Point of View

There are so many things that go into creating a work of fiction. Authors have to create characters, come up with conflicts and complications in the story, infuse objects and ideas with deeper meanings, surprise you and keep you interested, and figure out a way to end it. But before much of that can happen, an author has to decide how to tell the story: they need to determine the point of view from which the story will be told.

In thinking deeply about point of view from an analysis perspective, consider:

• What are the advantages of using first-person rather than third-person? 
• How does first-person point of view limit your experience with the story and other characters? 
• Likewise, what are the advantages of third-person over first? 
• Third-person point of view also has layers of perspective. How is a limited third-person narrator different from an omniscient narrator? 
• How does a third-person narrator limit your experiences with the characters, especially the main character?

 1st paragraph: What is unique about the point of view in the book you're reading? What are the benefits for the reader and what are the drawbacks? In other words, what does the point of view of your book allow you to know and not know? How does this affect the story overall?

2nd paragraph: How would this story be different in told from the opposite point of view? If your book is in first-person, how would it be different if it were in third-person, and vice versa? Think of one specific part of the book (a scene) and describe how it would be changed if it was from the opposite point of view.

Bonus! For all you writers out there...Write that scene from the opposite point of view. This is sort of a fan fiction opportunity. Have fun with it (or don't...this is optional.)

Due Friday, October 1.

So Real: Characters

 Atticus Finch, Jane Eyre, R.P. McMurphy, Elena Greco...these are not real people. They are fictional characters, invented entirely out of black marks on a white page. But I can't help but feel as if they really exist; that their thoughts and actions came from a place similar to my own. 

How do authors do that? How do they create people that seem so real that we speculate what they'll do after the story is over, or why they make the decisions they do?

In Honors English, we shift from talking about characters with questions such as "Why did the character do that?" to "What effect does this choice on the part of the author have on the story?" 

In class, we've been focusing on how authors create characters through indirect characterization - how they lead us to think about their characters' personalities by how they make them look, what they make them say and think and do, and how they make other characters react and interact with them.

For this blog post, let's celebrate those characters that seem so real that you want to ask them questions about their lives; so real that you want to know what happened to them after the story ends. 

For this week's post, write about a fictional character that feels so real to you that you think of them as a friend, or an enemy, or a role model. 

Write two paragraphs: 

1. The first paragraph should introduce the character and the book and author that this character is from. Why does this character feel real to you?
2. The second paragraph should elaborate on some of your reactions to this character when you were reading. For example, you could write about a moment when you wanted to shout at the character, telling them they were making the wrong decision or when you felt so badly for a situation the character was in that you wanted to cry.  This paragraph should focus on how you interacted with the character as if they were real as you were reading.

Have fun with this!

Due Friday, September 24.

Hello! Welcome to Blogging!

 Hello! I'm Mrs. Gilman and I teach Honors English 9 and Creative Writing at Olympia High School. I love reading and writing and spending time outdoors. I also love swimming in saltwater and growing flowers. I have two daughters in high school, an almost 9-year-old golden retriever, and an 18-month-old sourdough starter. My husband and a gray cat live with me, too. This year I hope to get out of my house more and reconnect with my friends and help make school fun for all of my students. A big goal I have for myself this year is to participate in NaNoWriMo (November novel writing month) and write at least 20,000 words in the month of November.

This year you'll be creating your own blog as a requirement for Honors English 9. The purpose of this blog will be to write about topics that relate to what we're studying, discussing, or thinking about in class in a less formal way. The writing you post in your blog will be less about analysis and more about exploring your thoughts. 

Each week, I'll put a writing prompt on my blog and you'll come up with your own response to post to your blog. Blog posts will generally be two paragraphs in length and allow for some creative freedom in how you respond. I'll update my blog with the prompt every Monday (by the end of the school day) and your weekly blog posts will be due on Friday at 11:59 pm. 

For your first blog post, write two paragraphs.

1. Your first paragraph should serve as an introduction to yourself. Tell a little about yourself and what you hope to accomplish this year. What goals do you have for yourself academically, socially, and personally? Consider the first paragraph of this post as an example.

2. Your second paragraph should discuss how things are going for you in high school so far. What's it like being back to school as a high school freshman after such a weird last year and a half of middle school? How do you like OHS so far? What are some of the challenges and rewards you're experiencing so far?

Your first blog post is due Friday, September 17.