Writing Assignment: The Diary
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- 3/2/2008 |
- 10:00 am
During my writing assemblies and workshops at schools, I'm impressed by the number of students who keep a journal. That's a great way to grow comfortable with writing on an everyday basis. Your assignment for this month allows you to transform the idea of a journal, or diary, into a vehicle for creative writing. Here's what it's all about...
The essence of a journal is not so much the fact that it chronicles your actions during the day, but rather the ability it gives you to record your feelings and emotions. Those same possibilities exist when you use the idea of a diary as a way of telling a fictional story.
Let's step out a bit this month, and flex your creative muscle. I want you to become an actor of sorts, and pretend that you are a person who has discovered that they have 24 hours to live. You're also given a journal, and told to record those 24 hours to leave behind for family and friends.
So, your story is told in the form of a personal diary. Write the entire assignment just as you would your own diary, except that in this case you only have one day left. What have you done with that remaining time? How did you spend each hour? And, just as importantly, how did your mood and emotions change during that day? How did they shift? What did you reflect upon that you might not have otherwise? What did you do differently with your life during those 24 hours?
Some might see this as a morbid experiment, but I think it allows you to explore more of a depth of feelings, and it gives you a chance to practice what this site is all about: recording those feelings through the written word! The most powerful writing in the world will always express deep emotions of one kind or another. This is your chance to practice.
And, as always, feel free to share any comments about this or any other assignment. Teachers, you're welcome to post your thoughts, as well as any interesting results from your students.
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Paige
April 16, 2008 6:04 am
Hi dom Testa! My name is Paige, and you stopped at my school the other day for a writers workshop, and you presented an assembly to my school. Although i was not able to attend the writers workshop, I was at the assembly. I was #3 in the story where we had to fill in the blanks with creative words. I picked a three toed sloth. I just wanted to thank you for coming to my school because I really enjoyed it, and you inspired me in a lot of ways.
#1) Dont go with the crowd, when you finally finish school not ONE person will recall how "cool" and "popular" you were.
#2) Be unique in your own way.
#3) Finally, be creative, there's no such thing as being too creative.
Like I said, thank you, and you are an insperation. I am one of those 25 people that understood the message you were trying to send to us, and yes, that changed my life!
Thank you!
Sincerley, Paige
