posted
Take a character. Pretend to be that character. Think about who that person is, what kind of diction they would use, how they would talk. Sit down. Keep on pretending to be that character.
Now imagine that you are summarizing the events of the reading assignment in 1-5 pages (probably the length of the paper fits in that range). Start writing.
Edit, edit, edit. And edit once more. With enough time, effort, and editing, you will have a great work of writing.
Posts: 3060 | Registered: Nov 2003
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posted
I had similar assignments in high school and didn't appreciate them. My English teacher loved to go all postmodern on us. Correction: the state education system loved to go all postmodern on us.
Posts: 1762 | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
Elucidate on this "postmodernism" perhaps, Euripides? Though perhaps I'm asking the wrong Greek here , and, also, though I suspect I know precisely of what you talk.
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Where I am (NSW, Australia) our education system seems to have a fetish for unconventional uses of language sprinkled with classical allusion and poetic 'features of text'. Not postmodernism per se, but I suspect that movement is the source of the sentiment.
I learned to write better non-fiction in my 3 history classes, where clear and concise communication was more highly valued.
It's not all that bad though. I think our system is fairly good overall, and would compare favourably to other state education systems I've come across. It's very standards based and the criteria for success are sound and clearly defined.
Posts: 1762 | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
And, to provide you an example of what precisely you know what I talk, we studied Margaret Atwood's Journey to the Interior.
Posts: 1762 | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
I always loved these sorts of assignments. Like writing a short story about why Richard Cory killed himself. (One of my friends wrote it in verse in the same metric system as the original poem.) My best piece of advice is this: Think about how the character might disagree with the facts as presented in the book itself. Mightn't your character feel that she did the right thing while the book seems to feel that she did the wrong thing? Maybe there was some aspect of the story that the book doesn't know? Or that doesn't come up until later in the story? Or some justifications that make perfect sense to the character that aren't in the story because the story is from some other point of view?
Posts: 1751 | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
Wait to the last minute. Then you will be so worried with finishing the project that you won't worry about how stupid it will look after it is done.
Posts: 1158 | Registered: Feb 2006
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, and, also, though I suspect I know precisely of what you talk.
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