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Fitz's 8th Grade Blog

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The Concord Town Dump

Learn from a Master

2/28/2014

6 Comments

 
Picture
.....If Larry Bird showed up at basketball practice, I doubt any of the players would ask for advice on how to make pancakes; likewise, when a writer as successful as Stephen King offers advice on how to write, then you--as a real, flesh and blood writer--should listen and learn what you can.

Getting started is a bear for a lot of writers who tend to "overthink" what actually goes into a story. In King's advice posted below he tells would be writers in a nutshell what it takes to write a good book. The rest of it is up to you.

Read this and post a comment with your reaction, and maybe a few words about your own efforts to "tell your story."

1. The basics: forget plot, but remember the importance of 'situation'

I won't try to convince you that I've never plotted any more than I'd try to convince you that I've never told a lie, but I do both as infrequently as possible. I distrust plot for two reasons: first, because our lives are largely plotless, even when you add in all our reasonable precautions and careful planning; and second, because I believe plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren't compatible.

A strong enough situation renders the whole question of plot moot. The most interesting situations can usually be expressed as a What-if question:

What if vampires invaded a small New England village? (Salem's Lot).

What if a young mother and her son became trapped in their stalled car by a rabid dog? (Cujo).

These were situations which occurred to me - while showering, while driving, while taking my daily walk - and which I eventually turned into books. In no case were they plotted, not even to the extent of a single note jotted on a single piece of scrap paper.

2. Similes and metaphors - the rights, the wrongs

When a simile or metaphor doesn't work, the results are sometimes funny and sometimes embarrassing. Recently, I read this sentence in a forthcoming novel I prefer not to name: 'He sat stolidly beside the corpse, waiting for the medical examiner as patiently as a man waiting for a turkey sandwich.' If there is a clarifying connection here, I wasn't able to make it.

My all-time favourite similes come from the hard-boiled-detective fiction of the 40s and 50s, and the literary descendants of the dime-dreadful writers. These favourites include 'It was darker than a carload of assholes' (George V Higgins) and 'I lit a cigarette [that] tasted like a plumber's handkerchief' (Raymond Chandler).

3. Dialogue: talk is 'sneaky'

It's dialogue that gives your cast their voices, and is crucial in defining their characters - only what people do tells us more about what they're like, and talk is sneaky: what people say often conveys their character to others in ways of which they - the speakers - are completely unaware.

Well-crafted dialogue will indicate if a character is smart or dumb, honest or dishonest, amusing or an old sobersides. Good dialogue, such as that written by George V Higgins, Peter Straub or Graham Greene, is a delight to read; bad dialogue is deadly.

4. Characters: nobody is the 'bad-guy'

The job boils down to two things: paying attention to how the real people around you behave and then telling the truth about what you see. It's also important to remember that no one is 'the bad guy' or 'the best friend' or 'the whore with a heart of gold' in real life; in real life we each of us regard ourselves as the main character, the protagonist, the big cheese; the camera is on us , baby. If you can bring this attitude into your fiction, you may not find it easier to create brilliant characters, but it will be harder for you to create the sort of one-dimensional dopes that populate so much pop fiction.

5. Pace: fast is not always best

Pace is the speed at which your narrative unfolds. There is a kind of unspoken (hence undefended and unexamined) belief in publishing circles that the most commercially successful stories and novels are fast-paced. Like so many unexamined beliefs in the publishing business, this idea is largely bullshit... which is why, when books like Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose suddenly break out of the pack and climb the bestseller lists, publishers and editors are astonished. I suspect that most of them ascribe these books' unexpected success to unpredictable and deplorable lapses into good taste on the part of the reading public.

I believe each story should be allowed to unfold at its own pace, and that pace is not always double time. Nevertheless, you need to beware - if you slow the pace down too much, even the most patient reader is apt to grow restive.

6. Do the research, but don't overdo it for the reader

You may be entranced with what you're learning about flesh-eating bacteria, the sewer system of New York, or the IQ potential of Collie pups, but your readers are probably going to care a lot more about your characters and your story.

