They were really going to Walt Disney World!Īll those hours in the car may have been fun, but not as fun as the last part of the “story.” The same principle applies to writing. These young kids sat in a car for thirty hours, thinking they were going to “Rattlesnake Ranch.” Their parents did all the preparation and set up the big moment when…they revealed the big secret. Anderson took her time in the fourth section of the book to make sure she answered every question we might have.) This preparation wasn’t the most exciting part of your week off, was it? But when you got to your destination, you wanted to savor every moment. Have you ever gone on a vacation? You had to prepare for the vacation, right? You had to pack your bags and save money and maybe even book a flight. Anderson made and he needed to fulfill those promises. The director, James Cameron, devoted a LOT of that movie’s run time to the couple hours the boat was sinking, right? He did so because he made the same kind of promises that Ms. Explanations take a little bit of time, and they’re often the most satisfying part of a story. Anderson doesn’t answer all of these important questions (and more), we will feel pretty cheated, won’t we? The last section of the book is a little bit longer than the others because the author must pay off all of these conflicts. Melinda seems to like art…will she stop being frustrated with her art and create a cool piece?.Will Melinda make peace with her old friends?.Why does Melinda refer to Andy Evans as “IT?”.Why won’t she “speak”/stand up for herself?.Anderson spends 139 pages setting up a lot of conflicts and putting a lot of balls into the air: This is a big deal because the last section SHOULD be the longest. What do we notice? Why, the first three secti0ns are virtually the same length! Interesting! The final section is the longest, by far. Pages the Marking Period Occupies in the Book There are four sections, each of which are devoted to one of the year’s marking periods: Marking Period Like I said, the book takes place over the course of a whole school year. Too bad the numbers will help us figure out what Speak can teach us about writing. We became writers so we wouldn’t have to do math. It’s time to do some statistical analysis on the book. Anderson reveals the secret and describes how Melinda achieves agency and takes charge of her own life and emotions. She loves her overworked parents, but Melinda’s secret is making it hard for her to, well, speak to them…or anyone else. Freeman’s art class, even if she doesn’t always know how much it means to her. She makes friends with Heather, who loves to make plans. Speak chronicles the events of Melinda’s first year of high school.
Her old friends are not very happy with her now and she has learned what it feels like to eat lunch alone. The summer before, she was at a party and found it necessary to call the police. Unfortunately, Melinda has more to worry about than Homecoming and classes. That’s to be expected, of course the young woman is just entering high school. Melinda is not having the best year of her life.
Anderson speak about Speak?Įlement of Craft We’re Stealing: Narrative Structure Anderson discusses Speak and the effect it has had on readers for fifteen years. Anderson is a friend of that particular store, as well!) You can also purchase the book online from Powell’s.īonuses: Here is a cool interview in which Ms.
Title of Work and its Form: Speak, novel Author: Laurie Halse Anderson (on Twitter Date of Work: 1999 Where the Work Can Be Found: Speak can be found in all local independent bookstores, including Oswego, New York’s the river’s end bookstore.
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