Fandom High School

"Ahhh, welcome back, ducklings ♥." This week, unlike the last one, Shunsui actually was in the classroom, the little writing and tea circle back in place, right along with his usual sleepy smile. "I do hope you all enjoyed the unexpected free period last week much more than I did, but we won't get into that."

Telling people about being stuck in meeting with the rest of the Gotei 13 was probably even less exciting than the meetings themselves, which was say a lot!

"Instead," he proposed, "let us get into what we discussed the last time we met, which, if I recall correctly, was a bit of theater and plays ♥. You've even had an extra week to brush up those scripts, so surely you'll be more than prepared to go over them with the class ♥. Or, if not, we can just keep talking about plays as a literary form or even just some plays you may have seen that you particularly enjoyed. What was it about you enjoyed? Or ones you didn't! What made them so particularly terrible? There is still much to be said about plays, really ♥."

And going over homework and discussing the topic just meant far less work for him, too, in the end. Everyone won!

"You know what I'm in the mood for this morning, ducklings ♥?" Shunsui asked the class with a smile, because that was always a great, solid lesson plan method, wasn't it? Just teaching whatever he was in the mood for? (Which, to be fair, had been working for him for years apparently). "A little poetry ♥. And I do mean little poetry, because, today, I'd like to talk about haiku ♥.

"Haiku is actually very near and dear to my heart ♥," he continued, "I've even taught a whole class on the topic before, but, obviously, today's lesson on it will be quite condensed. Modern haiku has been a bit reduced to its basic structure, and that is what most people are likely familiar with: three lines, broken up by syllables, five for the first, seven for the second, and then back to five to bring us home ♥. Already, though, we are diverging from its original form. Breaking it down this way is common in English translations, but in the original Japanese, the haiku is usually written as just a single line. We are hardly going to flail our hands about technicalities in this class, of course. Our main concern will merely be creating beautiful words to embody beautiful ideas ♥.

"And, generally speaking, a true haiku will also involve two very important elements: a kireji, or 'cutting word,' and a kigo, which is a relation to a season, or at least some aspect of nature. Let us take an example from Bashō, one of Japan's best-known haikuists, to highlight what I mean:"

He cleared his throat lightly and recited, first in Japanese, then in English:

"furu ike ya kawazu tobikomu mizu no oto

Ah, the ancient pond
As a frog takes the plunge
Sound of the water"

He paused, tilting his head, as if expecting nature to respond in kind with exactly the sound described in the poem. Nature did not oblige, but that was just fine.

"Simple, neh ♥? But also vivid in its emotion, in capturing a specific moment that inspires a specific feeling. We do not need the frog plunging into the water to feel the full effect of the poem. Its simple words are enough; it encapsulates a whole scene, and does so in very little.

"Today, I would like us all to take some time and work on some haiku. Poems broken up into a 5-7-5 rhythm, with a reference to nature. Simple, simple, simple, neh ♥? Let's have one more example, this one from Yosa Buson:

In pale moonlight~
the wisteria’s scent
comes from far away."

He let that one linger for a moment, too, before nodding softly and saying, "Let's begin ♥."

"Love poems ♥!"

Shunsui, it seemed, was still quite unaware that there was anything particularly strange or different this week, so apologies to his students, but class would certainly be continuing on as usual, albeit with a very specifically thematic tilt, because when there were vibes, you just leaned right into them.

"Specifically," he continued with a chuckle, as he handed out a few papers with the poems in question printed on them, "sonnets, and most specifically still, a few of Shakespeare's better known ones ♥. Now, the sonnet is a type of poem that involves a particular structure: fourteen lines using any of a number of distinct but strict rhyme schemes, typically having ten syllables per line. Shakespeare is considered to be the most well-known purveyor of such poetry, just as Basho could be considered quite the master of the haiku. So what we will do today is look over these five sonnets as examples, discuss them, in both structure and content, and then you can spend the rest of the class brainstorming and thinking of your own sonnet. Pretty simple, neh ♥? So let us begin, and have a gander at our first poem to start us out..."

"Welcome back, ducklings ♥!" Shunsui, of course, greeted them all from the comfort of his spot in the circle of cushions and tea and writing impliments, with a pleased smile on his face. The usual smile, but also with that slight little bit of knowing that today's class would be a particularly easy one. Which said a lot, because he made sure most of his classes, especially in this topic, turned out that way.

"Hopefully," he continued happily, "you've had a chance to read through one of the ancient epics you were introduced to last week, as well as to scribble down a little bit of your own epic, because that will be what we will be focusing on today ♥. We'll have a little chat...what did you think of the works? Did you find they lived up to their title as epics? Any thoughts to share on characters, plots, writing techniques employed...even something as simple as whether or not you liked it ♥. And then we'll move on to your own writing, share a little of that, and see how you've employed what you've learned into your own work ♥."

He took a long sip from his tea and savored in it, just a little.

"Well, then," he looked around the circle, "who's got some thoughts ♥?"

