The Story of our Scars

Please post a story about a scar you have on your body. Our first class is January 10, so post something before that date. Enjoy your holiday and stay safe. Please edit your story at the Writeboard links I provide to you. The password is writing12

Brad's story: The Scar on My Pinky (at Writeboard.com for editing)
Suzanne's story: Scar on My Index Finger (at Writeboard.com)
Hongxin's story: The Scar: The Remains of the Past (at Writeboard.com)
Kamila's story: A Child and a Motorcycle Mean Trouble (at Writeboard.com)
Zarghoona's story: The Scar of My Hand (at Writeboard.com)

Remember to write every day at least a little to stay in practice.

Revisions for An Important Memory

Please post your revised work here. Remember to make constructive comments to student work before next week's class. Use the "Criterion-Based Questions" as a guide for making good comments. Thanks!

NOTE: I made my comments to the pieces at the post below for Masaru, Hongxin, Emilia and Suzanne.

NEW: 50 Writing Tools
Excellent short explanations to help you improve your writing style. The first 30 or so include a "podcast" so you can listen to an explanation as well. Try applying one or two to your current work on memory.

Writing an Important Memory (Event) in Our Lives

Please post your memory writing here by Tuesday night. Remember to make comments on this writing by Wednesday night.

No set length. Remember to show us rather than tell us!

Character Trait Descriptive Writing Exercise

Following the two examples, "The Thief" and "Paula," write your own examples to demonstrate the two traits: easygoing and selfish.

Maximum word count per example is 75 words. Minimum number of paragraphs is three. Use dialogue at least once. Remember to write using verbs and nouns. Try not to use adjectives or adverbs unless necessary. Use at least one kind of zeugma.

DUE on Tuesday night!

Comments to other students' writing should be done by Wednesday night.

Pet Peeves

Put your writing here for Pet Peeves exercise.

A Simile a Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

Post your simile example here according to the schedule made in today's class.

You are also required to comment on one (or more) other student examples during the week. Does the simile help make the idea understandable? Is it fresh and interesting?

Links to Writeboard for Student "Showing" Examples

Zarghoona's Showing Examples

Hongxin Guo's Showing Example

Suzanne's Showing Example

Emilia's Showing Example

Links to Editing Student Descriptive Essays

Mushroom Necklaces

Cleaning the Well

Neptune Festival

Special Summer Ritual

Post Your Warm Ups

First one: FEAR

Second one: BOREDOM

"Jack" Stories for Editing at "Writeboard"

Here are the stories so far. Please edit one or two before coming to class on the 8th of November. Make a comment to tell us what you've done and why! Also, remember to do your introductions (see post below, "Introducing the Student Essays")

Brad's Story: "Jack"

Suzanne's Story: "Matter of Age and Marriage"

Hongxin's Story: "Jack"

Masaru's Story: "A Halloween Night (Chapter One)"

Short Story: Same Story in Different Voices

Post your story here. Remember that you can submit a part of a story. For example, write the ending or write a scene (a single incident). Anything you do will help you with the story overall.
View Short Stories: 10 Tips for Novice Writers for more information.

The "rules" are as follows.

Name of protagonist: Jack, a charming, ambitious, smart and selfish 26 year old.

Kind of conflict: external conflicts (with social environment, with other people etc.) Jack wants to marry a rich woman.

Why does he she want that? It's the easiest route to success.

What does he or she need to do? To find that woman somehow and seduce (attract; not have sex unless you are really daring!) her.

What are the obstacles (name 3): He comes from a poor family. He doesn't have enough good clothes. No car.

Setting: From a poor eastside Vancouver neighbourhood. (east of Main Street). Near Boundary.

Ending:

Does the protagonist succeed. How? or Why not? In a way he succeeds, but finds that it is not a perfect situation. The ideal woman is 20 years older than he is.

Introducing the Student Essays

For the four essays chosen in today's class, write a short introduction (50 to 75 words) that would help to interest a reader in devoting the time to reading the full essay. You should write at least one, but can write more than one if you wish. Write on your favourite, of course.

A New Way to Collaborate!

I've found a unique and interesting way for us to make edits to student work online. I've put students' writing up to demonstrate today. In order to access editing the document, you'll need the password, writing12.

Assignment: Go in and try an edit on one or two pieces below. Try to be helpful, but don't take too much time. We'll practice more throughout the term.

Here's Masaru's "A Daffodils and a Douglas Fir"

Here's Hongxin's "The Freds"

Here's Emilia's "10 Words"

Max's "10 Favourite Words Paragraph"

Suzanne's "Pursuing Fortune"

Tina's "Business and Happiness"

"Short Story Basics" Worksheet

Put your story outline as a comment to this post. Bring your ideas to class on October 25 to begin working on writing a full length short story.

Your "Favourite Ten Words" Writing Exercise

Please post the results of your writing exercise as a comment to this post. For Masaru (and Lina) here is the final list. There is no word limit. The only rule is to use all the words in your writing and for it to make some kind of sense!

Douglas Fir
Daffodils
Sunset
Pacific Ocean
Chocolate
Smile
15 Million Dollars
Green
Hawaii
Motorcycle

Link to "Learning the Edits" Information on an Editor's Changes

In 2000, I had a piece published in The Globe and Mail on the life of a dear friend whose life was cut short by cancer. The piece was extensively edited before it was published. As a favour, the editor agreed to answer ten questions about her editing decisions. Read about it here.

Vote for Your Favourite 10 Concrete Words

Vote for 10 in a comment to this post. Next week, we'll use some of these words in a piece of writing.

Sunset, Pacific Ocean, Douglas Fir

Turkey, Cook, BBQ Sauce

Daffodils, chocolate, green

The Big Idea, Mont Blanc fountain pen, parchment

Spaghetti, motorcycle, pin-striped suit

U.S Open, Hawaii, Fred

15 million dollars, health, smile

Electricity, clams, soccer

Homework for October 11 Class

First, repost your writing from October 4 with a 20% cut. After your paragraph, explain why you made one of your biggest cuts (be specific about the words you took out). Why is the sentence (or sentences) better now?

Second, take one of the original sentences from another student's writing and suggest a cut. You might even suggest a cut to the revised version if you dare! Don't be afraid to make a suggestion on Brad's piece. I'm pretty wordy in my first drafts.

Setting Assignment for October 4 Class

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for the delay! I was feeling a bit "under the weather" due to a head cold this weekend.

Take your character and describe a setting as seen by that person. For example, how does a girl like the one Guo is writing see the world around her? You may write in the third person (he or she . . .) as it is easier.

Give at least two details that appeal to the senses (something we see and something we hear for example). Make the place very specific (one location will help you with your description). The details should reflect the personality of the character (a place he or she would like to go).

Write about 125 to 150 words.

Enjoy the rain, rain, rain . . .

Homework for September 27 (On Character)

Take the character you wrote about in today's class and write from the point of view of that character. In other words, use "I" to describe how the world looks from inside that person.

To make it easier, describe a "moment" in the life of that person (a single incident happening at one specific time, for example). What does he or she think about? What matters to him or her? What doesn't matter? How does his or her mind work?

No set number of words. Put your finished work as a comment to this post. See you next week!