EWC 4U ISU Possible Topic Choices

1. Kiddy Lit: i) Write and illustrate a series of three or four children*s books based on the same characters or theme. You should use an archetypal pattern and follow the conventions of children*s literature. Submit your work in polished book form with all the illustrations in place. Include an annotated bibliography of all the children*s stories and critical sources that you read as part of your research. References might include: Eileen Roberts The Children*s Picture Book: How to Write It. How to Sell It or Lee Wyndham*s Writing for Children & Teenagers. ii) Choose your own adventure. Research the stylistic techniques of early-teen chooseyour- own-adventure storytelling, and construct a story in this style (e.g. Edward Packards Sugarcane Island, or Doug Termans By Balloon to the Sahara). 2. Script: i) Write an original film script. As with the short story, above, the scope of your work should be sufficient to justify the amount of time allotted to the preparation. Provide a brief commentary outlining the conventions of your chosen genre, and briefly explain how your script conforms to the conventions of that genre. You must also provide storyboards for at least one scene of your script. For top marks, this film should be produced in its entirety for the ISU presentation. ii) Write a one-act play suitable for videotape or live presentation. Your creative writing should show mastery of the art of scripting (see, for example, J.M. Stranczynski*s The Complete Book of Script Writing, R. Hull*s How to Write a Play and A. Brenner*s The T.V. Scriptwriter*s Handbook) as well as character development, plotting, suspense & foreshadowing, etc. Some storyboarding & a script should be included in your final product. iii) Research the form and techniques of the radio play by reading at least one how to book, such as R.L. Hillard*s Writing for TV and Radio and listening to many contemporary examples on tape or on the CBC. Write a radio-play script and record it, using appropriate sound effects, etc. that you have learned from your research. 3. Poetry: Prepare a collection of original poems around a central theme or image. Your poems must explore a variety of styles and techniques (sonnet, free verse, etc.) and you may wish to illustrate your work with paintings, pictures, or artifacts.

4. Magazine: Prepare a series of 8-10 magazine articles on a topic which you would like to explore. Include original photographs, interviews, insider*s reports, advertisements, etc., and present it in professional-looking format. Use your articles as a basis (only!) for presenting your topic to the class. When youre done, it MUST look like a magazine.

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Impressionistic Writing: The impressionist style of fiction writing often centers around the mental life of the characters, by observing his impressions or sensations instead of interpreting experience. Impressionistic poetry often implies a response to an event or subject rather than describing the actual feelings evoked. This allows the reader to form their own ideas as to what the writer is trying to convey, as opposed to the writer telling outright how they see and feel about a subject. In particular Stream of Consciousness is a good example of impressionistic writing. (Look for works by such writers as Katherine Mansfield, Katherine Anne Porter, James Joyce, Judith Guest, Virginia Woolf or William Faulkner.) Fictionalized Family Tree: Prepare an historical portrait of one branch of your own family which combines fact with fancy trace its origins and colourful characters and write a series of brief narratives using family members as key figures in notable occurrences in your family*s history. If your family happened to be involved in significant historical events as well, so much the better. Your work should evoke a sense of the time and place in History, but should also demonstrate your knowledge of creative writing characterization, dialogue, plot, etc. Please note, this topic is not intended to be merely a dry-as-bones family tree. For example, if your family is Irish, there need to be Leprechauns! Myths or Fables: Write & illustrate four myths, fables or fairy stories which conform to the conventions of the genre you select. Base your writing on what you learn by studying classic models in at least one collection, and by reading literary criticism on your topic (e.g. Joseph Campbell*s The Hero with a Thousand Faces or J.R.R. Tolkien*s On Fairy Tales in The Tolkien Reader). Prepare a chart to summarize the typical conventions of your chosen genre. Your oral presentation should explain your genre and its conventions, and you should present one of your pieces and explain how it conforms to the conventions. Epistolary writing: i) Write a story that consists entirely of letter correspondence in the style of an epistolary novel. Good examples of this are Brain Stoker*s Dracula or Nick Bantock*s Griffin & Sabine. Present your story in a creative fashion to the class. ii) Write a story that unfolds as part of electronic communication emails, text messages, twitters, blogs, e-diary entries, etc. The narrative should unfold as a gestalt of the collected information presented in the electronic sources. (Be careful, this is a difficult one to do well!) The presentation must include an A/V expression of the electronic communication.