Exceptions to the rule? Sure, aren't there always? There have been very successful writers - Arthur Hailey and James Michener are the first ones that come to my mind - whose novels rely heavily on fact and research. Other popular writers, such as Tom Clancy and Patricia Cornwell, are more story-oriented, but still deliver large dollops of factual information along with the melodrama. I sometimes think that these writers appeal to a large segment of the reading population who feel that fiction is somehow immoral, a low taste which can only be justified by saying, 'Well, ahem, yes, I do read [fill in author's name here], but only on airplanes and in hotel rooms that don't have CNN; also, I learned a great deal about [fill in appropriate subject here].'

© 2000 Stephen King.

6 Comments

Epic Poem

2/25/2014

7 Comments

 
I am trying to give you enough time to finish your epic poem. If you are working hard on your poem and creating content in a daily way, I will gladly give you an extension beyond the due date of March 7th.

By giving you this freedom, I am expecting you to be proactive and wise in your use of time. I will sit with you at each class to go over the work you have completed.

The details for the Epic Poem assignment are included on the attached pdf. You can also access the Hero Cycle rubric by clicking on the google doc link at the bottom of this post.

If you are using Google Docs to write your poem, please put the file in your 8th grade folder. If you are using Quip.com, just add me to your group. If you are using Pages on the iPad or at home, I can show you how to share your work with me. 

Have fun...

epic_poem.pdf
File Size: 98 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Google Drive Doc
7 Comments

Dealing with a Crisis

2/25/2014

2 Comments

 
Due Monday, 3/3
Write a Fitz Style journal entry about a "crisis" that has happened in your life that you dealt with in a way that helped you grow and mature as a person. It does not have to be a big and dramatic event. It can be as simple as you needing to face up to a fear. Be sure to include a "philosophical" paragraph that tells your reader what you learned. (also called "metacognition.)

  • Use a quote from The Odyssey above your entry.
  • Post in your journal
  • Comment

2 Comments

A Letter To Your Son

2/25/2014

2 Comments

 
Due Monday, 3/3. 
Dear Son,

I want you to read The Odyssey...


This is how I want you to start your letter to your son.  Post in on your blog. Write a meaty and thoughtful letter. One day you might need it...

Hopefully, reading, and having finished reading, a great piece of literature makes you feel that you did something worthwhile. I've always told my students that a truly good book needs to be read and re-read many times in a persons life, for with each new reading he or she will gain more insight and understanding into why the book was written and where its deepest power comes from. Sadly, most young students who readThe Odyssey for the first time have an experience that ranges from confused to apathetic because they could not find a way to relate to the book in any kind of meaningful way.  I need you to man up and avoid that fate.

So, you will write a letter to your son.  You know, you might actually share this with your own son someday, so write thoughtfully and carefully. Write the letter as a way to guide him in his approach to reading The Odyssey; tell him what to look for; tell what was toughes for you and why; tell him what you had to overcome; weave in those five scenes that were so memorable to you, and try to capture a bit of the Heroic Cycle (which we will discuss in class tomorrow). 

Make it a beautiful letter that captures the depth and breadth and magnanimity of your spirit and heart.  

You will one day be fathers, and now is the time to prepare, for you are no longer "clinging to your boyhood..."

Due on Monday, 3/3,  Post to your journal and comment on your classmate's letters.
2 Comments

All Odyssey, All the Time

2/24/2014

4 Comments

 
"The boy you knew is gone..."
~The Odyssey, Book 20 Line 347
Picture
Our big push this week is to finally finish reading The Odyssey--and you, sad to say, will let go of your boyhood, willingly or not....

Odysseus has returned home. He has revealed himself to those who were faithful to him. Telemachus has cast aside all the weaknesses of boyhood for the strength of manhood to stand alongside his father and reek vengeance on those who sought their ruin and/or despoiled their home. 

But, canny warrior that he is, Odysseus uses his cunning (honed and trained by years of hard life experiences) to plot a way to kill the suitors and regain his rightful place in his own home and lands. Odysseus persevered through the the thick and thin, ups and downs--the vicissitudes--of life and is now at the point of victory or defeat. To the storyteller, the conflict has reached its crisis and listeners and readers are prepared and expecting the final battle--the climax that has been brewing for so long. 

This final battle will be read in class on Tuesday and Wednesday. Book 22--the greatest chapter in all of literature!

This week is for all practical purposes an all Odyssey, all the time week. We will finish reading the book and begin our Epic Poem project. I will post details of the assignment tomorrow. It is not due until the start of March break. 

