Based on your reading in Telling True Stories for today, answer the following:
1. How does a writer find a good topic? What are you thinking of writing about for your Talk of the Campus/Town?
2. Of the 10 narrative writing tips Kramer gives, which do you think is the most important and why?
Please respond to at least 2 of your classmates posts. Your initial post is due by Sunday, and your responses by classtime Tuesday.
In order for a writer to come across a good topic... they have to be there, they have to be present in the setting they are writing about.
ReplyDeleteAs for my talk of the town topic I am thinking about writing a piece on wedding planning or maybe night life/social drinking. I am completely at a lost for words on what I could possibly talk about. I don't live on campus and I don't leave my house often unless its to go to work or school. So picking a topic will be a challenge.
The most important narrative writing tip given by Kramer to me was 'Find hints of character in the action.' Usually we are writing about a person or a particular set of people. Regardless of what is happening in the story the people being written about have character traits that can add a lot to the story line. A person's mood and feelings can really direct a story to a different level.
I totolly agree about the persons mood and feelings can really direct a story to a different level. I love to feel the emotion of the character.
DeleteI agree also. Being able to connect with the characters in a story keeps you reading. Puts you in their shoes so to speak.
DeleteA writer needs to find a good topic by deciding if a story is newsworthy and current. Another thing that a writer needs to be able to do is have access to his story and topic piece.
ReplyDeleteMy Talk of the Town is going to be based on the Berkley 8th Grade Travel Basketball Team. This travel team did not win ONE game last year and then under new coaching and "team" work have gone on to becoming an undefeated team. The game of the season is against Bridgewater. The winner of this game takes the first slot. Will this Berkley team be the first team in Berkley to finally beat a Bridgewater team?
The most important writing tip for me is #6: "Pinpoint your subjects' emotional experience, not your own." The reason it is important is because when I read an article or story I want to read the characters thoughts and feelings but I do not like to know what the author feels on the subject.
I like your talk of the town topic. Sounds like something out of a movie. Very cool how a town rallies around such young kids playing sports
DeleteI think your talk of the town topic is a great choice, it would definitely be interesting to see what the outcome is of the game.
DeleteA writer needs a strong topic worth writing about. A writer also needs to be present for what they are writing about. I am still trying to find a talk of the town topic. I was thinking of writings about one of the many fundraiser that are going on in my community. The most important writing tip I thought was to pinpoint your subjects emotional experience not your own. It's much more import at to as a reader to know the subjects responses in a piece rather than the writers.
ReplyDeleteJared Crawford
ReplyDeleteFor a writer to be able to select a good topic, it is most important that they present for their topic. If you are trying to write about something you can not connect with, your writing is sure to have issues. As well writing about something that is something current, usually connects with your ability to be present. If you are there for it and it is happening, it has the chance to be a great topic.
As for my talk of the town topic I am flirting with the idea of looking into our new school president, Fred Clark. Fled Clark is very close family friends with a good hometown friend of mine so I was hoping I could get business side of things from him, in terms of what his plans for the school are and what the students expect, but also a look at his personal side.
Your choice of looking into what Fred Clark is planning to bring to BSU is definitely a good topic and is a current event. If you choose to do this topic, I am sure it will be a great read.
DeleteNumber 6 stands out for me. "pinpoint your subjects' emotional experience, not yours" This was an issue in my last essay. I let my feelings creep into the story.
ReplyDeleteFor my Talk of the Town piece I was thinking of the Weymouth Evening High School program. This program caters to anyone who hasn't finished high school for whatever reason and wants to recieve their actual high school diploma. Every student has their own story and the path they chose.
I think your topic for the Talk of the Town is great. We don't take the time to know the people that are involved in an evening high school program. It will be nice to know their story.
DeleteThat sounds like an awesome talk of the town topic. I think it would be really interesting and informative about a program like that.
DeleteTopic choice is clearly a top priority. For the specific style, a writer has to choose both a strong topic while also presenting the phrasing and wording correctly to the target audience. Personally for me, I do not yet know exactly what I want to write my essay about. However, I'll definitely be trying my best to convey what I thought the most important tip was; presenting the subjects emotional experience as oppose to my own.
