No Word Allowed

No Word Allowed

Teaching Writing

A few months ago, I gave my Intro to Creative Writing class this assignment:

Create a story, essay, poem, or play that is composed in anything EXCEPT Microsoft Word (or any word processing program). You must type the text into some other kind of software or application or tool, such as Google Maps, Facebook, Flickr, Xtranormal, Power Point, Ebay, Survey Monkey, Blogger, etc. Basically: if it’s got a dialog box you can type in, then you can use it. Your piece must engage with, make use of the medium or mode you’ve selected.

At first they thought I was crazy, but I spent some time showing them examples: Continue reading

Writer’s Center of Indiana @ Marian University

Teaching

I’ll be in Indianapolis tomorrow, Saturday, October 23, to talk more about making big things at the Gathering of Writers. If you’re in Indy or there bouts, please drop by.

http://www.indianawriters.org/gathering.html

If the technology gods are shining down on me, I’ll be presenting my thoughts in the form of a Powerpoint, a form which I like to call The Illustrated Essay.

I don’t use bullets. I use metaphors. I use my own experiences. I have been known to use the word “I.”