Start Major Work in Yr 11? Good Idea? (2 Viewers)

[Guage]

Hey,

I'm considering doing EE2 next yr, most probably a short story. I was wondering if its smart to start a draft or at least get an idea now?

I'm aiming for 99.9 UAI so I'd be looking at getting >95 for Eng Adv, Ext1 and Ext2. That'd be swell if I were a genius, but...I'm not. :mad1:

I'd like to start in Yr11 while their ain't so much work, but first I need a bit of info and guidance. I had a look at the syllabus intro to EE2 but the outcomes seem pretty vague. All I know at the moment is to write a damn good ~5000 word short story based on anything under the sun (or beyond...).

PS: I also had a look at an 08'ers ('Patar' iirc) Major Work, a website on the Sci-Fi genre. It got a very high mark, and deservedly so -- it was incredible. That kinda stuff (technical/factual writing/presenting) seems right up my alley. Would I be right to assume its less risky than a short story to get those high marks in that it's not so subjective?

Thanks all, any advice feedback would be appreciated

 

[dizzyizzy]

It sure is smart - best case scenario you get a chunk of your work written, worst case your ideas will still mature and you'll get practice writing an extended composition.
It really can be on anything at all - draft a few potential ideas?

No idea about the multimedia/website option.

 

[Guage]

It sure is smart - best case scenario you get a chunk of your work written, worst case your ideas will still mature and you'll get practice writing an extended composition.

Thanks izzy. I must mention that at the moment I'm pretty average at creative writing.

Do you think I should jump ahead and start a composition, aiming to improve it as I improve in English? What I churn out now will probably be rubbish.

My other alternative (and this takes more time...) is to post up stories on a creative writing board and participate actively in that for 1/2yr or so, get my writing skill up, then be in a better position to go at an extended composition at the start of Yr12.

Thoughts?

 

[LordPc]

yea it'd be good to start early. perhaps tell the EE2 teacher so they can help you out a bit, give you some guidance during prelim so you arent out there on your own. there are some things that my teacher found vital, like a concept, themes, and such, so dont go crazy and just write a story with out any basis. create a concept, create some characters, a setting, this kind of thing. do some research on your concept, and what you want your story to show or explore about this concept then start writing. your story has to have a meaning in EE2, which means you can write about anything (yay!) but there has to be a point to the story (damn!)

keep in mind that the guy that made the sci-fi site probably did sci-fi for his EE1 course, so he would have had a good idea of what he would have put in his site from the start. so it might have been a little easier for him

 

[Absolutezero]

I did a similar sort of thing for drama, starting my major IP early. It does make it easier for HSC, so I would definitely say go for it. The worst that happens is they change the syllabus completely, and you have to start over. Which isn't likely...

 

[hereyes]

sounds like a great idea!
creative writing can be improved over time, and it'll definitely be evident in your major work. It's great if you get an idea and start now, although (as others have said), no matter how 'concrete' you feel your idea is, it will probably change. Start now and have more time to make it amazing. Also, in regards to the 'objective'/informative website vs. short story issue; it really depends on what you enjoy. Anything done well will get you the desired marks. Whatever you enjoy, do it because if you're passionate about it, you will take the time to make it great.

 

[alex.leon]

i did exactly that. started about 3/4 of the way through year 11.
and now im basically finished.
so i definitely recommend it. it's made my life 100% easier. and i can focus on my other MWs!

 

[cerys]

Go for it.

But at all costs, do not end up like me (having done not much as of yet :/).

 

[Guage]

Cheers for the feedback!

I notice there's something called a 'Viva Voce', like a speech or something?. Are there any other assessments throughout the year apart from major work of course?

Also...sorry to be a bug, but is a there a min/max word limit?

Thanks all

 

[accio.brain]

Cheers for the feedback!

I notice there's something called a 'Viva Voce', like a speech or something?. Are there any other assessments throughout the year apart from major work of course?

Also...sorry to be a bug, but is a there a min/max word limit?

Thanks all

3 assessments - proposal, viva voce, report

word limit for a short story is 6000-8000

 

[alex.leon]

and also, although it's not an assessment, you have a reflection statement to write which accompanies your major work when you send it off.

dont worry though, Guage, the assessments are fairly easy. They aren't information or content based, they are simply articulating ideas concerning your major work, so it's more of a personal response. (if you do drama, it's like experiential evidence)

..ahh, looking at your sig, you dont...ask a drama student!

 

[alcalder]

Also, if you are thinking of doing EE2, can I suggest maybe checking out the NSW Writers Centre and the workshops they do there. They are fantastic for just learning the craft of writing (EE2 just generally).

ALSO, read Asimov short stories. That man was the MASTER of the Sci-Fi short story. And if you can get a hold of any of the early sci-fi magazines from the time when he was writing (60's - 70's) there would be a lot of good sci-fi short stories in them as well. Asimov you may need to get at second hand bookstores. I just finished "Bincentenniel Man" but I loved all his stuff when I was at school and it was "I, Robot" that started me reading sci-fi.

The longer you work on something, the better it will be because you will have time to write, draft, set it aside and let ideas mature in your head, then pick it up again, reconstruct, draft, edit etc. The writing process is much longer than just writing the story.

Good luck.

 

[frankenslut]

This is probably not very helpful advice, but I think its worth throwing out there..

My Ext. II teacher cannot seem to stress enough the significance of the process of the MW, as opposed to the actual finished product. You will receive poor marks if you rock up with the perfect idea, the polished work on the first day of Year 12, because that would not demonstrate how you have worked, researched, and completed, a key term: independent investigation, no matter how impressive your work may be! In the worst case, you could be suspected of plagiarism.

