TEXT PRODUCTION SAETA 2016 Mrs Joslyn Fox

Writing to Entertain Vignettes Recount Descriptive Impressionistic

VIGNETTE “vignette” is a word that originally meant “something that may be written on a vine leaf.” This image makes us think: small, special, delicate, and perhaps not for everyone to see.

VIGNETTE Nowadays, a vignette is what you call a snapshot in words. It differs from flash fiction or a short story in that its aim doesn’t lie within the traditional realms of structure or plot. Instead, the vignette focuses on one element, mood, character, setting, object, or if you’re clever, a unique and smooth blend of them all. It is the perfect form of writing for poetic descriptions, excellent for character or theme exploration and wordplay.

A vignette should express a certain moment, mood, aspect, setting, character, or object. Most of all, it should be short, but descriptive. In terms of length, a vignette is typically words. You can use first second, or third point of view in a vignette. Remember you only have a short amount of space on the page for a vignette so don’t waste valuable time confusing your reader with many points of view. VIGNETTE

The language can be simple and minimalistic, or extravagantly crafted literary prose. It’s your choice. In fact, the vignette only has one rule: create an atmosphere, not a story. Set your mind on a moment. Use all the senses to describe it. Especially the neglected ones like touch and taste and sound. Try not to go over words. Anything longer than that will want to become a story. VIGNETTE

It was too late to back out. I had reached the front of the queue and to retreat now would cause an embarrassing commotion. There was no choice but to move forward, and the only thing between me and freedom was a daunting rollercoaster ride. Before my terrified gaze the barrier opened, and the crowd surged forward, taking me along for the ride. Front or back? When the ride collapsed, or when I was flung from the heights, which would be the safer option? No time to ponder. The chattering cacophony of reckless adventure seekers left me largely unmoved. I pulled the black harness across my body, hearing the reassuring snick of the clasp as I secured myself. The pre-recorded soundtrack echoed eerily through the rollercoaster tunnel, creating an even more terrifying atmosphere than ten seconds earlier. “Prepare yourselves to go fast. Superman fast!” And with that the doors opened, and the fragile train I was on hurtled forward. The wind rushed past my face, as the tracks twisted and turned with terrifying speed. Up, down… sideways – I had lost control of all my senses, and the world around me was a blurred ocean of pure sensation. Joslyn Fox

The sand was hot on my feet as I started my journey towards the water’s edge. Overhead the gulls were wheeling, their shrill cries in strong counterpoint to the soothing whoosh of the waves as they lapped against the pristine shore. It was hard to believe I had this place all to myself. Not a single set of footprints marred the smooth, white granules beneath my feet, but I could not linger to admire the view. Not if I wanted to reach the cooling ocean before my soles disintegrated. Hoisting my surfboard higher across my shoulders I plodded steadily along toward the distant rocky outcrop. Joslyn Fox

RECOUNT Your task is to select a photograph that has some kind of significance to you from your past. It may be your first day at school, a family holiday, a significant Christmas... the possibilities are endless. Using this photograph as a prompt, write a recount essay describing the event that this photograph refers to. Remember that it will be in first person narrative, using the past tense. A clear link to the photograph (even referring to it directly) is essential in this task.

A recount will be longer than a vignette, and typically has a beginning, middle and end. A recount needs to have some sort of context (which is not necessary in a vignette) First person language is generally used

DESCRIPTIVE Good writers are able to paint word pictures of people, scenes and experiences for us and we, in turn, respond to the pictures their words have created in our minds. Your task is to write a description of a person who is very important to you. It may be a grandparent, a neighbour, a friend, a parent – anyone who you hold in high regard. Imagine all the details about this person that make them so memorable. This should not just be a physical description (although that is often a good place to start); you could also describe the influence they have had on your life and include some memorable moments. Remember that this is a descriptive essay, so you must focus on describing rather than just telling a story. Your descriptive essay must be a maximum of 1000 words.

Impressionistic Writing

Impressionism: the depiction (as in literature) of scene, emotion, or character by details intended to achieve a vividness or effectiveness more by evoking subjective and sensory impressions than by recreating an objective reality

Impressionistic Authors: Use a narrative style that is intentionally ambiguous, placing more responsibility on the reader to form his or her own conclusions about events within the novel, rather than relying on the narrator.

They often describe the action through the eyes of the character while the events are occurring rather than providing details after the character has already processed the action.

I They are concerned with the “emotional landscape” of the setting. They are interested in the way the landscape evokes certain emotional responses from both the character and the reader.

i They employ details in such a way that is sometimes difficult to see a clear picture of events if you focus on the details too closely. Much like an impressionistic painting, it is only possible to get a full picture once you stand back from the writing and view it in its entirety.

They often avoid a chronological telling of events. Instead, they give the reader information in a way to make them focus on what is happening; rather than on the order in which they occur.

Authors of the Impressionistic Canon Joseph Conrad Heart of Darkness “Perhaps life is just that…a dream and a fear.” Henry James The Portrait of a Lady “I’ve always been interested in people, but I’ve never liked them.” James Joyce Ulysses “Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”

From Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness “I saw a face amongst the leaves on the level with my own, looking at me very fierce and steady; and then suddenly, as though a veil had been removed from my eyes, I made out, deep in the tangled gloom, naked breasts, arms, legs, glaring eyes – the bush was swarming with human limbs in movement, glistening, of bronze colour. The twigs shook, swayed, and rustled, the arrows flew out of them, and then the shutter came to.”

Sheer terror. A blur of movement with no real connection to anything that was familiar. The loud clanking of steel on steel, the terrified shrieks of fellow travellers and the horrific sensation of the world being turned on its axis. No time to process events, it was simply a matter of holding on, of enduring. Minutes seemed like centuries and still the world continued to turn. The wind rushed past my face, my watering eyes unable to focus. And still the movement continued. Up, down… sideways. It was if the very fibre of the earth had been ripped asunder. Joslyn Fox

Writing to Inform Opinionative Writing Often found in newspapers and magazines (e.g. Susie O’Brien, Clementine Ford, Andrew Bolt etc.) Follows a set generic structure in terms of layout - including title, series of paragraphs, emotive graphic, photo of author strong personal voice about a current issue

OTHER IDEAS Dramatic Monologues Scripts Letters Blogs Narrative writing (can include a short story or single chapter from a longer story) Photostory, Powerpoint or Visual story with text narrated ???