#9 Take Two!

Since we've been focusing on movies of late, it's time to dissect one of your favorites. Go to YouTube and choose a clip from one of your favorite films. I realize it might not be exactly one scene, but choose something between 1 and 5 minutes long. My example above is from one of my Top 5 movies of all time, Rushmore. Once you've found your clip, embed it into your blog entry. Then, write at least eight sentences on the sorts of details in your clip that would be included in the script (specific to this scene-- think Juno's pipe). Write at least eight more sentences regarding the details added by the director, actors, and other crew members once filming began.

To embed:
1. Choose your clip from YouTube. Please pick a PG-13 or under clip, even if the movie is rated R. Be sure to pick something from a movie or TV show; no video games, music videos, etc.
2. To the top right of the video screen on YouTube, underneath the "Subscribe" box are two text boxes labeled "URL" and "Embed."
3. Copy the entire text inside the "Embed" box including <> on either side of the code language.
4. While posting on your blog, click on the tab labeled "Edit Html" above where you type your entry.
5. Paste the code from the "Embed" box at the very top of your post. Be sure to leave any other code as is.
6. Return to the "Compose" tab to write the rest of your post.
7. If you have too much trouble with this, at least link to your video clip.


For your comments, choose two people from your block on whose blogs you have never commented (or whom you at least do not know). Pretend you are involved in the making of this movie. Write at least 6 sentences on one major change you would make while filming, such as casting, setting, directorial choices, props, etc.

Have fun!

#8 Haiku-Doodle-Doo

Welcome back to the blog, fellow poets. This week, we're just going to get a glimpse at the huge world that is poetry. To get you into it a little, you're going to write some haiku for the blog. A haiku is a very short poem with one simple topic for each. Traditionally, Japanese haiku were about the seasons, but you can do yours on whatever you wish. The following are the rules:

1. You must write 3 haiku, which are all tied together to one theme (i.e. three colors, three seasons, three stooges, etc.) It is not a bad idea to title your blog with your theme. Example: #8 The Seasons.

2. There are three lines to each haiku.

3. The first and third lines are 5 syllables each.

4. The second line is 7 syllables.

Be sure to have one idea per line; it is extremely difficult to write a successful haiku when one sentence bridges more than one line. Here is an example from the movie Fight Club:

Worker bees can leave

Even drones can fly away

The queen is their slave

As for your comments this week, you are to write one haiku which also goes with the original poster's theme of three. So, if someone posts three about summer, winter, and fall, you might write one about spring. Get it? For this week, comment on anyone's blogs; however, you must comment on one person's blog from Block 1 and one person's blog from Block 2. Have fun.

#7 Not Your Average Tuesday

National Talk Like a Pirate Day. William Shatner's Birthday. Haunted Refrigerator Night. Mario Day (It's on March 10, because it looks like M-A-R-I-O spelled out when you write "mar 10").

Since we're discussing holidays this week--and we'll soon be celebrating one as a class--it's time for you to come up with your own. So, for this blog post, make up your own holiday and write about it (at least 15 sentences). What are the traditions? How do people gear up for it? How do they decorate? What is the historical background of this holiday? Write about the true meaning of your day and all the other things we talked about in class.

For your comments, discuss how you would most like to celebrate the person's holiday (at least 8 sentences).

Block 1:

Group 1: Alpha Amber Wolf, Lady Blue, & This Blog Should Be Anonymous

Group 2: arbol44, Peace and Love, & tomorrowiswaiting

Group 3: Blogx, Potter, & wayzatacreative

Group 4: changeinapocket, Princess Sparkle, & Zoolander

Group 5: Checkers, Rock Fan, & zzzxy

Group 6: CoolKCato & Sisu (choose one other to comment on)

Group 7: Graffiti the World, i like turtles :), & Some Dude

Group 8: Hawk Eye 777, iloveanime, & spark 32

Group 9: Highway Star, junior2010, & Squarish Square

Block 2:

Group 1: About21ninjas, Gobl1nmast4r, & smiley

Group 2: Alice, k of the milky way, & stargazer

Group 3: alle, laranail188, & Stinky Toes

Group 4: Anonymous Blogger, Mindfreak, & StrawberryCake

Group 5: Butterfly, Montag, QB1991, & Ursa Major (just do 2)

Group 6: catastrophebyassociation, One Moment Can Change Everything, & Scrappy Coco

Group 7: Darken Rahl, one x, & Sgirl

Group 8: Dually x3, porcupines and potato salad, & Shiny-sama

#6 They Oughta Have a Law

Greetings, creative writers. Even though I was sick today, there's still a blog this week. Even if you don't notice until I tell you on Tuesday, you'll still have until midnight on Wednesday to get this done.

