Comments | jennyweatherup: Writing Workshop Assignment #4: The Jackson Valley Maniac

jennyweatherup

Writing Workshop Assignment #4: The Jackson Valley Maniac

Oct 29, 2011 15:08

This week's assignment:

You have two choices. Write either a story about growing up, like Mona Simpson did (we also read Reunion, which has this same subject), using two characters who are thrown together by some sort of circumstance. Two characters ONLY (although you can have an "extra" like the waiter or the car wash kid as in Simpson's story). Or ( Read more... )

halloween, writing

Comments 3

theory_of_chaos October 31 2011, 16:24:46 UTC

I like the way you bury the detail about the pizza being on its way, so we only remember it after the reveal. It's a good muscle to develop, being able to present your audience a necessary bit of information in a way that we both receive it, and have a reason to dismiss it from our consciousness. Because it comes to us as part of the moment of big sister brushing off little sister, we chalk it up to that purpose and forget about it ( ... )

jennyweatherup October 31 2011, 16:49:05 UTC

Thanks for the feedback. There are definitely things I could change or punch up; part of it is due to the time constraints (both because it's a weekly class and because I have other things on my plate), and part of it has to do with being overly self-conscious about tailoring the writing to the assignment, but there are also a few issues/tendencies I might not think about otherwise if they weren't pointed out. It's good to have an outside perspective to react to the story as a whole.

I am enjoying the class! I hope you have enjoyed teaching your current screenwriting class!

theory_of_chaos October 31 2011, 17:38:08 UTC

Don't feel bad about the time constraints - at this point it's good for you, on-balance, because it disarms any chance for you to get caught up in trying to make it perfect and then giving yourself reasons not to finish the piece. This way, without question, you just make the choice and get it done. I had to develop much the same attitude when I was working on the college newspaper and the printing deadline was implacable. Finishing pieces like this - even if you look back and see that they could be improved - is an incredible confidence-builder, long-term.