Stranger in a Strange Land
Stranger in a Strange Land
Writers are notorious for capturing all sorts of things in their journals: striking images, bits of dialogue, snatches of songs, smells that evoke memories, initial ideas, etc. Sometimes, though, writers also use their journals to explore concepts more thoroughly or play what-if games. During this course, you will keep a writer’s journal. Your first entry is due in this module week. Let’s get journaling.
For each journal activity, you will need a notebook or an app of some kind that allows you to jot down notes. Use the journal prompt to guide your notes. By the end of the course, you will complete four journal entries describing different things you experienced at other times. Each entry has a different prompt. Begin each entry with an approximate time and place. Write without judging or censoring. Pay attention to vernacular dialect if writing dialogue.
Example: 10 AM at the coffee shop: A man slurps his coffee at the following table. There are cookie crumbs and sprinkles all over his table. Behind the counter, the baristas talk about the concert they went to over the weekend. Two women walk in; both wear big hats, oversized sunglasses with thick black frames, dark lenses, bright red lipstick, and white cotton short dresses showing off their tan lines. One is saying, “I can’t believe he bought a convertible at his age!” She is talking very loud and has a thick Southern drawl. Her friend avoids the gossip and changes the subject to the yacht party over the weekend, where someone fell overboard.
The following applies to all journal assignments and is not repeated.
There is no writing word count requirement for your journal; however, a sufficient entry that will grade well should be between 300-500 words. Make your best effort not to exceed 500 words. You will submit your written work from your journal or writing app as a text entry either by typing or copying/pasting it into the submission text box. Review the “How do I submit a text entry assignment?” guide.
In this exercise, practice using your showing vs. telling skills. Imagine you have just arrived in a foreign country. Carry your journal with you for an entire day and write in it whenever you have a few minutes. Write anything that you are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or touching. Write your thoughts, feelings, snatches of conversation, newspaper headlines, daydreams, plans, first lines of stories, first lines of poems, etc.
In your journal response:
- Share the journal entry and include the approximate time(s) and place(s) at the beginning of your entry.
- Address this reflection question: Based on this journal exercise, how do the functions of showing vs. telling aid the creative writing process?
Refer to the rubric for grading details. Submit your entry as a text submission.
| ENGL 355 M1 Journal Rubric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Criteria | Ratings | Pts |
|
Structure/Depth
view longer description
|
10 to >6 pts
Above Average
6 to >3 pts
Average
3 to >0 pts
Below Average
|
/ 10 pts
|
|
Content/Organization
view longer description
|
50 to >40 pts
Above Average
40 to >30 pts
Average
30 to >0 pts
Below Average
|
/ 50 pts
|
|
Development
view longer description
|
40 to >30 pts
Above Average
30 to >20 pts
Average
20 to >0 pts
Below Average
|
/ 40 pts
|
| Total Points: | ||
Keeping a Writer’s Journal
For each journal activity, you will need a notebook or an app of some kind that allows you to jot down notes. Use the journal prompt to guide your notes. By the end of the course, you will complete four journal entries describing different things you experienced at other times. Each entry has a different prompt. Begin each entry with an approximate time and place. Write without judging or censoring. Pay attention to vernacular dialect if writing dialogue.
Example: 10 AM at the coffee shop: A man slurps his coffee at the next table. There are cookie crumbs and sprinkles all over his table. Behind the counter, the baristas talk about the concert they went to over the weekend. Two women walk in; both wear big hats, oversized sunglasses with thick black frames, dark lenses, bright red lipstick, and white cotton short dresses showing off their tan lines. One is saying, “I can’t believe he bought a convertible at his age!” She is talking very loud and has a thick Southern drawl. Her friend avoids the gossip and changes the subject to the yacht party over the weekend, where someone fell overboard.
The following applies to all journal assignments and is not repeated.
There is no writing word count requirement for your journal; however, a sufficient entry that will grade well should be between 300-500 words. Make your best effort not to exceed 500 words. You will submit your written work from your journal or writing app as a text entry either by typing or copying/pasting it into the submission text box. Review the “How do I submit a text entry assignment?” guide. Links to an external site.
Journal 1
In this exercise, practice using your showing vs. telling skills. Imagine you have just arrived in a foreign country. Carry your journal with you for an entire day and write in it whenever you have a few minutes. Write anything that you are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or touching. Write your thoughts, feelings, snatches of conversation, newspaper headlines, daydreams, plans, first lines of stories, first lines of poems, etc.
In your journal response:
- Share the journal entry and include the approximate time(s) and place(s) at the beginning of your entry.
- Address this reflection question: Based on this journal exercise, how do the functions of showing vs. telling aid the creative writing process?
Refer to the rubric for grading details. Submit your entry as a text submission.
