Writing Prompt: Take a peek at Open Culture's link to the quintessential vampire film, Nosferatu, which Open Culture describe as follows:
"F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent feature adapts Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but just loosely enough so that it could put its own stamp on the myth and not actually have to pay for rights to the novel. Jonathan and Mina Harker? Now Thomas and Ellen Hutter. Jonathan’s boss Renfield? Now a fellow named Knock. Count Dracula, to whose vast and crumbling estate Renfield sends the hapless Jonathan? Now Count Orlok — and unforgettably so. We can post no more relevant endorsement ofNosferatu‘s enduring value than to say that it remains scary, or at least eerie, to this day. I defy any sophisticated modern viewer to spend All Hallows’ eve with this picture and not come away feeling faintly unsettled."
After viewing the film, write your own review or your reaction to the film. Better yet, write your short story inspired by this classic silent film.
View the video to discover just what the Office of Letters and Light is all about!
Join forces with the Office of Letters and Light to again participate in NaNoWriMo, November 1-30, 2013! Start Scribbling your novel, today or should we say tomorrow!
Happy NaNoWritMo!
The Writing Whisperer
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of the Written Word!
Writing Prompt: Listen to Christopher Walken reading Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven."
Now, see if you can create a repeating line which you would then use in your own poem or short story to create the same type of SPOOKY, CHILLING effect that Poe has created in his poem, "The Raven."
Image Credit: The Library of Congress
Other Raven Interpretations:
"The Raven: Lou Reed’s Adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe, Illustrated by Italian Artist Lorenzo Mattotti" by Maria Popova: Click Here
A graphic novel "meant to be heard in the mind."
Now, Start Scribbling!
Have a Spooky Writing Day!
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Writing Prompt: Today's Prompt is inspired by, what would have been, Sylvia Plath's 80th birthday! Read the quote or listen to Sylvia Plath read "A Birthday Present" and respond. What do you think of the quote? The poem? Both?
“I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am.”
― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
Sylvia Plath Reads "A Birthday Present"
Read the excerpt below from Open Culture's tribute to Sylvia Plath on, what would have been, her 80th Birthday:
[Joyce Carol] Oates called Plath 'our acknowledged Queen of Sorrows, the spokeswoman for our most private, most helpless nightmares.' The poem above, “A Birthday Present,” is one of the private and nightmarish poems collected in Ariel. Plath wrote it just over half a century ago as she was contemplating the approach of her 30th birthday, and something darker. The recording is from a BBC broadcast in December of 1962, only two months before Plath’s death. (You can read the text as you listen.) In his 1966 forward to the first U.S. edition of Ariel, the poet Robert Lowell made the following assessment of Plath: 'Suicide, father-hatred, self-loathing–nothing is too much for the macabre gaiety of her control. Yet it is too much; her art’s immortality is life’s disintegration. The surprise, the shimmering, unwrapped birthday present, the transcendence “into the red eye, the cauldron of morning,” and the lover, who are always waiting for her, are Death, her own abrupt and defiant death.'"
Start Scribbling!
Have a Creative Weekend!
The Writing Whisperer
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of the Written Word!
I rarely take a Grammar Girl podcast live without at least quadruple-checking my main thesis, and Common Errors in English Usage has quickly become one of my most valued fact-checking resources. When the corners of this book are worn off, the spine is broken, and the fuzzy edges are spiked with Post-it notes marking your most used pages, don't forget to write Brians a note of thanks. By distilling reams of rules and opinions into a usable, entertaining reference book, he's made all our lives a little easier. —Mignon Fogarty (“Grammar Girl”)
Don't take our word that Common Errors in English Usage is a must have tool for writers, just read the glowing endorsements by Grammar Girl, Mignon Fogarty, and NPR's Scott Simon who both say this is a must have resource, or better yet listen to what folks are saying by clicking the video below. You can bet your bottom dollar we have a copy headed our way. If you want to read more about this book check out Common Errors in English Usage
I’d call Paul Brians’ book incredible, fabulous, or fantastic, except thanks to him, I know now that none of those words are what I really mean. Let’s just say thatCommon Errors in English Usage is the most cheerfully useful book I've read since the Kama Sutra.—Scott Simon, National Public Radio
Have a Creative Weekend!