You're marked on how well you have incorporated advice of teachers, new sources, new styles you've learned about through suggestions and mentors, etc, etc..
They aren't marking you on your genius works, they're marking you on your ability to demonstrate insight into challenges you've faced, strengths and weaknesses, etc.



I write this with my Critical Analysis Report in the other window! Procrastinating furiously!

I commend you on your commitment and passion, and am sure you will do well. In the event that you do anxiously prepare a rough something-or-other before the course begins, there is always room for the work to change and evolve, and you with it.









..
That was way more eloquent than my thesis, lullz

 

[frankenslut]

Oh! And make sure your ideas link to regular english and ext. I stuff at prelim or hsc level
perhaps that is super obvious but I feel like helping someone
other than
my homework

 

[Guage]

Cheers to all for your replies I wish you all luck for your works this year.

A question -- How many of you EE2er's have your own laptops? Has it helped your productivity in EE2 and essays etc. or has it just given you more opportunity for procastination? I'm saving up and was thinking of getting one soon.

 

[Teclis]

Firstly -

A question -- How many of you EE2er's have your own laptops? Has it helped your productivity in EE2 and essays etc. or has it just given you more opportunity for procastination? I'm saving up and was thinking of getting one soon.

Unless your school has shit computers and you have a shit computer at home, I wouldn't bother wasting your money - save it and use it for when you go to Uni. I had a Laptop and the only reason I found it helpful was because the other computer in our house is my parents work computer... so unless you don't have your own computer or easy access to one when you need it, I wouldn't waste your money.

I'm going to be the devils advocate and tell you a heap of reasons why you SHOULDN'T...

The whole thing with Extension 2 is showing you can think and create at an advanced level. You also need to be able tie it in with Advanced and Extension 1.

If you have a good Ext 2 teacher, you should be meeting with them reasonably often. While you might be able to start conceiving a concept of what you want to do now But you need to do research, and read similar styles of story and watch movies with the same types of concepts. If you try and start now your concept won't be refined enough, which your teacher should be helping you with.

If I were you I'd work on your writing skills. You said your creative writing skills weren't great. The way to fix that is to practice. Rather than using your time on one thing, work on the skill. Practice writing stories, essays, etc... improving your writing will only help with Ext 2.

Also make yourself widely read. Just read and read and read... and watch movies... movies that have won academy awards as well as movies that have interesting concepts. (I can give you a list of movies like that if you wish)

I would highly recommend NOT starting it yet, but just starting to think about what you want to do.

Oh and... read other peoples... as many as you can get your hands on... so you can do something that isn't generic and been done before.

 

[Teclis]

I don't know why this made me lol... but it did...

 

[Guage]

Cheers Teclis. That list would be a GREAT help. The whole 'widely read' idea's been one I've wanted to get to, but didn't know where to start.

My home has 2 PC's but the fact is that too often both (or the good one) is being used. I don't have a PC to myself. I got kinda sick of it so I'm prepared to pay a grand of my own money to give myself unhindered access to the technology.

But having absolute and private access in the room where I do h/w and study...would that just see me on the Net the whole time?

Again, cheers

 

[Teclis]

Cheers Teclis. That list would be a GREAT help. The whole 'widely read' idea's been one I've wanted to get to, but didn't know where to start.

Books - 12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose
- The Saga of Seven Suns - Kevin J. Anderson (the short character focused chapters in this are quite interesting - ignore the science fiction )
- anything by Matthew Reilly is an interesting look at how NOT to write with depth, but how to keep a story moving.
- any of the Ext 1 set texts
- The Life of Pi - Yann Martel as well as anything else from the Man booker Prize list - see here Man Booker Prize - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde (and the rest of the books in this series)
- Otherland - Tad Williams (and the rest of the series)
- If you haven't read it already, a Tale of two Cities - Charles Dickens

But really with Books, just look at any bestsellers list, talk to your English teacher and read what you LIKE.

In terms of Movies...

- Memento
- Insomnia
- The Prestige
- Atonement
- The Butterfly Effect
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- Terminator 1 - 4 (analyze the self- fulfilling paradox of John Connor and Skynets creation in the first and 2nd movies, inevitability and the examination of the difference between choice and pre-rendered thought in the 3rd and the blurring of lines between humanity and machine in the 4th)
- A Beautiful Mind
- Life is Beautiful
- Pan's Labrynth
- Academy Award for Best Picture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - any of those will be perfect

I'm also deadly serious If you want to watch a 4 series long Television show that will change your perspectives of human nature, justice and will generally shock and awe you in every way... watch the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. I am DEADLY serious, It may have a terrible name... but as someone who has watched the West Wing through Twice, and every single Oscar Winning and nominated film... this is the most brilliant series I have ever seen... and it's not techno-babble science fiction... in fact there are very few Science fiction elements apart from it being set in space. You can get the episodes on iTunes for something like $3 a pop. Or JB HI-Fi has them.

[/quote]My home has 2 PC's but the fact is that too often both (or the good one) is being used. I don't have a PC to myself. I got kinda sick of it so I'm prepared to pay a grand of my own money to give myself unhindered access to the technology.[/quote]

Unless you're intending to buy a netbook, which defeats the purpose of getting a working Laptop, because noone I know likes to type in teeny-weeny eye-straino vision... $1000 is gunna get you a pretty shit laptop.

But having absolute and private access in the room where I do h/w and study...would that just see me on the Net the whole time?

Again, cheers

Probably... facebook, BOS and Porn... I'm pretty sure that's where you'll be with Internet in your room

 

[Guage]

Many, many thanks Teclis. 1st rep points I've ever given.

Still considering the laptop....