Congratulations on week one down! As agreed to in class, workshop groups for the personal essay assignment are as follows:
Group 1
Ellen
Emily
Emily
Maggie
Jordan
Stephanie
Cam
Tanj
Group 2
Paul
Alaina
Elaine
Elaine
Julia
Amanda
Saskia
CYOA
Week 3: Alaina and Julia, Elaine E and Emily
Week 4: Ellen and Jordan, Amanda and Cam
Week 5: Paul and Maureen, Stephanie and Elaine C
Week 7: Saskia and Tanj, Emily G and Maggie
Dinner
Week 2: Ellen and Jordan
Week 3: Emily T and Elaine E
Week 4: Tanj and Saskia
Week 5: Emily G and Maggie
Week 6: Paul and Stephanie
Week 7: Elaine C and Alaina
Week 8: Amanda and Cam
Week 9: Marin
Week 10: Julia and Saskia
Exam week: potluck
We decided that everyone will bring their own dishes and cutlery and Marin will provide coffee and half and half.
Bring it on! This is going to be a great quarter!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Hitting the ground running!
By the time you read this, you should be a little more acquainted with this strange and wonderful thing called narrative journalism and eager to start practicing.
First, I want you to spend some time thinking about story. What are the elements of a good story? What are the stories that make up your family history? Why? What are the stories you tell about yourself, either to yourself or to others? What are the experiences in your life that have changed you? What are you thinking about these days?
I start the term with a personal essay assignment, because I think it's useful for you to understand the elegance and necessity of story by culling and crafting one from your own life. Feel free to blog about the ideas you're thinking about approaching with this personal essay.
Another way to prepare yourself to write your personal essay is to read and study recently published examples of the form. In The New York Times, check out Modern Love from the Sunday Styles section and Lives from the Magazine for examples and potential intended publications.
Here's some information on how to submit to Modern Love. And here's that helpful "How to Write a 'Lives' Essay" piece I handed out in class.
Take a cue from any of these you like, or come up with something completely your own. The key is to rely on story and a point of insight, or a turn that shows a change in thinking, understanding, or character.
I'm so eager to read what you come up with! Heed Anne Lamott's advice and don't be afraid to write shitty first drafts. Get something out, get feedback, and then shape it. You must turn in a first draft, but you'll get a grade on your revision. All writing is rewriting. You'll hear me say this more than you'd like, so get used to it!
With that I send you off to explore, discover and write. Turn off the inner critic long enough to get something out, rework it to your heart's content, and post it for all to see by Monday at 5 p.m. Why not hit the ground running spring quarter? You're writers, so write!
First, I want you to spend some time thinking about story. What are the elements of a good story? What are the stories that make up your family history? Why? What are the stories you tell about yourself, either to yourself or to others? What are the experiences in your life that have changed you? What are you thinking about these days?
I start the term with a personal essay assignment, because I think it's useful for you to understand the elegance and necessity of story by culling and crafting one from your own life. Feel free to blog about the ideas you're thinking about approaching with this personal essay.
Another way to prepare yourself to write your personal essay is to read and study recently published examples of the form. In The New York Times, check out Modern Love from the Sunday Styles section and Lives from the Magazine for examples and potential intended publications.
Here's some information on how to submit to Modern Love. And here's that helpful "How to Write a 'Lives' Essay" piece I handed out in class.
Take a cue from any of these you like, or come up with something completely your own. The key is to rely on story and a point of insight, or a turn that shows a change in thinking, understanding, or character.
I'm so eager to read what you come up with! Heed Anne Lamott's advice and don't be afraid to write shitty first drafts. Get something out, get feedback, and then shape it. You must turn in a first draft, but you'll get a grade on your revision. All writing is rewriting. You'll hear me say this more than you'd like, so get used to it!
With that I send you off to explore, discover and write. Turn off the inner critic long enough to get something out, rework it to your heart's content, and post it for all to see by Monday at 5 p.m. Why not hit the ground running spring quarter? You're writers, so write!
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