When writing about fiction, I felt myself confined. I was worried about whether or not what I was saying was anywhere near what the author actually intended. Including secondary sources also limited me, as I couldn't write about a story if I was unable to find secondary material to include. It was also imperative that I be able to successfully include the material into my essay.
Delving into my own piece of fiction was a feeling of complete freedom. There were no worries about whether or not I was going in the right direction, as there were no limitations at all as to what I could write about. Having a topic helped. I chose the topic "Under what circumstances would someone play a tuba at a funeral?" This topic seemed challenging to me, because I have no emotional connection to the tuba. While I love music, I do not have an extreme fascination with brass instruments. I am also not a fan of stories that end in death. Even if a movie or book is wonderful and enjoyable, if the end includes the death of the hero or heroine, I will rarely see or read it again. While it is challenging and often unenjoyable for me to watch a sad movie or read a sad book, I found it enjoyable writing a sad story. I actually changed the ending to make it more positive, because I wanted to make it a little more enjoyable for readers like me. It surprised me that, as someone who is extremely sensitive to the portrayal of death in movies and literature, I enjoyed writing about the death of one of my own main characters.
In this experience, I found that I really enjoyed creating my own piece of fiction. It was also fun to get feedback from classmates. I think it is important to encourage students to write their own stories, as it helps them appreciate the work of others, as well as realize that they are capable of writing something just as amazing.
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3 comments:
How can you have no emotional connection to the tuba? It demands emotion with its very shape! Okay, maybe not.
For you the complete freedom was liberating, but for some that is extremely frightening. Students, for example, might flail about without guidance. That's why I liked the topic. The 'Under what circumstance' bit. It provided a jumping off point for exploration.
On the subject of movies with sad endings, I always torture myself with them. There's something about Braveheart that pulls me in, even though I know he dies! And movies that have animals dying? Like All Dogs Go to Heaven? Waterworks, but so worth it!
I also enjoyed the feedback from other students, and the reading of their stories. It is great to see all the different ideas, and I would encourage this in a high school setting.
Hi Laura,
Secondary sources can be a pain, can't they? Especially for a story that seemed to be such a small part of the author's extensive collection of works. I kept finding a bunch of stuff on Hopscotch, but what about Nurse Cora? I finally found a book and one suitable article to help support my analysis of the story. Oh the time it took.
I enjoy movies where people die! Well actually I never thought of it like that. Just as long as it fits in with the story, then it has to be. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I enjoy when a story pulls at the heartstrings which need a good tug now and then. Your story did that for me. Your story was very touching, especially at the end. I was surprised that you don't like stories that are sad, but enjoyed writing one. It sounds like maybe you have discovered a new part about yourself you never knew before through creative writing!
I completely understand about being confined in writing about fiction. You are not only confined to the sources you can barely find, but you are also VERY confined in your interpretation. I do not understand why I need someone else's work to back up my own interpretation of a story. If I feel a certain way about a character, plot, or theme and I can provide evidence through the actual text, then I do not understand why I need someone else telling me what interpretation I should have thought of.
I understand the use of outside sources in an academic paper, but not on something I am personally interpreting. On the subject of writing your own piece of fiction, it is definitely a lot of fun. You can go crazy with everything! You can create the kind of story you like to read. Example: you don’t like sad endings, or death, you can make your own story without all that.
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