Day 18: Workshop and “Focus” of piece

Today we workshopped the “Slice of Life” piece and students chose a focus for their memoir. Since all memoirs, unlike autobiography, focus exclusively on one element or section of a person’s life, students had to find what their own focus would be.

Think about what connections you see between the different pieces you’ve written. Maybe they all have to do with childhood. Maybe 3 out of the 4 have to do with dance. Maybe you can’t find a connection! Well, if you can’t, think about how your personality comes through in your pieces. There must be a connection, since you wrote them all! Which side of your identity comes through the most?

1. Writer’s Workshop on the “Slice of Life” and figuring out a focus.
2. Volunteers shared what they decided to focus on in their memoir. Some great examples: how the ‘hood shaped me, spending time with my family, growing older and gaining responsibility, traumatic experiences, moments of anxiety, dance, childhood and youthfulness. Absent students need to write a few sentences about what the focus of their memoir is. Turn these in to me on Monday.

Parents, please ask your student what they are choosing as their focus! This will 1) help them remember to do their homework, and 2) help them articulate their goals to another adult.

HW: Write three pages (Honors) or two pages (Standard) to add to your memoir. These three pages must be related to the focus of your piece. So you’ve decided what to focus on. Now, which pieces that you already have fit that focus? Okay. Now, ask yourself, “What other parts of my life fit into this focus? What gaps are there between the pieces that I have to fill? What more is there to this story?” You can write any number of pieces this weekend, so long as the length totals at least three pages, handwritten (every line) or typed (double-spaced). Focus on specific memories and sensory details (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell). Remember, memoirs and memories are episodic.

Next week, we will be combining all the pieces that fit into your focus to create a longer memoir piece composed of many independent stories about your life.

Honors: This piece will be approximately 8-10 pages long.

Standard: This piece will be approximately 5 pages long.

I will accept much longer pieces with joy!