Blog for Meeting #6

This meeting's theme was Criterion-Based Feedback. First, we read through the handout and the criteria for both nonfiction and fiction writing. We focused primarily on discussing the criteria we each thought was important for fiction writing, since all three of us have fiction pieces in the works. We also discussed the non-fiction criteria briefly. We looked at the "Power of Sprinkles" story, and disagreed with the sheet's evaluation of the criteria. For instance, we weren't sure that the story was "ironic and witty" in tone (although that's just our opinion). We agreed with your statement that the criteria could be somewhat limiting but we decided that we could also create different criteria to accomodate what we wanted specifically from each piece.
We began to go over our own pieces. Elizabeth read her short story, to which she had just given an ending. Having been wondering where the narrator's life was going to go in relation to the tree, we were thrilled to find out the ending...which I'll let anyone who is reading this find out for themselves. In terms of the "character" criteria, we found the narrator very real and believable. Another criteria we focused on was language. Sam and I noted that we especially liked the personification that Elizabeth used with the tree, and Elizabeth noted that she had focused on personification in the past.
Sam then read an addendum to her story, which was meant to fill the "meaning" and "character" criteria by giving motivation to her central character for the decision she made to stay on Earth after everyone else left. We discussed the decision of the character, and different potential motives for staying on a decaying Earth, but decided that the motive Sam chose was easily the most intriguing. We're looking forward to seeing the character develop further.
I read the revised version of the essay that I wrote, focusing on the coherence and focus on task. I had attemtped to hone my focus on task since last time, in part due to a comment Maida had made about why it mattered that the views of humanism change, which I incorporated into the thesis. I plan on attempting to hone the clarity of language next. I also took out the handwritten notes I have for the end of my short story and we discussed the narrator character and his motives for the character criteria. Elizabeth's and Sam's responses were extremely helpful.
With a few minutes remaining, we called Barbara and told her get well from the ladies. :)