Blog Entries from teacherayala

  1. Portia

    Today we were reading the part of Julius Caesar (Act 2 Scene 1) when Portia has a conversation with Brutus. It was fine reading it with the previous class; they are very mature kids and they get it. They get the unfairness of a woman's life being completely turned upside down beyond their control, and that Portia's fate lies entirely in Brutus' hands. They understand the ideas behind Roman culture, wrong or right. They respected Shakespeare's portrayal of Portia--her demand that Brutus...
  2. Bingo! Research Contacts!

    So I was having a difficult time finding someone in Panama who knew something about gubernatorial campaigns in the U.S. My solution was to Facebook my request for contacts, and two of my friends found me people who may be willing to go back and forth with email more in-depth as I am actually doing the writing. Hooray for technology! Also, I am rather happy because my struggling student gave me a proposal for her research essay that I was a little worried that she wouldn't complete....
  3. Pondering Story Ideas

    Today my mind kept drifting to potential story ideas. I thought about a young pre-teen girl who was forced to do various therapies with her psychologist mother during her growing up years. I imagined a dialogue in which she was using her puppet to try and explain to her mom exactly why she doesn't wish to have a conversation with her about her feelings over her growing breasts and her new training bra. Then my struggling student from the previous post skipped my class today, worrying...
  4. First Day Back at School After Vacation

    So I was in discussion with the art teacher today, and I was telling her about my dilemma with choosing settings for my short stories, and how I find "write what you know" a bit limiting. "Well, what settings do you know?" she asked me. "Well, I grew up in rural NY, I'm a mom, and I'm a teacher. I guess I just find these aspects of my life so boring that I prefer to imagine different settings--even those which I would never experience in my lifetime." "Why don't you write about a...
  5. Researching a Short Story

    So far, my protagonist has changed into a completely different person. (Too bad, because I really liked the other protagonist's name.) I have been researching people who are involved in a political campaign. I've also tried to research what kinds of crimes take place in a political campaign, and have completely changed my scenario. The only thing I wish I could do is actually work within a political campaign or even visit one just to see what the energy is like, what the people are like who...
  6. The Downside of Editing and Revising

    Well, I guess I set myself up for this. I was just so happy to be writing again, and so happy to be figuring out the revision process that I think I was just a little too enthusiastic. I didn't anticipate the negative feelings that ultimately happen when you get a good (and honest!) critique. It's all good. It's all ok. I'll have more vacations, and more opportunities to write. Somehow I'll find a way to rework this story that has given me computer neck and occupied my thoughts and even...
  7. Editing and Revision

    My short story, Gilded Lilies, is now called Smokescreens. I'm not sure how I feel about the title. I am still considering it a work in progress. This week has been wonderful for me to really focus on this short story. I really don't think I will be done revising it anytime soon, but at least I'm getting to participate in the process. When I did creative writing at the university level, the revision and editing process was far more painful. Comments from teachers were designed to be...
  8. Creative Writing Blog Intro

    As I have been exploring the site more and more, I am gradually discovering all of these really fun tidbits about the creative writing forum, including this little blog here. I'm hoping that this will help me get back on track with my writing and ESPECIALLY my editing. Sometimes I feel as though I just don't have a freakin' clue, and I've even wondered if I should take a creative writing course just to get some further training. A lot of my writing is just intuitive, and I'm even wondering...
Loading...
  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice