I love to read fiction. I have always enjoyed being able to relax with a good book. Writing about the fiction I've read has always helped me develop ideas. Sometimes writing about fiction makes me want to read a particular book again. I love seeing a book in a new light. Have any of you ever been inspired to reread a book after hearing another person's take on it? I have reread books several times and each time I discover something new. (Especially whenever I reread Harry Potter but that’s another story.)
Writing about fiction has been a similar experience for me. I like to get feedback from other people about what works and what doesn't. After having my short story read by my group, I was able to see my story from another point of view. I thought it was helpful to hear how other people interpreted certain aspects of my story. While editing, I tried to keep in mind how the story was received.
Reading fiction also helps with writing. I know what I like to read so I tend to try to incorporate that into my own writing. For example, I love reading in the first person narrative so I usually write stories from the first person. I think it’s fun to decipher whether or not the reader should trust the narrator or not. (Think about Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” the narrator is not very trustworthy!)
I definitely had fun writing and am looking forward to writing more creative pieces. It’s definitely been hard for me to be creative during this last semester! I have senioritis! Ha!
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Hi Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI totally connect with your feelings about reading. In fact, I realized I chose to be an English major solely on the basis that I knew I would be reading and I didn’t really take into account all the writing I would have to do. I have a very particular genre of books that I like to read so I am usually very picky but I understand how after hearing someone’s opinion about a book can make you want to read it (and Harry Potter is awesome).
I found it interesting how you mentioned point of view while others give constructive feedback. Sometimes I feel that it is really helpful and I like that you can take it or leave it. I also thought about the story a whole different way after hearing someone else’s view.
Finally, the biggest connection I had with reading your blog… SENIORITIS!!!! Haha. Being creative is hard when you are about to graduate! Yayy for us!
Hey Amanda!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you that you can re-read fiction and find new things you had missed before. I can only imagine when we are all teachers and have to read the same books with many different classes. I think as teachers we will learn more and more about the stories as years go by because our students will find new things we hadn’t seen before. I think that’s the beauty of fiction, it can take many interpretations. I think the feedback I received from my editing group was very helpful in my writing. They interpreted things in a different way and that made me change my writing as well. Receiving feedback and changing my writing helped it become better in my opinion. I had fun reading their fiction as well. It is amazing how we all got the same prompts and we all came up with different ways of doing the assignment. The stories I read were great. I couldn’t believe that some of them were writing by students! Some should have been published! This would definitely be a great experience to give to our students.
Hi Amanda!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you about wanting to reread a story after hearing another person’s take on it. I remember that sometime last year, I was reading the book Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. Even though I didn’t really the story do to the constantly shifting narrative point of view, the in class discussions we had were interesting. A lot of people brought up the fact that two of the characters were compared to birds. One was light a bright and beautiful bird (like a peacock), and the other was shabby and subdued (like a pigeon or crow). The teacher also brought up the fact that even the shifting point of view in the story served a purpose. Well, after that class was over, I was really curious and began to reread the book. It was only until then that I noticed the bird references and other things that I had overlooked. Overall, thanks to the class discussions, the second reading of the book was far more interesting.
Amanda!
ReplyDeleteOk first of all, I absolutely adore Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper!” It is such an amazing read and you are right, the narrator is not so trustworthy. I also like reading and writing in first person, I think it’s gives off this beautiful element of ambiguity that really challenges the reader to get into the mindset of the narrator and also to develop a sense of credibility as the character reveals more and more information. Another aspect of first person narration that I adore is the blending of the lines that differentiate different characters within the story. For example, in my narrative, I have the narrator speaking and then all the sudden the doctor will be speaking, but there is no introducing that there will be change ion speakers. As a reader, I love when I am forced to really zero in on a text to make sense of who and what is being said after the author intentionally blurred differentiating speakers.
By the way, I loved your story. I think you did such an amazing job of using descriptive language and imagery. When I was reading your rough draft, I literally could see the people in your story based upon the description you gave and the actions that they participated in. Great story!
Hey Amanda!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought about the reader and writers' experience with narration, but I think you're totally right! Narrators can be reliable witnesses, shady reporters, a blending of all characters or a quiet observer of the others. If students have the opportunity to work with different types of narrative, they can see the affects on their own characters, and even their own readership (the other students).
An interesting task might be to have students write several short stories, and experiment with different types of narrators. Students can write using a completely reliable, clear narrator. Then they can tell the same story using a narrator who seems to hide details or is somehow incapable of reporting faithfully.
This could be extended to character, as well. As you mentioned with your short story, sometimes characters blend together and jump so quickly that the reader must read very carefully to figure out who is speaking. We use what we know of the characters' voices or personalities to figure it out. Students could be asked to write a dialogue between three distinct characters without explaining who is speaking, and try to have other students figure it out.
Interesting stuff! See you in class!
- Morgan