Showing posts with label Project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Project. Show all posts
Friday, November 24, 2017
"His First Drug"
"Reading, his therapist had suggested, had likely been his first drug."
--William Gibson, Zero History
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Arch Rock: Anticipation
I want to kayak that arch. Maybe Saturday.
This morning, I didn't even know the arch was there and couldn't see it because of the fog. Here's the afternoon prospect; I took the shot on my way home after a solid workout on the river.
Blind Beach Shots
10 a.m. Blind Beach, Goat Rock State Park, Sonoma County, California.
It was foggy enough that I decided to kayak the Russian River instead of the ocean. I could see that I had a fair entry point here at Blind Beach, but I couldn't see what all I'd be kayaking out and about to see.
Imagine my surprise when I returned at 2:30 p.m. to Blind Beach: sunshine and a fine prospect.
Maybe Saturday I'll return to this spot and head out to Arch Rock. That's the plan at present.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Quick Fiction: An Overview and An Invitation
Quick Fiction in 100-150 Words: A Project for Your Classes, A Project for Yourself?
I often use creative writing projects in my classes, especially English 1B, because I've found that most people read differently, read more effectively, if they think of themselves as--you guessed it, how obvious--as writers. I've found that creative writing assignments tap into a special self-vision of being a writer for my students--and for myself, frankly--that expository writing assignments just don't quite reach in the same way. English 1B, with the emphasis on literature and critical thinking, is a key place to tap into personal creativity for the most obvious relevance to the work of the course.Short-short stories, Fast-Reads, Quick Fiction--whatever the label, this is the genre I've found most effective with my students.
We read a collection from a "Fast Read" contest in The Monterey Weekly from a few years ago (that I chanced upon while on a dive trip); the Fast-Reads call for stories in "101 words or less." We discuss and analyze those stories, and then we write some of our own. I request two short-short stories, 100-150 words in length, from every student. One of those stories is presented anonymously to the class. Together, we read, discuss, and analyze the class stories. We don't hold a contest for best of set, but we do look for good titles, good opening lines, good moves, good striking descriptions, characters, plots, and so forth: the standard right words in the right places. I emphasize looking for the good stuff in any and every piece to create a crucial supportive environment and to curtail easy criticism and cynicism. Why not look for what works well, first, in any and every piece of writing? I also write short-short stories and contribute my own, anonymously, with the rest of the class. Why not?
And why not share short-short stories as fellow members of our department, or as fellow members of the blog-universe?
I originally posted a version of this entry on "Clean Thine Ears," the CCSF English Department's blog-site. I wanted to place it here also for clarity and for the invitation: Share your stories!
I often use creative writing projects in my classes, especially English 1B, because I've found that most people read differently, read more effectively, if they think of themselves as--you guessed it, how obvious--as writers. I've found that creative writing assignments tap into a special self-vision of being a writer for my students--and for myself, frankly--that expository writing assignments just don't quite reach in the same way. English 1B, with the emphasis on literature and critical thinking, is a key place to tap into personal creativity for the most obvious relevance to the work of the course.Short-short stories, Fast-Reads, Quick Fiction--whatever the label, this is the genre I've found most effective with my students.
We read a collection from a "Fast Read" contest in The Monterey Weekly from a few years ago (that I chanced upon while on a dive trip); the Fast-Reads call for stories in "101 words or less." We discuss and analyze those stories, and then we write some of our own. I request two short-short stories, 100-150 words in length, from every student. One of those stories is presented anonymously to the class. Together, we read, discuss, and analyze the class stories. We don't hold a contest for best of set, but we do look for good titles, good opening lines, good moves, good striking descriptions, characters, plots, and so forth: the standard right words in the right places. I emphasize looking for the good stuff in any and every piece to create a crucial supportive environment and to curtail easy criticism and cynicism. Why not look for what works well, first, in any and every piece of writing? I also write short-short stories and contribute my own, anonymously, with the rest of the class. Why not?
And why not share short-short stories as fellow members of our department, or as fellow members of the blog-universe?
I originally posted a version of this entry on "Clean Thine Ears," the CCSF English Department's blog-site. I wanted to place it here also for clarity and for the invitation: Share your stories!
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