Writing Your OWN Vignette!
Extra Credit Opportunity: Due Friday, October 28.
It just wouldn’t seem fair to read the entire novel, The House on Mango Street, without being given the opportunity to capture the spirit of one of the central components of the novel. Sandra Cisneros tells the story of a young protagonist in an unconventional way. Instead of introducing the character, the conflict, and following the character’s decisions on her way to resolution, Cisneros reveals the conflict slowly, in bits and pieces. This vignette style might seem tedious and boring to some, but it allows the author to elaborate on details that might get lost if the emphasis was placed elsewhere. By allowing Esperanza to reflect on events that at first seemed insignificant, but found significance in time, Cisneros teaches us that wisdom can only be revealed through reflection.
For this assignment you must:
Brainstorm at least 10 potential people, places, events, or details of your community that might make appropriate vignettes. Pick a specific instance or moment to really focus on. Don’t try to take an entire trip, for example, and develop the whole thing into a vignette. Pick one experience on that trip, or even one moment that shows something about you, someone else, or society in general. If you try to take on too much, this will not be effective. Feel free to model your selections after your favorites in Mango Street.
Select the 1 topic that you intend to focus in on. Brainstorm answers to these questions:
--Who are the people included in this vignette?
--Where is this vignette taking place?
--Why is this story important in my life today?
--Why is this vignette UNIQUE to me?
Look at HOW Cisneros writes HER vignettes. How does she begin her stories? Look at those first sentences. Don’t they grab your attention and make you think? She usually uses figurative language early and often to describe some detail within the vignette. Feel free to model your style after hers.
Think about some figurative language that you can include in your vignette. How will you describe your details using fresh, original figurative language?
Begin drafting, paying attention to HOW you’re writing this.
Be thoughtful. Be creative.
Try to incorporate your favorite parts of the novel into your own example.
Try to have fun. This doesn’t have to be stupid. Determine a mood that you hope to establish—it could be serious, humorous, sweet, romantic, regretful, or some other emotion—then make some conscious choices in your words/phrases to achieve it!