Menendez
Member
I got full marks for this....for anyone who wants to look at one. Of course, it depends what your teacher is looking for, so keep that in mind. But yeah, this is what my teacher was looking for.
Hope this helps at all!
P.S. I;m doing short story
Project Proposal
Working Title: Blood on the Moon of Aquarius refers to Roman Emperor Domitians assassination premonition. The moon is also a motif, a link between ancient and modern society, the two eras of the two stories.
Statement of Intention: I intend to write a short story entitled Blood on the Moon of Aquarius, an interpretive and imaginative narrative about the discovery of a skeleton thought to be the discarded body of Roman Emperor Domitian, and delve into the lives and experiences of Marcus Paterni, the archaeologist who finds the skeleton, and of Emperor Domitian in his last days. There are three sub stories: the story of Emperor Domitians assassination, the story of a skeleton found by a skeptical archaeologist during contemporary times, and of the first days of Domitians successors reign. They intertwine, so events seem to jump back and forth, which makes the short story post-modern. I have also employed intertextuality, with quotes from historians, like Tacitus, to contemporary historical films, like Spartacus and I, Claudius. The story is intended for an educated adult audience, as it contains Latin, and aspects of Ancient History and Paleopathology, which some may not understand or have any interest in.
I chose short story as a medium due to its flexibility regarding setting, plot, and themes. Short story also calls for less resources and organization than other mediums, making it a chiefly self-reliant medium. It is also the medium I am strongest and have most experience with.
My core concept deals with how blurred the line is between good, and bad. Human nature is flawed; and we all have the ability to perform good, and bad, and very often, at the same time, within the same action. This can be seen through the assassination of Emperor Domitian-a ruler with a dubious reputation for being a good administrator, yet famous for his senatorial executions-and the chain of good deeds and bad deeds done by people for the greater cause. The various characters can allow a responder to make their own judgment on characters motives, and whether they are devils or saints, whether Domitian is a martyr, or a rightfully executed tyrant. The story of the skeletons discovery in modern Rome allows for a philosophical reflection upon this concept, charged with mood and an austere atmosphere. My concept revolves around empathy, human nature and our own personal psyches.
Inspiration: I had had a perfect idea for a short story, but once I started Extension II English, I had forgotten it, save that it had something to do with Emperor Domitian. So I began research on the Internet, and found a website that said the Emperor was buried, not cremated, as was the tradition. So I thought, what if a skeleton was found, and everyone thought it was him? It also gave me a chance to explore Ancient Rome, which is one of my passions. Archaeology and Paleopathology are also principal interests to me, and the contemporary story allows me to delve into forensics more.
Texts that have also inspired me include the novel The Light Bearer, written by Donna Gillespie, which goes into deep-and accurate-historical detail about Emperor Domitians reign. The mini-series I, Claudius directed by Herbert Wise, I found incredibly interesting, and presents a new theory about Claudius life: "If you want to survive, exaggerate your stammer and twitch, no one will think you're worth killing. This made me interested in adding some of my own theories and ideas to the historical facts, which in turn stimulates thought in the responder.
Preliminary Investigation: My two main areas of research are-
- Archaeology/Paleopathology, and what tests and procedures are carried out
- Emperor Domitian, what events occurred and what life was like in his reign
Firstly, I will carry out secondary research, which includes books and websites. I shall also view other texts with similar themes, plots and eras to my own, for inspiration and possibly research purposes. At the University of San Diego, California (UCSD) where my uncle teaches, there is an archaeology and a sociology faculty there, which would be useful to speak to if I have any distinct questions about procedures that cannot be answered by generalized sites. I will also watch the BBC television series Meet the Ancestors, which includes explanations about archaeological procedures, which is vital information for my piece. I will also talk to a writer about writing technique, style, and editing.
Critical Factors for Success:
Factors for success include:
Time Management- This allows for better and constructive use of my time, so I have enough time to prepare and finish set tasks for Extension II English. I will allow myself time for editing, and plot changes.
Effective Research-By conducting an investigation into my areas of research, using a wide variety of texts, from a wide variety of eras, I can successfully have gathered enough information to make educated decisions and choices, and also maintaining historical and textual integrity within my major.
Criticism and Editing-By having a range of people read my major (other Ext. II students, family members, writers) I will have the viewpoint of other responders, and whether or not I have maintained character, created believability, or created an understandable plot. By finding a mentor that has experience in writing, I can receive assistance with the actual writing process.
Identify Limitations-I need to keep in mind my word count, time constraints and unpredictable issues, like writing block, or computer malfunctioning.
Planning/Method: I intend to conclude all secondary research before beginning the narrative, as to have more of an idea of where I want to go with the plot. Then I will write an in-depth synopsis, as to understand what I want to write, and how Ill do it. In this process Ill locate any plot/historical difficulties, and solve these before starting the first draft. I intend to write a draft, and then get a professional writers help in editing it, using most of my time on my major for plot and language editing.
Bibliography:
The Light Bearer Donna Gillespie, Hodder and Straughton Books, 1994
I, Claudius Herbert Wise, BBC, 1976
Anils Ghost Michael Ondaatje, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2000
Meet the Ancestors K. Campbell, BBCi, 2001
Domitian itsa.ucsf.edu/~snlrc/encyclopaedia_romana/miscellanea/numismatics/domitian.html
The Emperor Domitian http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/7094/domit.html
Archaeology Magazine www.archaeology.org/
Archaeology www.archaeology.about.com
Hope this helps at all!
