Final Project Information

Final Project Instructions

MLA Style Guide

Annotated Biography

Tips for Talks

 

Writing Fiction
What is Plot?
E. M. Forester describes the difference between plot and story, thusly: 

The king died and then the queen died is a story.

The king died, and then the queen died of grief is plot.



What is Fiction?
Ralph Waldo Emerson: Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.” 

James Clive:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiction is life with the dull bits left out


What do you need to write fiction?
  • Question, puzzle, or conflict that complicates life for
  • Characters that develop/change/ complicate life for themselves or others in a
  • Setting that seems true to its own world (even if that world is strange/bizarre), and
  • causality–something happens or changes BECAUSE of something/ someone else

When the question looks to the future, we create suspense.
When the question looks to the past, we create mystery.


Mrs. B.’s Fiction-Writing Tips
Your opening should grab the readers’ attention. Don’t just count on our goodwill: excite us, motivate us, compel us to keep reading. Create characters that are true to the human condition (even if they are robots or squirrels). Remember that you are writing fiction and not just narrative; therefore, you must have a PLOT that shows causality. The plot should have a question, problem, puzzle that needs answering, solving, unraveling, explaining. Suspense and/or mystery will help your readers stay engaged. The end must feel like an ending (even if it is the beginning of something else).  The ending must satisfy what has gone before and not just seem like the end of your page limit.

Short Stories: 10 Tips for Novice Creative Writers

How to Write Successful Endings

Digital Story Telling

Your digital media project finds its roots in Digital Story Telling. Digital Storytelling integrates spoken narrative with media such as music and still and moving images to creative an evocative personal story. Consider: Joe Lambert’s Seven Elements of Digital Storytelling 1. Point (of View) 2. Dramatic Question 3. Emotional Content 4. The Gift of Your Voice 5. The Power of the Soundtrack 6. Economy 7. Pacing  DSTCookbook (preview)

Why Digital Storytelling?

By compressing the key elements of a piece of writing into a script for your digital story, you learn to pare words down to their essentials. By setting Austen’s words to music and visual media, you better understand not only her words, but also, the art of making films. By choosing, manipulating, and juxtaposing various media, you will make better-informed choices in your writing. And, it’s fun.

What do I need to start?

  • Text–one or two pages double spaced–one page is better
  • 10-15 photographs or (1-2 minutes of video)
  • Music on CD or in digital form

How do I get going with this assignment?

    • Choose text.
    • Record sound.
    • Choose and assemble photos and sound. Save on Muskrat.
    • Meet for tech support if needed.
    • Save and burn to  CD using QT (iiMovie2CD.doc) and DVD using I-DVD ( iMovie2CD.doc): CD tutorial DVD tutorial.
    • Present one to two minute i-movie. Bring DVD and CD.

Resources

Looking at Digital Media Projects

Take these questions as a guide as you create your digital media projects:

• Title—Does it capture the essence of the piece and/or forecast what is ahead?
Script—Do you capture or attention? Have you eliminated unnecessary words? Is it worthy of our time?
Voice—Can we hear the speaker distinctly? Is the voice over too fast or too slow? Can we hear the speaker over the music?
• Music—Does it fit the piece? Does it overshadow the voiceover? Does the music go on forever after visuals are done because you want us to hear important lyrics, or because you don’t know how to cut your audio?
Stills and Clips—Are they clear? Appropriate? Long enough? Too long?
Framing –Are we missing an important section of your clip or picture because you don’t know how to turn off or manipulate the Ken Burns effect?
Credits and Acknowledgements—Do they exist? Can we actually read them? Are they too long or too short, too fast or to slow?
Technical Issues—Any big problems, or does the project seem pretty smooth?
Pacing & Timing—Do some parts drag? Do some parts whiz by so fast we have no idea what they are?
Transitions and Ken Burns Effect—Have these been used effectively? Not over-used but used appropriately to fit the situation?
Theme—Does it fit the section of the novel chosen?
• Creativity and Wow Factor—anything here that makes you chuckle, smile, weep, nod in approval, or shout, “Yes!” or “I love it!”

The Wilson Media Lab (Lib 220) is open to the public while the Main Library is open.  These computers provide Middlebury College with tools to meet digital media development needs.

The Digital Media Tutors provide walk-in support for the Wilson Media Lab from Sunday through Friday.

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