Thursday, November 15, 2012

November 16- Short Stories

Voice


















I woke up early today and came to class. 
It's Friday. That means I have Basic Writing. There are lots of difficult assignments. We spend a lot of time writing and brainstorming in class. I guess we are going to work on short stories today.






Notation
Litotes
Surprises
Retrograde
Prognostication
Precision
Narrative



Functional Outline for a Short Story
Characters: 
List each of the main characters: 

What kinds of people are they? 

What important details do we learn about each character? 



Setting:
Where does this take place? What various settings do we read about?


What details do we learn about the various settings? 


What feeling do you get from the settings of the story?  Why? 



Conflict: 
What is the major conflict? 


Why is this conflict important to the characters in the story?  What motivates the main character?


How is the conflict resolved? 


Structure: 
“The Cask of Amontillado” has several distinct sections. 
Introducing characters
Setting One:  “At the carnival / on the street”
Setting Two:  “Staircase to the tombs under the palace”
Setting Three:  “Small Room / tomb”
Resolution / Evaluation


- Developing a Character

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Blog Assignment for November 15 and Homework for November 16

I posted the assignments below, but just in case, I have pasted the assignment here as well.


* Blog HW:  Please upload your short story by Thursday, November 15th at 12:00 noon.  You can use either of the two clips we watched in class, or you can try writing about a personal experience.  Be sure that you write the story from a third person omniscent perspective. At means you should include the perspectives (thoughts, feelings, perceptions) of two to three people from the clip. We will talk about these in more detail next week. 

HW #2: Find a short story (written in English) that you really like. You can find a number of great examples at this website. Please choose one story, print it out, and bring it to class next week, November, 16

Thursday, November 8, 2012

November 9: Intro to Short Stories










Writing for precision and accuracy

          - Describe the picture in one paragraph
          - Swap descriptions
          - Try to draw the picture that your partner described
          - Write down any expressions that you would need to learn in order to describe this picture







First person: (includes the thoughts and perspective of one main character, who's telling his/her own story)
As I walked up the hill, I realized that the atmosphere was just too quiet. There was no sound from the cardinal who was nearly always singing from the top of the maple tree. I thought I saw a shadow move high up on the slope, but when I looked again it was gone. Still, I shuddered as I felt a silent threat pass over me like a cloud over the sun.


Third person selective singular: (includes the thoughts and perspective of one main character)
As she walked up the hill, she realized that the atmosphere was just too quiet. There was no sound from the cardinal who she so often heard singing from the top of the maple tree. She thought she saw a shadow move high up on the slope, but when she looked again it was gone. Nevertheless, she shuddered as she felt a silent threat pass over her. It felt like a cloud creeping over the sun.



Third person omniscient: (all-knowing; can include thoughts and perspective of all characters)
As the girl walked up the hill, she realized that the atmosphere was just too quiet. 
The cardinal tipped his head back and drew breath to sing, but just as the first note passed his beak he heard the crack of a dead branch far below his perch high in the maple tree. Startled, he looked down, cocking his head to one side and watching with great interest while the man rattled the blades of grass as he tried to hide himself behind the tree.
As the man saw her start up the hill, he moved quickly into the shelter of the huge old maple tree. If she saw him now, everything would be ruined.
She thought she saw a shadow move high up on the slope, but when she looked again it was gone.
The man thought if he could stay hidden until she came within range, she'd have to talk to him. Wouldn't she?
The girl shuddered as she felt a silent threat pass over her. It felt like a cloud creeping over the sun.


























* Blog HW:  Please upload your short story to by Thursday, November 15th at 12:00 noon.  You can use either of the two clips above, or you can try writing about a personal experience.  Be sure that you write the story from a third person omniscent perspective. At means you should include the perspectives (thoughts, feelings, perceptions) of two to three people from the clip. We will talk about these in more detail next week. 

HW #2: Find a short story (written in English) that you really like. You can find a number of great examples at this website. Please choose one story, print it out, and bring it to class next week, November, 16

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Blog Assignment Due Nov 8

Just a reminder...
Please post reflections on your reporting assignments to your blog by 12:00 noon on Thursday November 8th.  You can either write a paragraph or two or make a list of possible problems with your news reports.  You should use the papers that we filled out during class last week (the "reporting reflections" and "peer editing" forms) and explain what you believe you will have to change when you write your final draft for the writing portfolio. 

Also, anyone who did not turn in your functional outline, outline, and reporting rough draft last week, please do so by our next class (Nobember 9) for partial credit. 

