Third Week
CREATIVE WRITING CLASS TRIP
INSTRUCTIONS
You must have your notebook!
The purpose of our visit …
To take writing out of the classroom. More specifically, to see how your writing might respond to the visual work of Magritte and the exhibitions at the African Museum. There is no specific goal – rather the challenge is in allowing yourself to respond.
During the day …
We will follow the guides with the Art class students. However, there will – I hope – be occasions where you will be free to wander around the exhibitions. It is during these periods I would like you to be writing, assembling material from which to work on our next project.
Some suggestions …
As always, I do not want to be too prescriptive. However, as this is your ‘first go’ at this kind of exercise, here are a few writing suggestions:
• Questions. Select a work and write down as many questions you can think of relating to the picture/object. It might be to do with subject matter, how it came to be, things you are puzzled by.
• Description. Select a work and write as exhaustively as possible about the picture/object. In a way, let the pen be your eye.
• Narrative. Select a work and daydream about it. Allow a story to take suggest itself. This might be easier with a figurative work – but not necessarily.
• Spontaneous writing. Stand in a room. Then going from work to work jot down your immediate impressions. These might relate to the works or be phrases you overhear. (Remember our class exercises).
• Listening exercise. Find a secluded spot. Then, using your pen like a microphone, try to pick up the voices, sounds, atmospheres around you. Alternatively, work more visually – your pen like a camera. Note down what and who passes around you.
• Collaborative. Pass your notebook around. Ask friends to write their own impressions in your book. You can specify a topic.
• Creative thinking. While looking at the works go beyond subject matter. Ask yourself about ways you might adapt the painter’s way of working to writing. What would a Magritte poem be? A Magritte story? Think how he constructs his paintings. How could this be translated to verbal expression?
Try to write as much as possible – don’t worry about perfectly shaped sentences or acurate spelling. This is raw material. Obviously, you can buy postcards to work from later. However, see what you can do on the day, in the hour, in the minute.
You must have your notebook!
The purpose of our visit …
To take writing out of the classroom. More specifically, to see how your writing might respond to the visual work of Magritte and the exhibitions at the African Museum. There is no specific goal – rather the challenge is in allowing yourself to respond.
During the day …
We will follow the guides with the Art class students. However, there will – I hope – be occasions where you will be free to wander around the exhibitions. It is during these periods I would like you to be writing, assembling material from which to work on our next project.
Some suggestions …
As always, I do not want to be too prescriptive. However, as this is your ‘first go’ at this kind of exercise, here are a few writing suggestions:
• Questions. Select a work and write down as many questions you can think of relating to the picture/object. It might be to do with subject matter, how it came to be, things you are puzzled by.
• Description. Select a work and write as exhaustively as possible about the picture/object. In a way, let the pen be your eye.
• Narrative. Select a work and daydream about it. Allow a story to take suggest itself. This might be easier with a figurative work – but not necessarily.
• Spontaneous writing. Stand in a room. Then going from work to work jot down your immediate impressions. These might relate to the works or be phrases you overhear. (Remember our class exercises).
• Listening exercise. Find a secluded spot. Then, using your pen like a microphone, try to pick up the voices, sounds, atmospheres around you. Alternatively, work more visually – your pen like a camera. Note down what and who passes around you.
• Collaborative. Pass your notebook around. Ask friends to write their own impressions in your book. You can specify a topic.
• Creative thinking. While looking at the works go beyond subject matter. Ask yourself about ways you might adapt the painter’s way of working to writing. What would a Magritte poem be? A Magritte story? Think how he constructs his paintings. How could this be translated to verbal expression?
Try to write as much as possible – don’t worry about perfectly shaped sentences or acurate spelling. This is raw material. Obviously, you can buy postcards to work from later. However, see what you can do on the day, in the hour, in the minute.
2 comments:
I have to let you know that I do visit your blog sometimes and I'm impressed with your considered and ongoing postings. Your creative writing exercises always suggest questions: What is the challenge? The process of writing itself? Is the destination the journey? And where are you without a reader? By the way,I knew you would delete your facebook account. You are too full of thinking for facebook.
Hi 'Stek'
Thanks for the Comment.
I think what these initial exercises are concerned with are shaking things up. Making students aware that 'their' words have a life and energy of their own.
A bit like Alan's life drawing warm-ups free up your mark-making.
Next, we shift into more conventional territory.
But I'll keep trying to shake things up!
See you soon.
JJ
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