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Goal for the day: To unpack the idea of inspiration in creative writing
So, we are opening up our invention and inspiration discussion today by approaching it in three different ways.
1. Write fifty things that are true about you?
· Don’t over think this. Start with the most basic “I have brown hair.” Keep pushing yourself, keep listing, and see what rises to the surface.
· Circle the three things that are most true
· Put a check by the things that are most intriguing
· “intrigue” – has a mysterious or fascinating quality, piques curiosity
· Is there any connection between the two
2. Now go back to the powerwrite from yesterday and circle what piece of your writing is the most worthwhile in terms of starting a new project.
3. Diagram your writing process - You are going to start a collage/drawing/diagram/flow chart of your own writing process as you understand it. This might be the first time you’ve really thought about this. That’s okay. It might be best to write a quick paragraph to help reflect on what happens when you write. Or you can work it out on the page. We’re getting these started and will come back to these next week, probably on Monday to discuss.
4. Discussion of the Dunning piece “Wanting to Fly”
- How does this final version strike you? Where is the magic?
- Connection between this magic and the original dream version, the raw stuff the author got down in his initial draft.
- Can we see intermediate steps?
Note: There’s some terrible stuff in the middle version. Terrible to read but maybe not terrible for the story. We’ll come back to this story later in the semester to talk about this and the choices the author made in getting to the final version.
5. Logistics and announcements
· Questions about the syllabus?
· I’m moving the blog for the class to link to “Creative Writing.” Right now the landing page is blank, and I want to change that.
· You should save what you write in a binder. This will become your portfolio that you will turn in at the halfway point of the semester.
Assignment for the weekend
· Pick one of the intriguing things that is true about you from your list, write a paragraph about why this intrigues you; write a draft of a poem to explore this thing; write another paragraph about what you discovered.
· Refine your diagram of the writing process. Bring it in on Monday to put up on the wall and share
So, we are opening up our invention and inspiration discussion today by approaching it in three different ways.
1. Write fifty things that are true about you?
· Don’t over think this. Start with the most basic “I have brown hair.” Keep pushing yourself, keep listing, and see what rises to the surface.
· Circle the three things that are most true
· Put a check by the things that are most intriguing
· “intrigue” – has a mysterious or fascinating quality, piques curiosity
· Is there any connection between the two
2. Now go back to the powerwrite from yesterday and circle what piece of your writing is the most worthwhile in terms of starting a new project.
3. Diagram your writing process - You are going to start a collage/drawing/diagram/flow chart of your own writing process as you understand it. This might be the first time you’ve really thought about this. That’s okay. It might be best to write a quick paragraph to help reflect on what happens when you write. Or you can work it out on the page. We’re getting these started and will come back to these next week, probably on Monday to discuss.
4. Discussion of the Dunning piece “Wanting to Fly”
- How does this final version strike you? Where is the magic?
- Connection between this magic and the original dream version, the raw stuff the author got down in his initial draft.
- Can we see intermediate steps?
Note: There’s some terrible stuff in the middle version. Terrible to read but maybe not terrible for the story. We’ll come back to this story later in the semester to talk about this and the choices the author made in getting to the final version.
5. Logistics and announcements
· Questions about the syllabus?
· I’m moving the blog for the class to link to “Creative Writing.” Right now the landing page is blank, and I want to change that.
· You should save what you write in a binder. This will become your portfolio that you will turn in at the halfway point of the semester.
Assignment for the weekend
· Pick one of the intriguing things that is true about you from your list, write a paragraph about why this intrigues you; write a draft of a poem to explore this thing; write another paragraph about what you discovered.
· Refine your diagram of the writing process. Bring it in on Monday to put up on the wall and share