"Good morning, ducklings ♥!" Shunsui greeted the class as they got settled into their little writing circle, with the usual pleased, sleepy grin on his face as he began to get things going for their lesson that day. "I hope you've all been having a good week, and that you're ready to explore the Art of Creative Writing a little bit further today ♥. Now, there are so many directions we can take a topic as broad as this one, that it is sometimes difficult to know where to start! But we all have to start somewhere, neh ♥? And then who knows where it will go from there?

"That," he said with a faint chuckle, "is what we'll be playing with today ♥. We will be participating in a slightly modified version of what is known as a Kyokusui-no-en, or 'Winding Stream Party,' which was a very popular event in the past where Japanese nobility, poets, and artists would get together and have a little party in some beautiful and inspired location, to create beautiful things and drink beautiful wine ♥. And centered around this party was a game, where one person would craft the first line of a poem, and the next person had the time it took for a cup of sake to drift down to them along a stream to think of the next one. Now, we clearly have no stream or sake, but we do have a comfortable circle and some lovely tea, and I'd like to see what sort of story we can craft by passing it long to each other, one line at a time ♥. We'll each take turns presenting a first line, and go along with the next person building onto it with the next line, and then the next person with the next, so on and so forth, just to see where we can take each other with the narrative.

"Sounds pretty simple, neh ♥? Do we have any questions, or would someone like to get us started with a good first line?"

At this point, it really shouldn't surprise anyone that Shunsui had all the desks in his classroom pushed aside to make space in the center of the room for a ring of pillows and cushions, in the center of which was a nice little tea set ready and waiting to be used, and a collection of notebooks and pens, parchment and quills, markers and crayons (clearly covering for any preferred method of scribbling) there to the same effect. And, on one of the cushions, Shunsui himself, waiting for the students to come in and inviting them to get settled, get comfortable, have some tea, until it was time to begin.

"Welcome, welcome," he greeted, "my little authorial ducklings, the the Art of Creative Writing ♥. In this class, we will not only weave wonderous tales ourselves, but also look into different styles and types of literature and fiction, poetry and prose, to expand our repertoires and appreciation for the written word ♥. I shall be your guide and instructor on this journey; I am Shunsui Kyōraku, and I have an epic novel, as well as an autobiography and book of poetry to my name, and I am currently working--"

The word working here was being very generous.

"--on my next sweeping epic as we speak ♥! But not so much that I cannot spare some time to impart the experience of my knowledge onto other aspiring storytellers ♥! Now, obviously, today, we'll not get too into the depths of the field; it is, however, only the first class. But what I would like to do, since it is the first class, is do a little bit of free-writing to lead us into the classic, time-honored tradition of first class introductions. Freewriting is exactly as one might suspect by the name: it is the process by which you merely start to write and continue writing for some time without stopping. It is an exercise meant to let the words flow without second-guessing yourself or self-editing in the process, and can be considered a good way to just get the creative energy flowing and the writing wit warmed up ♥. Write about anything you'd like. And then, when time is up, we will go around and not only introduce ourselves, but share a bit of what we've written. You don't have to share all of it if you don't want to, but at least a snippet or two that you feel came out particularly good. I have all sorts of methods of writing implements before you, so take your pick, and let's get writing, neh ♥?"

While Shunsui should have been blissfully ignornant and unaware of any particular drama or events that may have occurred over the weekend, maybe there was still something in the air all the same, because he found himself coming into the classroom that morning not with his usual sleepy cheer and virve, but instead, with a distinct feeling of being very much over it, with heavy sighs peppering his speech where hearts would normally be.

Including the one he gave when he looked at his students. Sighed heavily as he sat down, and passed around his weekly hot beverage offerings.

"Today, my ducklings," he said, again, with a sigh rather than a heart, as he trudged ahead if only to just get this over with, "we'll be talking about poetry, and more specifically, the haiku," another deep sigh, why did this feel like it was going to be just such a slog? But he'd get it done, anyway, "a traditional Japanese style of poetry containing three short lines, which do no rhyme, but instead follow a syllable pattern. The first line has five, the second seven, and the third five again." Huff. "But a haiku is meant to be more than just a mere poem; t is a way of looking at the physical world and seeing something deeper, like the very nature of existence. It should leave the reader with a strong feeling or impression, and the subject matter is almost always about the natural world, since it is, in fact, meant to reflect the world around us in a way that respresents the simple beauty or emotion that a simple petal on the wind or snow melting in a mountain stream can inspire."

One more sigh, hopefully the last, and he started to hand out a few papers. Not worksheets this time, there was at least that.

"These papers will contain some classic examples of haiku, and I'd like you to read them; if you'd like, we can discuss them a little, maybe you'll find a favorite? And then it will be your turn to compose your own haiku, and we'll share them with the class."

Nope, that wasn't the last one, it looked like Shunsui still had one last put-upon sigh in him.

"Any questions? If not, I'll just let you little ducklings get to it."

While maybe Shunsui figured out what was more disturbing: that he just couldn't shake this strange, sighing fugue, or that it had caused him to go through an entire lecture without a single heart in it.

It was a state of affairs that was truly sigh-worthy.

