ENG 302Spring, 2017
Wed. April 26, Week 13-2
“I’ve been “trained” in diversity and inclusion topics – going to seminars, doing case studies, etc. But the idea of being “trained” in diversity makes me laugh. Although I understand the importance of being aware of the diversity around us, diversity is not black and white. There is no right or wrong answer. There is not the “trained” and the “un-trained.”Weare diversity. We live our lives everyday asdiversehuman beings whether we realize it or not. There is something powerful about bringing words to a page. Thoughts become real and realizations are made...... image of a cross... image of my family... image of chopsticks... image of lipstick...image of a graduation cap...”
Megan Dung, Blog Post #1, So Here I Am,
Read. Write. Share. Repeat.
GROUPS:
Short Fiction writers(10 min.)
Poets(10 min.)
Lesson Plans(10 min.)
Academic Paper(10 min.)
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SHORT FICTION WRITERSCRAFT ELEMENT: CHARACTER
CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPELLING CHARACTERS
...Compelling characters... appear internally consistent and yet are capable of surprise...the art of crafting such fully realized characters can be boiled down to four crucial elements: a driving need, desire, ambition or goal; a secret; a contradiction; and vulnerability.
A Driving Need, Desire, Ambition or Goal
The fundamental truth to characterization is that characters must want something, and the stronger the want, the more compelling the resulting drama. This is because desire intrinsically creates conflict, the primordial goo in which character is formed.
A Secret
For your character, a secret is that inclination or trait (such as a psychological disposition to dishonesty, violence, sexual excess, or the abuse of alcohol or drugs, to name a few) or an incident from the past that, if revealed, would change forever the character’s standing in her world, among co-workers, neighbors, friends, family, lovers. Secrets inform us of what our characters have to lose, and why.
A Contradiction
We all know people who are both shy and rude, cruel but funny, bigoted but protective. This complexity, which seems to particularly manifest itself during times of stress or conflict, is what can make a person inherently unpredictable, setting the stage for the kind of surprising behavior that can keep readers enthralled, wondering what might happen next.
Vulnerability
Nothing draws us into a character more than her vulnerability. When people appear wounded or in need of our help, we are instantly drawn to them—it’s a basic human reflex. We may also sometimes be repelled or frightened, but either way, the fact of the matter is that injury to another person instantly triggers a strong response.
Obviously, vulnerability may be the result of the character’s secret: He is afraid of being found out. Or it may come from the intensity of his need or want—because, as we all know, desire can render us naked in a fundamental way. For your character, the ambition and focus inherent in a strong desire can imply some form of inner strength, while at the same time rendering the character vulnerable to being deprived of what he most wants.
From "How To Craft Compelling Characters"
WRITE:
Create 2 paragraphs of physical description of your main character.
Create 2 paragraphs of personality traits of your main character.
Create 1 paragraph for each character development strategy.
1 paragraph showing strong desire / need for something
1 paragraphs showing a secret. Show us the character enacting the secret thing, not telling
a person about the secret.
1 paragraph showing the character's contradiction.
1 paragraph showing the character's vulnerability.
1 paragraph setting up a dramatic climax.
SHARE:
Read your physical description. As you read, have your peers sketch your character.
Read your character's personality traits.
Set up the situation you designed to show the personality. Can your peer guess how the story will end?
Show drafting progress on post titled "Week 13 In Progress."
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POETS:
Select one formal form to experiment with today.
Choose between:
Cinquain
Pantoum
Villanelle
Read the form's rules and begin to compose.
For purposes of this exercise it's better to create content which shows attention to the form rather than getting down small lines of perfection. In other words, write one complete cinquain, pantoum, or villanelle which might not thrill you. That's OK because you'll get practice with the form so you can later return to the form and swap out your rough draft with more intentional thoughts and words.
Share:
Let a peer read aloud your lines.
Listen to your words come out of another human’s mouth.
Peers, comment about what you “see” from the words.
Writer, listen for rhythm, syntax, sound.
Let all writers’ words be read aloud.
Show drafting progress on post titled "Week 13 In Progress."
LESSON PLAN OPTION:
Read:
When I Consider How My Light is Spent
"I Remember: Teaching About Memory"
Consider:
How might you adapt the theme of memory of how we spend our time to your target grade level?
Write:
Select books from diverse book list about memory and / or how we spend time.
Can you select books written by an author who represents diversity and appears as the authority in the story?
Write a background paragraph about either a memory unit or a how we spend time unit.
Incorporate objectives from the English Language Arts Common Core appropriate to your target grade level into one lesson activity.
Include titles of Multi-modal resources as background or warm-up that you might include with this type of lesson.
Music?
Video?
Images?
Share:
Let peers read your work and offer suggestions for other literature and remind you of teaching pedagogy.
Show drafting progress on post titled "Week 13 In Progress.
ACADEMIC PAPER OPTION:
Small group consults
Show drafting progress on post titled "Week 13 In Progress."