The Big Damn English Project by Shrouded

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

The Big Damn English Project

POSTED BY: SHROUDED
UPDATED: Thursday, September 28, 2006 09:55
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VIEWED: 3418
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Tuesday, September 26, 2006 11:28 AM

Okay, well... maybe not... but I'm making it so it is.

As some of you already know, I'm reading the Canterbury Tales in my British Literature class (high school level, mind you - no fancy middle English for me), and we just recieved our final project. We have many choices, such as drawing a picture, making a doll (yes, you heard right, a doll), reading some of the tales we won't read in class, dressing up... the norm. However, the one I chose was the 3rd choice - the creative writing one. Written out:

Quote:

For the creative writers, create a modern day pilgrimage. Include the following:

a. Create an appropriate pilgrimage: Football Hall of Fame, O.C. Senior Week (O.C. = Ocean City), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Katrina relief, etc.
b. Cretae a brief prologue and then describe at least eight travelers on their way to your goal.
c. Describe the travelers in at least 10 lines each using the style of Chaucer: 10 beats per line and aabbccdd thythm.

As I do with any project I can, I instantly jumped on making it Firefly related - which means extra work for me with 9 characters, and probably more than 10 lines each since I'm so fond of them (I already have over 10 lines for the prologue, which I'm not even halfway done yet).

I just hope my teacher doesn't mind me being a bit more than modern... and that the pilgrimage isn't necessarily one that they know. But I'm not gonna ask, 'cause I figure as long as I do everything the very... what's the word... unspecific instructions say, I'm good. I mean, they've got room for interpretation, and 'm technically followin' all the instructions...

I'm rambling. Anyway, the purpose of this thread is - what would you like to see in the description of the characters? I'm pretty sure I don't have to tell you which characters I'm talking about, since we're all Browncoats, but yeah. Hunh...

Basically - would you like to see any parts of the series (not movie**) hinted at in the descriptions? Do tell, and I'll try to incorporate it.

Select to view spoiler:

No way am I leaving Wash and Book out (just wanted to be safe - no unwanted spoilers this time 'round).

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The only animals I'm not comfortable with are parrots, but I'm learning as I go. I'm getting better and better at 'em. I really am. - Steve Irwin, our Honorary BDH

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Tuesday, September 26, 2006 12:08 PM

RMMC

Quote:
Originally posted by Shrouded:

Basically - would you like to see any parts of the series (not movie**) hinted at in the descriptions? Do tell, and I'll try to incorporate it.

Other than nekkid Mal?

You could go with Book's scary hair. And call this land...This Land.

Good luck on the project! Ooo! Why not share it, either here or in the BSR, when ya get it done?

********
RMMC

"Jayne. You'll scare the women."

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Tuesday, September 26, 2006 12:11 PM

SHROUDED

Plannin' on it.

I'm gonna put each section up as I finish.

and I already hinted at This Land:

Quote:

There was The Soldier, The Captain’s right-hand,
Her wacky husband – talked about “This Land” –

But I'll probably add the dinos in his description.

Nekkid Mal and Book's "Einstein Hair" (as my friend calls it) added to the list.

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The only animals I'm not comfortable with are parrots, but I'm learning as I go. I'm getting better and better at 'em. I really am. - Steve Irwin, our Honorary BDH

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Tuesday, September 26, 2006 2:04 PM

RMMC

Lovely! Yes, the dinos must make an appearance.

Again, good luck on the project.

********
RMMC

"Jayne. You'll scare the women."

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Tuesday, September 26, 2006 2:16 PM

FLORALBUNNY

I *love* this project!
Can you get Jayne's bunk into it? Or his cunning knitted hat?
What do you have for Inara?

bun (inspired)
9/30 Happy AnniVersary, BDM!

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Tuesday, September 26, 2006 2:29 PM

BELUGASMOM

I'm eager to read your final product......How about the way Kaylee pats Serenity and says "good girl"....love that moment.

Life is short, brutal, and unpredictable. EAT DESSERT FIRST.

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Tuesday, September 26, 2006 3:27 PM

SAVEWASH

Now I am learning about scary.

What fun! I'm also looking forward to the finished product. Please share!

"We need to keep our heads so we can ... keep our heads."

