Day 9

Tues. Apr. 20

• Share “postcards from the past”

• Share details from “Mazie” and “The Man Who Eats”

• In-class writing: sketches for Character essays

• Reading by Rachel

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Homework

➤ Decide on a subject for your essay

By next class, please at least have decided, tentatively, on a subject for Essay 3: Character in Context. Make sure you’ve read the instructions carefully. (Don’t forget about the element of “place” or “context” — the most successful of these essays tend to be the ones that don’t lose sight of that aspect of the assignment.)

If possible, start writing your essay!

➤ Write three aphorisms that capture your character’s way of seeing the world

Come to next class prepared to share them! (No need to upload to Box; just be ready to share.)

➤ Read “Mazie” or “The Man Who Eats”

Read whichever of these you didn’t read last time. (You don’t necessarily need to read all of it — the first priority should be working on your character essay. But please read enough that you can talk about it this coming class.)

Look for one of each of these things and be ready to share:

• Physical description of a character’s appearance

• A list of concrete objects

• An anecdote about a character (something they once did)

• A description of a character’s habits (something they always or often do or did)

• An aphorism / statement of that character’s worldview and values

• Something another character says about that character

• A description of the character acting in a scene (physical action)

• Quotation or dialogue that captures a character’s voice

➤ WRITE A “POSTCARD FROM THE PRESENT”

Write a 4-6 sentence paragraph that attempts to capture, as vividly as possible, a moment between now and next class. Make the reader feel “there.” Write in such a way that, if you were to read this postcard ten years from now, you would feel as if you were back in that moment again.

Upload your postcard to our Box folder, and please also be ready to read it aloud next class.