An update from our forty-seventh Writing Workshop A summary of the workshop held on Saturday September 18, plus some of the output published below At this writing workshop, we looked at some classic art: grotesques by Leonardo da Vinci and portraits by Vermeer and Rembrandt. With these art pieces in mind, William asked the participants to think about the concept of an outline or sketch for characters, and how we might flesh them out later in the writing process. William emphasized how the choices that authors make in describing characters impact the story as a whole and how the reader understands a character. The Challenge: Write a description of a character, beginning with an outline of their face. Then you can move on to other physical characteristics or clothing descriptions. Lastly, if you have time, you may build a story around this character. The Participants: Faiz, Peri, Aditi, Lena D, Nami, Jonathan L, Tilly M, Rachael L, Madeline K, Elbert P, Sierra E, Marissa L, Kate P, Kina S, Liam Peri Gordon, 11(Sherman Oaks, CA) Defined by Suffering by Peri Gordon, 11 What to do with such terrible eyes? They were wide, wet, bloodshot things that stood out even in a crowd of a hundred, and the right one was black and swollen. Below the eyes, the man’s nose, pale and slender, rose from his face, then dipped back down into it only a few centimeters below, unnoticed. The lips were cut up, chapped, and ruined, as the man felt like his heart was. The chin was small and pointed, and the rest of the face was only a bit wider. Around his shoulders was a tiny cloth, which had once been a large rag, which had once been a ripped coat, which had once been a fine coat. What were once smooth, silken pants had had a similar fate. The man was barefoot and gloveless, and his hands and feet were a deep shade of purple from the punishing cold of winter. His fingernails were reduced to nothing, for the man had bitten them anxiously day after day. A once successful businessman, now injured, rejected, and homeless, he thought about standing up straight but no longer had the will even to accomplish this simple task.
Writing Workshop #46: Monologues
An update from our forty-sixth Writing Workshop A summary of the workshop held on Saturday September 11, plus some of the output published below For the first writing workshop of the Fall term, William presented on the concept of monologues, citing famous examples, like Mark Antony’s speech at the end of Shakespeare’s play Julius Ceasar. William went over the many ways monologues can reveal a character’s emotional state, as well as their motivations. The class also took a look at examples from Alice in Wonderland and watched a crucial Snape monologue from Harry Potter. After 5 minutes to sketch a quick character outline, the class launched into 30 minutes of creating their own monologue delivered by the character they created. Below is some of the work that the young writers in this workshop crafted in this session. The Challenge: Write a character sketch for 5 minutes and then write a monologue delivered by the character. The Participants: Peri G, Aditi N, Nami G, Elbert P, Jonathan, Nova M.C., Iago M.C., Peri Gordon, 11(Sherman Oaks, CA) Life Gone Awry Peri Gordon, 11 “Is it just me, or does it seem like aliens invaded our planet and convinced everyone to add to my workload? What do I even start with? The bank is a priority, I guess; yes, my job has to come first. But if I don’t make more music, I’ll lose my studio…I guess I should head there. What am I thinking? I can’t miss work. I’ll have to quit writing songs once and for all…and yet I always told Bonnie she could intern for me in the studio when she turned 15. Oh, yes, the birthday gift for Bonnie—what was it again? Did we decide? What is wrong with my memory? Let me call Dave. Where is my phone? If I can just get to my office, I can make sure I have it…hey, you, stop honking, sir! None of this is my fault, don’t you understand? Is it just me, or does it seem like the whole world is turning against me? Please, someone, help! Where do I go? Why doesn’t Dave get a job? Right, as if he would want all this work after my stress reports. To work, then. But first, coffee. At least that I have…stop the honking! And, excuse me, ma’am, but that was my coffee you just knocked over…onto my…papers. Right, well, I can’t go to work now. Mr. Burns will be furious. Oh, yes, the video game for Bonnie! Right over there, I promised Dave I would buy it. Right, open 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Let’s see, what time is it? 11:10, of course. I don’t think I’ve made it to a store on time in five years. What is wrong with me? Well, I know exactly what’s wrong with me: I’m overloaded. How is it that every person on the street seems so… normal? How uncommon is it to be this unlucky when it’s all I am? Oh, and yes, I’m already late to work because of the coffee spill on my papers, thanks to that inconsiderate jogger. And because Bonnie has a birthday, such a ridiculous little thing. And because Dave won’t get a job! Is it just me, or does it seem like aliens invaded our planet and convinced everyone to add to my workload?”
