. View video.
Transmedia Storytelling
Essential Question: What is transmedia storytelling?
The term “transmedia storytelling” has been used synonymously with “transmedia narrative”. Henry Jenkins states that “transmedia storytelling represents a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience. Ideally, each medium makes its own unique contribution to the unfolding of the story.”
Working in small groups, students will research and read about transmedia storytelling. They will then create a"storyworld" and develop a transmedia project to be presented to the class.
Each transmedia project should contain a basic narrative expanded and explored with additional multi-generic "texts"and/or entry points across different media platforms which may include an element of interactivity
Activity 2: Go to the following websites and with a partner, develop a definition of transmedia. Do these
"transmedia" experts agree or disagree about what transmedia is?
WHAT IS TRANSMEDIA?
Define the term "transmedia" as it is used by:
Henry Jenkins
(http://henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html)
Christy Dena (http://www.yousuckattransmedia.com/)
and Andrea Phillips
(http://www.deusexmachinatio.com/blog/2013/5/6/wtf-istransmedia-
2013.html).
Activity 3: Brainstorm Examples of Transmedia
With members of your group, brainstorm examples of transmedia
that you have been exposed to. Create a list on chart paper and
share out with the class. Share out to whole class.
Team X (can change name later): Emily, Nasmere, Tamaron, Karina, Sammy, Isabella, Azana
Team Y: Jocelyn, Isiah, Alexis, Kyra, Serita, Ellie, Leilanis
Team W: Liana, Alexander, Carina, Frank, Dan'nae, Thalia, Sara
HANDOUT: Elements of Transmedia Projects
HW: Think about possibilities for your group's transmedia project and roles. Who will write?
Who will create a game? Who will make a video? Who will create a blog? etc.
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