Feel free to e-mail me with any questions. 

Have a great week

P.S.  According to the vote we took in class last week, more people want to write "short stories" for genre three! 

Thursday, November 1, 2012

November 2

- Vote on Genre Three: 



Concise writing warm-up:

1)  In terms of the size of its land, Canada is the second-largest country in the world.




2)  As anyone can see, most people have been affected by television in such a way that their appreciation of live theater has obviously become less and less. 

Television made most people to appreciate live theater less.

As most people have been affected by television their appreciation of live theater has obviously become less.
People's appreciation of live theater reduces due to tv. 

TV reduced most people's appreciation of live theater. 

not yet

Most people are affected by tv in a way that their appreciation of live theater has become less.

TV made live theater less popular. 





3)  It has been shown that the length of the common cold can be reduced by giving the person with the cold doses of zinc glutonate in the form of lozenges.




4)  In the time in which we live, people just can hardly be independed any longer.  Look what is happening to them in the field of education.  They cannot think for themselves.  This is also true in other areas of life. 

Today in many areas of live it is hard to be independent.  For example, students cannot think for themselves. 

People are interdependent in many areas of life including the education field. 

Now people are dependent. 

Nowadays people are not independent enough to think for themselves. 

People are dependent.  Not only can they not think for themselves but also true in life (?). 

These days people cannot live alone. 

People are less independent these days. 

Today people cannot be independent.  In education students can't think for themselves. 





5)  Food, shelter, and fire will be needed by everyone on the island.  Therefore, I will search over and over the island until I find the materials that are needed to build or make these three necessary items. 





- Peer editing





Writing practice for precision and detail











Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Reminder

Just a reminder.  There is no blog assignment due this week (November 1st).  Use the time to work on your rough draft and your outlines (both due in class on November 2nd - see the post below). 
Have a great week....

Thursday, October 25, 2012

October 26: Concise Writing

Description and Explanation



Description >  His shoes slid across the floor as he strutted into the classroom. 



Explanation >  The teacher entered.  /  The teacher looked arrogant as he entered. 





10 phrases that are often unnecessary or redundant: 




All things considered


As a matter of fact


At the present time


Due to the fact that


For the purpose of / In order to


In his opinion


In the case of


In the process of


The point he is trying to make


What I mean to say is



-------------------------------------------

Some redundant sentences:  Please rewrite these sentences as concisely as possible

1. At this point in time we can't ascertain the reason as to why the screen door was left open.


2. My sister, who is employed as a nutritionist at the University of Michigan, recommends the daily intake of megadoses of Vitamin C

3. Basically, in light of the fact that Congressman Fuenches was totally exhausted by his last campaign, there was an expectation on the part of the voters that he would not reduplicate his effort to achieve office in government again


4. It is to be hoped that we discover a means to create an absolutely proper and fitting tribute to Professor Espinoza.


5. There is a desire on the part of many of us to maintain a spring recess for the purpose of getting away from the demands of our studies.


6. Joe was an honest and hard working man. Basically, he never gave much consideration to sitting idly about, doing nothing constructive.


7. What is your basic understanding of predestination?



8. At what point in time will a downturn in the stock market have a really serious effect on the social life of people as a whole?


9. I would call your attention to the fact that our President, who was formerly the Governor of Arkansas, is basically a Southerner.


10. Bothered by allergies, a condition that made them sneeze, some of the preschool children had sinus troubles that caused them to miss several days in nursery school this spring.


---------------------------------------------------

Some concise introductions to news reports




'Gangnam Style' means business
By Kim Tong-hyung

The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) is holding a conference today at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul on the prospects of Korea’s cultural and entertainment industries and their future place in the national economy.

The event, also backed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KCCA), aims to provide a platform for showbiz representatives, policymakers, financial industry people and scholars to share their ideas on finding the right models for supporting and financing Korea’s pop-cultural exports.




'Dokdo School' to be launched in March
By Yi Whan-woo

The Independence Hall of Korea said Wednesday it will begin an educational program called “Dokdo School” next year after Korea’s easternmost islets that are the subject of a territorial dispute with Japan.

The memorial center, located in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, said the program will be launched on March 1, a national holiday to commemorate Korean resistance to Japanese colonial rule in 1919.

“The purpose of the school is to raise awareness of the sovereignty dispute between the two countries over Dokdo, and to educate people as to why the rocky islets belong to Korea,” said Kim Nung-jin, the president of the Independence Hall.