The Writing Whisperer
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of the Written Word!
One of the many books we are currently reading is Why Read the Classics? by the Italian writer Italo Calvino (1923-1985), who is famous for his classic essay that addresses the fourteen criteria which answer the question: What Makes a Classic?. Take a peek at theanimated short film by Israeli children’s book author, and illustrator Shulamit Serafy, based on Calvino’s short story The Distance of the Moon. Calvino's short story is rich with spectacular language, playful expressions, and capricious fancy.
Now, since the video is not in English, here is your prompt. write your own original story or story outline inspired or based on the video. Remember to include: Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution/Conclusion.
Have a Creative Weekend!
The Writing Whisperer
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of the Written Word!
Tell him/her how proud you are to be writing to a soldier
Ask questions
Tell them about yourschool assignment
Tell them what is going on in your home town
Just plain old talk is all they want from us here...just what is going on and all...nothing fancy...something personal
A sample letter—
Dear Veteran, Thank you for serving our country. I am a student at JEJ Moore Middle School. Our school is sponsoringa number of activities in honor of Veterans Day. One activity is writing to the veterans who have been hospitalized. We want you to be well, and we do thank you for your sacrifice. Our country is free because of people like you, so we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Please think of all the good things about America when you do your work, it is a fine country full of good and decent people, it has wonderful ideals, and we thank you for upholding the best of America. We send our best wishes to you and to your family. And again, thank you very much.
Now Start Scribling! P.S. Consider giving your letter to a verteran. If you are completing this prompt for Mrs. White's English class, your letters will be given to Veterans of past war/conflicts who are at McQuire Veterans Hospital to ensure that all former soldiers who are hospitalized will recieve some form of appreciation on Veterans Day. All final drafts are due to Mrs. White by October 26, 2012.
Happy Writing!
The Writing Whisperer
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of the Written Word!
"One key question for breaking free of consumer culture’s hamster wheel."
Watch the remixed video entitled“What Would You Do if Money Were No Object” which takes Alan Watts' (1915-1973), the British philosopher and writer of the cult-classic The Way of Zen, ideas and remixes them into a short video which Brain Pickingssummed up as a video where, "...Watts asks the seemingly simple question of what you would do if money were no object."
After viewing the film read the following quote:
"If you say that money is the most important thing, you’ll spend your life completely wasting your time: You’ll be doing things you don’t like doing in order to go on living, that is, in order to go on doing things you don’t like doing — which is stupid!"
Do you agree with the statement or disagree with the statement? Why or why not? Don't forget, a minimum of five sentences is required. Start Scribbling! Additional Resource:
“We want to live by each others’ happiness, not by each other’s misery.”
Watch the remixed video entitled“A Message for Mankind” which is described byBrain Pickingsas "...a stirring mashup of Charlie Chaplin’s famous speech from The Great Dictatorand scenes of humanity’s most tragic and most hopeful moments in recent history, spanning everything from space exploration to the Occupy protests, with an appropriately epic score by Hans Zimmer."
After viewing the video, write at least five sentences sharing your reaction to the film. Include in your answerwhat you think the message or theme of the film might be? Start Scribbling!
Happy Writing!
The Writing Whisperer
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of the Written Word!
Illustrations by Harry Clarke for Edgar Allan Poe'sTales of Mystery and Imagination
Edgar Allan Poe is considered one of the masters of horror, and with this being the month for tricks and treats it seems appropriate to give Poe a nod...
Watch the video The Boundaries of Life and Death, a German short film inspired by Poe. After viewing the video, write at least five sentences sharing your reaction to the film. Make sure if you say you liked the video or disliked the video that you include in your answer why or why not.
