September 29

We spent some time this evening working through a prompt that moves from feelings, to ideas, to stories - rather than staying in feelings, or moving directly to stories. The idea was to explore some writing strategies that help you think about writing concept or idea centered essays - essays that have strong stories to draw the reader in - but that are also definitely ABOUT something.

The rest of the class was devoted to clearing up questions about some of the terms and forms we have been discussing with respect to creative nonfiction. We went back through the different kinds of structures CNF writers have identified as useful in organizing their work, we re-visited the differences (and fundamental similarities) between "I" and "eye" essays, and we went through a point-by-point discussion of your first assignment. Hopefully I answered your questions; if not, be in touch.

Your revised calendar should be posted by the time you read this. There is still a gap in the blog sequence (there is no Blog 13 - sort of like there is no 13th floor) - but the major confusions with dates are revised. Thanks for your patience - and if there are other mistakes that I just didn't see - let me know.

For Monday

Blog 6: Brainstorming as far as you've gotten for Project 1, Draft 1. At a minimum, develop some writing that identifies/reflects on what your essay is "about"(these direct statements may or may not end up in your final essay - but they can be important to help you be clear in your mind about what your stories need to "do") - and some of the stories, scenes, descriptions, information, characterization that develop what your essay is about.

Read: Lopez., 271. His essay is the counterpoint to the insistence that CNF be idea focused. While he is writing about "landscape and nature" set in a particular place - this is also an intimate story about writing - on the purpose and mystery in how "a story draws on relationships in the exterior landscape and projects them onto the interior landscape."