Final English Requirements for Fall Semester:

What must be posted to the Portfolio and when:

1.  Draft #3 of your Sudden Fiction piece with a small reflection is due Sunday, 12/9 by 8pm.

2.  The Final Draft of your Sudden Fiction Piece is due posted to your Portfolio by Wednesday, 12/12 at 8pm.

3.  Your Final Reflection Piece is due posted to your Portfolio by Wednesday, 12/12 at 8pm.


Due Printed and handed to me:

1.  Your Final Draft of your Sudden Fiction Piece (single-spaced, with your name and the title of your piece) and due to me on the day of your Midterm.

2.  Your Final Reflection Piece (3-4 pages, double spaced, typed.  Please make sure that when you use quotes from the readings to give credit to the authors and their essays!).  This paper is due to me on the day of your Midterm.

***The midterm will be administered 12/11 and 12/12 at normal class times.  Please be on time, or even a few minutes early so that you have enough time.***

Notes on the Reflection Piece:

This piece is meant to be your own philosophy on writing.  You have spent the semester reading the personal essays of credible, published authors and what works for them with the writing process.  Now, I expect for each of you to think about what has worked for you and what hasn't.  Do you agree or disagree with the authors of the essays that I had you read?  Why?  What is your own personal philosophy on fiction writing?  What do you still need to work on next semester?  ect...
This piece should be 3-4 pages, double spaced and should be filled with insight about what you have thought about as you write fiction.  I fully expect for you to write "I" in your papers....this is a personal essay.  I also expect that you include quotes from the essays that I had you to read to back up and support your own viewpoints.  (Remember to give credit to the quotes!).

Homework due 12/3-12/7

Due Posted to your Portfolio by 12/2 at 8pm:

1.  Draft #2 of your Sudden Fiction Piece and a small reflection.
The reflection should be generated from the feedback that you received during workshop and also what you plan on working on yourself.
You should basically finish the following thought (in 6-8 clear sentences):
"Based on the feedback in workshop, I now plan to...."

2. Journal #9 (Character created from Personal Place):
Every class created a different bedroom.  Based on the items found within the bedroom, I would like for you to create a believable character.  Please DO NOT list the items in the bedroom, or have the person be in the bedroom.  Take them out in the world....have them interact with a family member, be involved in a relationship, take them to work and have them get involved in a conflict.  The items are merely there to guide you to create the person.

Homework:

First Half of the Week:

1.  Bring in Draft #3 of your Sudden Fiction Piece.  It MUST BE TYPED and PRINTED!  It also MUST HAVE A TITLE!  Also, please LEAVE YOUR NAME OFF!
In class, we will sit in a circle and pass the stories around.  We will all provide grammatical corrections and ask any further questions of the author and provide last minute feedback.

Second Half of the Week:

2.  Create study guide questions.  We will have a study session based off of the study guide that I sent to you.  The questions should come from the following categories and you should create 5 Questions per category, resulting in 20 questions:
"Stories we have read: Techniques and Themes found within them."
"Write your own:  Try your hand at writing your own techniques."
"Techniques and their definitions."
"Character wants and desires, based on all short stories."

Important Due Dates!!!

Reflection Paper (3-4 pages, double-spaced and typed:  based on your own philosophy of writing and your reactions to the essays on Writing that I gave to you at the beginning of the semester).  Due the day of the Midterm.

Final Draft of Sudden Fiction (2 pages maximum, single spaced, typed):  Title, name on top.  Due the day of the Midterm.

Midterm will be administered 12/11 and 12/12.

Homework due 11/26-11/30

Portfolio:  Post Draft #1 of your Sudden Fiction Piece to your Portfolio by Sunday night (11/25) at 8pm.
Underneath your draft, I want to see a small reflection (1 paragraph), which completes the following sentences:
1.  During workshop, I received feedback that I should work on....
2.  I have personally decided that I am going to work on....

Homework:

Due 11/26-11/28:

Bring in Draft #2 of your Sudden Fiction piece.  I expect this to be a finished draft and it should show signs that you have edited and strengthened your work.

Due 11/28-11/30:

Read Chapter 5 from the Fiction Writing Textbook.  Take really great notes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Homework due 11/12-11/16

***You will have a vocabulary exam the 2nd half of next week.  Make sure to review your words, know their definitions and know how to use them properly in sentences. ***

***Read all of Chapter 4 for the beginning of next week, including the three short stories.***

***Since the group quiz went so beautifully this past week, I have decided that you will have another group quiz on Chapter 4.  The first part will be closed book (techniques), the second part will be open book (stories).  Read well and get ready to participate.  The conversation in all of the groups this past week was phenomenal and I expect for that to continue next week.***

Here are some guiding questions for the stories:

Read the short story, “A Visit of Charity” on pages 154-157 and answer the following questions:

1. Are there any conflicts between methods of presentation represented in the characters in this story? Where and how do the conflicts help create the tension of the story?

2. How is the indirect method of presentation represented in this story?

3. What is Marian's purpose?

4. Are there any complex characters in this story? If so, how do they change from beginning to end?

Read “Bullet in the Brain” on pages 158-161 and answer the following questions:

1. How is Anders directly characterized? Give examples. How is he indirectly characterized? Give examples.

2. Find examples of Summarized dialogue. List as many as you can find.

3. What is the purpose of the flat characters in this story?

Read "Tandolfo the Great" on pages 161-169 and answer the following questions:

1. Why is this story located in Chapter 4? What techniques are used?

2. How do you feel about Tandolfo? Do you like him? Why or why not?

3. How is Tandolfo a complex character?

Reminders:

Start your Final Reflection Paper.  Look back at your syllabus for my class to look for the guidelines.

Your first draft of your Sudden Fiction Final Piece will be due 11/19-11/21.