Personal Mythology Semester Project Guide
(Special thanks to the
Advanced Creative Writing teachers at Darby and to Mrs. Rosanna Johnson for the
ideas and format of this project.)
You’ll need some
type of folder to carry your items in for the next several weeks. Two pocket
folders may work the best.
1. Bring
in ten photographs from your life or the life of your family.
Ø Each
photograph should be distinctly different from the others. They should come from different events, be of
different people, and be taken during different time periods.
Ø Each
photo should give insight into you, your family, or someone important to you.
Ø At
least two of the photos should be older, from when you were young or from your
parents’ lives.
2. For
each photograph, write a scene (one or
two paragraphs) describing in detail the event, people, or images present.
Ø At
least two of the scenes should focus on setting
Ø At
least two should focus on character.
Ø At
least two should focus on plot.
Ø Label each scene by its type.
3. Develop two of your scenes into FC form for
your scrapbook, to be accompanied by their pictures.
4. Remember: Keep all of the pictures and
stories because they will be the groundwork the entire project. They will also
go in your scrapbook.
Part 2: Tapping into memory.
1. Make
a list of ten memories (big and
small) from your childhood.
2. Pick
five and write a paragraph for each
describing the memory.
3. Of those five,
pick three to collect ideas for scrapbook pages, including pictures, collages,
words, writings, etc.
4. Of those three,
pick one and develop:
Ø A
thorough characterization about each character. Focus on what they look like,
their personalities, and their interests, etc.
Ø Setting,
focusing on imagery.
Then,
Ø Put
these ideas together. Create a short story capturing the significance of the
event to be included in the final
scrapbook with its accoutrements.
5. Rewrite this story
from another character’s point of view.
If there is only one character, write it from a third person narrator or
from the point of view of a friend or by-stander telling a story.
1. Pick
someone from your parents' or grandparents' generations to whom you are close or are just interested in. You are going to need to have access to this
person, so don’t pick someone who
lives far away. This can be a relative or someone outside your family.
2. Develop
a list of at least 20 interview questions you could ask this person. Among these questions should be a request to
get a tour of their pictures.
3. Set
up a time to interview this person. Your need to either tape-record the
interview (audio or video) or take detailed notes about their lives. You may want to take some pictures while you
are there. All notes and pictures from this should be added
to your scrapbook.
4. Write
a character sketch about this person.
Capture the following:
Ø The person’s physical presence
Ø A full sense of the person’s persona – the flavor and facts of their
personality
Ø A feel for their lives, the mood and events
that make them who they are
5. This
character sketch in FC form along with your notes and any pictures will be
included in your scrapbook.
Part 4: Capturing the “moments” of your life.
1. Pick
two of the following events/places to visit:
Ø Cafeteria
Ø Dinner
at home
Ø Entrance
of school when it ends and/or begins
Ø Hallway
between classes
Ø Sports
or music practice
Ø Fast
food restaurant
Ø Study
hall
Ø The
Mall
2. Now
pick two places on your own to visit, giving
you a total of four.
At each of these places,
take detailed notes of what you see, hear, taste, feel, and smell. I suggest using places significant to you,
especially in terms of creating a scrapbook.
Remember to keep all your notes. They will go in your scrapbook.
3. Find
photographs in magazines, newspapers, etc. that capture these scenes and/or
senses.
4. Choose
one of the four and write a personal
narrative about your experience. Use
1st person present tense. This will go in your scrapbook.
5. Choose another of the four and write a
descriptive essay about it. This will also go in your scrapbook.
v
Some activities may be subject to change depending on class
studies.
v
If you have ideas for alternative ways to present various parts
of this project – poetry for example – just ask!
v
The obvious theme in this project is family, but it could just
as easily be school/high school. Seniors
– give this serious consideration: it could be a great way to document your
senior year!
v
Consider also making this project digital!
Worth
100 points, your final product Due tba _____
Sketches
of scrapbook layout – 25 points Due tba _____
Ø
should be creatively put together: either a
separate non-lined notebook or a series of construction or art paper, neatly
bound together.
Ø
should capture your life and the lives of
those close to you via a conglomerate of photographs, drawings, collages,
magazine cutouts, newspaper cutouts, and personal writings (formal and
informal).
Ø
must
include the items below from each of the groups of exercises though you will certainly wish to include other pieces and work as desired..
Ø
A
Table of Contents for the scrapbook.
Ø
Two
final copy scenes from the Writing from Pictures activities, including the
pictures themselves.
Ø
Three
RD or FC descriptive paragraphs from the Tapping into Memory activities,
including pictures, collages, words, writings, etc.
Ø
Final
Copy of Tapping into Memory Short Story with pictures, collages, words,
writings, etc.
Ø
Character
sketch in FC form along with your notes and any pictures.
Ø
Capturing
the Moments of Your Life “Moment Notes” (total of four) with photos, cut-outs,
etc.
Ø
Capturing
the Moments of Your Life Personal Narrative FC, Descriptive Essay FC, and
accompanying pictures & materials.
Ø
will represent your best writing with appropriate
sensitivity to theme, audience, and
purpose
tba
_______ Work on Part 1 – Writing from pictures
tba
_______ Work on Part 2 – Tapping
into your memory
tba
_______ Work on Part 3 – Interviewing
and giving characters life
tba
_______ Work
on Part 4 – Capturing the moments of
your life
tba
_______ Finish writing; put scrapbook together
tba
_______ Final project due
tba
_______ Presentations to class
Due
tba _____ 10 points: photos & folders
Due
tba _____ 50 points: 10 scenes
– 5 points for each scenes
Due
tba _____ 50 points: FC scenes
with RRDs & pictures (both FCs will be included in scrapbook
with pictures) – 2 worth 25
points each
Due
tba _____ 25 points: 5 descriptive paragraphs (three will be included in scrapbook in RD
or FC form) – 5 points each (three of these to be included with
pictures, collages, words, writings, etc. in scrapbook)
Due
tba _____ 10 points: characterizations
based on your one selected memory
Due
tba _____ 10 points: setting
based on your one selected memory
Due
tba _____ 25 points: short story #1 RD
with Prewriting due
Due
tba _____ 25 points: non-selected short story (could be SS#1
or SS#2, different point of view) FC with RRD; completion only
Due
tba _____ 50 points: selected
BEST short story FC with RRD (Final
Copy to be included with pictures, collages, words, writings, etc. in
scrapbook)
Due
tba _____ 10 points: name of person and 20 questions
Due
tba _____ 20 points:
notes or tape of the interview
Due
tba _____ 50 points: character sketch FC w/ RRD
Due
tba _____ 10 points: visits with notes
Due
tba _____ 25 points: FC
of Personal Narrative w/ RRD
Due
tba _____ 25 points: FC of Descriptive Essay w/ RRD