Suggestions

Trident · Post by **Trident** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 1:46 am

Hmm... haven't read the book, so I can't really help you there... but are there any ideas (no matter how stupid) that you keep returning to? Or any parts of the book you either really love or really hate? If something sticks out at all, that's usually a good place to start.

Oh, and you're not completely alone... I need to write three more pages of a paper that's due tomorrow too... I should stop avoiding that and get to work...

Toecutter · Post by **Toecutter** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:08 am

I haven't read the book either. Also, seeing as I usually just skip the outline, write the full rough draft from scratch, take the bad grade on the outline, but more than make up for it (and get some extra credit) with all the detailed stuff I wrote, my strategy may not help out.

However, here it is anyway:

Don't visit the forums until you've finished the outline!

Now for some real advice:

Open Appleworks/Word/whatever word processing document you use, and just start writing. You can write a fanfic, a detailed description on laminar flow characteristics of your favorite kitchen sink, anything! Just write stuff. This will slowly work you into the mood to get something done. When you are all geared up to write on your topic, you'll automatically force yourself to find one. It can be the crappiest angle on the story you can think of, so long as you have it turned in tomorrow in an outline format, and you can present it in an entertaining way.

For example, I don't know what the story is about, but you could write a detailed description of all the bad choices the protagonist makes, his options, and all the ugly side effects of his other choices, all from a comedic angle. Myself, I'd probably get a copy of the Cliffe's Notes for the book, and write a detailed criticism of how instructors are forcing people to think one way, and point out how much useless metaphysical crap is thrown into a perfectly good story that does fine on it's own.

CaTaClYsM · Post by **CaTaClYsM** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 4:59 am

This is what I have so far, I just hope it'll be enough to get by.

My Outline wrote:Naturalism: A Literary Oxymoron, or “You can't have your cake and eat it, too”

The essay I have planned is going to be an analysis of Naturalism (Which tries to integrate the redeeming qualities of Fictional writing, and the redeeming qualities of Non-Fiction writing.) and criticism of the Novel McTeague by using the Original Text as refrence in adition to essays written by people of the Novel and by the Author himself about Naturalism and McTeauge.

Norris, Frank “McTeague”, in McTeague A Norton Critical Edition, Second Edition, ed. By Donald Pizer, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110 1997

Lundy, Robert D.”The Polk Street Background of McTeague” McTeague A Norton Critical Edition, Second Edition, ed. By Donald Pizer, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110 1997

Pizer, Donald “Late 19th Century American Naturalism” in McTeague A Norton Critical Edition, Second Edition, ed. By Donald Pizer, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110 1997

Hochman, Barbara “Loss, Habbit, Obsession” in McTeague A Norton Critical Edition, Second Edition, ed. By Donald Pizer, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110 1997

Pizer, Donald “The Genesis of McTeague” in McTeague A Norton Critical Edition, Second Edition, ed. By Donald Pizer, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110 1997

chaoticstormbringer · Post by **chaoticstormbringer** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 6:34 am

okay you definately need help huh? What you need a story huh? Lets see, mating season of the bullfrog, why internet companies in australia (optus) are using frogs screwing each other as a way to express cable modems...

Uh... if you really need a serious topic... Do one on the changing eras within the youthful societies. Why the otaku are now more socially recognised as better than those airheads who skate and surf and don't know where canadia is.

Or you can do an essay on abuse, or elvis presley and how he died on the toilet. Or how about the movie industry? why is it that so many people are digitalising everything? Is it because they can form anything they want?

well screw my ideas, they look shit to me :p oh well ui'll post anyway :p

CaTaClYsM · Post by **CaTaClYsM** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 11:48 am

It needs to be on the specific subject of the book McTeague and Naturalism.