P.S. I;m doing short story
Project Proposal
Working Title: Blood on the Moon of Aquarius refers to Roman Emperor Domitians assassination premonition. The moon is also a motif, a link between ancient and modern society, the two eras of the two stories.
Statement of Intention: I intend to write a short story entitled Blood on the Moon of Aquarius, an interpretive and imaginative narrative about the discovery of a skeleton thought to be the discarded body of Roman Emperor Domitian, and delve into the lives and experiences of Marcus Paterni, the archaeologist who finds the skeleton, and of Emperor Domitian in his last days. There are three sub stories: the story of Emperor Domitians assassination, the story of a skeleton found by a skeptical archaeologist during contemporary times, and of the first days of Domitians successors reign. They intertwine, so events seem to jump back and forth, which makes the short story post-modern. I have also employed intertextuality, with quotes from historians, like Tacitus, to contemporary historical films, like Spartacus and I, Claudius. The story is intended for an educated adult audience, as it contains Latin, and aspects of Ancient History and Paleopathology, which some may not understand or have any interest in.
I chose short story as a medium due to its flexibility regarding setting, plot, and themes. Short story also calls for less resources and organization than other mediums, making it a chiefly self-reliant medium. It is also the medium I am strongest and have most experience with.
My core concept deals with how blurred the line is between good, and bad. Human nature is flawed; and we all have the ability to perform good, and bad, and very often, at the same time, within the same action. This can be seen through the assassination of Emperor Domitian-a ruler with a dubious reputation for being a good administrator, yet famous for his senatorial executions-and the chain of good deeds and bad deeds done by people for the greater cause. The various characters can allow a responder to make their own judgment on characters motives, and whether they are devils or saints, whether Domitian is a martyr, or a rightfully executed tyrant. The story of the skeletons discovery in modern Rome allows for a philosophical reflection upon this concept, charged with mood and an austere atmosphere. My concept revolves around empathy, human nature and our own personal psyches.
Inspiration: I had had a perfect idea for a short story, but once I started Extension II English, I had forgotten it, save that it had something to do with Emperor Domitian. So I began research on the Internet, and found a website that said the Emperor was buried, not cremated, as was the tradition. So I thought, what if a skeleton was found, and everyone thought it was him? It also gave me a chance to explore Ancient Rome, which is one of my passions. Archaeology and Paleopathology are also principal interests to me, and the contemporary story allows me to delve into forensics more.
Texts that have also inspired me include the novel The Light Bearer, written by Donna Gillespie, which goes into deep-and accurate-historical detail about Emperor Domitians reign. The mini-series I, Claudius directed by Herbert Wise, I found incredibly interesting, and presents a new theory about Claudius life: "If you want to survive, exaggerate your stammer and twitch, no one will think you're worth killing. This made me interested in adding some of my own theories and ideas to the historical facts, which in turn stimulates thought in the responder.
Preliminary Investigation: My two main areas of research are-
- Archaeology/Paleopathology, and what tests and procedures are carried out
- Emperor Domitian, what events occurred and what life was like in his reign
Firstly, I will carry out secondary research, which includes books and websites. I shall also view other texts with similar themes, plots and eras to my own, for inspiration and possibly research purposes. At the University of San Diego, California (UCSD) where my uncle teaches, there is an archaeology and a sociology faculty there, which would be useful to speak to if I have any distinct questions about procedures that cannot be answered by generalized sites. I will also watch the BBC television series Meet the Ancestors, which includes explanations about archaeological procedures, which is vital information for my piece. I will also talk to a writer about writing technique, style, and editing.
Critical Factors for Success:
Factors for success include:
Time Management- This allows for better and constructive use of my time, so I have enough time to prepare and finish set tasks for Extension II English. I will allow myself time for editing, and plot changes.
Effective Research-By conducting an investigation into my areas of research, using a wide variety of texts, from a wide variety of eras, I can successfully have gathered enough information to make educated decisions and choices, and also maintaining historical and textual integrity within my major.
Criticism and Editing-By having a range of people read my major (other Ext. II students, family members, writers) I will have the viewpoint of other responders, and whether or not I have maintained character, created believability, or created an understandable plot. By finding a mentor that has experience in writing, I can receive assistance with the actual writing process.
Identify Limitations-I need to keep in mind my word count, time constraints and unpredictable issues, like writing block, or computer malfunctioning.
Planning/Method: I intend to conclude all secondary research before beginning the narrative, as to have more of an idea of where I want to go with the plot. Then I will write an in-depth synopsis, as to understand what I want to write, and how Ill do it. In this process Ill locate any plot/historical difficulties, and solve these before starting the first draft. I intend to write a draft, and then get a professional writers help in editing it, using most of my time on my major for plot and language editing.
Bibliography:
The Light Bearer Donna Gillespie, Hodder and Straughton Books, 1994
I, Claudius Herbert Wise, BBC, 1976
Anils Ghost Michael Ondaatje, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2000
Meet the Ancestors K. Campbell, BBCi, 2001
Domitian itsa.ucsf.edu/~snlrc/encyclopaedia_romana/miscellanea/numismatics/domitian.html
The Emperor Domitian http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/7094/domit.html
Archaeology Magazine www.archaeology.org/
Archaeology www.archaeology.about.com