Monday, January 11 - Friday, January 15

Friday
At the beginning of the class, reading time was made available for everyone to tackle more of the Hemingway story. We will use this story to help review synthesis essays. I ran through some review of synthesis essay writing, and put a poster up in the room that shows what things to use in a synthesis essay plan. We will look at this in more detail on Monday.

Thursday

There is so much great literature in the world, but one writer everyone should read (in my opinion) is Hemingway. Today we did a brief bit of background on Hemingway via the Interwebs and through the depiction of him in Midnight in Paris. I read the first six pages of the story "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" aloud; somehow the class deteriorated into the sounds African animals make (my fault, I think - although I do think I do a particularly strong zebra imitation). The reading assignment for tomorrow was to complete to the end of page fifteen.


Wednesday

Today's class was shorter due to PLCs. After a bit of reading time, we looked at some more examples of micro-fiction or flash fiction. I have posted the examples below. I have also posted the criteria for a quality micro-fiction. The first of three micro-fiction stories was assigned today: a 10 word reduced literature story. With a partner, pick a famous piece of literature and condense the story to ten words or less. Don't forget the criteria below however.
At the end of the class we again did some peer editing of the PNEs.

Criteria for a quality micro-fiction story:

• sufficiently limits words
• chooses every word carefully
• includes sufficient imagery/images/symbols
• effectively leads the reader in one direction, then twists at end
• successfully plays with reader's expectations
• effectively writes a situation (more than an entire story)
• successfully invites the reader to read again
• closes with a phrase that sends the reader back into the story

Manipulated

by   Regan Hadfield

I am safe behind the castle walls, protected by our soldiers until they take on battle. My greatest fear is that the enemy will take my people, my citizens, my warriors. My men stand on one side of a checkered battlefield. I take the risks of an unknown result, always planning three moves ahead, while the king sits on his throne delaying the inevitable. He is the most valuable to the match.

“Kids, it’s time for bed. You can finish your game tomorrow.”

I sigh and remark; “We are just pawns: manipulated for human pleasure.      

The World's Shortest Horror Story: The last man on Earth sat alone in a

room. There was a knock at the door.

"Get a life!" you said, slamming the door. I was not sure what you meant. I already had 7 extra lives and was only at level 3. 

DEATH TRAP The growing hatred between Mary and Robert was such that a killing was inevitable. Mary had a plan, baiting Robert incessantly in the hope that he would kill her. The note he found after he shot her read, "Thank you, Robert. Doctors had given me only two months. I hope you rot in prison forever.”                         Ernie Glenesk 

                                                             

ONE YEAR LATER "Good morning, Eva." "Morning, Sheryl." "So how’s your garden doing?" "Growing like a weed!" They laughed. "I’m sure it’s given you a lot of comfort since Henry disappeared," said Sheryl kindly. "Actually," said Eva, "I often feel he never really left me at all." Her roses were unusually large that summer.                 Martha Phillip

RUDE INTERRUPTION I began writing my 55 Fiction story when suddenly a loud humming arose outside. I opened the door to find–a space ship! Four tiny creatures emerged. I invited them in for tea. I told them my story idea. They said it was boring and that I should write about them instead, so I did.                                          Nathaniel Nauert

Tuesday
We began to look at Micro-Fiction today, and started coming up with criteria for what makes a strong micro-fiction story. At the end of the class we spent some time looking at the PNEs that were written yesterday and giving feedback to the writers.

Monday
Today we did an in-class write of a personal narrative essay.