The Boundaries of Life and Death and inspired by Poe
Second question: Are you a fan of horror?
Third Question: Have you read anything by Poe? If so, what and did you like it? Include in your answer why or why not. Start Scribbling!
Happy Writing!
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Include in your answer why or why not? Share your own plan to avoid procrastinating. Your answer must be written in complete sentences. A minimum of five sentences is required. Start Scribbling!
Happy Writing!
The Writing Whisperer
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of the Written Word!
Which of the following emotions best describes how you feel after hearing Ben's story? A. Distress B. Empathy C. Both Distress and Empathy Don't know what distress means: click here Don't know what empathy means: click here Watch the videos before answering:
"Stories are powerful because they transport us into other people’s worlds but, in doing that, they change the way our brains work and potentially change our brain chemistry — and that’s what it means to be a social creature."
Include in your answer why? Your answer must be written in complete sentences. A minimum of five sentences is required. Start Scribbling!
More Recent Research on the Benefits of Reading Good Literature:
Can reading Chekhov or Alice Munro improve your social skills? According to a study published yesterday in the journal Science, researchers "found that after reading literary fiction, as opposed to popular fiction or serious nonfiction, people performed better on tests measuring empathy, social perception and emotional intelligence--skills that come in especially handy when you are trying to read someone's body language or gauge what they might be thinking," the New York Times reported.
The researchers, social psychologists at the New School for Social Research in New York City, suggested the reason for this is that literary fiction "often leaves more to the imagination, encouraging readers to make inferences about characters and be sensitive to emotional nuance and complexity," the Times wrote.
"This is why I love science," said author Louise Erdrich, whose novel The Round House was used in one of the experiments, adding that the researchers "found a way to prove true the intangible benefits of literary fiction. Thank God the research didn't find that novels increased tooth decay or blocked up your arteries.... Writers are often lonely obsessives, especially the literary ones. It's nice to be told what we write is of social value. However, I would still write even if novels were useless.”-Shelf Awareness
The Power of Empathy: Brene Brown
Answer the following Questions:
What does Ms. Brown say is the difference between sympathy and empathy?
Give an example when you showed empathy toward someone.
Do you agree with Ms. Brown's conclusions about empathy?
Start Scribbling!
Happy Writing!
The Writing Whisperer
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of the Written Word!
If you were the woman in the picture what would you be reading?
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore:
Writing Prompt: What is your favorite genre/subgenre? Choose from the list below. A. Fiction-realistic fiction, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction B. Drama-comedy, tragedy C. Nonfiction-informational, persuasive, biography, autobiograpy D. Folklore-myth, legend, tall tale, fairy tale, fable E. Poetry Watch the videos before answering:
Include in your answer why? Your answer must be written in complete sentences. A minimum of five sentences is required. Start Scribbling! Once everyone in your group finishes writing share your answer with the members of your group.
On the other side of your index card answer the following questions in complete sentences:
Do you have a favorite bookshop?
What do you like about bookshops?
What happens in a bookshop when it is closed at night?
Watch the video entitled The Joy of Books and jot down the different types of books you see in the bookstore.
After viewing the film think about how technology is changing the medium of publishing books. Kindles, Nooks, Audio books are changing the way many read the written word. Keeping this is mind do you agree or disagree with the following statement: There’s nothing quite like a real book.
Answer in a complete sentence(s) make sure to include why you agree or disagree?
Again, once everyone in your group has finished answering the question, share your responses.
Before viewing the film The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore have students predict what they think the film will be about using just images found in the slideshow below.
Slideshow of Images to use in creation of narrative before viewing the film:
Now watchThe Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore:
On your index card answer the following:
What is the message or theme of the film? Explain the WHY for your answer. A minimum of five sentences is required. Start Scribbling!
Enrichment activity:
Give students the opening lines of the the book and have them create their own story.
Thanks toFilm Englishfor their assistance with how to extend the genre question using The Joy of Books and The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore films.