"Hello again, my ducklings ♥!" Shunsui smiled as he passed around the usual inpirational beverages to his students while settling in for this weeks class. "Today, I'd like for us to talk about the craft of writing itself, more specically about how people go about creating their stories ♥. In general, there are two ways to approach a tale...well, two main ways, followed by a thousand little variations in between the two, but today we'll talk about the different points generally considered to be at either end of the spectrum, and those two methods are, generally, plotting and pantsing ♥.

"Some people find it easiest to just...make things up as they go along; that is the pantsing aspect, or simply making things up 'by the seat of your pants,' as it were ♥. This writer has a general idea when they plop down in front of a notebook or typewriter or computer, get things started, and then, as if taking a journey through the story themselves, let their imaginations lead them ♥. It should surprise no one in this class, I should imagine, that this is personally my own preferred method, though I do not, in fact, tend to wear pants ♥."

Don't wink that that, Shuns--oop. Too late.

"And then," he continued, "there are other writers prefer to plan things out ahead of time ♥. Usually, this is done with an outline, which will cover the bases of characters, main points of action, order of events, etc, etc, etc, so on and so forth ♥. These can be general and vague, or they can be extremely detailed, breaking things down by chapters and working almost as a guide for the author as they turn that outline into something more like a story ♥. If you ask me, I find this method tedious and drains all the fun and excitement out of a story, but I know many people who strive on this method, including my very best friend back home, who has used this method to become a very popular novelist in his own right ♥."

Significantly more popular and prolific than Shunsui's own writing, but that seemed insignificant to mention.

"Today, we'll be trying both ♥. I have a template of a very general outline..." Ahhh, worksheets! Every lazy teacher's best friend! "I'd like you each to fill one out and give it a try to develop a potential story ♥. Feel free to expand on it in a more detailed breakdown as I mentioned, if you feel so inclined or inspired ♥."

"Clearly, a worksheet like this will help develop a story for the more plotting among us, and, in the meantime, before I unleash you to your words on paper, we will explore the pantsing side with a little bit of a game ♥. It is simple enough, and will inspire you to think quickly and make things up as you go along; one person will give a a line or two, a few sentences, of a story ♥. Then, the next person will add to it with her own line or two, and we will continue around, one after the other ♥. Who knows where it will end? But it will be an exciting way to get you to think on your feet....even while sitting down ♥."

He was pretty proud of that one, yes.

"Any questions before we begin ♥?"

[[ ocd on the waaaay! is up! ]]

"Ahhh, welcome back, my little goslings ♥," Shunsui beamed his greeting as his little class got themselves settled in for another session of coffee, cocoa, kotatsu, and creation. He passed along the drink carriers of lattes and hot chocolate as he did last time, because drinking coffee was simply what was expected out of young authors, and also it was very, very early on a Monday morning, by his estimation, which was just cruel, and sipping sake in class was probably frowned upon. "I hope your week has left you you excited and inspired ♥! For today's lesson, we are going to be talking about developing characters, the driving force behind any good story, which should not be difficult for any of us, surrounded as we are by such interesting characters every day ♥."

"Like plot, characters are essential to almost all stories ♥. You can't really have one without the other; sometimes the characters are created out of a necessity for the plot, and other times, a plot begins to develop around the creation of characters ♥. Essentially, characters are our people, our friends and enemies, our little critters and important objects, the actors and the players on the stage of our book ♥. There is usually a hero and a villain. Or perhaps an anti-hero. There may be a beautiful love interest that the hero and villain are combating over, or perhaps a wise old sage who dispenses helpful....or unhelpful!...advice ♥. There are roguish captains wooing sexy pirates; bookish or dreamy young girls dreaming of princes ♥. Every day young men and women trying to discover who they are and what their purposes in life may be. When it comes to characters in fiction, just as with characters in life, there are no limits as to what there could be ♥.

"One of the easiest ways for a writer to write their stories is to really understand their character ♥ Know them as well as you know yourself, probably better; get inside them, inside their heads, their bodies, their emotions and feelings ♥. Know why they do what they do, their motivations, their reasons, their thoughts and opinions ♥. The writer, when writing, will become their characters, just as an actor on stage becomes their character for the duration of the play ♥. Do you want the character of the story to be someone like you, someone you can relate to and use as a voice ♥? Or do you want them to be quite different, to live vicariously through a person who will get the chance to do so many things differently than what life hands you now ♥? Either way, through your character, you can be whoever you want and have them do whatever your heart desires ♥. The heroes in my own work tend to be very dashing and incredibly charming, so, clearly, as you can see, I tend to lean more toward art imitating life ♥."

And yes, he winked at them with that, following it with a small little chuckle.

"So," he ventured toward his conclusion, "that is what we will be doing today ♥! I want you all to spend some time really working out a character, who you can use in future projects throughout the course ♥. I have some worksheets that may help you really get down to the details of a character, but you, as the writer, of course, may determine what is important about them and what is not ♥. Feel free to bounce ideas off of each other, and, when we've all worked a little bit on our characters, we'll then put them into action, and I'll tell you more about that when we're finished ♥.

"Any questions before we begin ♥?"


[[ OCD incoming! now has a fully developed character arc. have at it! ]]