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10. Cultural Narrative: Read two books (fictional, historical, biographical, etc.) which portray life in a different culture (e.g. Memoirs of a Geisha, Shogun, Life of Pi, Cry the Beloved Country, A Town Like Alice, etc.). Write a short story or one act play set in your country of your choice, which clearly reflects your understanding of the cultural, social, political or economic situation that country. In your presentation, explain how your creative writing mirrors the books you read, making specific reference to the sources and your own work. Your culture could be present or past (but also see #14, below: Historical Fiction).

11. Travel Writing: Research someplace outside of North America (with a different culture and markedly different geography or climate, etc.) and write a short story or narrative set in that place (e.g. Bill Brysons In a Sunburned Country or African Diary or Edward Abbeys Abbeys Road or Robert Young Peltons The Worlds Most Dangerous Places). Your protagonist could be either a resident of that distant place, or a traveller journeying through it. The main goal of this topic is to develop character and a sense of place. 12. Historical Fiction: Research a period in history that interests you. Script a one-act play that follows the conventions appropriate for the period in which the play is set. For example, if you study ancient Greece or Rome, your play must be written in the style of Greek or Roman Comedy, Romance, or Tragedy; if you study the early-mid 20th century, your play might be written in the style of the Theater of the Absurd. (A valuable resource book is D. Brockett The Theatre.) 13. Montage: i) Prepare a Photo Montage centred on a particular topic or theme, with your narrative woven into and interdependent upon the images used. Present your montage in a creative fashion. Please note! The photos included in your montage MUST be predominantly your own original product not magazine or internet pictures etc. (Although you may Photoshop your characters into images taken from the internet, thereby creating an original piece of work ask Breaton for clarity before you proceed with this.) Your writing may take the form of poetry, short story, social commentary, etc., but evaluation will consider the elements of creative writing that you*ve brought to bear imagery, theme, continuity, plot, characterization (if applicable) etc. ii) Prepare a Video Montage centred on a particular topic or theme, with your narrative woven into and interdependent upon the images uses. Present your Video Montage in a creative fashion. As with the Photo Montage, the video needs to be predominantly your own work, although you may salt in videos taken from other sources, edited so as to contribute to your storyline. Your writing may take the form of poetry, short story, social commentary, etc., but evaluation will consider the elements of creative writing that you*ve brought to bear imagery, theme, continuity, plot, characterization (if applicable) etc. 14. Science-Fiction (Sci-fi): Study Science Fiction as a form of literature by reading two classic (suggested authors: H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Spider Robinson, Poul Anderson, Roger Zelazny) and two contemporary (e.g. David Weber, Robert J. Sawyer, Neil Gaiman, Harry Turtledove, William Gibson) SF books. Write a SF short story which conforms to the conventions of the form. Submit it along with a 200 word critical commentary on each of the primary sources you read. Provide a brief commentary outlining the conventions of your chosen genre, and briefly explain how your story conforms to the conventions.

15. Horror: Study Horror as a form of literature by reading two classic (suggested authors: e.g. Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe) and two contemporary (e.g. Stephen King, Anne Rice, Dean Koontz, Manly Wade Wellman, Tanith Lee) Horror books. Write a short story which conforms to the conventions of the form. Submit it along with a 200 word critical commentary on each of the primary sources you read. Provide a brief commentary outlining the conventions of your chosen genre, and briefly explain how your story conforms to the conventions. 16. Other Specialized Genre: Study another genre of your choice as literature and follow the same steps shown in 14 and 15, above. The scope of your work should be sufficient to justify the amount of time allotted to the preparation. Submit it along with a 200 word critical commentary on each of the primary sources you read. Provide a brief commentary outlining the conventions of your chosen genre, and briefly explain how your story conforms to the conventions. 17. Songs: Compose lyrics and music for at least four original songs, in any musical style. For this assignment, you must submit not only the lyrics, but also your original musical notations. (And no, you cant just chord your way through it...) In addition, include research notes and a 500 word explanation of the conventions and history of your musical genre, with justification as to how your songs conform to the conventions and traditions of the genre. 18. Dealer*s Choice: If none of the above options appeal to you, you are free to propose one of your own. Write a half to full-page proposal of your topic and submit it for approval within one week.