Prompt Response One

This week, I’d like to talk in more detail about appeals. Understanding appeal is probably the most important thing you will get out of this class. So, for this week, I would like you to choose a book that you have read and enjoyed and do a practice annotation. Assign your book a genre based on the appeals and characteristics Saricks talks about in the text –pacing, characterization, storyline, tone/mood, style/language, and frame/setting - and then talk about the appeals and characteristics of your particular book. You can go right down the line, following Saricks’ format in the text or you can use a more narrative style, it’s up to you. Also please include a short plot summary – you can find tips for that in the readings - and find three read-a-likes based on appeal. Read-a-likes can be found in many different ways; we will discuss more resources for them later in the semester. My favorite source is Novelist – a database you have to access through a library. Your local library may have access to it. Let me know if it doesn’t.

If you have any questions or worries that you aren’t doing it correctly, just post it early enough in the week that I have a chance to look at it and message me with your concern. I will let you know if it’s not what I’m looking for. Feel free to use the handouts from week one as a guide; also feel free to post questions or comments about this assignment here in the comment section if you think your classmates will benefit. Remember, you will need to post this and respond to two of your classmates blog posts by the end of the week, Sunday January 26th.

This should be a fun exercise - reading each others’ annotations is a great way to find new suggestions for patrons or for yourselves! Always feel free to post interesting books, articles, interviews, or observations on your blog to share with me and your classmates, since we can’t just chat about them during class.