Creative Critical Response and Reflection
INTRODUCTION For centuries, authors have written creative responses to the work of their peers. Responsive literature often provides a fresh perspective on the original work and encourages others to become proactive in their own reading experience. Take a look at the poem "Hazel Tells LaVerne" by Kathryn HowdMachan in your Introduction to Literature textbook on page 596. This poem reimagines the fairy tale "The Frog Prince." This modern response to the classic fairy tale puts our hero and heroine in a completely new environment. There's very little about this poem that's fantastical or magical, providing readers with an entirely new insight into the characters and themes of "The Frog Prince."
ASSIGNMENT
For this exam, you'll write a one-page response to any short story or poem you've read so far in the course. Choose a piece you've either enjoyed, found particularly interesting, or have strong feelings about. This won't be a straight analysis of the chosen work, but rather a creative interpretation of the story or poem's plot, characters, language, and themes. After you've written your piece, you'll write a five-paragraph reflection (500-750 words) that defends your creative response. This reflection will explain your creative choices and the ideas you chose to highlight in your creative response. This project will allow you to engage with the source material in a reflective and critical way. You can use the "Questions for Responsive Reading and Writing" found on pages 48-50 and 581-582 of your Introduction to Literature textbook to assist you as you create your commentary on your chosen piece. You'll choose how you would like to respond to your chosen work. For example, you can n Write a piece from the point of view of a different character or speaker n Create a prequel or sequel that focuses on events that happened before or after the original work n Rewrite a scene from the original work n Write a letter to a certain character or speaker You're not limited to these examples, and we encourage you to think outside the box when deciding how to respond to your piece. You'll submit both your creative piece and reflection for grading. Be sure to cite the original text using correct MLA format. Include the author and title to the piece you're responding to in your exam. For this exam, you'll use standard 12-point font and left justification. Use one-inch margins at the top and bottom and one-inch margins for the left and right sides of the document. Poetry submissions should be single-spaced within each stanza and double-spaced between stanzas. Prose submissions should be double-spaced. The reflection will also be double-spaced. Your submission should be at least one page.
PROCESS Planning Creative Response
1. Review the assigned reading in your Introduction to Literature textbook. Choose a text you connected with and brainstorm a list of all the elements of the piece that you found important, enjoyed, and/or made you think. Pay close attention to the text's setting, characters, dialogue, style, figurative language, and theme.
2. Use the "Questions for Responsive Reading and Writing" on pages 48-50 and 581-582 to develop your ideas about the elements of your chosen text.
How does the author reveal his or her characters?
What is the purpose of the minor characters?
If the story were told from a different point of view, how would it change?
How does the author 126 Graded Project Graded Project 127 explore theme?
What is the tone of the piece?
Who is the speaker?
Is the speaker addressing anyone in particular?
How does figurative language contribute to our understanding of the text?
3. List evidence from the original text that supports your interpretation presented in your creative response. Drafting Creative Response
4. Use your brainstorming lists and answers to the Responsive Reading and Writing questions to help you write your response to the original text using your own unique approach.
Your piece should illustrate your understanding of the original text, touch on the major themes of the original text, and reveal an alternate perspective on the original text. Revising Creative Response
5. Revisit the brainstorming list and evidence you gathered during your planning. Have you addressed your goals in your response? Do you evaluate all of the elements of the piece you set out to evaluate?
6. Revise your piece so that your grammar, syntax, and punctuation accurately demonstrate your intentions. Please ensure your writing is clear and comprehensible.
7. Revise format. Use standard 12-point font and left justification. Use 1-inch margins at the top and bottom and 1.25-inch margins for the left and right sides of the document. Poetry submissions should be single-spaced within each stanza and double-spaced between stanzas. Prose submissions should be double-spaced. Planning Reflection
8. Revisit the planning you've done for your creative response. List how your approach strays from the original and your overall goals for the creative piece. You'll use this information to narrate your ideas in your essay. Drafting Reflection
9. Read how to develop a thesis on pages 1470-1472 of your Introduction to Literature textbook. Draft a thesis statement for your reflection. Your thesis statement should state your overall intention behind your creative critical response and reflection.
10. Read "Organizing a Paper" on pages 1476-1477 of your Introduction to Literature textbook. Develop a brief and informal outline to organize your ideas to support your thesis. Use the outline to help you establish an order and focus for your reflection.
11. Read "Writing a Draft" and "Writing the Introduction and Conclusion" on pages 1477-1478 of your Introduction to Literature textbook.
12. Draft your introduction. An introduction should present your topic and include your thesis statement.
13. Draft your body paragraphs. Your first body paragraph will present a summary of your critical perspective on the original text. Your second body paragraph will illustrate your point of view on the original using several examples from the text. Your third body paragraph will explain your goal for the critical response and highlight the specific elements from the original text used to highlight that goal.
14. Draft your conclusion. The conclusion should explain what you learned about the original through your response.
15. Make sure you are citing the original text using correct MLA format. Review "The List of Works Cited" on pages 1506-1512 in your Introduction to Literature textbook. Revising Reflection
16. Read "Revising and Editing" on pages 1481-1482 of your Introduction to Literature textbook, paying close attention to the revision checklist. Use the checklist to help you revise your reflection.
Is your thesis clear? Is the paper logically organized?
Do you use topic sentences?
Are your paragraphs developed, unified, and coherent?
Have you used evidence from the original text?
128 Graded Project Graded Project 129
17. Ensure your essay employs correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling, mechanics, and MLA format with a complete Works Cited page.
An example citation looks like this: Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll House. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 10th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2015. 1250-1298. Print.
18. Use standard 12-point font and left justification. Use oneinch margins at the top and bottom and one-inch margins for the left and right sides of the document. The reflection should be double-spaced.