DYSTOPIAN FICTION GENRE AN INTRODUCTION TO DYSTOPIAN FICTION

DYSTOPIAN FICTION GENRE AN INTRODUCTION TO DYSTOPIAN FICTION

WELCOME TO DYSTOPIAN FICTION • Before you get started, consider the following questions: • 1. What made you choose dystopian fiction? • 2. What are 2 strengths that you have as a writer? • 3. What is 1 area that you would like to improve in creative writing?

TIPS BEFORE WE GET STARTED • Push yourself. • Take risks. • Be positive. • Have fun! : ) "If writing is easy, you're doing it wrong. "

CREATIVE WRITING AIMS LI: TO DEVELOP OUR CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS – CHARACTERISATION, SETTING, PLOT, AND DESCRIPTIVE WRITING. I can create convincing characters. I can effectively describe setting in a dystopian story. I can create an interesting plot for a short story. I can use descriptive language and imagery to make my writing more interesting.

WHAT IS DYSTOPIAN FICTION? • The word ‘dystopia’ comes from the Ancient Greek roots dys- and topia, which mean "bad" and "place to live“. • In dystopian fiction, society is the antagonist (the bad guy). The society is working against the protagonist's aims and goals. Usually, the government is working against the people who live there, forcing people to live with negative and damaging laws. For example, controlling people’s actions/appearances/relationships, or living in difficult and harsh conditions. • Think of the examples of dystopian fiction you are familiar with. What’s wrong with the societies that the characters live in? • TASK: Make a list of the dystopian stories you know. These can be films, series, books, or video games that you [or anyone else at home] knows.

WHERE DO DYSTOPIAS COME FROM? • Writers look at their own world and the things that are happening around them for ideas for their stories. Often, the laws in dystopian worlds can seem far-fetched, but they’re usually grounded in deep dissatisfaction from the goings on in our own world. • This video looks at dystopia worlds in films and books and shows how close we are to living in those kinds of worlds: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=GHff 1 bwn. Cn 0 • TASK: 1. Make a list of things that happen in this world that you hate. It could be anything from certain laws, to crimes that take place, to simply hating maths. 2. Now write down how different the world would be if the things that you hated were the law, and the things that you loved were banned. For example, what if books were all burned, and everyone had to do ten hours of maths every day? What if chocolate was illegal, and all foods must contain

DYSTOPIAN WORLDS - CREATING IDEAS TASK: Watch the following You. Tube clips and write down what is a) similar with our world, and b) different to our world. Clip A – From the Hunger Games: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=krzt 2 z. DSq. YA Clip B – From Never Let Me Go (where children are never allowed to go to the outside world until they are much older) : https: //www. youtube. com/watch? annotation_id=annotation_107494&feature=iv&list=PL 15 E 4 AE 2496 E 98 E 0 D&src_vid=l. ARtuti. RTKY&v=v. TYo. UXubdqo https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=l. ARtuti. RTKY&list=PL 15 E 4 AE 2496 E 98 E 0 D&index=2 • [If you can't access the clips, think about how the dystopian films/books you know are similar or different to our own world. ]

CREATING NEW WORLDS FROM OUR WORLD • For example: • Look at your ideas so far – the things that you loved being made illegal or extinct, and the things that you hated being the law, or being forced. This will be a starting point for your own dystopian world. • Dystopian worlds usually contain laws that make the main character suffer. • TASK Using one of your examples, write a diary entry of how you would feel if you found out today that the law had changed. How would you react? A strange man and woman came into the classroom, both of them dressed head to toe in brown, like some kind of army uniform. The teacher stood by her desk, her hands trembling as she looked round her classroom with large, frightened eyes. “Female pupils, stand at the right wall. ” The man barked the orders with a firm voice, but devoid of any empathy or interest. Like a robot. I lined up between my two best friends, and we looked at each other, hoping to get strength from the teacher but she could barely stop herself from shaking. . . “Female pupils, ” the woman spoke this time, her voice cold, almost exactly the same as the man’s voice. “You are all enlisted to the army with immediate effect. Male pupils, you can continue with your studies. ”

NEW WORLD PROPAGANDA • • In your dystopian world, the government will be in charge of all the laws, forcing society to be the way it is. Your character might react against it, but the government will want to keep everyone happy. To do this, they’d use propaganda, just as governments do now to try to persuade the people. TASK: Create your own propaganda poster or collage for your dystopian world. Please send a picture of your completed dystopian poster. • [If you'd prefer to do more of a mind map than an artistic poster, feel free!] • There a couple of dystopia propaganda posters on the next slide and there are loads more online to look at as inspiration.

PLEASE SEND YOUR TASKS TO BETHANY. DAVIS@LIBERTON. EDIN. SCH. UK. IF YOU'D LIKE YOUR WORK TO BE SHARED ON THE BLOG OR ON TWITTER, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! REMEMBER – YOU CAN BE IN TOUCH ANY TIME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR WORK!