As we continue to explore creative nonfiction, I'm going to give you the chance to pass any law you like. Come up with something that you think should be a new law. Write at least 15 sentences to explain why this is law. Now's your chance to outlaw aviator sunglasses. Or make people take an IQ test before they're allowed to have children. What about having line-cutting punishable by law? Whatever you want, no matter how ridiculous.

For you commenters, write at least 6 sentences stating whether you would vote for this law or against it. Also, if it passed, would you break it? Would you do so on purpose? Don't forget to explain yourself.

Oh, and remember to comment on my post if someone in your group didn't write an entry. Keep in mind that you're responsible for commenting on someone's even if someone in your group didn't do it.

Here are the groups:

Block 1:

Group 1: Alpha Amber Wolf, Peace and Love, & spark 32

Group 2: arbol44, Potter, & Squarish Square

Group 3: Blogx, Princess, & This Blog Should Be Anonymous

Group 4: changeinapocket, Rock Fan, & tomorrowiswaiting

Group 5: Checkers, runcarnyrun, & wayzatacreative

Group 6: CoolKCato, i like turtles :), & Zoolander

Group 7: Graffiti the World, iloveanime, & zzzxy

Group 8: Hawk Eye 777, junior2010, & Sisu

Group 9: Highway Star, Lady Blue, & Some Dude

Block 2:

Group 1: About21ninjas, One Moment Can Change Everything, & smiley

Group 2: Alice, one x, & stargazer

Group 3: alle, porcupines and potato salad, & Stinky Toes

Group 4: Anonymous Blogger, QB1991, & StrawberryCake

Group 5: Butterfly, JB24, & Ursa Major

Group 6: catastrophebyassociation & k of the milky way (choose one other blog to comment on)
Group 7: Darken Rahl, laranail188, & Scrappy Coco

Group 8: Dually x3, Mindfreak, & sgirl

Group 9: Gobl1nmast4r, Montag, & Shiny-sama

#5 Monster Mash

Halloween is coming, and we've been studying speculative fiction, so get those imaginations going! For this blog, you are to create a new creature. Write at least 12 sentences about your beast. Describe what it looks like. Where does this animal live? What does it eat? Give examples of behavior. Tell us all about it, and don't forget to name it!

For your comments, write about how this creature would do as a pet. Write at least 8 sentences. Here are the groups:

Block 1
Group 1: Alpha Amber Wolf, Princess Sparkle, & tomorrowiswaiting
Group 2: arbol44, Rock Fan, & wayzatacreative
Group 3: Blogx, runcarnyrun, & Zoolander
Group 4: changeinapocket, i like turtles :), & zzzxy
Group 5: Checkers, iloveanime, & Sisu
Group 6: CoolKCato, junior2010, & Some Dude
Group 7: Graffiti the World, Lady Blue, & spark 32
Group 8: Hawk Eye 777, Peace and Love, & Squarish Square
Group 9: Highway Star, Potter, & This Blog Should Be Anonymous

Block 2
Group 1: About21ninjas, One Moment Can Change Everything, & stargazer
Group 2: Alice, one x, & Stinky Toes
Group 3: alle, porcupines and potato salad, & StrawberryCake
Group 4: Anonymous Blogger, Gobl1nmast4r, & Ursa Major
Group 5: Bob Smith, JB24, & QB1991
Group 6: Butterfly, k of the milky way, & Scrappy Coco
Group 7: catastrophebyassociation, laranail188, & Sgirl
Group 8: Darken Rahl, Mindfreak, & Shiny-sama
Group 9: Dually x3, Montag, & smiley

A Couple of Things about the Blog

Hello Creative Writers!

If you're having trouble reading text on my blog because it is invisible or only half-visible, try clicking on the text and highlight the missing portions. They should appear. I don't know why my blog does this nor why highlighting works, but hey, let's go with it. Hooray for technology!

On another note, I had to remove a RUUD (spelled incorrectly on purpose) comment from my blog. Not only was it insulting to people in the class, but this person chose to be so anonymous he or she did not even sign in with a user name, but simply "anonymous." I won't tolerate unconstructively mean writing on the blogs, especially when someone is too cowardly to say who he or she is. This is NOT an invitation to rewrite the comment with your user name. You know who you are. That said, please enjoy this week's blog assignment (next post down), and here is a picture of a unicorn (they're real, you know):

#4 Where Can I Get One of Those?

