Day 4 - Writing: Conscious of Myself and Others

This week we kick off with Solaris to get us in the mindset for considering consciousness.

<--Day 3   Day 4 Lesson - Workshopping Plot - Writing Habits - Day 5-->

Consciousness and Physicality: Are We Merely Organic Machines?
Consider the character of Rheya in Solaris.  She's not human.  But she thinks.  She's conscious.  Does this make her human enough?

Stephen Hawking on The Simpsons:

Some Questions to Consider in Your Writing
Consciousness and Memory: Are We Merely Organic Computers?
The Posthuman Dilemma: Have We Evolved Past Evolution?

Plotting the Future in Our Narratives
In writing a science fiction story (or any element of speculative fiction), the interplay of past and present is always an issue.  Because the rules of a fantastic universe are different from the reader's reality, we must always inform the reader how that came to be.  Here are some approaches to writing plot to reflect this.

Writing Habits for the Posthuman Writer
Whether or not we've evolved past evolution, we do know a few things about learning and the acquisition of skills.  Read on for tips on training yourself to be a writer.

Homework - Due 9pm Tonight
3-5 pages of a short story.

<--Day 3   Day 4 Lesson - Workshopping Plot - Writing Habits - Day 5-->