Saturday Newsletter: September 18, 2021
Autobiography (iPhone 6s) By Amity Doyle, 11 (Katonah, NY) & published in the September 2021 Issue of Stone Soup A note from Caleb Classes We were so excited to see all of your faces last weekend—new and returning—for our first round of fall session classes! If you haven’t yet signed up and fear you’ve missed your chance, don’t be discouraged; we are still taking new students in all four of our classes (writing workshop with William, writing workshop with Conner, filmmaking with Isidore, and Book Club with Laura), though Isidore’s class will close after the fifth session. And if you’re worried about catching up for missed time, this won’t be a problem as each class in the session is a standalone lesson—plus, you’ll receive a video of each class you missed at a reduced price! Also, beginning today, and retroactively through the spring/summer session 2021, we will be releasing full videos of the readings from both William and Conner’s writing workshops, in which you can see yourselves reading your delightful writing aloud, and relive William and Conner’s exultant feedback. These videos will be available on our weekly Writing Workshop write-ups published on the blog as well as our YouTube channel. Tristan Hui’s The Other Realm As Emma did last week, I’d encourage you all to watch William’s lovely video celebrating the September 1 publication of Tristan’s novel The Other Realm. In other exciting news, we’ve launched a brand new book page featuring precocious Stone Soup contributor Lena Aloise’s interview of Tristan, which you can watch above. Keep visiting the page for other news—reviews, awards, events—regarding Tristan and The Other Realm. If after watching Tristan’s interview you find yourself hungry for more, there is a longer, more exclusive look inside Tristan’s experience writing The Other Realm on our author interview section on the blog. While you’re there, you might rediscover some of our other fantastic interviews with authors such as Abhi Sukhdial, Ariana Kralicek, and Lena Aloise. Write and Publish a Multimedia E-book! Dr. Jiang Pu, a member of the Stone Soup family, is offering a series of ten classes on publishing a multimedia e-book on Asian/Pacific Islander American heroes in conjunction with published authors Oliver Chin and David Siller! Students will have their multimedia e-books published in the world’s first student-made AAPI online library and present at SCCL Young Author Talk Forum and lunar new year event! This is a class for highly motivated young writers who want to practice research skills, media literacy and critical thinking, multimedia creative design, and more. As we all have different learning capabilities as well as varying schedules, Dr. Pu has split the class into three different start times: every Wednesday at 4 pm PDT starting September 29 for children grades 4–7, every Friday at 4 pm PDT starting October 1 for children grades 4–7, and every Monday at 4:15 pm PDT starting October 4 for children grades 8–11. Stone Soup subscribers get $100 off with coupon “Soup100″! Refugee Project Fundraiser Thank you to all who have contributed thus far! The fundraiser will continue to run until September 30th. Tell your friends! Weekend Project When I was first perusing the September issue of Stone Soup, I was immediately drawn to the title “Autobiography” located inside the art section. Why was a word like that—a word typically reserved for the written arts—describing a piece of visual art? And then I clicked on it. Now my question, though still fundamentally the same, had switched from “Why use this word to describe a work of art?” to “Why use this word to describe this work of art?” I could say that the photograph creates a juxtaposition between what is real and what is reflection, the subject’s “real” foot being more three-dimensional and distinguished than its counterpart. I could say that the dynamic curvature suggestive of dance that exists in the “real” foot is lost in its reflection, a blurrier, straighter image filtered through the barrier of the floor, which in this case takes on the appearance of water, perhaps a symbol for the subconscious. And I could try and cobble these observations together into a cohesive thesis, stating that this photograph questions the nature of the form of autobiography—what is gained, what is lost through its filter? And while I could not give a concrete answer, I could suggest that the relationship between autobiography and the subconscious is that when we sit down to write about ourselves, we can never be objective. Lines are blurred, curves are straightened by our own biased perception. But since I am not the brilliant artist behind this photograph, none of this I can say for sure. However, what I can say for certain is that the title of this photograph elevates it from a beautiful picture to a masterpiece. While Sim Ling Thee’s poem “Words of Snow” doesn’t offer the same insight on titles and the nature of autobiography, I found myself drawn to it the same way I was to Amity’s photograph. What I love most about this poem is its rendering of white space, the delightful suggestiveness of the colon. Is the poem the poem, or is it the space left after the colon, the time spent lingering in the mind of the reader as they can’t help but fill the space with their own imagination? This is a concept frequently explored within the realm of visual art, perhaps most notably in the works of Kazimir Malevich and, later, Mark Rothko. But Sim Ling, in just seven lines, takes something more typically reserved for the visual arts and applies it, effortlessly, to the written word. So, with their respective pieces both Amity and Sim Ling have borrowed from art forms outside of their own in order to elevate their art. Therefore, this weekend I’d like you to either borrow elements of visual art within any of its forms (dance, theater, painting, etc.), or elements of writing within any of its forms (autobiography, fiction, screenwriting, etc.), and meld them into one cohesive form as Amity and Sim Ling did. Then, once you’ve completed this project, I want you to think of a title that does more than describe your art. The title should enhance the experience of your art and complicate its meaning. As always, if you are happy with