After such a long hiatus from the blogs, are you ready to go shopping? For your new post, write an advertisement or sales pitch for an impossible product or service. Remember to come up with something theoretically possible--or something in the early stages of actually happening-- and try to sell it to your fellow bloggers. Think along the lines of flying cars, personal time machine tours, or memory erasure (like in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).

Be sure to include the following:

• Minimum 12 sentences
• Name of product/service
• Description of product/service
• Available choices for product/service
• Price
• A picture would be great! So would links!

For your blog comments, let the seller know whether you would or would not purchase the product or service as advertised. If you would buy it, explain what you like about the product or service and what you would do with it. If you would not buy it, explain why not, and what changes would have to be made in order to purchase it. Write at least 5 sentences.

Here are the groups:

Block 1:
Group 1: Alpha Amber Wolf, Rock Fan, & Zoolander
Group 2: arbol44, runcarnyrun, & zzzxy
Group 3: Blogx, i like turtles :), & Sisu
Group 4: changeinapocket, iloveanime, & Some Dude
Group 5: Checkers, junior2010, & spark 32
Group 6: CoolKCato, Lady Blue, & Squarish Square
Group 7: Graffiti the World, Peace and Love, & This Blog Should Be Anonymous
Group 8: Hawk Eye 777, Potter, & tomorrowiswaiting
Group 9: Highway Star, Princess Sparkle, & wayzatacreative

Block 2:
Group 1: About21ninjas, one x, & StrawberryCake
Group 2: Alice, porcupines and potato salad, & Ursa Major
Group 3: alle, Gobl1nmast4r, & QB1991
Group 4: Anonymous Blogger, JB24, & Scrappy Coco
Group 5: Bob Smith, k of the milky way, & Sgirl
Group 6: Butterfly, laranail188, & Shiny-sama
Group 7: catastrophebyassociation, Mindfreak, & smiley
Group 8: Darken Rahl, Montag, & stargazer
Group 9: Dually x3, One Moment Can Change Everything, & Stinky Toes

Please Forgive Me

Every Little Detail

This blog assignment might remind you a little of the first one we did a couple weeks ago. Once again, you'll find an image to write about. Put it at the top of your blog and write a descriptive paragraph based on it (16-20 sentences). This is not a story or a narrative, but a point in time which you are dissecting. You'll be graded on the following:

1. You use fewer than 10 total adjectives and adverbs. Remember, nouns and verbs are your power words.

2. You use a minimum of three metaphors or similes.

3. You utilize sensory detail: think about how things not only look, but sound, taste, smell, and feel.

Your groups for the week:

Block 1:

Group 1: Alpha Amber Wolf, runcarnyrun, & Zoolander

Group 2: arbol44, i like turtles :), & zzzxy

Group 3: Blogx, iloveanime, & Sisu

Group 4: changeinapocket, junior2010, & Some Dude

Group 5: Checkers, Lady Blue, & spark 32

Group 6: CoolKCato, Peace and Love, & Squarish Square

Group 7: Graffiti the World, Potter, & This Blog Should Be Anonymous

Group 8: Hawk Eye 777, Princess Sparkle, & tomorrowiswaiting

Group 9: Highway Star, Rock Fan, & wayzatacreative

Block 2:

Group 1: About21ninjas, One Moment Can Change Everything, & stargazer

Group 2: Alice, Gobl1nmast4r, & Stinky Toes

Group 3: alle, JB24, one x, & StrawberryCake

Group 4: Anonymous Blogger, k of the milky way, porcupines and potato salad, & Ursa Major

Group 5: Bob Smith, laranail188, & QB1991

Group 6: Butterfly, Lucky :], & Scrappy Coco

Group 7: catastrophebyassociation, Mindfreak, & Sgirl

Group 8: Darken Rahl, Montag, & Shiny-sama

Group 9: Dually x3, musicly_minded16, & smiley

#2 Who Do You Think You Are?

Okay, let's try this again...

Have you ever imagined what it's like to be famous? Well now you can. That's right--now you can imagine it for part of your grade. Ready for this week's fist-pumping, roundhouse-kicking, baddie-capturing blog assignment?

1. Surf the web for a little while with some celebrities in mind. Find a fansite for the celebrity of your choice. It's up to you whether it's official or unofficial. Be sure to link to it.

2. React to the website and fans from the point of view of this famous person. Write 16-20 sentences.

3. For comments, write 5-7 sentences on your partners' blogs as anti-fans of the celebrities they have chosen. Remember to be clear, but you are posing as someone who does not like this famous person at all; give reasons.