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Tuesday, September 26, 2006 5:36 PM

SHINYDS

Well, I'm taking an Early English Lit class at my college. It's pretty much all Chaucer all the time. We haven't gotten to the Canterbury Tales yet, but I know it's comming. We're reading in the Middle English, though. I'd really like to see what you do with this project. It's a really interesting idea. I'm kind of surprised that the fans of this site haven't done a REAL pilgrmage already to...I don't know where they'd go. Anyway, you can even include lots of that fancey poetic Firefly language. Like Neo-English lol. GOod luck. Can't wait to see it.

"Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails. That's what a ship needs but what a ship is... what the Black Pearl really is... is freedom."
--Capt. jack Sparrow

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 12:33 AM

SHROUDED

Quote:
Originally posted by FloralBunny:
I *love* this project!
Can you get Jayne's bunk into it? Or his cunning knitted hat?
What do you have for Inara?

bun (inspired)
9/30 Happy AnniVersary, BDM!

Haha, that will be fun - especially the hat part.

This week was spirit week, and my fried and I dressed up in our Jayne hats and blue gloves. We both have the same teacher, for the same class, only different mods of the day. ... He called me a "knight in shining armor" with my hat and gloves, and mentioned it to Megan, too.

As for Inara, I have... uhh... not much. So far, under my "ideas" list, "Geisha dolls" and "gun place setting."

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The only animals I'm not comfortable with are parrots, but I'm learning as I go. I'm getting better and better at 'em. I really am. - Steve Irwin, our Honorary BDH

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 3:52 AM

DONCOAT

I'm thinking the pilgrimage would have to be to Miranda.

You know, we've had threads for Firefly-inspired limericks, haiku, and Burma Shave jingles. Maybe we should start one for 10-line Canterbury Tales stanzas. (But only after your assignment is finished... wouldn't want to tempt you to cheat!)

Is there any restriction on the meter, line length, or rhyming scheme, or is it pretty much open? (haven't read the Tales in either Middle or modern English, myself.) Edit: Oops, just saw the instructions in the OP. 10 beats per line, etc. Got it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm pointin' right at it!

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 3:54 AM

DONCOAT

Quote:
Originally posted by Shrouded:
As for Inara, I have... uhh... not much. So far, under my "ideas" list, "Geisha dolls" and "gun place setting."

How about hourglasses that are rigged to speed up? Or syringes and black vials? Sponge baths? Incredibly shiny clothes? Not wearing incredibly shiny clothes?

Okay, I'm stopping now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm pointin' right at it!

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 9:19 AM

SHROUDED

Haha, added them.

Dunno if I'll be able to get 'em all... but who knows.

By the way, I just finished the prologue this morning. It's in the BSR, but just for a quick link:

http://www.fireflyfans.net/sunroomitem.asp?i=13167#95449

Enjoy.

Oh, and btw, Don, I wanted to have Miranda... but I didn't want to leave Book out. Just couldn't bring myself to do it. So I went with a more... uh... vague pilgrimage, I guess I could say.

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The only animals I'm not comfortable with are parrots, but I'm learning as I go. I'm getting better and better at 'em. I really am. - Steve Irwin, our Honorary BDH

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 9:23 AM

MSG

I would say going to Miranda fulfills all the requirements for being a pilgrimage...

I choose to rise instead of fall- U2

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 9:29 AM

SHROUDED

It would, it woudl... but again, I want Book alive.

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 10:31 AM

RMMC

So they gonna be making their pilgrimage towards being a family? (Just making a guess, and probably a wild one at that.)

********
RMMC
"Those grenades?"
"Captain don't want 'em."
"Jayne, we're robbing the place, we're not occupying it."

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 10:34 AM

SHROUDED

You got the jist of it, I daresay.

Like... finding serenity on Serenity (haha, laugh at bad-yet-appropriate puns) with each other. Unfortunately, the project only needs the prologue, and the character descriptions... though after I finish that, I'll probably continue to write these things, and tell stories and such... hee hee.

And I have just posted the second in the series: Kaylee!

http://www.fireflyfans.net/sunroomitem.asp?i=13174

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The only animals I'm not comfortable with are parrots, but I'm learning as I go. I'm getting better and better at 'em. I really am. - Steve Irwin, our Honorary BDH

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 10:42 AM

DESKTOPHIPPIE

You know what I would do? I would take an episode and convert it into a poem. You can summerise what happened in the episode, and it'll give you a basic frame to work with.

