Question of the Week (10/28/11)

Watch this:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3gB1zgpGqs
Read Why We Crave Horror Films by Stephen King, the essay can be found online.  Simply type in "why we crave horror films" into google and a pdf of the article is the first hit.
Answer the following question and post your answer to the blog by 3 p.m. on Halloween. We will discuss this essay in class on Monday.

Question: What has been your own experience watching horror films? Are they one of your favorite film genres, or do you avoid horror films? Identify one horror film and explain your response to it.

Question of the Week (10/21/11)

Choose one of the prompts below and write your response. Posts are due by 3 p.m. Monday, October 24.
Enjoy your weekend.

1. Choose a fairy tale and rewrite it from another character's point of view. For example, retell the story of Snow White from Bashful's point of view, or what if Cinderella's slipper had fit one of her step-sisters? What if Little Red Riding Hood took place in the city instead of the forest. Have fun with this one.
2. In 300 words, write about deceit.
3. Recall a time when you did something to get noticed. Write about it in third person.
4. Take two people who immensely dislike each other and stick them in the back of a cab during rush hour traffic. What happens? (Feel free to change the setting if you wish.)
5. Write about how you felt when you were lied to.
6. Two people split a winning lotto ticket. What happens next?
7. Find an interesting headline and create a story around it.

Question of the Week (10/7/11)

Compare and contrast spoken and written language. What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of each? What can the purveyors of written language learn from the masters of spoken language that can enrich their writing? Use the language Gloria Naylor uses in the "A Word's Meaning Can Often Depend on Who Says It" essay as an example. All the usual rules apply, but your posts are not due until Tuesday at 3 p.m. Enjoy your long weekend!