Creating Fiction . . . A Whole Other Story

Writing about literature can sometimes take the fun out of literature. It typically adds an entirely different dimension to the enjoyment of the text; as you uncover new elements, connections and subtexts, the piece can unfold for you in a wonderful way. Sometimes, though, you get bogged down in form and mechanics - the structural elements of writing that every author works with.

It is a knowledge of these structural elements, however, that can aid in creating cohesive pieces of your own.

Writing about literature requires deep reading, and the ability to perform these deep readings can inform one's writing. It is a similar process for both actions, only reversed. Deconstruction offers a model for this: rather than picking apart and following the interconnected threads during analysis, you are selecting and weaving your threads during composition.

For a student learning the process of textual analysis, asking them to create a complex text and explain their own thinking and intent during the writing process gives them insight into some of the goals of deep reading and writing about literature. They are able to see that there is a deliberateness in writing, and that nothing is accidental. We select words for a certain effect, and as such we should measure the affect of certain words on the reader. We have our characters make specific choices to create conflict and move the plot along, and so we know to look for places of conflict and climax when reading a text. Allowing students to work with the structure gives them insight into what the structure actually is.