Need some reminders on what metafiction is?

Hello Students,

I think this week's assignment is fun, so I'd like you to think creatively, and literally follow the quote below from Banksy:

"Think outside the box, collapse the box, and take a (insert bad word) sharp knife to it." — Banksy

What you will be taking a knife to and sculpting are the Chain Writing Essays.   Think of them as a "story within a story," where you superimpose a character and situation on top of the "found object" in an "inception-like" way.  Does that make sense?  Probably not.  

Likely, those Chain Writing stories are a bit off kilter, and make for an entertaining read.  So, do consider whimsically: If we were to pretend that a single person had actually written them seriously, who would that person be, and what inspired them to write what they'd written?  What was their creative process?  That's a start.  You could include the best parts of the story and write from the perspective of the writer.  OR, you could put yourselves in the shoes of someone who ends up finding/reading that work (a teacher, a mother, a publisher, or someone sitting on a bus).  What is their reaction?  How does the story within the story create or influence THEIR story?

Essentially, this writing exercise is literature's version of "found object."  Under the umbrella of found object  we have found footage, found audio, found sculpture, and even found poetry.  Basically, a "found object" is defined as finding something and reinventing it's context for artistic purposes.  For our purposes, we are taking collective group writing and supplanting it into hands of one writer (you) - who will then wrap a character(s) and situation(s) around that story.  A story within a story.

Think of this as a "mash up."  You can do whatever you want, include whatever you want, and splice it up like a film editor any way you want - so long as it has layers and explores "intertextuality."

Here are some helpful links:

Make sure you fully understand "metaficiton."

Reading that Wiki page, you will come across "story within a story."   It actually does exist as a literary device.

Furthermore, there is the "frame story," which is more directly what you will most likely fulfill.

Also consider "the fourth wall,"  which is basically described as "the imaginary boundary between any fictional work and its audience."

As a tiny clue I hope you won't read, I leave a link below to the absolute best example of metafiction written by an excellent student from the 16th wave.  Do I want you to read it?  No.  Because I want to see what you do without seeing a former example I like, which I hope you would not emulate (consciously or otherwise).  So..... no.  I won't include the link.







http://ej-lee.blogspot.kr/2011/11/metafiction.html