6/5/14

(From p.56) Utopian fiction is a genre of literature that centers on an imaginary, ideal state called a utopia. The earliest book of this type was written by the Greek philosopher Plato (The Republic, c. 370 BC), but it was Englishman Sir Thomas Moore who first used the term, 'utopia', in his 1516 book by the same name. Through the metaphor of the perfect alternative society, which functions within a system of social and political perfection, visionary authors of Utopian novels cast a critical eye on their contemporary societies and make projections on what their improved versions could be like. A Utopian state, for example, may be free from illness, poverty, or prejudice of any kind. The opposite of a Utopian state is a Dystopia. As the prefix suggests, it is a world where all that's bad in modern society has prevailed, robbing its inhabitants of justice, their freedom, hope and happiness. One of the best examples of a dystopian society is George Orwell's impoverished, totalitarian state as described in his book Nineteen Eighty-Four (published in 1949). Some authors combine both imaginary worlds, either by creating a hybrid of the two, or by juxtaposing the two extremes in an attempt to inform the reader of the potential benefits or dangers that may lie in our future as a society. For this week's assignment, you are going to write a Utopian or Dystopian short story. (Key word being SHORT STORY). It may only be 250 - 300 words.This low word count determines how much detail you can include. You must clearly develop the beginning, middle and end BEFORE you write. Making it up as you go will result in an imbalanced story. Use a limited amount of characters and use dialogue sparingly. Twists are good, but putting in too many will lead to too much useless information. I. Read some popular examples and tips: Tips: http://www.creative-writing-now.com/short-short-stories.html Examples: http://www.online-literature.com/poe/44/ http://www.squidoo.com/flashfictionforeveryone#module56337242 http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Micro-Fiction-Short-Stories-from-Famous-Writers II. Brainstorming: These topics should be well thought out before you write your story Listing: Character(s) Setting Plot - begginning, middle, end III. Writing - Due Monday, June 9th @ 8:30am 250 - 300 words. NO MORE, NO LESS! good luck!

5/29/14

THURSDAY, MAY 29th Creative Writing Time! Well done on writing such great essays on corporate outsourcing, a tough subject. For a break, you will write a creative story this week for a peer editing lesson tomorrow. You may choose from one of these three topics: 1. Write a SCARY STORY! Use as many details as you can to make the story frightening and gruesome! 2. Write an ADVENTURE STORY! Using well developed time frames will make an Adventure Story truly exciting. 3. Write a LOVE STORY! Character development keeps readers involved and committed to the people in your love stories. Be creative and keep the reader's attention. You will be reading a fellow classmates writing tomorrow:) This assignment is due by tomorrow at 8:30am. Good Luck! FRIDAY, MAY 30TH Peer Editing: Peer = person of equal standing with another: somebody who is the equal of somebody else, e.g. in age or social class Editing = to prepare a text for publication by correcting errors and ensuring clarity and accuracy Peer Editing is a great way to improve your own writing. By practicing looking for grammar mistakes and "fluidity", we become better at finding those clues in our writing. Today, you are going to view YOUR blog on the computer you are currently using. Then, SWITCH with a fellow student. As you read your peer's writing, make notes on a separate piece of paper that will help the student improve their work. FOLLOW THE 3 C'S OF PEER EDITING: 1. COMPLEMENT - always stay positive in order to encourage your peers to continue improving! 2. CORRECT - find mistakes in grammar, spelling, etc. 3. CRITIQUE - offer advice on ways to improve the overall reading experience of their work. When finished, give your notes to your peer. Using the notes on your own writing, look for ways to improve your post. Edit as necessary. Have a great weekend!!