Short Story Homework Assignments 2011
Note: Dates are the date the homework is assigned. Unless otherwise noted, the assignment is due at the beginning of the next class.
December 2/5
- Work on your final project--due the day of your final
- Show me a sample annoated bibliography entry
November 30/December 1
Work on your final project--due the day of your final
November 28/29
- Begin work on your final project--due the day of your final
November 21/22--Happy Thanksgiving!
- turn in 2nd story when ready
- print out story and letter of reflection (double spaced, pages numbered)
- please check indentations
- no extra space unless intentional
- upload to turnitin
- write letter of reflection
(directions on turnitin)
- be sure to include how you incorporated what you learned from your author
- final due date: November 28/29
November 17/18--note date, this is up early
- revise based on feedback
- turn in when ready--
- print out story (double spaced, pages numbered)
- please check indentations
- no extra space unless intentional
- upload to turnitin
- write letter of reflection
(directions on turnitin)
- be sure to include how you incorporated what you learned from your author
- upload to turnitin
- print out and staple to front of story
- final due date: November 28/29
November 15/16
- revise based on our study of
- pacing/tension
- flashbacks/flashforward
November 11/14
November 9/10
- 1st draft due next class--printed out double spaced
November 7/8
- finish written outline of plot--be able to pitch it in 2-3 sentences
- full draft due Friday/Monday--typed, printed out
- Upcoming classes
- Wed/Thurs--drafting in class day
- Fri/Mon--full draft due--in class we'll be critiquing and getting help
- Tues/Wed--flashback and pacing work
- Thurs/Fri--peer critiques (I will not be here)
- Mon/Tues--peer critiques (I will not be here)
- Mon/Tues Nov 28/29--stories and reflection due printed out and on turnitin.com
November 2/3
- pick three locales to do some research about and take notes that might be good to use in a story (finish if you didn't finish in class)
- state tourism sites work well
- city chamber of commerce sites work well
- take a road trip with your character
- must include three locations
- one can be a flashback
October 31/November 1
- Pick an event and tell the story from three different 1st person narrative perspectives.
- Use "Jeremy Greenblatt is So Not Moses" as an example
- Hold back some details so that each narrator adds to the story and that you need all three perspectives in order to understand the event
- Thnk about changing the age and gender to ensure that you have 3 distinct voices
October 27/28
- Finish author project (essay-60 pts+ works cited-10 pts, chart-30 pts)
- upload to turnitin (chart, only if typed--handwritten doesn't need to be uploaded)
- print out hard copy
- Finish reading "Antlers" by Rick Bass
- answer questions on study guide
- no need to do the journal if you were in class--you already did it!
October 25/26--updated due dates
5 precis/responses (100 points) due before class on Thursday/Friday--printed out and uploaded to turnitn (one document)
Trends Essay, Chart, Works Cited due before class on Monday/Tuesday--printed out and uploaded to turintin (one document)
- Author Project due October 27/28
- suggested HW 1-2 summary/analysis response for Author Project
- all summaries should be complete before this weekend
- work on chart
- Examples
October 21/22
- Author Project due October 27/28
- suggested HW 1-2 summary/analysis response for Author Project
- all summaries should be complete before this weekend
- work on chart
- Examples
October 19/20
- Author Project due October 27/28
- suggested HW 1-2 summary/analysis response for Author Project
- all summaries should be complete before this weekend
- work on chart
- Examples
October 17/18
- Author Project due October 27/28
- suggested HW 1-2 summary/analysis response for Author Project
- all summaries should be complete before this weekend
- work on chart
October 13/14
- Author Project due October 27/28
- suggested HW 1-2 summary/analysis response for Author Project
- all summaries should be complete before next weekend
- work on chart
October 11/12
October 7/10
- Edit your story--DUE NEXTCLASS
- read out loud one last time
- check for conventions errors
- I will cry if your dialogue is not indented for each new speaker and punctuated correctly.
- no extra spaces between pargraphs
- New due date: October 11/12
- upload to turnitin before class
- print out reflection and story before class
- bring all of your drafts and critiques
- Bring book for author for author project--must have 5 published (in print) short stories
- Exemplary 1st Short Stories written by former students
October 5/6
- Edit your story
- read out loud one last time
- check for conventions errors
- I will cry if your dialogue is not indented for each new speaker and punctuated correctly.
- no extra spaces between pargraphs
- New due date: October 11/12
- upload to turnitin before class
- print out reflection and story before class
- Be looking for author for author project--must have 5 published (in print) short stories
October 3/4
- Revise your story--pay special attention to endings
- New due date: October 11/12
- Be looking for author for author project--must have 5 published (in print) short stories
September 29/30
- Revise your story based on critiques
September 27/28
- write 3 new beginnings (type)
- paste old beginning into new beginnings document
- print out as one document
- you'll get feedback
- you don't want your reader to be prejudiced
- bring rest of draft with you
September 23/26
- finish full draft of 1st short story
- print out
- save electronically
September 21/22
- first draft of 1st story
- use your outline to help
- think about how long each section is
- it's ok if there are some holes, but bring beginning, climactic scene, and end at the bare minimum
- print out and save an electronic file for revising
September 17/20
- draft outline for story using the handout below
September 15/16
- finish reading "Closure and Roadkill on the Life's Highway"
- mark the following with a different colored highlighter
- setting
- character
- dialogue
- plot/complication/conflict
- transition
September 13/14
- 25 What If's for your character--write them down
- try thinking outside of the obvious
- what will surprise your reader without being out of place in the story?
