5.29.2009

Literary Terms—Exam Prep

Read the definitions carefully and find examples in the story of each term.

1) The SETTING is the time and place of a story. What is the time and place of the story?

2) A THEME is the general meaning or message in a piece of writing. Themes can be things like forbidden love, family relationships, growing up/coming of age, finding one’s identity, etc. What do you think the themes are in this story?

3) PLOT is the story line in a piece of writing. What is the general story line or plot of the story? Write a summary of the plot. Use the plot line chart to describe the general story line.

4) SYMBOLS are when one thing (like a heart) stands for something greater or more abstract (like love). Other examples are books symbolizing knowledge or doves symbolizing peace. What are some symbols in this story?

5) The PROTAGONIST is the hero or heroine in the story and the ANTAGONIST is the enemy or the villain. Who is the protagonist? Who is the antagonist in this story?

6) The TONE of the story is the attitude on the part of a character, narrator or author, usually via word choice and acts as the “voice” of the story. Is the attitude formal, informal, businesslike, explanatory, descriptive, demanding, conversational, sarcastic, witty, or something else?

7) MOOD is the feeling or atmosphere in a story. Is the mood romantic, dark, scary, serious, joyful, light-hearted, mysterious, humorous, or something else?

8) FORESHADOWING is a hint or clue to something that comes later in the story. Usually it is something suspenseful or challenging. Give one example of foreshadowing in the story.

9) DICTION is the style of language or words in the story. Is it formal English or everyday English? Is there slang or use of another language? Is it easy to understand or full of difficult words?

10) The CLIMAX of the story is the highest point of action before the action begins to dip down. What is the climax of the story?

11) The RESOLUTION is the final point of the story where the conflict is resolved or the story is concluded (ended). What happens at the end of the story? Are any problems solved? Does it end happily?

5.13.2009

Screenplay Outline due by end of period!!

Screenplay Outline (based on a short story, play or a new direction!!!)

Names:_______________________________________

Topic___________________________________Genre_________________
Theme_______________________________________________________
Working Title__________________________________________________

Screenplay Outline (Subject to change as you begin writing the play.)

Setting (time and place)

List the Major Characters & Give Descriptions


What is happening (general plot idea) in this screenplay?


What is the major struggle, conflict, or problem?

What is the main theme? What are you trying to convey to the audience?

What will be the climax or turning point of this screenplay?

How might this screenplay end?

5.11.2009

Response to Movie Scripts and Screenwriting style: Due Wednesday May 13th

Response to Movie Scripts: see Mrs. Crutchfield's blog for details.

Screenwriting style: Get hardcopy from me, link to Interview with a Vampire can be found on Mrs. Crutchfield's blog.

4.29.2009

Play Outline (5 points)

Names:_______________________________________


Topic___________________________________Genre_________________
Theme_______________________________________________________
Working Title__________________________________________________

Play Outline (Subject to change as you begin writing the play.)

Setting (time and place)

2 Characters & Descriptions
(Limit your number of characters!) 1.
2.
3.
4.
What is happening (general plot idea) in this play? All action should be written with the stage and live performance in mind.

What is the major struggle, conflict, or problem?

What will be the climax or turning point of this play?

How might this play end?

Scene Ideas
Act 1

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Journal—Renew/Review Your Idea Bank (about a page) 5 points

Write down your interests or passions.
Write down your favorite genres (sci-fi, adventure, romance, comedy, drama, mystery, etc.)
Write down social issues that concern you.
Write down political issues that concern you.
Write down issues with friends (including boyfriends or girlfriends) or family.
Write down moments, times or experiences in history that interest you.
Write about stories you wrote that could be turned into a short play.

4.27.2009

Reading Stage Plays

Part I—Journal

Journal—Write down 10 Things that really interest you (ie: listening to your ipod). Then write down how each interest could be turned into a conflict or dilemma for a stage play (not a movie!). Make sure you do this for each interest no matter how challenging.

Part II-Reading Stage Plays

Read 3 Ten Minute Plays—You may choose from any of the websites below. Try to find plays that interest you as models for your own writing.

http://www.hitplays.com/default.aspx?pg=sl&stc=TMP&cl=Ten+Minute+Plays (the Previews show the entire script)

http://theatrehistory.com/plays/10minute.html

http://www.10-minute-plays.com/

http://www.geocities.com/pocolocoplayers/free.html

For each play you read write down the answers to these questions. You will have 3 sets of answers.
1. What is the setting?
2. What is the theme?
3. What is the mood?
4. Describe an important character.
5. What is the plot?
6. What is the major conflict?
7. How does it end or resolve?

