Retreat

** Writing in Place: Retreat - **
9:30 - 9:45 - Greetings, agenda for the day, housekeeping and ground rules

9:45 - 10:00 Feedback Session - tying up loose ends vis a vis the polished and final drafts of assignment #1. Brief discussion of the role that the assigned readings will play in the retreat

10:00 - 10:30 - Dr. T talks about humor and provides tips on how to write funny

10:30 – 12:00 - Ballad Exercise

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch Break (Picnic Outside?)

1:00 - 2:30 - Photo Prompt Exercise This prompt is similar to the Ballad Exercise above except that the catalyst for thought and imagination is visual rather than aural.
 * 1) Take a look at the photos on this page and this page.
 * 2) Choose several (four?) that you find appealing or intriguing (do this quickly)
 * 3) Title and caption each photo you've chosen
 * 4) Chose the photo that is most demanding (to you) and consider setting - how important is the background of the image to your appreciation of the compelling foreground of the images.
 * 5) Consider the photo as providing staging for characters engaging problems, communicating with one another and, perhaps taking action.
 * 6) Describe and characterize the characters in the photo. If there are no characters, describe the characters that you'd expect to find in the space the image captures. What sorts of problems or issues would the characters be confronting
 * 7) Imagine what has happened prior to the moment the photo has captured and what will happen in the next unit of time
 * 8) Finally, begin a story that emerges from your consideration of the photo.
 * 9) Option combine two or more of the photos into one story. Imagine the people in different photos interacting with one another.

2:30 – 3:00 – This session will include continuing discussion, questions, etc. Likewise, discussion of the individual reading assignments and catch up on on-going concerns.

3:00 - People summarize the activities/outcomes of the day. Everyone makes their goodbyes and the class disperses.

Within a day or two Dr. T posts assignments, comments, etc. on the wiki