10.9 Writing a path to the final scene and brainstorming for Draft 2

Tonight's focus was on creating an essay that knows where it is going from the first word of the title:  An essay that drops readers into carrying metaphors that evoke the feelings and ideas central to its contemplation. 

Brainstorming to mental flash shots.  For the brainstorming activity you let yourself settle into a relaxed state, and watched the images that flicker through your head.  As best you could, without interrupting the flow of the picture show, you wrote down key words to call back that image when you finished the exercise.

When we shared lists, you looked to see if there were patterns in the sequence or focus of your images.  Did their sequence suggest any kind of chronology?  Are all these images related some how? 

Then you wrote the scene evoked by one of the images, both as a narrative, and as a description (just the details of what you can see).

You also did some freewriting, followed by some focused freewriting.  We didn't do much with that, but it is there in your notebook.  Something that came into your mind.

The Patch and Silent Dancing
.We talked about these two essays using similar processes (though I belabored the structure a little more in McPhee's essay).  First we generated a list of what the essay was "about" = the ideas or feelings that operated as a kind of center for the stories/material the author presented.  Then we puled out some of the recurring images or metaphors the author resorted to in his/her telling of the story.  And finally, we looked at how the author used the sequence, juxtaposition, repetition, and so on the "build" an overall felt response - the reader's takeaway for the essay.  We also noticed how these two essays lead us to a final scene which calls upon much, if not all, of the material the authors have placed in our way, as if, they are orchestrating an experience of reading an essay which will allow us to see the thoughts and feelings evoked by their writing  both in terms of our own experiences, and theirs.

For next week:
Blog 6:  Brainstorming for draft 2 for the long essay.  Try listing some of the feelings/ideas you want your essay to be about, identifying "scenes" to create the experience of those feelings/ideas, listing some metaphors in your feelings & ideas that will "carry" your concept.  This may not be the way you usually write - but see what you can do with it.

Next class will be devoted to work on drafting long essay to, so come to class with some material to work with.