Note: You will need to download Celtx onto your home computer soon—a free, good program to help you format your stageplay and screenplay.
http://www.celtx.com/

4.23.2009

Final Project Screen Play : Due May 29th

The Screenplay Project—Due on Friday, May 29th
(100 points)
Important Note: The finished, typed screenplay must be ready to turn in when class starts on Friday or you lose 20 points off the top!
One day late (or more) is ½ credit.

1) Work individually or with a partner.

2) The final script will be 15-20 pages typed. Don’t panic! There is a lot of white space in a script. Your script must follow the screenplay style and format as seen in other screenplays and from screenwriting assignments: Single spaced with double spacing between character speaking parts. Use the downloadable CELTX screenwriting program to help guide you.

3) The final screenplay must be original writing—you may extend your play or adapt one of your short stories.

4) Do not plagiarize from another movie or TV show. Please keep your screenplays appropriate. No racism, sexism, homophobia, illegal drug references, extreme violence or explicit sexual scenes.

5) Your screenplay should have a beginning, middle, and end. You must have authentic sounding dialogue, strong, believable characters, a good storyline, conflict, and a resolution or some type of ending for the script.

6) Some class time will be dedicated to the screenplay writing and outlining, but plan on writing the bulk of the screenplay on your own time.

7) When planning your screenplay, make sure you consider a setting, characters, plot and resolution that are different or alternative to the usual Hollywood movies.

8) A 15 page screenplay is about a 15 minute movie since each page roughly equals one minute of movie time.

9) You may also write an original TV show episode or a musical screenplay.

One Act Play: Due Monday May 4th

You will write a One Act 5+ page stage play with a partner or individually. This
} This will be written for high school students to possibly perform at school. Keep it appropriate or no credit.
} Five pages=Five minutes because of the way the play is formatted. Use Celtx—a free download to help you format your stage play and screenplay. See my blog for download information. http://celtx.com/download.html


Elements of Your Play/Rubric (60 pts)
} ___(10 pt.) Well-written, revised & edited. Professional quality. Appropriate for high school performance.
} ___(10 pt.) Written for the stage/live performance—no special effects or complicated movie effects. Includes props and stage direction. Setting is clear and fits the play.
} ___(5 pt.) Hook—Gets right into the action. Grabs your audience’s attention.
} ___(10 pt.) Believable characters with authentic dialogue that flows well.
} ___(10 pt.) One dilemma/conflict that is climatic.
} ___(5 pt.) Has resolution or satisfactory ending.
} ___(10 pts) In play format. Use Celtx.
} The character list is not included in the 5 pages!
Sample Structure of the One Act Play
Act 1
} Setting
} Scene 1—hook the audience, establish mood, characters and conflict, rising action (beginning)
} Scene 2—climax and maybe falling action (middle)
} Scene 3—falling action and resolution (end)
You will have anywhere from 1-3 scenes for a 5+ page play. Don’t make the scenes too short because it is difficult to get actors on and off the stage quickly.

4.02.2009

The Art of Dialogue Short Story: Due Wednesday April 8th

Outline a fictional scene that includes two characters, a setting, and a conflict. You may choose to use any examples from the graphic organizer or come up with new a setting, new characters, and a new conflict.

Give a brief summary of what is happening and make sure the conflict is clearly stated.

Then rewrite the scene using mainly dialogue. Use the dialogue between the two characters to create emotion, mood, and conflict. Do not explicitly reveal what the conflict is. Use a narrator to describe the setting and the actions of the characters but nothing else.

Your Story should be AT LEAST 2 pages in length.
Please use quotation marks.

Remember, using slang and vernacular makes dialogue sound real and can add to the conflict, mood, and emotion of the story.

Use “Hills Like White Elephants” as your reference.

 

3.31.2009

Writing What Others Say: Due Friday April 3rd

Go to 5 different places.
Write down bits of conversations you hear.
Don't be obvious!
Use quotation marks. Should be AT LEAST 1-2 pages.

Example:

"I'm Tired."
"So am I."
"How much longer do we have of this class"
"Five minutes till 11:58."
"That's chill."
"Yeah."
"What are you doing this weekend."
"Raging."

