The Daily Grind

Learning to be a writer is a multi-pronged approach. I recommend:

• writing in your journal each day, whether you employ totally free writing, or thematic prompts; 
• engaging in drafted pieces of poems or stories; 
• editing drafts to completion; 
• examining and discussing the work of other writers in the group as well as works by famous writers.

If you are having trouble coming up with ideas, check out this site:
Journal Prompts

And here are some suggested exercises:

Creative Writing Exercises
Writing Prompts
Exercises

Some poems to analyze together: (Note--there is a lot of analysis on these poems online, so don't be afraid to see what others think about them. Do, however, try to look at them on your own before checking out the ideas of others.) 

On Reading Poems to a Senior Class at South High
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
The Red Wheel Barrow
The House on the Hill

And some short fiction:
Hills Like White Elephants
(Suggested group activity: Use this Dream Dictionary to look up symbols.)
A Jury of Her Peers 

And some creative nonfiction:
Living Like Weasels
Notes on Writing Creative Nonfiction

I sent these all to you digitally, but you probably want to print them out so you can write on them. 

Language IS A Virus!

Welcome to our Wednesday evening writing group! I think we had a fabulous first night yesterday and look forward to many more interesting discussions.  I know I gave you lots of stuff to look at, but please feel free to do as much or as little as you feel like doing.

I do challenge you to engage in at least ten minutes of free writing each day. If it helps you to have a topic, choose one of the six that I gave you, but do allow your mind to drift. You never know where it will go.

Consider these words from Chesterton: "There is a road from the eye to heart that does not go through the intellect." And try not to self edit as you go. Just get your thoughts on the page as quickly as they come to you.

Among the pages I printed for you yesterday was one labeled THE CUT-UP POEM.  Click on this link for an explanation of this process: http://www.languageisavirus.com/articles/articles.php?subaction=showcomments&id=1099111044&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&#.Vk3Yxc1bwzY

Language Is A Virus is an interesting website most worthy of your exploration. To go to their home page, click here: http://www.languageisavirus.com/

Another website I love to visit is http://www.dreammoods.com/. This is a website dedicated to dream analysis. I use it, however, more as a dictionary of symbols. After all, isn't that what our dreams are? So when you are looking at literature and come across something you think might be functioning as a symbol (and it most certainly is), look it up here and see how the meaning might impact your reading, and of course, your writing!

So, don't forget you have a short piece by Virginia that we all need to look at before next week.

Don't hesitate to email each other or leave comments on this blog. See you Wednesday.

Creative Writing Workshop

I will be setting up a blog to support our weekly writing workshop. It will contain links to interesting sites, examples of writing, assignments, etc.

It would perhaps be helpful if we utilize the "Comment" section to keep up a running commentary, ranking and rating assignments, progress, etc., and generating new ideas for the group

Please keep in mind that this is a public forum. It is not specific to our group. That will allow us to add other members as needed. Confidential comments may of course be shared by email between members. Or consider this: we may even have the opportunity to talk in person!!!

Taking on a Challenge

Last week, when I was talking to one of my students, Kara, about a writing exercise that starts with, "I remember," and then shifts to "I don't remember," she tweaked the assignment and challenged me to write a poem that began with "I don't remember."  So I wrote a poem.  In its earliest draft, the poem began with the suggested line.  But, as it underwent revision, the beginning moved to the middle and became the crux, or turning point, of the poem.

BETWEEN THE LINES

I like to be the first one asleep

and the second one awake;

I like knowing someone else is in charge

of keeping the clocks ticking.

And I like to prop my door just so,

not quite open,

not quite closed,

as though I will be more likely to know

when the future scurries past

like a rat in search of yesterday’s cheese.

I don’t remember a day when I wasn’t afraid,

when I didn’t wake with a start,

shocked to find myself

still part of this planet,

still breathing yet still,

and I always have to stop myself

from imagining the worst.

If I were a flower, I would be a thorn.

If I were a coin, I would land on my face.

If I were a mirror, I would reflect beauty,

unable to capture it for myself.

If I were a chorus, much loved and often sung,

I would long to be a forgotten verse. 

Creative Writing: Day Three

I.  Free-writing topic:  Think of a friend or relative and then focus on something that always reminds you of them (like their perfume, their sense of style, maybe something they love to do) and then write an entry that centers around that.

II.  Exercise:  Find a photograph that seems to have the main subject stopped in the act of doing something.  Animate the photo in your mind and write a one page story about what is happening to the character you create.  Write it in third person.

III.  Revising and Editing:  Discuss your results with the "I Remember" prompt and the "Hands" exercise.  

IV.  Discuss list poems and the process for creating one.
Characteristics of a list poem:

A list poem can be a list or inventory of items, people, places or ideas.
It often involves repetition.
It can include rhyme or not.
The list poem is usually not a random list.  It is well thought out.
The last entry in the list is usually a strong, funny, or important item or event.

