Catching Up, Bloody Storytime

Today you'll be given a chance to catch up with any missing work from this marking period. Update your blogs, refer to the list from Mr. Craddock's blog to see a list of the assignments from this marking period. Real talk, get that stuff done. Use this time wisely, catch up with things you don't have handed in. 

If you're totally caught up with all of the things, awesome. You've been drafting on Padlet, creating fictional worlds. You've done this for the last few classes and by now you should have a decently formed idea of what your story is going to contain. It should have characters, message, conflict, setting, and--most importantly--imagination. 

For those of you who are totally caught up, return to your Padlets and begin transferring those ideas to a document. You should name this document and save it in a safe place, because you'll be referring to it, adding things, taking notes, and keeping a constant brainstorming page. Why? Because just like people change every day, so do ideas. Through this, your writing will change. It's good to have a place to put those ideas. So do it!

~~if you're "done" or something~~

We've been talking about how authors often use some forms, ideas, and inspiration from other authors. I agree with this 100% and it's about time you read some fiction. I have a fairly short attention span and love reading short, but powerful stories. It almost feels like that's why Fairy Tales were made in the first place. There are tons of them, they're popular, reconfigured, remade, and retold all the time. You're all probably familiar with the Walt Disney remakes of many of the classic fairy tales. 

I hate to burst your bubble, but the real versions are actually quite different. So, to start, I'm not going to give you a happy one or a popular one. In fact, I'm willing to bet you've never heard of this one. Why? Because this isn't the kind of Fairy Tale that gets told as a bedtime story to kids. It's the stuff of nightmares and this is the nicest version: Charles Perrault's Blue Beard. There are other versions of this tale, but I want you to read this one. Read it with a neighbor, talk about it, read it out loud, whatever. Then, blog about it. A critical reaction, not a plot summary. Think of metaphor, analogy, and allegory. Underneath, what might the message be? Remember that stories are nice to read, but there's always something from deep inside ourselves laced into the words. How is it different from Fairy Tales you're familiar with? How might it impact your own writing. 

Homework:

1) Finish your marking period work before Friday, obvi.
2) (If you haven't already) read Blue Beard. Blog an analytical reaction. This isn't a plot summary (hint: I know what happens already). Between 200-500 words. Make it good.