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DocuSign Envelope ID: CF1E5821-41D3-41 CA-BE86-7063BD8D1470 <br /> bought were so ugly that the baby cried the first time they tried to put them <br /> on, so they are selling them. <br /> *** Flash fiction is a style of fictional literature or fiction of extreme brevity.There is no widely <br /> accepted definition of the length of the category.Some self-described markets for flash fiction impose <br /> caps as low as three hundred words,while others consider stories as long as a thousand words to be <br /> flash fiction.(from Wikipedia) <br /> Ex. For sale: Baby shoes,never worn. <br /> • Explain the importance of punctuation, and the ways in which it helps us <br /> instruct the reader on how to "hear" and interpret the poem. In Hemingway's <br /> piece,he uses three different forms of punctuation.Ask them what the colon, <br /> the comma,and the period each tell the reader.Next, show them one more <br /> example of a short story that illustrates the importance of punctuation and <br /> the ways that it can change the meaning of a piece: <br /> Ex. Hey let's eat, Grandpa! vs. Hey let's eat Grandpa! <br /> • Sometimes,commas truly do save lives! <br /> • Now,have each student read their 6-word story aloud,followed by their 30- <br /> word story.As they read their 6-word story,write it on the board, and have <br /> them instruct you on what punctuation they used. Once they have read both <br /> versions aloud ask the class which one they liked better,the 6-word or 30- <br /> word,and have them explain why. <br /> • This workshop is an excellent way to get new writers to engage with poetry <br /> and storytelling as it only asks them to write a short piece, and emphasizes <br /> that it is the quality not the quantity of words that is important in poetry.For <br /> participants who have ever played sports, I often use the analogy that this <br /> exercise is like writing a poem with ankle weights on.When you practice a <br /> sport with ankle weights,you feel heavy and sluggish,but then when you <br /> play with them off the next week you feel light and powerful. Now that they <br /> have written a poem with ankle weights on,it should feel very freeing to be <br /> able to tell the same story or a similar one without a word limit. However, <br /> challenge them to use this activity as a reminder of the importance of making <br /> every word count! <br /> is <br />