Jennifer Lauck's Blog, page 9

This page is for all the students in the PM Craft Class at The Attic.  We run our five week summer series to July 14.

CLASS ONE:  We read three writers.  Paul, David, Maura

REFERENCE TEXTS:  The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo.  Tell it Slant by Brenda Miller, Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. 

Homework:  Read through to page 50 of Edward Tulane and follow along Pt. 1 of the Structure handoutn.  Chart the scenes of Tulane on the W.  Outline your own project on the expanded chart.   

Readers, bring pages.  10 copies total.  No more than 5 pages, double spaced, 12 pt. font, normal one inch margins. 

CLASS TWO-June 23: Bree, Megan, Kim, Carrie, Sara, Lisa

CLASS THREE- June 30:  Paul, David, Maura, Bree, Megan

CLASS FOUR-July 7:  Bree, Megan, Kim, Carrie, Sara, Lisa

CLASS FIVE-July 14:  Everyone brings pages. 

Welcome to the Tuesday Bones of Storytelling Class.  It's a five week series and the classes meet 10:45-12:45 each Tuesday until July 9.

A lovely quote after our first class by Michael:  "I'm so happy I signed up for this class. You have blown me away with your enthusiasm and passion. Wow, can't wait to dig in and do the work."

CLASS 1 RECAP:  Concept and theme were discussed.

Reference text was Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. 
Referred to students: Crazy for the Storm by Norman Ollestad (on surfing), Jean Auel Clan of the Cave Bear for epic length projects.

Concept, Pg. 30-51.  What If question prompt, Pg. 51.
Theme, pg. 117-125.  Theme prompt, Pg. 125

Homework, do and refine what-if questions.  Jennifer to send her example of what-if questions.
Refine theme.
Read Edward Tulane book

Reference Texts:  Story Engineering, Larry Brooks.  The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo.  The Screenwriters Problem Solver by Syd Fields.  Story by Robert McKee. 

CLASS 2:  Structure
CLASS 3:  Character
CLASS 4:  Students discuss projects
CLASS 5:  Students discuss projects

This page is for all the students in the AM Craft Class at The Attic.  We run our five week summer series to July 8.

CLASS ONE:  We read six writers.  Bill, Rose, Marla, Joy, David and Nancy.

REFERENCE TEXTS:  The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo.  Tell it Slant by Brenda Miller, Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. 

Homework:  Read through to page 50 of Edward Tulane for structure discussion.  Readers, bring pages.  13 copies total.  No more than 5 pages, double spaced, 12 pt. font, normal one inch margins. 

CLASS TWO-June 17:  Hillary, Beth, Jess, Carolyn, Golda, Marylin, Kevin

CLASS THREE-June 24:  Bill, Rose, Marla, Joy, Kevin and Nancy.

CLASS FOUR-July 1:  Hillary, Beth, Jess, Carolyn, Golda, Marylin.

CLASS FIVE-July 8:  Everyone brings pages. 

The Hawthorne Fellows, The Attic Institutes publishing program just released it's first issue.  Everyone worked hard, gave each other essential feedback and helped each other create a workable whole.  See their good work and enjoy:  Issue #8. 




5/20/13 editorial staff assignments: 

Sandra's editors:    Kirsten & Ellen
Kirsten's editors:   Ellen & Cynthia
Ellen's editors:      Cynthia & Heidi
Cynthia's editors:  Heidi & Nicky
Heidi's editors:      Nicky & Sandra
Nicky's editors:     Sandra & Kirsten

The remaining schedule: 6 - 9 p.m. 

June 3 & 24
July 8 & 22
Aug. 2 (TIME TBA)
Sept. 9

*To apply for the Fall Fellows (deadline Sept. 25, click here). 

Today in class, talking, teaching, trying, I was deeply moved and touched by a writer who struggles to find her story.  Tears fell as we meandered around together, as a community, in search of the story she trying to tell and how she might tell it.