4. Here are your groups:

Block 1:

Group 1: Alpha Amber Wolf, i like turtles :), runcarnyrun, & Zoolander

Group 2: arbol44, iloveanime, Sisu, & zzzxy

Group 3: blogx, junior2010, & Some Dude

Group 4: changeinapocket, Lady Blue, & spark 32

Group 5: Checkers, Peace and Love, & Squarish Square

Group 6: Graffiti the World, Potter, & This Blog Should Be Anonymous

Group 7: Hawk Eye 777, Princess Sparkle, & tomorrowiswaiting

Group 8: Highway Star, Rock Fan, & wayzatacreative

Block 2:

Group 1: About21ninjas, Gobl1nmast4r, & porcupines and potato salad

Group 2: Alice, JB24, & QB1991

Group 3: alle, k of the milky way, & Scrappy Coco

Group 4: Anonymous Blogger, laranail188, & Sgirl

Group 5: Bob Smith, Lucky :], & Shiny-sama

Group 6: Butterfly, Mindfreak, & smiley

Group 7: catastrophebyassociation, Montag, & stargazer

Group 8: CoolKCato, musicly_minded16, & Stinky Toes

Group 9: Darken Rahl, One Moment Can Change Everything, & StrawberryCake

Group 10: Dually x3, one x, & Ursa Major

Ready to Take Comments

Ladies and gents of the creative writing persuasion, the following are your instructions for commenting on one another's blogs:

1. Look below to find out what group you are in. You must comment on everyone else's blog entry that is in that group (unless otherwise noted). You can get to their blogs via the list on the left side of my blog.

2. Read the entry and click on the link below that says "0 comments," "1 comment," etc.

3. Write one specific thing you like about the piece and one thing that could be improved or changed. Write at least 6 sentences per blog (this includes the plus and the minus). Be sure to comment on the writing and not the choice of picture.

Here are the groups for Block 1:

Group 1: Alpha Amber Wolf, arbol44, & Blogx

Group 2: changeinapocket, Checkers, & Graffiti the World

Group 3: Hawk Eye 777, Highway Star, & i like turtles :)

Group 4: iloveanime, junior2010, & spark 32

Group 5: Peace and Love, Potter, & Princess Sparkle

Group 6: Rock Fan, runcarnyrun, & Sisu

Group 7: Some Dude, Squarish Square, & This Blog Should Be Anonymous

Group 8: tomorrowiswaiting, wayzatacreative, Zoolander, & zzzxy This group may do only two others' blogs each. Do the next two after yours in order.


Here are the groups for Block 2:

Group 1: About21ninjas, Alice, & alle

Group 2: Anonymous Blogger, Bob Smith, & Butterfly

Group 3: catastrophebyassociation, CoolKCato, & Darken Rahl

Group 4: Dually x3, Gobl1nmast4r, & JB24

Group 5: k of the milky way, laranail188, & Lucky :]

Group 6: Mindfreak, Montag, & musicly_minded16

Group 7: One Moment Can Change Everything, one x, & QB1991

Group 8: Scrappy Coco, Sgirl, & Shiny-sama

Group 9: Smiley, stargazer, & Stinky Toes

Group 10: StrawberryCake (Mindfreak) & Ursa Major (Montag) This group should also comment on the blogs following their names in parentheses.

#1 Explain This

It's time for your first blog post, creative writers! In case you were wondering, the picture above is an axolotl. It is meant to inspire you in your first blogging endeavor. The idea is to really use your imagination here. Don't worry about being completely "honest" or "real." Don't feel limited. Follow these easy steps; if I don't explicitly say not to do something, go ahead. The sky's the limit.

1. Upload a wacky image to your blog. It can be a photo, a cartoon, a piece of art, or even a famous logo. Google Image is a good place to find anything you want. Keep it clean, kids.

2. Title your post whatever you want, but be sure to start your title with "#1" as I have done above. This is so your fellow classmates can easily locate this week's entry.

3. Write two descriptions or explanations for your image. Each should be a minimum of eight sentences long (at least 16 sentences total). Choose two of the following audiences for your descriptions or explanations:

a. Kindergartners

b. Your peers

c. Your grandparents

d. Harry Potter fanatics

e. Chefs

f. Musicians

g. Republicans
h. Space Aliens

What kind of musicians? You decide! Your real grandparents? How should I know? Harry Potter fans as "cool" or "annoying?" Whatever you think. Have fun with this.

You Shall Now Be (Self) Published

Welcome to the new school year! As we explore the art and craft of creative writing this semester, we will be reading one another's blogs. Why? In addition to participating in workshops during class time, it's important to be able to both write and criticize completely without inhibitions. That is why we're keeping the blogs anonymous--at least until the end of the semester. So, I encourage you to still keep your work and comments productive and constructive, but feel free to really experiment with your writing in your blog. See you in class.