Links to List Poem pages:

Write an Instant List Poem:  http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/listpoem.htm

How to Write a Funny List Poem:  http://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/lessons/how-to-write-a-funny-list-poem/

Some good examples of List Poems: http://www.rcowen.com/PDFs/Franco%20Ch%2020%20for%20web.pdf

V. Discuss number symbolism, and a hint of numerology.

http://mmdelrosario.hubpages.com/hub/numbers
http://www.2012-spiritual-growth-prophecies.com/numerology-meanings.html

VI.  Critique:  "Numbers" poem

http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/008.html 

VII.  Write an instant phone number poem.

http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/phonenumpoem.htm

VIII. Work on covering journal, collecting titles, etc.

IX.  HOMEWORK:  The Cut-up Poem:  http://www.languageisavirus.com/articles/articles.php?subaction=showcomments&id=1099111044&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Be sure to bring a copy of the original poem so we can see what it looked like before you cut it up!

MORE HOMEWORK:  Look at Duotrope and find a possible home for your "I Remember" poem.

MORE HOMEWORK:  Take a look at the two following websites.  "The First Line" and "THEMA."  Both of these magazines give you the first line or theme of your poem or short fiction, etc.  This is a great way to jumpstart your writing when you get blocked.

 

Creative Writing:  Day Two

I.
"Hands" Assignment
Instructions:  Read and execute each prompt in the order it is presented.
1.  Describe a specific person's hands.
2.  Describe something he or she is doing with his or her hands.
3.  Use a metaphor to say something about an exotic place.
4.  Ask this person a question related to step two or three.
5.  The person looks up, notices you there, and gives an answer that shows he or she only got part of what you were asking.
6.  Now spend some time shaping your responses into a poem or short story.  Or, if you prefer, use this as a jumping off point for a free-writing session.

II.  Look back over your journal and highlight parts that intrigue you.

III.  Look back at your exercise, "I Remember."  Turn it into a completed poem. (Try starting with "I Don't Remember."

IV.  Look back at your exercise on "Hands."  Turn it into a completed poem.

V.  Research "How to Write a List Poem

Creative Writing Day One

Items of interest:

Duotrope:  https://duotrope.com/login.aspx  This is a great site for finding places to submit your work.  It also has a database that keeps up with your submissions.

Dictionary of Symbolism:  http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/
Dream Dictionary:  http://www.dreammoods.com/

Amazon.com:  Sometimes we forget how much free stuff is here.  All of the classics are free as Kindle books.  You don't have to have a Kindle, either--just download the Kindle app on your phone or laptop.  Almost every Kindle book offers a free sample consisting of 1-3 chapters.  Also, many books offer previews online.

Language is a Virus: http://www.languageisavirus.com/  Lots of writing games!  Good ways to jump start your brain.

Process:

Today we set up our journals.  You should free-write in your journal every day.  Even if it is only for three minutes.  Always date your work and refer to the rules if you need to.  We also set up a Title page, an envelope in the back of the book, and started collecting interesting bits.

We looked at two poems:  The Two-Headed Calf by Laura Gilpin, and Hazel Tells Laverne by Katharyn Machan Aal.  You can go to these poems by clicking on the titles.  I usually try to find links that offer audio versions of the poem, too.  You also have them in your journal if you want to take notes or annotate them.

Homework:  

• Write in your journal.  Try to do this every day.  Try not to look at past entries for at least a week.  If you absolutely can't help your self, highlight the things that draw your attention.  If you get stuck and can't think of a "topic" for your daily writing, I have provided you with a list of topics below.  These come from "Chat Pack: Fun Questions to Spark Conversation."  Just think of the results as conversations with your self!  
• Topics:  1.  Suppose that instead of having a name, you had a letter, and people would always refer to you as that letter.  Which letter of the alphabet would you want to take the place of your name and why?  2.  If you could have any object or place in the world completely to yourself fo one day, what would you choose and why?  3.  What is one item you own that you should throw away... but probably never will?  4.  If you could open your own retail store, what type of merchandise would you sell?  Describe your store in detail.  5.  What world record would you most want to establish if you could?  6.  Which punctuation mark would best describe your personality? (This gives you a week of topics, so you have no excuse for not writing!)
• Do the listening exercise:  Start by listening to things in your immediate vicinity, then take a deep breath and expand your consciousness so you can hear even further away.  Do this at least three or four times. Then take an even deeper breath and imagine what you could hear if your abilities to listen were unlimited.
• Collect some titles and write them in the back of your journal on the "Title Page."  Be prepared to share a few of these with the group.
• Check out the websites above and set up an account at Duotrope.
• Leave comments on this blog if you want to.

Terms: (If you click on the word, it will take you to Wikipedia for more info.)

Ekphrasis or ecphrasis is the graphic, often dramatic, description of a visual work of art. In ancient times it referred to a description of any thing, person, or experience. The word comes from the Greek ek and phrasis, 'out' and 'speak' respectively, verb ekphrazein, to proclaim or call an inanimate object by name.  (We discussed writing ekphrasis poetry, which is a poem based on a work of art.  The artwork I mentioned is one I found titled "Self Portrait with Bird on a String.")

Vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is a second language or foreign language to the population.  This word was tied to the poem "Hazel Tells Laverne," because the poem is written in a rather illiterate sounding type of speech.