It would need to be an episode with the idea of pilgrimage, and for some reason Safe jumps to mind. Not only do you have River and Simon's journey on Serenity, but you have Simon's journey to find his sister, Mal's journey to get help for Book, Book's own journey that took him far from his dark past

Select to view spoiler:

that we STILL no NOTHING about and may NEVER know because Joss is a BIG MEANIE!!!

and then you can end with how Simon and River have found their home in a place of travel, rather than the more traditional family home most people think of.

You could also explain that your piece is technically fanfiction and explain what fanfiction is. Heck, your teacher may even want to teach a class on the topic!

I'm really pleased to see your teacher exploring the themes behind The Canterbury Tales in such an interesting way. It's one of my favourite pieces of fiction.

More animations available at http://desktophippie.googlepages.com

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 10:45 AM

SHROUDED

I WAS planning to do that, though I can;t on this project, as the project is just to come up with a prologue and describe at least 8 characters.

But, for my enjoyment, and my teacher's, and FFF.net's, I was planning on writing my very own set of "Canterbury Tales" stories featured around Firefly ("Tales From The 'Verse"), so you may very well see one of Safe, and all the other episodes, as well as stories only hinted at 9i.e., Washs juggling geese adventure, the never-finished story Simon was telling in out of Gas... etc.).

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The only animals I'm not comfortable with are parrots, but I'm learning as I go. I'm getting better and better at 'em. I really am. - Steve Irwin, our Honorary BDH

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, September 27, 2006 2:57 PM

DONCOAT

Quote:
Originally posted by Shrouded:
Haha, added them. Dunno if I'll be able to get 'em all... but who knows.

By the way, I just finished the prologue this morning. It's in the BSR, but just for a quick link:

http://www.fireflyfans.net/sunroomitem.asp?i=13167#95449

Enjoy.

Oh, and btw, Don, I wanted to have Miranda... but I didn't want to leave Book out. Just couldn't bring myself to do it. So I went with a more... uh... vague pilgrimage, I guess I could say.

Off to a good start, I'd say!

Two comments and/or suggestions: "Seeked out" should be "Sought out". Also, "respectful" (re: Inara) should be "respectable", which may ruin the syllable count, so maybe a synonym is needed, or a bit of rework. But I really don't think you want "respectful" there (check the dictionary definition!)

Now, as to Miranda and Book: you only need to meet the characters on the journey. That doesn't mean they all have to make it to the end! As I said, I haven't read the Tales so I don't know if any of his characters get met and left behind along the way, but you could do that if you want.

For that matter, you're not writing canon here, so your Book can make it there in one piece if you want him to. Or, make it Shakespearian and have him ride there on the nose of Serenity. Book = Yorick?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm pointin' right at it!

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 3:16 PM

BROWNCOATJIM

I want to put a vote in for the not wearing shiny clothes at this point, since naked mal has been so shamelessly espoused!

After all, it is nice to have a lil' sum'n sum'n in there for the lads!

Am i being a lecherous hump? Can you blame me?

WE'RE GONNA CRASH? I DON'T WANNA CRASH!

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 4:08 PM

SHROUDED

Thanks for the suggestions, Don.

I changed the few little tidbits. Lol, I think the only person 'Nara ISN'T respectful to is Mal, but that's just me.

She even still treated Atherton with respect even after he insulted her. But hence, I was trying to find a way to fit what you said into it, so it's now just:

Quote:
A Companion, too, clearly high class.
She was respectable – none could surpass.

I tend to like that better anyhow.

I so want to add Miranda in now, but my mom would kill me if I told her, "Oh, yeah, and now I'm re-working the prologue." She already thinks I'm going overboard. -sigh- She just doesn't understand Firefly or Serenity, no matter what I do... But someday, someday... she'll be a Browncoat too.

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 4:12 PM

SHROUDED

Heh heh heh, the menfolk here will have a little sum'n sum'n too, no worries. I mean, Kaylee's poem hints at when she first got the job...

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Thursday, September 28, 2006 9:55 AM

SHROUDED

Got three more down, folks.

Zoë, Wash, Book.

Zoë: http://www.fireflyfans.net/sunroomitem.asp?i=13185
Wash: http://www.fireflyfans.net/sunroomitem.asp?i=13186
Book: http://www.fireflyfans.net/sunroomitem.asp?i=13187

---------------------------------------

The only animals I'm not comfortable with are parrots, but I'm learning as I go. I'm getting better and better at 'em. I really am. - Steve Irwin, our Honorary BDH

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

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