ENG 3733: CW Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror

Writing Workshop #10: Experimental Shorts For our writing today, choose ONE of the following prompts and begin writing an experimental flash fiction piece with some element of fantasy, science-fiction, or horror thrown in. Remember to write it in the STYLE the examples below, but still try to weave in a slight story with characters, emotions, conflict, etc. It’s challenging, but a lot of fun! OPTION 1: Instructions for building something or playing something OPTION 2: Shopping receipts OR grocery lists OPTION 3: a movie/show review OPTION 4: voice mails  OPTOPM 5: Google search history OPTION 6: greeting/condolence cards  

For Monday, we'll read our LAST story from the book, which is the most experimental and difficult to understand. This is a story about writing itself, and how an alien civilization would have to teach us to think like them, before we could read and understand their literature/ideas. Therefore, this story is like a class itself, with the repetitive language of the story trying to lead us through a complicated--yet quite simple--lesson so that we can meet the aliens halfway. Yoachim, in her author's note, explains that "I wrote this story with the deliberate goal of making readers' brains do a thing that human brains don't generally do: read two things at once" (389). Therefore, there are literally two strands of text in this story, and you have to figure out how to read them, in what order, and with what relationship to each other. Think of it like the frames of a comic book: do you read the pictures first, or the words?  As you read, also look for the small ch...

INTRO: All of our metaphorical expressions are derived from larger, controlling metaphors that translate an abstract concept into a tangible, relatable one. For example, look at the following controlling metaphors and the many commonly-used sentences we derive from them:    IDEAS ARE PEOPLE/PLANTS The theory of relativity gave birth to so many ideas in physics. Whose brainchild was that? The seeds of his ideas will live on forever. Where’d you dig up that idea? LOVE IS A PATIENT This is a sick relationship. The marriage is dead; it can’t be revived. Their marriage is on its last legs. We’re getting back on our feet. LIFE IS A GAMBLE I’ll take my chances. You can always count on him when the chips are down. Let’s up the ante. The odds are against me.    WRITING WORKSHOP #9 : Take one of the controlling metaphors below and write a story derived from some aspect of it—using a fantasy, sci-fi, or horror perspective. A MA...

  For Monday's class, read Isabel J. Kim's story, "Why Don't We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole" (pp.202-210). This story is a direct response to a very famous sci-fi story by the great writer, Ursula K. Le Guin, called "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas." If interested, you can read that story before or after the one above at this link:  https://files.libcom.org/files/ursula-k-le-guin-the-ones-who-walk-away-from-omelas.pdf The original story is a satire, or perhaps dark commentary, on Utilitarianism, or the idea that certain things are for the common good--even suffering, poverty, and other systematic abuses. It also questions whether people really know what our society is based on, and how many of us would turn a blind eye to the horrible realities of our modern conveniences--including our food--if it meant we could continue to live the same life without interruption. So think about how Kim extends this a bit further, and question whether here...

  Secrets and Taboos: “Taboo [is considered] the oldest unwritten code of laws. It is generally supposed that taboo is older than gods and dates back to a period before any kind of religion existed… Properly speaking taboo includes only (a) the sacred or unclean character of person or things, (b) the kind of prohibition which results from this character, a (c) the sanctity or uncleanness which results from a violation of the prohibition. The violation of a taboo makes the offender himself taboo…Certain of the dangers brought into existence by the violation may be averted by acts of atonement and purification.”  (Freud, Totem and Taboo , 1913) Writing Workshop #8: Secrets and Taboos Choose ONE: 1. Write a story about a character who notices something that everyone else pretends not see, and actually refuses to acknowledge. How does the character start to realize that they’re not the only person who sees it? 2. Write a story where the only way to ...

  ENG 3373 Story #2: “The End” For your second story, I want you to write to order, meaning you are going to write a story to submit to an actual magazine publishing an anthology of SF/F/H stories linked by the general theme, “The End.” The magazine is River City Siren Press, which is a relatively new publication, so it will be trying to hunt up submissions! The call for the anthology is posted below, but you can also access the link here:  https://www.rivercitysirenpress.com/the-sirens-song The Siren's Song is an online literary magazine presented by River City Siren Press. New and experienced authors are welcome to submit poetry, short stories, and short genre-blending/bending pieces to The Siren's Song. Current and past themes are posted below. What are we looking for? Short stories up to 4,000 words Flash and micro fiction Short literary works that don't fit neatly into a category (but scream to be heard and need to be read) Ideas for “The End”: ...