These are the questions that arise again and again for the storyteller.  For the memoirist, it's often a vulnerable question because it's about the hidden teaching within, that terrible gift, that awaits an opportunity to spring forward.   Life has been lived but what did that life mean to the soul?  The story is the answer.  And the soul isn't much about trite matters.  In my view, the soul is about the most serious matters we must address.  Wisdom, balance, insight, surrender, connectedness, love.  To get to these matters, we must, in the end, write about our heartbreak.  What could be more difficult?  We are so fragile.  But I also know, we are so strong.

This fine student with good skill will find her way.  We all will.  We have no choice.  We are the storytellers.  We bring comfort to the reader in the cold night while fear lurks around in the shadows.  We bring comfort, insight, peace and connection.  Our stories let others know they are not alone.  What better life?  What better path? 

In this last year, I've seen my memoir/fiction teachings grow to remarkable levels thanks to the faith placed in me by David Biespiel at The Attic. Fifty students a week, a dozen active consults. My own writing takes off, inspired by the writing I take in each week. 

This small writing is to send out great thanks to everyone who comes to see me, who puts faith in my guidance and who has the courage to write. 

 Thank you. 

~ Jennifer

The Ground Rules of Story: Fit Your Memoir into Classic Story Form
Knock years of time and frustration off your own writing process by learning how to introduce your intuitive and instinctual writing self to the structural format of story telling.

Novels and movies use a basic formula to tell a great story and once you discover this for structure for yourself, your writing life will change. We’ll map out the four-part story structure, study two films as well as one memoir in order to deepen your understanding through experience.

Writers will also be asked to bring a 5-20 pg. layout of their entire book idea, prior to arriving, which will be shared and discussed as part of series of workshopping/brainstorming sessions.

This four day workshop is an annual event on the Oregon Coast and is open to a dozen writers. There will be two days of intensive teaching, from 10-4 with a break for lunch and two days of broken teaching, in the AM and the PM, leaving you time for writing/revision and for resting your mind as you stroll the wide, long beach of Manzanita or hike the narrow, steep trails up Neakahnie Mountain.

DATES: August 16, 17, 18, 19
TIMES: Aug. 16 &; 18, 10-1 & 5-7:30
Aug. 17 & 19 10-4 p.m. (Snacks, tea, coffee provided)
COST: $475.00 *


Payment Options Deposit $150.00 USD Balance $325.00 USD Full Tuition $475.00 USD ADDL DETAILS: You are responsible for your travel and your accommodations. Great places can be recommended, just ask me at [email protected].

* THERE ARE NO REFUNDS ON DEPOSITS OR WORKSHOP TUITION ONCE PAID.

In class, I will edit your pages and make all kinds of comments as we go along.  Most, you will forget.  Why?  You are all worked up!  It's terrifying to read in front of me and the group.  Don't worry.  You'll get what you need to get.  And, when you go through your pages later, you'll notice a few terms on the page.  Here are explanations to help you find your way:

Beat:  This means to slow down and add a moment, a beat.  It’s almost as if you need to add a second for a sensory detail like sound.  Just stopping and looking at that place to see what could go there to even the pacing of the sentence.  When you see this instruction on your page, stop, read the sentence out loud and see what comes.   Put it on the page.
Unpack:  Unfold what you are saying in a simple way with more complex description.  This usually means add more details.  IE:  It was a hot day.  (unpack).  It was hot, too hot, sweating hot, sticking to every chair hot, the kind of hot that made me want to suck on ice all day long, or stick my face in the refrigerator or go the waterfalls and just loll around.
Body:  This means to describe the body—what is being touched, what is touching, what is the body doing in space in relationship to other bodies and objects. 
Sensory:  This means to add one of the senses (not seeing in fact, remove seeing, looking, watching, observing and all this from your text).  Sight is the last sense—not the first.  Try smell, taste, touch.
Nature:  I’m looking for a moment to include the world around you—weather, flowers, birds (no barking dogs), wind, sun, dark, crickets, something from the natural world.  Leaves falling, rain etc.
Slow Down:  This is similar to beat but beat is short.  Slow down means to really S  L  O  W down in your story telling.  Freeze the moment in time, spread it thinner and wider, expand the moment.
Voice:  When you see this on the page, it means I am hearing your voice and that’s a good thing.  I’m just bringing attention to that mystical elusive aspect of writing.
Space/Place:  When you see this on your pages, this means I want you to describe your physical location—underfoot, overhead, right, left.   It’s like checking in with the staging aspect of writing
Go Vertical:  This is your moment to ruminate and to ask questions and even attempt to answer them.  Pat answers are suspect.  You are not looking for answers you are looking for questions and shades of answers to your questions and the willingness to be wrong.  If you are firm on your assessment of the situation and what it all means, stop doing that and look at your need to nail it all down.  Put that on the page.  IE:  I need things to make sense, I do, I feel safe and right and pulled together.  I can take this question off the checklist, but can I?  Is being safe about being alive?  Can any of us make sense of the complexity of living and life and love and loss? 
Bump:  This means that something in that moment (and I am not sure what) didn’t quite work—it’s bumpy.  Something needs to be added and it’s usually something from the active part of the scene—a detail about the action that is taking place in the scene.

 2012 Spring Craft Class with Jennifer Lauck – 5– 8:00 p.m. 
Class 3, April 21: Workshop CloieCandace            Joyce Kimberly
Class 4, April 28:  Prompt – workshop Patricia                        Debbie KristenKriya
Class 5, May 5: Prompt – workshop SueElizabeth Bonnie MooreCloie
Class 6, May 12: WorkshopCandace Joyce Kimberly Patricia
Class 7, May 19: Prompt – workshop             Debbie Sue Kriya Bonnie
Class 8, May 26:    Prompt – workshop Elizabeth KristanCloieCandace
Class 9, June 2:    Prompt - Workshop       Patricia                        Debbie Sue Kriya
Class 10, June 9:  Workshop Kristen Elizabeth Bonnie Moore

Reading Details:  Sight read first round.  This means you bring copies for everyone or half the amount so people can share.  13 total copies.  Or 7.  Pre-read for rest of term and you submit pages four days prior to class to Cloie Cohen [email protected]*
Up to eight pages, DOUBLE SPACED, with page numbers and name, .doc or pdf. Format, 12 pt. font.
Each student is responsible for printing, reading and coming to class prepared to discuss pages that have been pre-submitted.
 *If you do not submit or miss your deadline, you lose your reading spot or have the option of bringing pages to sight read but only five.
Additional Details:  jenniferlauck.com – Prolifically Raw for student info. 