Taken from a conversation between two juniors in the library.

3.30.2009

Slang Reflection: Due Friday April 3rd

After watching the video clips and discussing the duality between language and stereotyping, write a one page reflection on how you perceive yourself in regards to the language you use. Address the following questions:

-Are you aware of the amount of slang you use in a day?
-Do you speak differently to your teachers than your friends? Why do you think you do this?
-Are you in control of how you communicate or are you a product of your environment?

video clips:
Surfer:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5j4McFzies&feature=related
“Like”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww_weYtmtwA&feature=related
AX or ASK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_KKLkmIrDk&feature=related
Obama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otA7tjinFX4

3.16.2009

Short Story Reflection Due: Friday March 20th with Short Story Project

Please answer each question and attach to your Short Story Project:

Short Story Reflection:

1.What is the central theme of your story?

2.What are you trying to convey to the reader about your theme?

3.Why did you choose to write about your specific theme?

4.What have you learned about your writing process during the short story project?

5.What part of creating the story came easy for you?

6.What aspects of the story were difficult for you?

7.How did workshopping help your creative writing process?

8.What do you feel confident about in your creative writing?

3.09.2009

Short Story Rough Draft: Due Wednesday March 11th

Please bring a completed rough draft of your short story project to class on Wednesday to workshop and get feedback on. If you are not done please have at least 3 pages written and an outline for the rest of the story. If you are not sure how to end your story then write out 3 possible endings for your story to get feedback on from your group. PLEASE BRING 2 COPIES TO CLASS I WILL BE COLLECTING YOUR SHORT STORY TO LOOK AT AND GIVE DETAILED FEEDBACK ON.

3.02.2009

Writing Memoirs: School Stories Due: Wednesday March 4th

Begin to write about specific memories and oocurences from your past school experiences.
Focus on a brief period of time or series of related events. Describe the events and then show, either directly or indirectly, why they are significant
-- or in short, why you continue to remember them.
Ideas to get you started:
-first day of school
-moving to a new school
-teacher interaction (worst/best)
-school bully
-school crush
-not feeling accpeted
-not feeling smart
-trying to fit in
-peer pressure

2.26.2009

Short Story Project Due & Presented on-March 20th

(Written part should be typed, 12 pt. font, double spaced, AT LEAST 5 pages, & publication quality. Any artwork should be professional and good quality.

You will be presenting these to class (you may also turn your project into a PowerPoint).

Project Ideas:

* Graphic Novel/Story (5+ written double spaced pages total & graphics--will be quite a bit longer with illustrations)

* Comic Book (5+ written double space pages total & graphics--will be longer with illustrations)

* 1-3 Short Stories (5+ written double spaced pages). You may also add art/photos/illustrations as extras.

* Children’s Book/Story (5+ written double spaced pages total & illustrations)

* Memoirs –fiction or non-fiction (5+ written double spaced pages). Illustrations/photos are extras.

* Portfolio Pieces--a mix of genres: stories, graphic comic, memoir, etc. (5+written double spaced pages)--you may use any of the stories written in class: fractured fairytales, comics, memoir writings, flash fiction, etc.)

* A Chapter of a Novel or Novella –typed & double spaced--more than 5 pages

See me if you have another idea (stories linked to photographs/art, stories linked with music, digital stories, etc.)!

2.16.2009

The Art of Workshop: Due Wednesday, February 18th

Part 1:
Please bring to class 2 copies of an original piece of writing that you would like feedback on. We will go through the basic structure of the writer's workshop using my own story as an example.

Part 2:
Please read the short story, Before The Wind
You are responsible for:

1.Looking at the overall story, its’ characters, the dialogue, the themes, the settings, the mood, the tone, the imagery, the use of metaphor and simile.

2.Listing all that is working well in the piece. Please be specific. Find at least three examples of elements that are working well and write them down. This can be anything from a specific sentence you like to the overall theme of the piece.

3.Listing the elements of the story that are confusing or unclear. Again, this could be a sentence that seems awkward or a specific section of the piece that doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the story/poem. Please be specific with your feedback and please offer ONLY constructive criticism.

No Country For Old Men Quiz: Tuesday, February 17th

In class quiz in response to the excerpt from Cormac McCarthy's novel, No Country For Old Men.