Two Weeks in Review:
  1. Monday: Reading: Read Book 21 tonight.  Read and comment on "You Are All a Bunch of Punks." Your comment should touch on what you think about poetry at this point in your life.
  2. Tuesday/Wednesday: Read Book 23 for Homework after the second class period
  3. Wednesday/Thursday: We will read Book 24 in class 
  4. Thursday/Friday: Introduce Heroic Poetry Project
  5. Journal Entries: 1) One Fitz Style entry about your response to a crisis in your life. 2) One "Letter to your Son" explaining why your future son should read The Odyssey. Perhaps one day you will be able to share this letter with your true son.
  6. Poems and Ballads: go to my portfolio site, JohnFitz.com and search for a song and ballad that you actually "like." If this proves too difficult, I must be a lousy poet and ballad monger:) Post a reflection on the discussion board--and engage and extend a conversation with your classmates.
  7. Comma Rules 9 & 1o: I will post these under punctuation, shortly.
  8. Next Week: Work on Epic Poem project.


4 Comments

Homework: 2/17-2/23

2/18/2014

2 Comments

 
Class Periods:
  1. Portfolio Curation: Use class time to create a more perfect homepage--often called the landing page because that is what people see first when they "land" on your page.  Homework: Read Book 17 
  2. Book XVIII of The Odyssey and discussion of the heroic cycle in the story so far.  Homework: Read Book XIV over the weekend.

Journal:
  • One "Fitz Style" journal entry: I will post a rubric on Wednesday
  • One video or podcast posting that conveys a powerful and positive message, including a written "teaser" introduction. These do not need to be created by you, but simply be good videos or podcasts!
  • Comment on your classmate's and my blog

Reading: 
  • Books 17 - 19  of The Odyssey
  • Wednesday night: Book 17
  • In class Thursday or Friday: Book 18
  • Over the weekend: Book 19

Discussions:
  • Poemminer: Go to Poemminer and post a reading response comment on a poem you have not previously reviewed, and paste your comment into the discussion board with a link to the poem. [two points. Extra Credit for responding to classmate's posts]
  • Balladmonger: Go to Balladmonger and post a reading response comment on a ballad you have not previously reviewed on the site, and paste your comment into the discussion board with a link to the ballad.  [two points. Extra Credit for responding to classmate's posts]
  • The Odyssey Discussion: What is the most important theme in The Odyssey so far that can be of value in your life: how and why?


2 Comments

End of Term

2/17/2014

2 Comments

 
For all practical purposes your term ends today, as I am going through the grade book and writing comments and turning in your final grades for the winter term today.

Try to take the quizzes by today. If you wait until tomorrow, I will just count them towards your spring grade.

I have created an assignment poll on the sidebar of this blog. It can work as a checklist  for you to be sure you have completed the work that needs to be done.

If you have any questions, message me on Schoology.

Thanks.
2 Comments

Wednesday 2/12

2/11/2014

9 Comments

 
If only...

If only both of  your classes met on the same day, and I did not have these staggered classes where one week some class or the other misses one or two class for whatever reasons; however, it seems that the week will have another snow day, so I need to ask myself: What do I really want to do?

I want to get through The Odyssey in an "expeditious" way, so on Wednesday both classes will read Book XIV. Your work will be to read books 15 & 16 before you return on Next Wednesday. This will prepare us for our final push before the spring break.

So, please, eat your cow and sit down to read as the snow flies and the wind howls and  you are blessed with another magical childhood memory.


9 Comments

Tuesday:

2/11/2014

0 Comments

 
Soooo...Tonight you have time. All I expect is for you to write a "good" journal entry that sets the scene and states the theme, says what you mean and finished it clean." 

  • Do like my journal entries and put a quote above and a picture within which will act as visual cues for your reader.
  • Finish it clean
  • Have fun--loads of fun
  • Make us want to go to your portfolio because it is  cool place to spend some quality time!


AND COMMENT!!!!!
0 Comments

Monday: Class & Homework

2/9/2014

0 Comments

 
I will not be on school on Monday morning. I will be in later in the day.

In class:
  • Read and listen to Book XIII of The Odyssey

Homework:
  • Go to the discussion threads and complete the Poem Miner and Balladmonger work.
  • Read one new poem and one new ballad you have not read yet, and post a comment for each. 
  • Write a reflection about the poem and the ballad and post in your journal. This can be one post or two separate posts. 


If you have the time, work on any other assignments that are posted in the weekly overview.
0 Comments
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