September 9/12
- Revise and edit character sketch one last time.
- Read it out loud to check for fluidity.
- Make final edits for grammar, conventions.
- Number pages
- Fill out rubric as a self-assessment
- Write a short essay addressing the following--do nott just answer the questions, write me a letter:
1) What strengths does this sketch demonstrate? Use specific examples from your story to support your answer.
2) What weaknesses did find? Use specific examples from your sketch to support your answer. What did you do to try to improve these weaknesses?
3) What did you learn about your own writing through the writing of this sketch?
4) Which lessons were most helpful in creating this sketch? Why?
5) Anything else you want me to know or look at in particular?
6) What are your goals for your next story?
7) What do you need to do to achieve these goals? What do you need from me to help you achieve these goals?
8) What are you going to look for in your author project to help you with these goals?
- Upload both documents to turnitin.com (Class ID=4330689, password=vikings)
- Turn in hard copy in class (must be printed out BEFORE CLASS) and arrange from top to bottom:
- letter of reflection
- character sketch
- filled out rubric (self-assessment)
- Staple all critiques and drafts in order (oldest on bottom, newest on top) so I can follow the writing process.
September 7/8
Character Sketch final draft (uploaded and printed out) due 9/13 and 9/14 (note new due date)
Revise charcter sketch focusing on
- setting: foucs on vivid imagery and sensory details as well as dispersing the description throughout the sketch (not just in one chunk).
- character: focus on making traits apparent without telling--use actions, description, details to make the reader recognize the character's traits
- dialogue: focus on adding meaningful tags (action, description) and using only necessary dialogue; think about how the dialogue might develop the character
See examples student examples for help:
September 1/6
Draft (typed) character sketch. See rubric and assignment sheet. Character Sketch (as of right now) should have a character and a setting. NO CONFLICT. Whole thing should not be less than 2 pages, nor more than 3 pages double spaced (about 550-750 words).
If you want to see some successful samples from students, click below
August 26/29
- For next class
- "Nobody Listens When I Talk"
- read it
- write a response analyzing HOW Sanford develops character. Give examples from the story to illustrate your ideas
- bonus: focus on the patterns of development--How does Sanford strucuture the story and to what effect?
- For two classes from now
- Answer the 25 question interview sheet--don't forget to make up and answer the last 5 questions.
Write a character history (aim for 3-4 pages typed)--you know the past, present, and future of this character. You can start with birth and go all the way through life, but you don't need to-- do pick a big chunk of time and flesh it out. You are not telling a the story, but you are reporting facts. It's a free write, but it would be helpful if it were chronological, so typing might help. Try to discover something new about your character.
Use your 25 question-interview sheet to help you with some of your answers.
- Due September 9/12: Character Sketch
- we will be working on this in class with exercises, but I want you to keep the date in mind
- check out the rubric and do a self-assessment (actually mark it)
- upload to turnitin before class on the due date
- write a letter of reflection (I'll give details later)
- staple, number pages, print out BEFORE CLASS
August 24/25
After reading Shields’ “Dressing Up for the Carnival” you can see how quickly a writer can create a quick study of a character through choosing memorable details. We’ll call these thumbnail sketches (not pictures, but word-pictures).
Now it’s your turn.
In Shields’ story, everyone is "trying on" something new: clothes, food, flowers, etc.. You choose something that a group of people is doing, but they are not doing it together. They may not even know each other. Some ideas:
- waiting for a bus
- going to the grocery store
- being in the library
- being in a mall
Create 5 different characters who are all doing a similar thing and write 5 short sketches. Model your own thumbnail sketches after Shields, choosing memorable details that quickly give your reader an intimate look at who this character is.
So in total, you will have 5 paragraphs, one for each character. Remember that these characters do not know each other, so they are not really interacting; they are each doing their own thing, thinking their own thoughts.
Type. Use at least one sentence from Shields' story to emulate the structure; think about getting as much into a sentence as possible.
Auguest 22/23
- Create 2 composite characters (use your list of everyone you know and choose attributes from at least 3 people)
- Put those characters in a scene, written in 3rd person.
- Use your Of Mice and Men handout as a guide
- Think about how we reveal character
- what a character says, thinks, does
- how a character speaks (dialect, diction)
- how a character reacts to a situation or interacts with others
- what someone says or thinks about the character
- what a character looks like
August 18/19
- Using the character trait assigned to you, do the following to ultimately create a paragraph about the character, including a life philosophy
- answer 6 questions (you can use your Leon/Priscilla handout--there are 12 questions there)
- write a 20-25 word sentence describing this character
- write a paragraph in which you use some (or all) of the information and add what's missing to make the character come alive
- make sure you include a life philosophy (use the excerpt from Richard Power's Generosity as an example)
- List everyone you've ever known. Write their names. You know a lot of people, don't skimp.
August 16/17
- Read "The Other Man" by Nicholas Montemarano
- After reading the story, write a 1-2 page response using the questions below as guideline--see assginment on the last page of the story-- but be sure to discuss the story as well.. Use MLA documentation for quoted material. Ex: "I know how it feels" (42).
- what does the story say about the relationship between truth and fiction (use examples from the story)
- what does the story say about the writing process when it comes to fiction (use examples from the story)
- what is true about the story
- Bring in your "Bad Story"--fabulous prizes for the best-worst one! Do your worst!
- Sign up for Turnitin.com
- class ID: 4087705
- password: vikings (notice lower case v)
- Sign up for nicenet.org