BeTWEEN the Lines Class Summary 3/31/14

with Michelle Cameron

Today's Story Critiques

We got through only a portion of today’s stories. Among the comments we made:

• Adding breadcrumbs to a story helps the reader begin to piece together what is happening – and make some assumptions about what will happen next.  
  
• It’s important to keep the point of view consistent – especially if you are telling a story from one POV. It’s disconcerting if you suddenly switch (especially if you almost immediately switch back).
  
• Sometimes your children come out with some stunningly beautiful language. 
  
• If someone introduces anachronism into a historical story, they should have the courage to fully embrace it.
  
• If someone dies while telling their own story, they need to be either a ghost, angel, or demon, or need to fade out before death takes over.
  

Writing from Images

Today I shared a number of strange and evocative images. Each student picked one. Several wanted to work from the same image.

They were slow to get started with this one, and at one point I asked if they were struggling. They said they weren’t, but many of them confided that they preferred to originate their own stories rather than being “led” into one by imagery. We talked about the fact that doing so can be a good way out of writer’s block – which is generally not an issue these writers seem to have!

Homework

For homework this time, they can: 

• Continue with the story started in class.
  
• Find an image at home and write about it. They should bring the image in with them. 
  
• Continue a story already started. 
  

Please do check that they are writing at least two pages a week. Some of them are starting to skate by with very short work, which isn’t really enough to improve their writing.

See everyone next week!