Scene:  What is it?
            A moment in time where something happens to move the story forward. From Tell it Slant by Brenda Miller and Suzanne Paola, “Scene is the building block of creative non-fiction…Scene is based on action unreeling before us, as it would in a film and it will draw on the same techniques as fiction—dialogue, description, point of view, specificity, concrete detail. Scene also encompasses the lyricism and imagery of great poetry.”                           From Story Engineering by Larry Brooks, a scene must present a dramatic scenario with something at stake.   Scenes thrust the story forward and have a beginning, middle and ending.             Two types of scene: representative and specific.             Representative is a summary of many times, presented in a cinematic scope.  IE:  Every Sunday, Mother made pancakes and warmed the maple syrup on the stove.  Specific scenes are marked by time markers:  That day, Sunday, one day, etc.              How do you where a scene is?             You know a scene based on two factors:  change of location, or change in time.  Every time you do either, you have a new scene.             How to mark a scene on the page?             You mark a scene change with a space break or a new chapter.              What is required in each scene?             Each scene requires you to do set up, locators and basically include most of the elements I’ve outlined in the scene recipe card (below).  Use it as a checklist to see if you have included these set up elements of location as well as details of descripton. 
·      Where are you now?  Within your imagination, as you recreate this moment, did you look up, down, right, left, in front and behind you? Note your very practical location in space and time.·      Where Are You in the World? Have you, more than once (3 times is not over stating in a larger work) named your city, state, country, streets, stores, restaurants.  Have you mapped the geography of your place?·      Nature as a Major Character: Have you made reference to the seasons as your story progress and in each scene? What season is it?  What is happening with weather, birds, sky, sun, wind? ·       People & Personality: Did you include the names of everyone, (to include a study of the names of the major characters)? What about the inclusion of habits, mannerisms, speech patterns, attitudes, what people (including you) wear, what they carry with them in form of jewelry, purses, bags as well as their desires, hopes, dreams.·      Dialogue: Do your characters speak and do they sound like real human beings?  Does your dialogue provide solid characterizations and act in that way in the story you try to tell? ·      Sensory Writing:  Have you included the senses of taste, touch, smell, sound, sight and movement of mind?·      Verticality:  Are you taking your time to load the above with at least three details that expand/deepen the descriptions? Do you rush past each moment, rather than experience it fully in memory and thus on the page, in order to get to another part of the story?  Can you slow down and revisit the above opportunities and deepen with more detail? 
1) Do you know where your scenes begin and end?  If you don’t, find that beginning and end. 2) Do you know the point of your scene? If you don’t have an answer to that question, find the answer. 3) How many scenes should I expect to write?  There is no limit but the average is about 40-70 for a full-length book.  4)  Apply this rule:  if your story holds together without the scene, get rid of it.  If it doesn’t, keep it.

 
Critique SheetEvolved from Chapter 14 – Tell it Slant
Writers need feedback.  The myth of writers as loners who follow their vision and remain true to their inner muse, bucking rather than embracing outside help, is very much a myth…writers use one another unceasingly as idea sources and sounding boards.  Virtually all writers do.  “I write,” Terry Tempest Williams, “in a solitude born out of community.” TIS, Pg. 162
Remember always that as you give to others in your group, you will get back.  You have a deep commitment to their growth as writers and to the productive workings of the group as a whole, so always act accordingly.  Also, we often learn the most about our own writing while listening carefully to critique about someone else’s works.  What is true for that person struggling with a satisfying ending is probably true for you as well.  Don’t assume that the only time you learn anything is when your own piece is up for discussion.   TIS, Pg. 165
Do & Don’t: Pg. 165-166
Don’t use pointlessly critical language:  IE
Don’t be subjective or start talking about your own experience unless there’s a specific reason to, such as an expert knowledge you can add to the work at hand. 
When you give praise, do see if you can add even more to your comment by suggesting another place where the same writing tactics can help the essay.  Do provide revision suggestions freely, along with support and encouragement.  The other side of the workshop coin from the pick-it-all-apart session is the lovefest, which ultimately disrespects the writer’s ability to bring her work to a higher level, and do him no good. 
Do jot down the scenes, descriptions, and images that stick what you:  the “Velcro words and phrases,” as writer and teacher Sheila Bender put it.  Put the essay down and make note of the first thing you remember about it.  Generally these passages are the ones that not only are the best written, but the most key to what the essay is doing at a deep level.
Do identify the emotionally tones of the essay and its prose.  You may sense the pleasure of a friend’s visit, of a hike, the anxiety of sentences that all begin with, “I think, or “I believe.”  Do you get the sense of over formality in a phrase like “I am perturbed”?  Do you wonder why the author calls her mother by the definite article, “the mother”?  Does it feel somewhat chilly?  In all cases, are these feelings ones the author intended to convey, or do they seem unintentional and perhaps working against the movement of the essay?
Do identify your curiosity.  Make note of where specifically you want to know more. Which locations/characters would benefit from more description? Which characters’ voice do you want to hear?  Where do you want to know more about the author’s responses and feelings?  These curiosities help locate places for expansion. 


When you write well, revision becomes not a chore, but the essence of the writing act itself.  ~ TIS, pg. 158