Arnzen/EL231:FlashFiction

READINGWORKSHEETWeek5 TYPEYOURNAMEHERE:_______________________
DIRECTIONS:
1. Asinpreviousweeks,select"File|MakeaCopy"ofthisverydocumentfromtheGoogleDrivemenubar.
2. Savethecopywiththefilename:"YOURLASTNAMEHEREWORKSHEETWK5"
3. Whentheworksheetiscompleteandreadytosubmit,"Share"thedocumentwitharnzen@setonhill.eduwith"CanEdit"permissions.
Important:Youalsoneedtocopythe"share"linkandpasteitintotheCanvasassignmentsubmissionpageformetobeabletofile
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4. DUEBYMONDAY7/7at7pmattheverylatest.Iencourageyoutosubmititwheneveryou'redonedon'twaittilldeadlineifyou
don'tneedto.
Value:75points.Youwillbegivenworksheets(ofvariouslength)eachweekaltogetherthesewillaccumulatetoascoreworthupto400
points,whichisroughlyofyourfinalgradeinthecourse.
ABOUTTHISWEEK'SWORKSHEET:
Thisweek'sreadingsrevolvearoundimageryandprosepoetry,focusingmainlyonthereadingsfromTaraMasih'sFieldGuidetoWritingFlash
Fictionpp.714and76115,aswellastheprosepoem"TheColonel"
Arnzen/EL231:FlashFiction
FGWORKSHEET:fromMasih,TheRoseMetalPressFieldGuidetoWritingFlashFiction(p.714and76115)
# QUESTION YOURANSWER
1 InLeslie's"That'V'Word,"theauthordescribeshowoften
creativewriterswhodon'thaveaplotaresaidtobe
writing"vignettes".Define"vignette."

2 ListthefivetypesofflashfictionthatLeslieincludesinhis
"taxonomy."
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

3af Usinginternetresearch,definethefollowingtermsfrom
thesection"IceMeltingonaStove"(inLeslie'schapter).
Youmaywanttoconsultaglossaryofliterarytermsfor
someofthem[Here'soneofmanyyoucanfindonline:
https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms.html]:

3a "IcebergPrinciple"
3b ambiguity
3c lyric/lyrical
3d epiphany
3e irony
3f sliceoflife
4 Lesliesuggeststhat"Lifeisambiguity,notserendipitous
plotting."Whatis"serendipitousplotting"?

5 IntheendofWilliford's"Rorschach,"whydoesMaddie
giveahomelessmanan"Everythingbagel"?

6 InShapard's"StayingTruetotheImage,"hediscussesthe
"imageasfocus"and"imageasspur."Whatarethese?

7 WhatdoesShapardidentifyasthekeydifferencebetween
flashfictionandnovels?

8 InShapard's"Tamazunchale,"whydoesthefathersay
"Youdon'tunderstand,doyou?"tohiswifewhenthey
leavethesceneofthefire?

Arnzen/EL231:FlashFiction
9 In"HangingFire,"StaceBudzkodescribesa"critical
lesson"aboutfictionwritingshelearnedwhenshewasan
elevenyearold,pretendingshewasblindandfeelingher
wayaroundherhouse:"Iwasfocusedontheideaof
examiningtheworldupclose,fromeachangle,inevery
lightandIeventuallycametonoticewhatIwasn't
seeing."

Dothisintheroomyouareinrightnow.Closeyoureyes
andfeelyourwayaroundforafewminutes,pretending
youareblind.

Thencomebacktothisscreenanddescribethe
experienceinfirstperson,presenttense,capturingthe
"feel"forwhatyoujustdidwithoutlookingsothereader
canfeelittoo.Keepitunder150words.

10 Budzkosaysthat"weareinthepunchinthegut
business."Whatstoryhaveyouwritteninclassthathad
thestrongest"punchinthegut"andwhy?Answerina
shortparagraph

11 Brieflyevaluate"Afterthought,Aftermath,Aftershock."
Doesthisstoryworkforyou?Whyorwhynot?

12 HowdoesButlerdefine"plot"in"AShortShortTheory"?
Useanyofthereadingsfromclasssofarasanexampleto
explainhisdefinition.

13 WhichofthefiveversionsofChinquee's"ManJumping
OutofWindow"(p.110)worksbestforyou,andwhy?

14 Whatarethefivespecialpropertiesoftheprosepoemas
identifiedbyBenedikt(inChinquee'sarticle)?

15 ChinqueereferencesArthurRimbaud's"Antique"asthe
classicexampleofaprosepoem.Hereitisinitsentirety:

GracefulsonofPan!Aroundyourforeheadcrownedwith
littleflowersandlaurel,youreyes,thosepreciousballs,

Arnzen/EL231:FlashFiction
revolve.Stainedwithwinedregs,yourcheeksgrow
hollow.Yourfangsgleam.Yourchestislikealyre,tinklings
coursethroughyourblondearms.Yourheartbeatsinthe
bellywherethedoublesexsleeps.Walkaroundatnight,
gentlymovingthisthigh,thissecondthighandthisleft
leg.

WriteaPARODYofthisprosepoembychangingthe
subjectfromthe"sonofPan"tosomeotherobjectofyour
choice,mockingthepiecebyimitatingthestructure,style
andvoiceofthepoem.

[IfyouwantinsightintohowtounderstandRimbaud's
prosepoem,seeRosannaWarren's"explication"ofthe
texthere:
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/10/
antiquebyarthurrimbaud/307091/]
Theremainingquestionsallrefertothesamplerofprose
poemsandtheBurrowayexcerptpostedtothe"Weekly
Readings"pageofourcourse.

16 "TheColonel"byCarolynForschewascopiedfroman
anthologyofpoetry.Whydoyouthinktheeditorsfeltit
"counted"asapoem?

17 Arnzen'sflashfictionhorrorstory,"TheSevenHeaded
Beast,"mightbecalledaprosepoembecauseitfocuses
onsimplydescribingtheimageryofeachoftheseven
heads.Whatmakesita"prose"story?

18 Arnzen's"Choppers"wasintendedtoplayfullyuse
ordinarywordsandideasassurprisingverbs
("buttermelts,""gyno"etc.)Drawinginspirationfromthis
technique,writeanonsenseparagraphthatusesnounsas
verbs.Youmightwanttorandomlypullwordsfroma
dictionarytogetstarted.

19 What,inyouropinion,isthetheme(orpoint)ofGottlieb's
Arnzen/EL231:FlashFiction
"NightoftheDeadLiving"?
20 AfterreadingMaxineChernoff's"TheManStruckTwenty
TimesbyLightning"and"LostandFound,"whichinyour
opinionisthebetter"prosepoem"andwhy?

Inthespacesbelowintheleftcolumn,givethree
differentsentencesfromAnnieDillard's"TheGiant
WaterBug"(theshortshortattheveryendof
Burroway'schapteron"Image")whichyoufeelbest
showthestrongest"imagery"oftheexcerpt.Intheright
column,giveasentenceortwothatexplainswhyyou
choseit.

21
22
23
24 Imageryisanappealtothereader'sfivesenses.Keeping
thisinmind,respondtothefollowingprompt.

Findaparticularpieceoffood(afruit?Acereal?Leftover
dish?Anythinggoes)fromyourkitchenand"studyit".
Thendescribethefoodbyappealingdirectlytothesenses
sothatanyonereadingyourpiecemightbeabletodeduce
whatitis(almostlikeapuzzlethatmustbesolved)butDO
NOTNAMETHEFOOD.