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point and I totally agree, each topic has its own "ora" about how it should be written for whatever audience they're going after, and i'm sure you will find a great topic choice for your talk of the town paper.
DeleteYou make valid points. It really starts at the topic. When you walk into a book store... you are primarily going to walk to a specific section - which is a general topic until it gets narrowed down to something more specific.
DeleteIn order for a writer to come up with a good topic to write about you the writer have to one know a lot about the topic. However I think the most important thing is, to write about something you want to know and have a passion about.
ReplyDeleteI think for me personally I’m leaning towards writing about the ongoing deflate gate incident that the patriots are currently still going through that started a little over a month ago that made top news all around the world but especially here in New England.
writing about something of interest is always a good choice because it can be fun sometimes to express deep feelings in the writing. Good choice with the deflate gate
DeleteDeflate gate is certainly a hot topic to write about. My only question about focusing on deflate gate is how are you going to make sure you separate your writing from others, including professionals, who have written their own pieces on the topic.
DeleteIn order for a writer to have a good topic they have to have heavy interest in it or a good amount of knowledge on it to make it interesting. I have heard that writing a piece on something you are very against is sometimes a good choice because the writer often can go in an interesting and passionate rant and it makes for a good read. For my talk of the town piece I think I am going to write about my work. I work at Fenway Park about 3 days a week and with the season about a month away the stadium is covered in snow up to almost 8 ft on some parts of the playing field alone. With much snow and cold times this winter I'd like to write about the optimism and excitement of whats coming to Fenway this summer.
ReplyDeleteThis will work well because conditions are pretty much coming from an all time low. Theres a lot you'll be able to do with this.
Delete1) The key to selecting a good topic is choosing one with both meaning and action. You want a topic with some type of unfolding action or effects. It is important to capture some bigger idea, rather than just reporting what a place looks like. It is also essential to choose a topic that you can access and experience yourself. I am not too sure what I am going to focus on yet, but one idea I have is how the town of Pembroke (my hometown) feels about the new Stop & Shop in the center of town.
ReplyDelete2) I believe the most important of Kramer’s ten tips is number 8: “Late in the drafting process, crystalize the point of your story.” If your reader finishes your piece and can draw no emotion or purpose from what they have read, you have failed. A piece will never be successful without a main point or theme. That is what the reader is seeking and therefore it is the most essential aspect of the piece.
In order for a writer to select a good topic for one: they need to be there. To be able to feel and see the subject they're writing about. Not only that but deciding if what they're planning on writing about is worth writing about, because for any good story something has to happen in order for people to want to read your story. For my talk of the town topic I was thinking of writing about how the students of BSU try to maintain a healthy lifestyle/ eating habbits while dealing with the stress of college ad how students at least attempt to.
ReplyDeleteOf the ten tips Kramer had given in the book the most important one would be the first one: thinking of what topic would intertest readers. Any writer probably has some sort of target audience in mind. Childrens authors go for children, nature lovers want to read the latest on things such as new facts about birds or some sort, etc.
This was my second choice for the most important tip. Arguably the most important too, because if readers are simply not interested, it ends there.
DeleteGina Vozzella
ReplyDelete1: In order for a writer to select a good topic they need to be able to be there. This will be able to help them write a lot more about their topic and have a better idea on it. I'm not entirely sure on what I am going to talk about for talk of the town but I am leaning towards the change in the special education department at Saugus High School.
2: The part i feel is most important is that you need to crystalize the main point of your story. I think you need to have a main purpose for your reader to focus on, otherwise they will not stay interested.
Great points, i can concur also that being present at a setting allows the writer to provide great detail - which works as proof to the writer that their writing is valid and actually something worth reading.
DeleteAnother great point you mentioned was having a main purpose to focus on... in other words... what is the reason i'm taking my time to read this. What will i get out of it? Will it be emotionally moving? informational? etc. Having this established early on in the writing process, it will certainly provide direction for the rest of the writing piece