2.10.2009

Graphic Novel Response: Due Friday, February 13th

Go to Mrs. Crutchfield's blog @ http://crutchfieldsclass.blogspot.com/ and scroll down to the graphic novel and comic assignment. Follow the directions and complete all parts of the assignment.

After reading a graphic novel (or part of a graphic novel) please write a 1-2 page response to these questions:

1. What forms of good and evil were present in the graphic novel?

2. Did the good character represent something bigger then him/herself (freedom, liberty, morality, honesty, etc.)

3. Did the evil character represent something bigger then him/herself (war, racism, ignorance, etc.)

4. What forms of violence were present in the story? Be sure to address all forms, even if you feel the violence was justified.

5. What are the central theme or themes of the story? Remember, the theme is going to be the author's opinion on one of the big ideas of the story, and often the big ideas can be found in the middle of the conflict.

Good and Evil Response: Due Wednesday, February 11th

Watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CggjBd7o-PM&feature=related

and the write a One Page Response addressing each question:

1. What is the video's primary audience? Who are they trying to reach?

2. What is the video's primary message? What are they saying about our culture?

3. What are your own opinions and beliefs on the idea of Good and Evil?

4. What makes someone Good? What makes someone Evil?

1.29.2009

Resolution to the Dilemma Story: Due Tuesday, February 3rd

Now that you have created a dilemma, it is up to you to resolve it. On a separate piece of paper create a resolution to your story. The resolution must be creative, address the what would you do question, be AT LEAST ONE PAGE in length and should, in some way, resolve the conflict. Please be aware that Resolutions do not have to be pretty and sweet, often times the resolution to a story leaves the reader with more questions and concerns. Of course it is up to you to decide how you want your story to end.

You will be graded on:
1.creativity
2.whether you address the "What Would You Do" question
3.The length of your resolution (at least one page)
4.whether you resolve the conflict

1.22.2009

Create your own "Dilemma Story": Due Monday, January 26th

It is now your turn to create your own "Dilemma Story." Your story should be creative, include AT LEAST one conflict (Internal or External), and should end with a "What would you do?" Dilemma. Stories should be AT LEAST one page (if you type your story please double space).

Feel free to use your own life experiences and your notes as a resource in creating the conflict.

Please attach all your in class prompt responses, notes, and your dilemma response to your story.

1.18.2009

A Brief Introduction and Q & A: Due Friday, January 23rd

1. A Brief Introduction:
This assignment is designed for you to have an opportunity to introduce yourself to me through some form of creative, individual expression. My only requirements for this assignment are that you write AT LEAST one paragraph explaining why your creative expression is a valid representation of who you are at this moment in your life and you spend time and effort focusing on the qualities and passions that you would like to share with me.


Options for expression (but not limited to):
-poetry (your own or a poet you admire)
-fiction/non-fiction (your own or an author you admire)
-songs (your own or songwriters/bands you admire)
-visual art (your own or an artist you admire)


If you give me a list of your favorite bands/songs, please include either a CD of the music and/or links to the band's websites/MYSPACE pages.

If you give me a list of your favorite stories/poems/authors please include at least one sample of a story or poem and/or links to the author's websites.

Due to the time limitations and structure of the classroom, often times I am unable to get to know all of the students I am working with as much as I would like. My hope is that this assignment allows for you to express who you are in an unique and authentic way and in doing so, gives me a little insight to who you are and where you are coming from.

2. Q & A:
Please write AT LEAST one question you would like to know about me.


The reason I ask for the questions in writing is that if I feel the question is to personal or inappropriate for the classroom setting I can choose not to answer the question or I may speak to the individual outside of the class and address the question one on one. I will answer all the questions I deem appropriate in the weeks to come.

Response to "The Hunter's Son": Due Wednesday, January 21st

Creatively respond to the story "The Hunter's Son" by writing a one page reflection on your own reaction/interpretation to the story. Please focus on one specific element of the story (the ending, a specific character, an action, a scene, a theme [the power of silence], etc.) and relate it to your own life experience (family, friends, incidents, feelings, beliefs, etc.) Your response should reflect your own ideas and feelings on the story and should in some way relate to your self.

This assignment is designed to help you start thinking about your own "What would you do story" that will be due on Monday, January 26th. We will be spending this week in class focusing, writing, and discussing the elements that go into making a powerful "dilemma" story.