Ms. Gokturk

Trends in Literature

The Post-Apocalyptic or Dystopian Project

Hopefully, this course has made/is making you contemplate what you value as an individual, what we value collectively as a civilization, and where the human race may be heading. Unfortunately, this course may have also highlighted what’s wrong with the world today. It’s your turn to write a piece of fiction to serve as a warning for your readers.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Your project should:

A. Fit into the course material. In other words, your piece should be intelligent and illustrate themes from the course.

B. Serve as a warning for future audiences about a concern you have about a manmade problem that already exists.

C. All parts are submitted on the due dates (TBA) and ready for workshop dates. This means that you have prepared one copy per member of your literary group before the start of class and the draft/assignment is complete.

D. The project demonstrates an appropriate level of thought and effort. This means that it is well developed and insightful. Your target word range should be 1200-1800 words. Please do no go overboard! Think: QUALITY!

E. * The project includes a 1 page, single spaced rationale that explains how/why you did what you did and how your project fits into this course. It must include text based evidence, which means that you will use direct quotes from the works we read while explicating your own work. This is an explication. *

F. All written parts of the project are submitted to turnitin.com pasted into one document.

G. The project is presented to the class in the end days of the course. All written parts of your project will be published in a class magazine.

Genre

Step One: Choose your genre. Choose ONE project option that will best illustrate your understanding and synthesis of the course and serve as a warning for future readers.

• Short story. Write a short story that would fit seamlessly into this course.
• Screenplay & Movie. Write a movie script (using the proper screenplay writing format) instead of a short story and make a movie for your presentation. Please, only those with video editing skills take this one on! You may work in small groups, but your project must reflect more manpower.
• Play or Musical. Write a play for the stage. Use the proper play format.
• Visual Montage/Narrative. For those of you who are artistic or are interested in the visual arts, create a visual narrative that provides the same result as above. In addition to a detailed rationale for the project as a whole, you will need to written analysis for each visual. All the elements of a narrative should be presented as described in this project: setting, character, plot/conflict development, symbolism, and theme.
• Comic, Graphic Novel or Parable in Pictures. Use your skills as an artist to create a comic magazine or graphic novel that fulfills all of the elements of a narrative: setting, character, plot/conflict development, symbolism, and theme. Or, using Thurber’s “The Last Flower” as inspiration, create a parable in pictures that encompasses the themes of the course with your message. Please, only strong artists!
• Music/Poetry. The works we read should have moved you in some way. Because you understand the power of music and/or poetry, compose original music/poetry that leaves the same impact as the above project choices detail. In addition to a detailed rationale for the project as a whole, you will need to written analysis for each piece, or an explication that ties your music/poetry to the course materials. For the purposes of narrative, you should incorporate all the elements of a narrative should be presented as described in the other genres: setting, character, plot/conflict development, symbolism, and theme. You may perform the music or burn a CD.
• Do you have a better idea? Perhaps you are chomping at the bit to have a chance to create something else that would fit well with the course materials…. Talk to me and let’s see how we might harness your creative energy into something that works for this project.

Message

Step Two: Choose your message. Reflect on a current problem in today’s world – something that is vital to change for human beings to survive, or at least to maintain quality of life. Brainstorm and list the possible environmental calamities, technological disasters, cataclysms, pandemics, wars, and so forth that could provide a background for your story.

Consider what you’d like your audience to value. What feelings do you want to emote?

Tone

Step Three. What’s your tone? This is your attitude/your narrator’s attitude towards the subject matter. How should you present your message? Is it comedic? Are you creating a parody? Is it somber?

Mood and Setting

Step Four: Create the Mood and Setting. Write a vivid description of the post-apocalyptic or dystopian world in which your story will take place. Include sensory details: is the air stifling? Drafty? Close? Cool? Include details of smell, sound, and so forth, as well as visuals. Consider the time, place, and inhabitants in your little world. Keep experimenting until you get a setting you think you might use for a story.

Characters

Step Five: Create at least one central character in your story. Concrete language and vivid impressions will bring your character(s) to life. Your description may incorporate a wide range of sensory details: colors, sizes, shapes, tones of voice, textures of clothing, hair and skin, even odors.

What is your character’s:

Name?

Age / Sex / Race or species?

Personality and mental state?

Background, prior to the beginning of the story?

What doe s/he desire or want?

What is standing in his/her way? Why?

What is s/he willing to do?

What is his/her worst flaw? Greatest strength? Deepest secret?

Are you including other characters; does your character think aloud or talk to himself?

Make any dialogue you write interesting and relevant to your story’s message. Cut dull filler like, “Hi, how are you?” Use proper paragraphing and punctuation [what people say is in quotes – study the stories we have read to see how other authors write it].

Once you have created a character, allow him/her to dictate the course of events.

Plot

Step Six: Invent a clear and deliberate conflict. The character(s) should want something but face an obstacle.

Design action that draws the reader into the story.

Don’t feel you must know the ending before you can begin to write. Sometimes it is better to let it evolve.

Always use lots of concrete details. Excite the senses! The axiom is:

Show what happens, don’t tell us about it.

Be careful not to rush the ending. Be consistent in the development of the story.

First Draft

Step Seven: Share your story with your writing group. Get feedback from group members and do your revision. Proofread several times before thinking you are finished.

Final Draft

Step Eight: Please use single space, Times New Roman 12 pt. font. Submit the final draft to turnitin.com (unless you are combining the storyline with graphics). I will also ask you to print a copy using a title and byline for our class magazine.

Have fun with your creative process!