Goal for the day: To reflect on what approaches to invention are the most productive for each of you.
So, I've spent the last week giving you prompts to help you generate ideas for writing. Some might have spurred lots of ideas; others not so much. We spent the first part of class writing about and discussing which of the activities were most helpful to each person and what
ideas you had to start writing (everyone had one, which is great).
We then played a word association game around the circle as a way into talking about how writers need to separate their imaginative minds from their critical minds, which can often inhibit writing that is risky, experimental, and compelling. The critical mind is important for revision, but we have to give our imagination space to roam.
I also spoke about "truth" in creative writing as being about creating something so subjective that we accept it as genuine human experience. This is different than something based on facts. In fact, "truth" in creative writing if full of bias. To create subjective truth you have to write about issues, ideas, and images that are deeply personal to you.
We ended class by returning to the first and last version of Stephen Dunning's story "Wanting to Fly." We shared what was compelling in each version and traced a connection between the two.
Assignment for Tuesday, September 2nd
I passed out copies of a short non-fiction piece called "The Barn and the Bees" by Kim Stafford (son of famous poet William Stafford). Read this for Tuesday.
I also passed out an assignment for our first formal assignment. A 300 to 750 word creative essay on a memorable moment in your. This will be due next Friday and will be the first of several drafts.
So, I've spent the last week giving you prompts to help you generate ideas for writing. Some might have spurred lots of ideas; others not so much. We spent the first part of class writing about and discussing which of the activities were most helpful to each person and what
ideas you had to start writing (everyone had one, which is great).
We then played a word association game around the circle as a way into talking about how writers need to separate their imaginative minds from their critical minds, which can often inhibit writing that is risky, experimental, and compelling. The critical mind is important for revision, but we have to give our imagination space to roam.
I also spoke about "truth" in creative writing as being about creating something so subjective that we accept it as genuine human experience. This is different than something based on facts. In fact, "truth" in creative writing if full of bias. To create subjective truth you have to write about issues, ideas, and images that are deeply personal to you.
We ended class by returning to the first and last version of Stephen Dunning's story "Wanting to Fly." We shared what was compelling in each version and traced a connection between the two.
Assignment for Tuesday, September 2nd
I passed out copies of a short non-fiction piece called "The Barn and the Bees" by Kim Stafford (son of famous poet William Stafford). Read this for Tuesday.
I also passed out an assignment for our first formal assignment. A 300 to 750 word creative essay on a memorable moment in your. This will be due next Friday and will be the first of several drafts.