The Weekly Assignment Thread

[Hannibal]

Here it is - the thread that has caused so much anticipation in the hearts of many!
Okay - maybe not, however this is it.
Once a week an "assignment" will be posted below.

Please reply to said assignments by creating a new thread (using the date of the assignment - or assignment name or number - in the title would be helpful).

Any questions about assignments can be e-mailed to either Machinery or myself, or be openly asked in the forum under a new topic.

I hope everyone is ready for this!

[Hannibal]

Weekly Assignment #1 -
started on Mon. Dec. 20th.
Due - Saturday Dec. 25th.


We'll start with a fairly easy assignment. Everyone has had some experiance with haiku at sometime or another. It's fairly simple, and easy to do (however, difficult to master)

The assignment is to write 7 haiku poems this week.

If you need an explanation of haiku poetry, then browse this page for further explanation (and history):
http://www.baymoon.com/~ariadne/form/haiku.htm#compose

3 of these 7 must be in classic 5-7-5 form.
The others are up to you.

However if you find that simply TOO restricting, go ahead and write otherwise - but for simplicities sake, try to make at least 3 of them in the classic form.

[machinery]

Weekly Assignment #2

assigned: 12/28/04
due: 1/4/05

try this exercise.

fold a piece of paper in half the long way. on the left hand side, list ten nouns. any ten.

turn the paper over to the right side. think of an occupation; for example, a carpenter, doctor, mechanic. list fifteen verbs on the right half of the page that go with that position.

open the page. you have nouns listed in a row down the left side and verbs listed on the right. try joining the nouns with the verbs to see what new combinations you can get, and then finish the sentences, casting the verbs in the past tense if you need to.

wait, you're not done. take one sentence and construct a twenty line poem, using that sentence as either you beginning or ending line.

be sure to specify.

this was an assignment my teach gave me last semester. its from
Writing Down the Bones
by Natalie Goldberg

but i did add making the twenty line poem.
you didn't think you were gonna get off easy did you?

have fun with it and be creative.

let me know if you have any questions...

write away.

[machinery]

be sure to list your nouns, your occupation and the verbs that go with it.


as well as your sentences.

then, of course, the poem.

trust me, it's easy and it's something different.

work that fucking noodle people!

[machinery]

Weekly Assignment #3

assigned: 1.7.05
due: 1.14.05


the assignment:


anaphora: the repetition of a word or a group of words at the beginnings of lines.

repetend: the irregular reptition of a word or phrase at various places throughout a poem.

write a poem of atleast 30 lines that uses anaphora and/or repetend. use one of the following or create your own.

and to this country
i want
i embrace
i must
and you

any of those, or like i said, create one. (c'mon people, create your own.)


(e.g.) check out allen ginsberg's poem howl

he uses anaphora.

http://alt.venus.co.uk/weed/writings/poems/agh.htm

he also uses forms of repetend in his poem america

http://www.dickinson.edu/~kupetzj/be...em_america.htm

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 07, 2005 02:12 AM: Message edited by: machinery ]</font>

[machinery]

assignment #4: power writing

assigned: 1.16.05
due: 1.23.05

the object of power writing: just fucking write guys!
don't think, just write.

sit down, and set your watch, alarm clock or cell for 10 minutes. start the timer and go!

just write anything. and don't stop. don't correct. just go go go go go. STOPPING IS ILLEGAL!

i find it best when i wake up. I always have something to say when i wake up, cuz i've been silent for however long, and plus dreams are ideal for power writing.

the assignment is to turn in one power writing (keeping in mind that you are going to write for 10 minutes).

if you would like to turn in more, go for it.

now, if you get some great lines from the "PW",
revise and refine it...or turn them into many poems...or whatever the fuck, but you only have to turn in one power writing.

good luck to all and get back to me if there are any questions.

trust me, this is fun shit.

[machinery]

assignment #5 : flash fiction

assigned: 1.31.05
due: 2.6.05

there are many ways to look at flash fiction. but to get the full jist of it, check it out online.

here are some helpful sites.

http://www.writing-world.com/fiction/popek.html

http://www.fictioninaflash.com/page1003.html

http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/flashfiction.html

http://www.kporterfield.com/writes/C...Writes_40.html


if there are any questions, let me know.


* okay, write a maxium of 500 words in yr first attempt of flash fiction.*

if those sites do not help, check online for examples. there are tons. just remember the rules and guidlines that constantly surface when reading those sites i gave you earlier.

we've tackled poetry for the first 4 assignments, so i thought it was time we started stabbing our minds and letting them bleed fiction.

do fucking awesome!

lates, rp